A man is abandoned by the stepson he raised as his own after his wife died, and is unexpectedly rescued by a kind young man.
Do you believe in karma? Bob didn’t. He lived his life and made his decisions with no thought for anyone except himself. What he wanted was what was right, no matter the cost to everyone else.
Bob never imagined that his attitude would reverberate down the years until he found himself standing by the side of a lonely road watching his only family drive away, leaving him alone, abandoned.
Bob was stunned when his stepson turned him out like a stray dog | Source: Shutterstock.com
The man driving away from Bob was Sam, his stepson, the boy he’d raised as his own and loved with all his heart from the time he was five years old. Back then, Bob had been on the verge of marriage when he’d met Sam’s mother, Adele.
Adele had been beautiful, charming, exciting, and Bob had walked out on his fiancée without an explanation. He left his old life behind like a dirty shirt and married the wealthy Adele.
For thirty years Bob and Adele had been happy. They traveled around the world living a life of luxury in the inheritance she had received on the death of her wealthy old husband — Sam’s father.
Bob thought they had been a happy family until Adele had become very ill. Unfortunately, not all the money in the world could save her from the terrible cancer that burned through her frail body.
Selfish Bob had walked away from his fiancée to marry a rich woman with a child | Source: Pexels
When they lowered Adele’s coffin into the ground, Bob had stood by the graveside, shaking. “My love,” he whispered, “I will never forget you, never! And I promise you I will look after Sam.”
But unfortunately for Bob, Sam had made no such promises. A few days after Adele’s death, her lawyer called Bob and Sam and explained that she hadn’t left a will, and the estate would be in Sam’s hands provisionally.
Be careful of the examples you give the young because they will surely follow them.
“Until we can ascertain Bob’s rights, Sam,” the lawyer explained. “Since the bulk of the estate was left by your father…”
Sam had smiled. “Of course…That seems very fair to me, and Bob, you can be sure I’ll be fair.” Bob smiled and thanked Sam for his kindness, never imagining the true intention behind his words.
Bob raised Adele’s son as if he were his own | Source: Unsplash
That weekend, Sam invited Bob to go for a drive out in the country to get some fresh air. “Bob,” he said. “We need to get rid of the cobwebs before we can start a new life!”
The two had driven off in Sam’s convertible and Bob had noticed that his stepson was uncharacteristically quiet, even though he smiled a lot, and looked amused.
When they were outside the city limits, Sam stopped the car. “Get out,” he said. “Get out now.”
“Sam?” asked Bob, bewildered. “What’s going on?”
When Adele passed away, Bob was devastated | Source: Pexels
“As I told you, I’m getting rid of the cobwebs, starting a new life,” Sam said with a nasty little smile. “And you’re dead weight, old man.”
“But…I promised your mother I’d look out for you…” Bob gasped.
“But I never made her any promises,” his stepson said. “I don’t owe YOU anything. You lived off her for thirty years, that’s long enough, don’t you think?”
“I love you!” whispered Bob with tears in his eyes. “You were like a son to me, I thought you cared for me!”
“Care?” asked Sam. “What I care about is all that money and I’m not about to share it with you. It’s MY money, old man, so get lost!”
His stepson Sam seemed very supportive, but after the funeral, Bob was in for a surprise | Source: Unsplash
Sam made a threatening gesture and Bob stumbled out of the car trembling. He stood and watched as Sam’s car vanished in a dwindling cloud of dust.
He looked around. The emptiness stretched out in all directions from horizon to horizon, and he had nothing except his walking stick. He started wobbling after Sam’s car, thinking that sooner or later he’d come across a house, or be overtaken by another vehicle.
Surely someone would be kind enough to stop for an old man? But car after car sped by, and no one stopped. After a while, Bob stopped trying to flag them down. He just stopped where he was.
The sun was going down and it was getting very cold when a large expensive-looking car stopped next to him. “Sir,” asked a kindly voice. “Are you alright?”
