The story of Furaha (not her real name), a young woman from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a heartbreaking reminder of how unresolved pain and anger can lead to destructive decisions with lasting consequences.
Furaha grew up in a broken home after her parents’ marriage ended when she was only six years old. She was her father’s darling, and he always made an effort to see her, bringing her gifts and showing her love. However, her mother remarried when Furaha was still young, and she had to move into a new home with her stepfather.
According to Furaha, life in her mother’s new marriage was difficult. She says her stepfather was mean to her and often behaved inappropriately whenever her mother was away. She tried to confide in her mother, but instead of being believed, she was accused of trying to destroy the marriage. Several times, she ran away to live with her grandmother, but her mother always forced her to return.
Things took a darker turn when Furaha was 12. Her stepfather allegedly invited her to meet him at a hotel. Feeling bitter and angry at her mother for separating her from her biological father and ignoring her cries for help, Furaha says she made a deliberate decision to go through with the meeting as a form of revenge. She admits that she slept with her stepfather and ensured her mother found out through the man’s text messages.
The revelation broke the family apart. Her mother, furious and hurt, threw her out of the house and later divorced the stepfather. Furaha found refuge at a friend’s home, but the damage to her relationship with her mother was already done. Even after years of regret and several attempts at reconciliation through pastors, her mother has not forgiven her.
Now an adult, Furaha openly admits that her actions, born out of anger and revenge, left her more broken than healed. She regrets the decision deeply and pleads for her mother’s forgiveness, acknowledging that revenge only deepened the wounds instead of mending them.
Furaha’s painful experience serves as a cautionary tale. It highlights how divorce and lack of communication in families can scar children emotionally, and how unresolved bitterness can push them toward harmful choices. Her story is not one of glory, but of warning—showing the need for parental guidance, open dialogue, and healing in families to prevent cycles of pain from repeating.
