When Daniel saw his older neighbor fighting with her son over her plants, he offered to help and volunteered to water her garden for her. Sometime later, he found a note buried in the soil that changed everything in the most surprising way.
“I can’t believe you would ask that of me! I can’t come here every day to water your plants! If you gave me the house, I would do it!” Daniel heard someone shouting and stopped his bike in front of a pretty little house with a lovely garden. He knew that an older woman, Mrs. Carrino, lived there, but he had never talked to her, and he had no idea who was yelling.
Suddenly, Daniel saw a man exiting the house, still yelling, and the older woman was following him behind. “Arnold, I asked you to come and help me, and all you’ve talked about is getting this house! Are you crazy? Do you want me to die so you can have my house?”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Daniel’s eyebrows went up, and he thought he should leave, but he was rooted in place.
Suddenly, the sound of metal crashing against each other made him flinch. “What the –”
“You’re being a drama queen, mother. This house will go to me anyway. I can’t believe you’re giving me this attitude when I came to help you move!”
“Leave now if that’s how you’re going to act!” Mrs. Carrino stated, which made Arnold stomp to his car and drive off in a huff. They were so engrossed in their fight that they didn’t even notice Daniel standing there with his bike.
Finally, the older woman saw him. “Oh, boy. What are you doing here? Do I know you?” she asked.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“I live two houses down the street. I’m Daniel, Caroline’s son,” he stated, pointing back to his house. “I’m sorry, but I was biking around and heard the yelling. I got worried. Are you alright, Mrs. Carrino?”
“Oh, I recognize you now, and it’s so nice that you know my name. Don’t worry about that. It was just my son being a brat,” she explained.
“Why?”
“Well… I’m moving to a nursing home, and I asked him to come and help me. But he only came here to ask if I could give him the house. He said he was going to move in here. But I know he’s just going to sell it because he doesn’t value investment like I do. I worked hard to earn this place, and as long as I’m alive, I’m not selling it,” Mrs. Carrino revealed. “But then he made a scene after I asked him to water my plants. And I believe you saw the rest of the fight.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“I can do that,” Daniel said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Do what?”
“Water your plants.”
“I can’t pay you, dear,” Mrs. Carrino said, her eyes apologetic.
“I know. But I live so close. It’s not a problem,” Daniel insisted, and the older woman smiled brightly at him.
A few days later, Mrs. Carrino moved to a nearby nursing home in Florida, and Daniel kept his promise. He visited her home almost every day to water her plants and was happy to do so. Soon enough, he started to love gardening and would visit Mrs. Carrino to ask about adding some new plants.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Of course! And make sure to watch out for the soil,” she said, winking at him, although Daniel had no idea why she was acting cheeky.
Daniel began buying and adding new plants to the garden, thinking it would be great to start a gardening company in the future so his family wouldn’t have to struggle so much. His mother worked two jobs on the weekdays and one on weekends to keep him and his siblings fed and to pay rent. But it was not enough.
He only had a bike because he had found an old one and had taken side gigs to repair it. But gardening gave him an escape from all those money worries, and he felt terrific after planting something new and seeing how it started to grow. He never expected what he would find in the garden one day.
He had gotten some azaleas, which he read thrived in the Florida weather, and had started digging with a tiny shovel on a specific spot of the grass. Suddenly, the sound of metal crashing against each other made him flinch. “What the –”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Dropping the shovel, he used his hands to unearth a mason jar with a metal top and found a note inside.
“Dear Daniel! Thank you for your help, this house is now yours! Go inside and find all the paperwork. You and your family can move in whenever you want!”
Daniel couldn’t believe his eyes, but he rushed inside, using the key Mrs. Carrino left him. On the kitchen counter, he saw the title to the house. Although he couldn’t understand what most of it said, he saw his name at the bottom.
Still in shock, he called Mrs. Carrino, who confirmed everything. “You’re going to need to sign it to complete the transfer. But I wanted you to find the note first!” Mrs. Carrino said.
His mother couldn’t believe it. They could move into the house and stop paying rent. There was no mortgage either, which would help his family immensely. They were so grateful for the older woman’s gift that his mother and other siblings started visiting her often, thinking of her as a grandmother.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
But during their move, Daniel discovered something even more curious. In Mrs. Carrino’s old room, there was another note. It was the same as the one he had found, but instead, it said “Arnold.” The older woman was actually planning to give her son the house if he helped her with her plants. But she changed her mind, and Daniel received a huge present just for being kind.
It was a lesson he would never forget.
What can we learn from this story?
- Aspire to be someone like Daniel, not Arnold. Arnold pretended to want to help his mother, but he only wanted her house. Meanwhile, Daniel did it out of the goodness of his heart.