The lawyer told Sam and Bob that Adele had died without a will | Source: Unsplash
Bob felt tears fill his eyes at the sound of the concern in that stranger’s voice. “No,” he said shakily. “I’ve been abandoned here. Please, if you could take me to the nearest town, a police station? If it’s not too much trouble!”
“Abandoned?” the man sounded shocked. “That’s shocking! Please get in.”
The driver was a young man in his early thirties with a friendly smile and kindly blue eyes. He reminded Bob of someone, but he couldn’t remember who it was. Bob told the man, whose name was Jake Kale his whole story.
Jake was indignant, and when he saw that Bob was shaking from the cold, he decided to take him home. “I’ll take you to the police tomorrow morning, Bob,” he said. “Tonight you get warm and have a good meal and a restful sleep.”
Sam invited Bob to go for a drive | Source: Unsplash
Jake led Bob into a lovely cozy home and introduced him to his wife Angela and his daughter Faye. “My mother is joining us for dinner, Bob,” Jake said. As he was speaking, a cheerful voice called out a greeting and a sweet-faced woman in her sixties walked in.
She had Jake’s eyes, Bob noticed, and once again he had the eery feeling that he knew her from somewhere, but where? Bob was stunned when the woman turned and saw him standing there. She cried out, and Jake had to grab her before she fell.
“Mom!” Jake cried, “Are you OK?”
“That man…” gasped Peggy Kale. “Bob…It’s you!”
“It’s MY money, old man, so get lost!” | Source: Unsplash
“I’m Bob,” said Bob bewildered, “But how did you know?” Then he saw the years fall away from that sweet face. “Peggy! After all these years!”
“How did you get here? How did you find us?” Peggy asked.
Bob shook his head. “It was Jake who found me, rescued me. I was abandoned on the road. He picked me up. He’s your son?”
“Yes,” Peggy said quietly. “My son…and yours.”
A kind man driving by stopped and took Bob home | Source: Unsplash
“Mine?” whispered Bob. “You were pregnant? You didn’t tell me!”
“You walked away a week before our wedding,” Peggy said. “I didn’t know then — and later it didn’t seem to matter. You didn’t want me, and I wasn’t going to use my baby to pressure you.”
Bob lowered his head and cried bitter tears. “I raised Adele’s son!” he whispered. “You knew that?”
And as Peggy nodded, Bob continued bitterly: “It was Adele’s boy — whom I thought was my boy, who abandoned me by the side of the road like a stray dog.”
Jake’s mother was the fiancée Bob had abandoned | Source: Pexels
Peggy smiled. “And it was my son who saved you…Think about that, Bob!”
Bob did. He spent the night tossing and turning, thinking about the choices he’d made, the examples he’d given Sam. He’d raised a selfish, grasping, dishonest man, and Peggy had raised a good, generous one.
The next day, Jake took Bob to a police station and lodged a complaint against Sam. Jake got Bob a good lawyer and the courts awarded Bob half of Adele’s substantial estate.
Shortly after the court’s decision, Bob signed over every cent to his son Jake, and to his granddaughter. He begged Peggy’s forgiveness and he is now working hard at making it up to his son and his ex-fiancée.
Bob found the family he didn’t know he had | Source: Unsplash
What can we learn from this story?
- Be careful of the examples you give the young because they will surely follow them. Bob was a selfish man, and that was the example he gave his stepson.
- Fate will bring you face to face with your greatest mistakes so you can make amends. The man who rescued Bob was his biological son whom he had apparently abandoned before he was born.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who is shocked when she sees a homeless stranger wearing the pendant she’d buried with her fiancé after his death in a car crash.
This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
Rich Man Accidentally Meets Little Girl Who Is His Carbon Copy, She Begs Him to Help Her Mom — Story of the Day
Alex was sitting in the park, lost in thought when he was interrupted by a voice from behind. “Please help my mother!” it begged. When Alex turned around, he saw a little girl crying bitterly. Alex was frozen in place by the mere sight of her. She looked so much like him!
