Catherine Davis never let anyone have access to her old trinket box. But when her neighbor Lucy opened it after her death, she was taken aback by what was inside.
Catherine Davis was 90 years old, lonely, and had spent almost her entire life in poverty. Her only helping hands in old age had been her neighbor Lucy, who helped her around the house and looked after her, and Lucy’s children, who often referred to her as Grandma and spent time with her.
One day, when Lucy was cleaning Catherine’s room, she noticed a beautiful trinket box on a shelf. The woman brought it down and began inspecting it out of curiosity, but Catherine saw her. “Lucy!” she yelled, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Since when did you start touching my things without permission?”
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“There’s nothing like that, ma’am,” Lucy explained. “The box was covered in dust, so I just decided to clean it. By the way, where did you get this from? It’s quite pretty.”
Catherine stepped forward and snatched the box from her grasp. “That is none of your concern, young lady. Anyway, I believe you have completed your cleaning for the day. You should leave right now.”
“But I was just…” Before Lucy could say anything, Catherine cut her off. “Please leave now!”
What does that box even hold? I’ve never seen her get so possessive over anything, Lucy pondered, looking into Catherine’s eyes, which appeared more worried and sad than upset.
“Do I need to repeat myself? Please leave!” Catherine screamed again.
“Oh no, I’m sorry for troubling you,” Lucy said as she hurriedly packed all her belongings and left.
That night at home, whenever Lucy tried to sleep, her thoughts kept returning to the old box. It appeared old but it had a lovely silver shine and an intricate pattern engraved on it. Was it given to Catherine by someone she cared about deeply? But if that’s the case, why would she keep it hidden? She’s told me everything about her life, hasn’t she? she wondered.
The following day, when Lucy visited Catherine, she decided to apologize to her. The woman reasoned that it had to be something personal to Catherine and that she shouldn’t have touched it without her permission. But Catherine didn’t open the door.
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“Are you there, ma’am?” Lucy called out. “It’s me, Lucy.” No replies came. Worried, Lucy dashed to the backyard to see if Catherine was there, but it was deserted as if no one had ever lived there.
Although Catherine never left her home without informing Lucy, she thought maybe after what happened the day before, Catherine was upset with her and went out alone. But when she called Catherine’s phone, the ringing was coming from inside the house. At this point, Lucy was worried, so she called the cops.
As soon as they arrived, they broke down the door, and there was Catherine, unconscious. The cops summoned an ambulance, and she was taken to the hospital.
When Lucy paid a visit to Catherine in the hospital, the elderly lady couldn’t stop thanking her. “Thank you so much, Lucy! I wouldn’t be alive today if you didn’t arrive on time. Sorry for being rude yesterday.”
“Oh, no, that’s fine,” Lucy replied. “You should rest right now. We can talk about all of that later. You look quite weak.”
“Ah, honey, I don’t think I will make it out of here this time,” the old lady moaned. “In case something happens to me, I want you to have everything I own, including the old vintage trinket box. However, please open it after my death. I’m embarrassed by what I’ve done. The key can be found in the table cabinet. Consider it my final wish.”
“You shouldn’t say such stuff! You’re not going anywhere, understand?” Lucy started crying. But the next day, the old lady’s words proved true, and she left for her heavenly abode.
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Lucy organized her funeral, and after everyone had gone, the first thing she remembered was the box Catherine had left her. She dashed over to the shelf, grabbed it, and slid onto the bed. When she finally opened it, she was taken aback by what she found inside.
There was a vintage flute, silvery in color and as lovely as the box that housed it. Then there was an old dairy with a photograph of a young couple in it. After a closer look, she recognized the young woman was Catherine Davis. She had been quite happy and pretty in those days, unlike her old age when her face was riddled with dark circles and sunken cheeks.
But who is this young man? Was Catherine married? The woman wondered and began reading the diary. That’s when she realized why the old lady never let anyone touch it.
It turns out Catherine had fallen in love with a poor talented musician and wanted to marry him sooner, but the man insisted on marrying only after establishing himself because he wanted a comfortable life for his future family. Meanwhile, Catherine’s parents arranged for her to marry a wealthy man.
She was initially hesitant to accept the arranged marriage. But then, she saw the opportunity as retaliation for her lover’s refusal to marry her and agreed to the wedding despite the young musician’s pleadings.
However, when she received the silver flute as a wedding gift from her love, along with a note about how much he missed her, she fled and returned to him. But then another tragedy struck her, and she learned he’d died in a car accident.
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Catherine was heartbroken, and when she returned home, her parents refused to accept her. So she spent some time with her grandparents, and when they died, she worked part-time jobs until her old age, when she had to rely on her savings to survive.