- You should never feel entitled to an inheritance. While most parents like giving their children the results of their hard work, children should never feel entitled to it. Arnold assumed he was getting his mother’s house but he was wrong.
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 boy who helped an older woman carry her groceries and received money later.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers 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.
I Set up a Hidden Camera in My Living Room to Catch My Husband Cheating — What I Found Out Instead Shattered Me
When my husband started acting strange, I suspected the worst. I decided to get actual proof of his betrayal, but what I discovered broke me down in tears! Luckily, the truth brought us closer than ever.
I had always considered myself a reasonable person, someone who approached situations with a level head. But when it came to my marriage, all that seemed to fly out the window! For weeks, maybe even months, a heavy cloud of doubt hung over my head. I believed my husband was cheating, but when I discovered the actual truth, I was shattered.
An unhappy woman | Source: Midjourney
My husband, Damien, who once filled our home with laughter and light, had changed. He’d become distant, lied about spending our money, and became quiet, almost as if he was retreating into a shell I couldn’t penetrate.
It started small, with missing dinner a couple of times, staying late at work more often than usual, and hiding his phone, which was constantly buzzing with messages he wouldn’t explain.
A man looking at his phone | Source: Freepik
At first, I tried brushing it off. People go through phases, I told myself. Maybe he was just stressed. But as the days turned into weeks, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. My mind spiraled into the darkest corners, whispering things I didn’t want to believe.
Was he seeing someone else? Was I losing him? Every time I confronted him, he would look at me with those tired eyes and offer some half-hearted excuse. “It’s just work, Lacy,” he’d say, forcing a smile. “Nothing to worry about.”
But his words felt hollow, and I couldn’t convince myself they were true.
A doubtful woman | Source: Midjourney
The breaking point came one night when he came home long after midnight, reeking of whiskey. He slumped into bed without a word, leaving me wide awake and seething with anger and fear. I needed to know the truth, no matter how ugly it might be.
I’m not proud of what I’ve done, but if you were in my place, you might have done the same thing. I needed to see for myself what was really going on.
I hated the thought of spying on Damien, but the need to know the truth was stronger than the guilt gnawing at my conscience.
A woman deep in thought | Source: Midjourney
The next day, I dusted off my old nanny camera and, with trembling hands, set it up in our living room. I angled it just right so it would capture the entire room without being obvious. I wanted to see what he got up to when I wasn’t around.
I was prepared for the worst-case scenario, catching my husband with some other woman, someone probably younger. But, for the first few days, I couldn’t bring myself to check the footage. I was too afraid of having my greatest fears realized.
A woman setting up a nanny camera | Source: Midjourney
But the tension in our home continued to grow, with Damien becoming more and more withdrawn. I couldn’t take it any longer! One evening, after my husband once again retreated into his silent shell, I sat down with my laptop and pulled up the footage.
My heart pounded as I watched the screen. I saw Damien come home, looking as weary as ever. He didn’t even bother to turn on the lights, just collapsed onto the couch and buried his face in his hands. For a moment, I felt a pang of sympathy, but it was quickly overshadowed by my need for answers.
A woman watching footage on her laptop | Source: Pexels
I fast-forwarded through the footage, watching him sit there, motionless, for what felt like an eternity. And then, he reached into his coat pocket. My breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t believe my eyes as he pulled out an envelope and withdrew a letter, unfolding it with trembling hands.
My dear husband of ten years began to read, and that’s when I saw it… the tears. They started slowly, just a few drops sliding down his cheeks. But soon, his shoulders began to shake, and he crumpled into himself, sobbing quietly in the darkness. I had never seen him cry. Never.
A man crying | Source: Freepik
I stared at the screen, unable to process what I was seeing. There was no other woman, no secret phone calls or messages. Just Damien, alone in the dark, breaking down in a way I had never seen before.
I watched the scene over and over, my mind racing with possibilities. What was in that letter? Why was he hiding this from me? I couldn’t make sense of it, but one thing was clear: I needed to read that letter.
A shocked woman looking at something on her laptop | Source: Pexels
I noted which coat the envelope was in and made it a point to get a hold of it. I woke up in the middle of the night amid my fitful sleep. I couldn’t sleep because I was desperate to see what tragedy had gotten him so torn.
I rushed to where he’d put the letter and grabbed it as he slept. As I read the first lines, MY HEART SANK. There, right next to his name, it said that my husband was dying. Dying… that’s all my eyes could focus on. I couldn’t read anything else…
A shocked woman reading a letter | Source: Midjourney
Confused, I put the envelope back and stayed up, waiting for Damien to wake up, my heart racing with anticipation. By the time he came into the kitchen, he looked even more exhausted than the night before.