Why did you do that, Charlotte? Why didn’t you just tell me you weren’t happy with me? Alex sighed as he reflected on the events of the previous night.
He’d arrived home early from work to surprise his wife on their wedding anniversary. But all of his excitement was dashed when he discovered her in their bedroom with another man. The man was holding her waist, and her arms were wrapped around him. After a brief moment, they clasped hands, kissed passionately, and didn’t stop until Alex barged into the room.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“Is this what you do behind my back, Charlotte?” he lashed out at his wife, still holding the bouquet and cake he’d brought for the special day. “You’re cheating on me with a man half your age?!”
Charlotte, who didn’t expect Alex to be home so soon, was taken aback by his presence. “Oh, Alex…I…”
“You have one hour to leave this place, Charlotte, with that man! Run away as far as you can! I don’t want to see you again,” he threatened her and left the room. Then he ordered the guard to go into the house and make sure that behind his back, Charlotte didn’t take anything extra from his home.
Alex got into his car and drove all night aimlessly, stopping only once to refuel. Then, as his fuel gauge reminded him that he needed to fill up, he pulled over to a park and sat on a bench, lazy to go to the station again.
A quick glance at his wristwatch revealed that it was around 6 a.m. The park was as deserted as a cemetery, and he was glad he was alone there because the sad thoughts of his wife cheating on him hadn’t left him even after the long drive. He soon covered his face with his hands, attempting to calm himself and get over the events of the previous night.
Perhaps she never wanted a relationship. Maybe she was always after my money, he pondered.
Suddenly, a sobbing sound from behind interrupted his thoughts. “Sir, can you please help me? My mother needs help!” it said.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Turning around, Alex noticed a small child holding a teddy bear. The sun had nearly risen, and the rays falling on the girl’s face froze Alex in place. No way! This isn’t possible! She can’t be… Wake up, Alex! You’re imagining things because you didn’t sleep last night!
“Sir,” she said again, pulling his jacket closer to her. “Please help my mom!”
What if she’s a member of one of those gangs that threaten and rob people? After all, what is she doing here alone at this hour of the morning?
“Umm…where is your mom? And what happened to her?” Alex asked, looking around for anything suspicious, but when he didn’t see anything dubious, he hurried after the girl.
As she walked to the back of the park and into the abandoned forest, Alex was constantly keeping his eye out, waiting for someone to jump out from around the corner and force him to hand in everything in his pockets. However, other than his car keys and a phone, he had nothing else to offer at the time.
As they moved deeper into the forest, the girl came to a halt in front of a massive oak tree. She then turned to Alex and motioned with her hands to the tree. “My mom… she’s there. She needs help!”
Seeing a human’s hand protruding from one corner of the tree, he quickened his pace and found a woman lying there unconscious. Squatting next to her, he touched her hand to check for a pulse. She was still alive and breathing, but her body was sweltering. He gently turned her over on her back and froze in shock once again. The woman was his first love, Camilla.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
He immediately dialed 911 and requested that an ambulance be dispatched to the scene. Then he dashed to his car to get his water bottle.
Having splashed water on the woman’s face, he tried to bring her to her senses, but she began shaking from the cold. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her, holding her tightly in his arms.
“How did your mom come here, sweetie?” he asked the little girl, trying to control the tears in his eyes at having doubted her. “Where’s your father?”
“I don’t have anyone other than my mother,” the girl sniffed. “Will mommy be alright?”
“Of course she will!” Alex comforted the child.
When the ambulance arrived, the doctors examined Camilla quickly and loaded her onto a stretcher. They didn’t even ask Alex if he knew Camilla. “Is the child staying with you?” asked the orderly quickly. Alex nodded in agreement.
The little girl cried and asked to join her mother, but Alex promised her that he would definitely take her to her mother when she gets better. “I know your mom. She and I were close friends once, so don’t worry, okay?” he said gently. But the girl looked at him incredulously as they both walked to his car to head home.