As Lucy turned the last page of the diary, she found a note addressed to her. “Thank you for looking after me, Lucy,” it said. “And please accept my apologies if I was impolite. All the while, I kept a diary of my entire life because I couldn’t get over my first love, and whenever I read about him, I’m happy that, even though I was late, I chose him over someone else.
“But you know, this diary is quite full of tragic memories, and I didn’t want to mention you here because, unlike what I faced in the past, I have been happy since I met you. So I decided to write down my thoughts in this note today. Thank you for loving and caring for me. I’m glad I met you. With love, Catherine Davis.”
Lucy’s eyes welled up as she finished reading the diary. The older woman’s flute was worth thousands of dollars, but she preferred to remain impoverished rather than sell it for a better life because it was a reminder of her ex-lover.
Catherine, I will not let your sacrifice go to waste! Lucy vowed to herself. And the next day, the woman decided to donate the flute to the museum of arts, which now houses the flute and a stone engraved with Catherine’s love story.
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What can we learn from this story?
- Life is entirely unexpected. Catherine’s tragic love story is a brilliant example of this.
- Learn to be kind and helpful, the way Lucy helped Catherine.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a little boy who pays for a starving old lady’s groceries and asks her to make a wish.
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.
My Fiancé Cheated On Me, So I Teamed up with His Lover’s Husband for Ultimate Revenge — Story of the Day
I thought my life with Mark was perfect until I found a hotel reservation for two. In Spain, I met Daniel, whose wife was also hiding secrets. Together, we planned our revenge, but what happened next surprised us both.
I sat on the couch, staring blankly at the wedding magazines spread across the coffee table. Just last week, Mark and I had been discussing venues and honeymoon destinations. Everything was supposed to be perfect. Supposed to be. But then, something shifted.
“Spain again?” I had asked Mark when he casually mentioned his upcoming trip. “Didn’t you just get back?”
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He shrugged, not meeting my eyes. “Work, babe. You know how it is.”
That evening, he flew off on his business trip, and I was left behind, bored out of my mind. I’d already done everything possible to keep myself busy.
Before, during these trips, we’d talk on the phone five or six times a day. But the phone calls became shorter and less frequent. Lately, I’d just been staring at my phone, willing it to ring.
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That evening, as I was cleaning out my inbox, I found the hotel reservation for two. At first, I laughed, thinking maybe Mark had accidentally used our vacation plans when booking his hotel in Spain.
But my heart sank as I scrolled through the details. Champagne and strawberries. I had an allergy to strawberries!
What does it mean? He isn’t alone in Spain! He is with someone else. Maybe right now, SHE’s eating those strawberries!
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“No, this can’t be right,” I whispered, pacing back and forth, gripping my phone tightly.
The email felt like a hot coal burning in my hand. Deep down, I knew. The pit in my stomach grew heavier. I grabbed my phone and called Claire, my best friend.
“You need to breathe,” she said, but her tone was anything but calm.
“I have to go to Spain, Claire. I have to see for myself,” I said, my voice shaking.
“You hate flying,” she reminded me.
“Watching my life fall apart from here is worse,” I replied, my fingers already booking the next flight.
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***
The flight to Spain was a nightmare from the start. My seat was cramped, the air felt stuffy, and my mind wouldn’t stop spinning with every possible scenario.
What if Mark is truly sorry? What if he will beg me to forgive him? Or worse, what if he doesn’t care at all?
I stared out the window, trying to distract myself, when suddenly, a cold splash hit my lap. I looked down to see tomato juice soaking into my jeans. Perfect. Just what I needed.
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“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” The man next to me, wide-eyed and horrified, started fumbling with napkins. “I swear, I didn’t mean to… I’m just… I’m just really clumsy.”
“It’s fine,” I muttered, dabbing at the red stain.
Of course, such things happen. Could anything else go wrong today?
“Let me make it up to you. How about I buy us a drink? I mean, unless you want to sit in awkward silence for the rest of the flight with juice all over your lap.”
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I couldn’t help but laugh despite everything. “Sure, why not? A drink could save the day.”
“I’m Daniel, by the way,” he said, offering his hand with a grin. “And I promise, I’m usually better with tomato juice.”
“Rebecca. And don’t worry, it’s not the worst thing to happen today.”
“Oh? Well, now I’m curious.”
I sighed, taking a sip of my drink.
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“I’m on my way to Spain to confront my fiancé. He’s… probably cheating on me.”
“Yikes. That’s… rough.”
“Yeah. I found a hotel reservation for two. Champagne, dinner… you know, the works.”
“Ouch,” Daniel winced, shaking his head. “And here I thought spilling juice on you was bad.”
“Honestly, it kind of fits the day I’ve been having.”
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Daniel leaned back in his seat, swirling his drink. “Well, get this. I’m flying to Spain to see my wife. Who, surprise, might also be cheating on me.”
