Grandmother's Generosity Met with Coldness After Funding Grandson's University

A 69-year-old Japanese grandmother, identified as Kayo (pseudonym), has been left heartbroken after her son reacted coldly to her generous financial gift. Kayo, who lives alone on a monthly pension of 140,000 yen after her husband's death, decided to tap into her retirement savings to help her grandson.

Her grandson had been accepted into his top-choice private university, but the family's finances were strained by the sudden increase in expenses for tuition, first-semester fees, and preparations for his move to a dormitory. Kayo's son, Ryosuke (pseudonym), mentioned the financial burden during a phone call, without directly asking for help. Moved by her grandson's future prospects, Kayo resolved to provide the funds.

She cashed in a fixed deposit to gather 1 million yen (approximately $6,400 USD) and transferred it to her son's account. She sent a message stating, "Please use this for your enrollment preparations. I believe Father would be happy too." However, despite the message being marked as read, she received no reply and no phone call from her son or grandson for two weeks.

Growing concerned, Kayo eventually called her son to confirm he had received the money. He confirmed the transfer and stated it had been used for admission fees. When Kayo expressed her hope for at least a phone call and to hear from her grandson, Ryosuke responded, "If you gave the money wanting us to thank you, you shouldn't have helped in the first place." This remark left Kayo devastated, as she felt her sacrifice was taken for granted.

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If you gave the money wanting us to thank you, you shouldn't have helped in the first place.