His eyes were bloodshot, and there were dark circles under them as if he hadn’t slept in days. “Morning,” he mumbled, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He didn’t look at me, just stared into his cup like it held all the answers in the world.
A tired man holding a cup of coffee in the kitchen | Source: Midjourney
“Damien, we need to talk,” I said, my voice trembling despite my efforts to stay calm.
He looked up at me, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes. “What’s going on, Lacy?” he asked, his voice wary.
“I saw you last night,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I know about the letter, Damien. I saw you crying. Please, just tell me what’s going on.”
The color drained from his face, and for a moment, I thought he might faint. He set down his coffee cup, his hands shaking, and stared at the table.
“Lacy, I didn’t want you to find out this way,” he whispered.
An upset man | Source: Midjourney
“What’s in the letter?” I pressed, leaning forward. “Please, just tell me the truth.”
He took a deep breath. “I’ve been diagnosed with something,” he finally said, his voice so quiet I almost didn’t hear him. “It’s… it’s not good, Lacy.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean? What’s wrong?”
Damien looked up at me, his eyes filled with tears. “It’s cancer,” he said, his voice cracking. “Terminal. The doctors gave me six months, maybe less.”
A sad man sharing heartbreaking news | Source: Midjourney
I felt like the floor had just fallen out from under me. The room spun, and I had to grab the edge of the table to steady myself.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Why did you try to hide this from me?”
He reached out, taking my hand in his, his grip weak and trembling. “Because I didn’t want you to go through this,” he said, tears streaming down his face. “I didn’t want you to have to watch me die. I thought… I thought if I could just keep it to myself, maybe it would be easier for you.”
An emotional husband hands with his wife | Source: Midjourney
“Easier?” I repeated, my voice rising in disbelief. “How could you think that shutting me out would make this easier? We’re supposed to be a team, Damien. We’re supposed to face things together. You can’t just decide to go through this alone.”
“I know,” he whispered, his voice filled with regret. “I know, and I’m so sorry, my love. I was scared. I didn’t want you to see me like this, weak and broken. I thought I could protect you, but all I did was hurt you.”
A husband explaining himself to his wife | Source: Midjourney
I grabbed him and pulled him in for a tight hug, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill over.
“You don’t have to protect me from this, babe. I’m your wife. I want to be there for you, no matter what. We’ll face this together, okay? No more secrets.”
He nodded, hugging me back, his eyes filled with gratitude and sorrow. “I don’t deserve you, Lacy,” he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. “But I’m so glad I have you.”
An emotional couple hugging | Source: Midjourney
We held each other like that for a long time, crying for everything we were about to lose. I knew the road ahead would be unbearably hard, but I also knew that we would face it together.
Afterward, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the time we had lost, all the moments we could have spent together if he had just told me the truth. But I knew dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything. What mattered now was that we were in this together.
A woman deep in thought | Source: Midjourney
As the weeks passed, I noticed changes in Damien, both physically and emotionally. He began to open up more, sharing his fears and worries with me! We spent our days trying to make the most of the time we had left, finding small joys in everyday moments!
We went on walks in the park, had movie nights at home, and even started working on a bucket list of things we wanted to do together before it was too late! One day, as we sat on the porch, watching the sunset, my husband turned to me with a sad smile.
A happy couple sitting on the porch | Source: Midjourney
“I wish I had told you sooner, Lacy,” he said quietly. “I’ve wasted so much time hiding from you, from us.”
I shook my head, squeezing his hand. “Don’t think about that now, baby. We’re here together, and that’s what matters. We can’t change the past, but we can make the most of the time we have left.”
He nodded, his eyes glistening with tears. “I don’t want to leave you,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “But I’m so grateful for the time we’ve had. You’ve made these last few months bearable, my bunny. I don’t know how I would have done it without you.”
A happy couple bonding | Source: Midjourney
Tears welled up in my eyes as I leaned in, resting my head on his shoulder.
“You don’t have to do anything alone anymore, my angel. I’m here with you, every step of the way.”
We sat there, wrapped in each other’s arms, as the sun dipped below the horizon. At that moment, I realized something important. I had set out to catch Damien in a betrayal, convinced that he was hiding something terrible from me.
And while I had uncovered a truth far more devastating, it had also brought us closer together than we had been in years. For however long we had left, we would face it together, side by side, just as we always should have.
A couple sharing a happy moment | Source: Midjourney
While Damien wasn’t cheating, in the following story, Ryan’s wife thinks he’s cheating when she finds incriminating evidence in their bedroom. The evidence led her down a rabbit hole when she discovered that she couldn’t trust him anymore. Her fears were finally confirmed when she found proof of his cheating in his car. Her revenge was sweet and swift!
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
Leave a Reply