After Mom’s Death, Son Kicks Stepdad Out of the House & Posh Car Stops in Front of the Old Man — Story of the Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“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

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

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

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 Landlord Evicts Poor Old Lady from Rental Home, Goes to Family Dinner and Sees Her There — Story of the Day

A heartless landlord gives a woman who falls short on her rent notice. But when he goes to his sister’s house for a family dinner, he is shocked to find her there.

Life is hard, and it becomes even harder if the hearts that surround us are made of stone. Diane Salinger knew about life. At sixty-two, she’d seen a lot more dark days than sunny and cried a lot of tears.

But Diane wasn’t the kind of woman to give up. Every time life knocked her down, she bounced back up again, ready to fight again. She had lost her husband three years before, then a tornado razed her home. But she just picked up the stakes and started over again.

Even when Diane explained why she was short on the rent, Chris showed no sympathy. | Source: Shutterstock.com

Even when Diane explained why she was short on the rent, Chris showed no sympathy. | Source: Shutterstock.com

She took her savings and bought herself a small grocery store in a pretty mid-sized town in Michigan. It was perfect for her. A big enough town that would appreciate a few of the exotic items she intended to carry, small enough to be cozy and warm.

Cozy and warm might describe the community in general, but not Diane’s landlord, Chris Turkle. It was from Chris that Diane rented her small apartment within walking distance of the store.

When the going gets tough it’s important to be there for each other.

As far as it went, Diane was the perfect tenant. She was quiet, didn’t damage the property, and always paid her rent on time. And then one month, she was short.

Chris fanned out the money he’d taken from the envelope in front of Diane and waved it in her face. “$120 short, Mrs.Salinger.”

Diane's house was destroyed by a tornado. | Source: Unsplash

Diane’s house was destroyed by a tornado. | Source: Unsplash

Diane blushed. “As I was explaining, Mr. Turkle, since so many of the small businesses have been struggling during Covid… Well, I extended credit to some needy families…And this month, I’m a little short. But you know I’m good for it! I will pay you the $120 in two weeks…”

“If you’re willing to go under playing Mother Teresa, that’s YOUR problem,” Chris snapped. “I, Mrs.Salinger, am a businessman, not a charity! I want you out by the end of the week!”

“But Mr. Turkle…” Diane protested. “It’s only for a week, and it won’t happen again!”

Diane opened a lovely little grocery store. | Source: Unsplash

Diane opened a lovely little grocery store. | Source: Unsplash

“It happened once, and it’s enough for me, Mrs.Salinger. You’re OUT.” Chris said coldly, and he turned his back and walked out. He felt quite justified. He’d seen Diane’s grocery store, and it did brisk business.

There were always people trooping in and out with heavy shopping bags full of delicious-looking produce, and her deli section, he’d heard, was extremely popular. “Short on cash indeed!” he snorted to himself. “Taking advantage is what it is!”

Chris went home and got himself ready to go to dinner at his baby sister’s house. Vanessa was his favorite sister, and he often worried about her. She had married and divorced a man who seemed to be constantly unemployed, and Vanessa worked two jobs to make ends meet.

He’d offered to give her 16-year-old son a weekend job, but Vanessa always refused, blushing. “It’s okay, Chris,” she’d say. “I’ll make do!” But Chris had seen the dark shadows under her eyes and how thin her face was getting.

One month, Diane was short on her rent. | Source: Unsplash

One month, Diane was short on her rent. | Source: Unsplash

It was his nephew’s birthday, so Chris tucked a $20 note into an envelope and put it in his jacket pocket. Then he headed for the door and walked the three blocks to Vanessa’s house.

He knocked on the door, and Vanessa welcomed him with a happy smile. She looked more relaxed and a lot happier. Whatever she was cooking for dinner smelled delicious, and his mouth watered.

“Hey there!” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “Where’s the birthday boy?”

“Playing video games with Diane!” Vanessa smiled. “Come on in!” Vanessa walked to the stairs and shouted: “Joss, Diane, come on down! It’s dinner time!”

"I want you out by the end of the week!" | Source: Unsplash

“I want you out by the end of the week!” | Source: Unsplash

To Chris’ chagrin, in walked Mrs.Salinger, the tenant he’d just booted out of his property, and she seemed to be on great terms with his nephew and his sister! Diane was just as stunned to see Chris, but she was admirably cool.

“Hello,” she smiled. “Nice to see you. I didn’t know you were Vanessa’s brother…”

Chris blushed and cleared his throat. “Ehr…Yes, my younger sister…you know…”

“Come on, everyone,” cried Vanessa. “The roast will get cold!”

Chis was shocked to see Diana at his sister's house. | Source: Pexels

Chis was shocked to see Diana at his sister’s house. | Source: Pexels

“Roast!” cried Joss. “That’s my favorite…But mom, I know you only get paid next week! How can we afford this?”

Diane smiled at Joss and patted his hand. “Don’t you worry about that,” she said. “Your mom’s credit is good with me. That smells AMAZING, and I’m starving!”

In a low voice, Chris leaned in and asked, “Is Vanessa the person you’re helping?”

Diane smiled. “She’s one of them,” she replied. “Maybe she didn’t tell you, but one of her jobs fell through, so I’m just helping out until she’s back on her feet.”

Chris felt a wave of shame color his cheeks. “I’m so sorry about…you know… But why doesn’t Vanessa come to me?”

Dinner was a wonderful roast from Diane's store. | Source: Unsplash

Dinner was a wonderful roast from Diane’s store. | Source: Unsplash

Diane said gently, “You know, we all have our pride. Vanessa wants to stand on her own two feet and raise her boy. Help from a friend is one thing — being a poor relation asking for charity is another.”

Chris whispered, “I tell you what, from now on, you have the apartment at half-price — call it an investment in the town’s well-being and my sister’s!”

By the end of the evening, Chris had discovered that Diane was a very lovely and funny woman and that he enjoyed her company immensely. That night, his perception of his community shifted. He was going to follow Diane’s example. He was going to give a helping hand.

After that dinner, Chris started helping the community. | Source: Unsplash

After that dinner, Chris started helping the community. | Source: Unsplash

What can we learn from this story?

  • When the going gets tough, it’s important to be there for each other. Diane was quietly helping the poorer people in town by selling them food on credit she knew they could never repay.
  • Being able to admit you’re wrong and change your ways is an extraordinary thing. Chris not only realized he was wrong about Diane, but he also started to help those who were struggling.

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 curvy girl who arrives at a dinner party to discover her fiancé there with a woman assuming her identity.

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.

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