When they arrived, Alex ordered the housekeeper to look after the little girl then left for the hospital. When Camilla awoke, she was shocked to see Alex at her bedside. “You? What are you doing here? And where’s my daughter?”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Shutterstock
“Please, Camilla, calm down. She’s at my house and safe. I can video call her right now if you want.”
“Yes! Do that!” Camilla cried. “I want to see her!” Camilla didn’t rest until she saw and spoke with her daughter on the phone. Once the call was over, she burst into tears. “I’m sorry for doubting you, Alex, but I really have none other than Kate in my life.”
“It’s all right, Camilla. For the time being, you should rest. The doctors said it was pneumonia, and you’re lucky your fever went down; otherwise, they’d have to keep you in the intensive care unit… By the way, how did you end up in the forest?”
“Actually, I always take that route because it’s like a shortcut to Kate’s kindergarten,” she admitted, her voice trembling with embarrassment. “I start early in the morning to save money on bus fare. It is difficult to raise a child on one’s own.”
“But where’s her father? Why doesn’t he take responsibility for his child?” Alex asked curiously.
Camilla fell silent. “Well…” Before she could say anything, doctors walked into the room and asked Alex to leave. They said Camilla would be under observation for a few days.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
During Camilla’s stay at the hospital, Alex visited her every day and looked after her. When she was discharged, he took her home, and during that phase, they became close involuntarily.
Meanwhile, Alex was constantly bothered by the thoughts of why Kate resembled him so much. He felt a strange affection for the young girl and he wanted to ask Camilla if his suspicion was true and Kate was his daughter. So he decided that after Camilla recovered completely, he would sit with her and talk about it. But fate had different plans.
One day, as he and Camilla were about to leave the house for a check-up, they ran into Charlotte, who’d come to discuss the divorce settlement with Alex.
Imagine her shock when she spotted her husband’s ex-lover at the house. “Oh! So you’re back together now? Is she the reason you were so eager to get rid of me, Alex, without even giving me a chance to explain myself?” She sneered.
“Well–” Before Alex could say anything, little Kate came running and hugged Alex. “Let’s go! But the doctor won’t give me those tablets, right?” she asked Alex curiously.
“Woah! Look at you! Aren’t you happy after kicking me out of the house? You have your lover and your daughter with you. What else do you want?” Charlotte mocked.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“What?” Alex turned pale upon hearing Charlotte’s remark. “My daughter?” He looked at Camilla, who quickly averted her gaze and looked down.
“Oops! Looks like someone didn’t tell you the truth!” Charlotte added.
“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” Alex asked, dumbfounded.
“I’ll tell you everything, Alex,” Camilla said in a quiet voice. “You go inside and play, honey. Mumma will come soon,” she added, turning to Kate, who happily followed her mom’s instructions and went inside. Then Camilla revealed the whole story to Alex.
It turns out Charlotte always knew Kate was Camilla and Alex’s child. She liked Alex a lot and decided to drive a wedge between him and Camilla. Hence, she asked one of her friends to take false photographs of Camilla with another man to convince him that Camila was cheating on him.
Alex was heartbroken when he saw those photographs of Camilla hugging and kissing another man and broke up with her. Charlotte saw this as the perfect opportunity and started dating Alex. They were childhood friends, after all, and their families were also convinced that they were perfect for each other. Meanwhile, Camila had not informed Alex of her pregnancy. She decided to raise their child alone after Alex left her.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Shutterstock
“I didn’t want to break your marriage, so even after I came here, I didn’t tell you about Kate,” Camila explained. “I had no idea you and Charlotte were divorcing.”
Alex started hating Charlotte even more after learning the whole truth. He not only divorced her but also made sure she received no money from his inheritance. Later, after the divorce case was resolved, he married Camilla and they lived happily together.
What can we learn from this story?
- You always meet people because you’re destined to and not by chance. Alex was destined to reunite with his lover and daughter, and that’s precisely what happened in the end.
- Karma is unavoidable. Charlotte thought she could get away with cheating on her husband, but in the end, karma reached her.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a store clerk who kicked out a little boy who wanted to buy a doll for his dying mother.
This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
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