I blinked, stunned for a second, before bursting into laughter. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I wish I was. But I’m not. It’s like some kind of messed-up cosmic joke, isn’t it? Two betrayed souls stuck on the same flight.”
“What are the odds of us sitting next to each other?”
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“Pretty slim, I’d say,” Daniel replied, raising his glass with cola. “To bad luck and strange coincidences?”
I clinked my glass against his. “And to being covered in tomato juice.”
***
By the time we landed, the tomato juice incident was a distant memory. We both had bigger things on our minds. As we grabbed our bags and headed for the exit, Daniel turned to me.
“So… where are you staying?”
“It’s here.” I opened the GPS on my phone.
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“Me too.”
I laughed again, shaking my head. “Of course you are. What’s next? We’re assigned the same room?”
As it turned out, that was exactly what happened. The hotel had overbooked, and the frazzled desk clerk apologized profusely, offering us a shared room.
I was too exhausted to argue, and honestly, too curious about what would happen next. We both stood there in stunned silence for a moment.
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“Well, I guess it’s just another chapter in this weird story.”
Daniel smirked. “Looks like fate wants us to be roommates.”
We agreed to share the space. What were the odds? Two strangers, both betrayed, stuck together in a foreign country. It was absurd. But so was everything else about that day.
***
We settled into the room, both of us giving each other space. It was an odd situation. After some awkward silence, we decided to have lunch on the balcony.
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I was picking at my salad when something caught my eye. I froze, my fork hovering mid-air. There, lounging by the pool, was Mark. But he wasn’t alone.
He was swimming too comfortably with a woman. And they looked… close. Way too close. In panic, I quickly ducked behind the balcony railing.
“That’s him,” I whispered, pointing shakily at the couple. “That’s Mark… with her.”
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I expected Daniel to say something, maybe a word of comfort. Instead, I noticed him tense up beside me. Without saying a word, he dropped down next to me on the balcony floor. He peered through the railing.
“That’s… my wife. Brenda.”
We both crouched there, our faces inches apart, staring through the slats of the railing like two kids spying on the neighbors. His wife. My fiancé. Together.
I turned to Daniel. “They’re cheating on us… with each other.”
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“This is like a bad sitcom.”
I raised my hand to shush him as we strained to hear their conversation. Brenda’s voice floated up, calm and collected like she was talking about the weather.
She was telling Mark her plan to divorce Daniel and live off the money she’d get from him. Mark, to my horror, was encouraging her, saying how great it would be.
I chuckled. “Are you… rich?”
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“Not rich enough for her.” He let out a bitter laugh.
We sat there for a moment, absorbing the insanity of the situation. Then, Daniel’s face lit up with an idea.
“Why don’t we give them a taste of their own medicine?”
“What do you mean?”
His kind of grin suggested nothing good was about to happen.
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“Let’s pretend we’re madly in love. Make a scene. We know where they’ll be having dinner tonight. Let’s give them something to talk about.”
My brain was struggling to keep up with the absurdity of the suggestion.
“That’s… ridiculous.”
“Exactly,” Daniel said. “It’s the perfect kind of ridiculous.”
It was childish, absurd, and completely out of character for me. But it was exactly what I needed.
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For the next few hours, we plotted. Surprisingly, Daniel had a sharp sense of style. At one point, he looked at my wardrobe and groaned.
“You dress like a grandma at 40,” he teased.
“Excuse me?” I laughed. “I thought you liked this sophisticated, mature look.”
Then, out of nowhere, he pulled out a stunning red dress from his suitcase.
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“I bought this for Brenda,” he said with a smirk, holding it up. “But I’m pretty sure it’ll look way better on you.”
I stared at the dress, then back at him, and burst out laughing. That was about to get very interesting.
***
That evening, we stepped out of the taxi, and for the first time in days, I felt… powerful. Daniel, dressed in a sharp suit, looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine, and I…
Well, that red dress did things I never thought possible. I almost didn’t recognize myself.
“You ready?” Daniel asked, offering me his arm with a playful smirk.
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“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied, slipping my arm through his.
We walked into the restaurant like we owned the place. The moment we passed Mark and Brenda’s table, I could feel their eyes on us.
Mark’s jaw practically dropped. Brenda froze with her fork suspended mid-air. I squeezed Daniel’s arm tighter, reminding myself not to burst into laughter. It was perfect.
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We stopped by their table. Daniel leaned in, his voice loud enough for them to hear.
“Should we invite them to join us for dinner? After all, it’s such a small world.”
Mark and Brenda exchanged awkward glances before giving us a hesitant wave. What followed was one of the most painfully delightful dinners I’ve ever had.
Brenda barely said a word. Mark looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, fidgeting in his seat. Daniel was in his element, flashing that charming grin of his.
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“So, Mark, Brenda… how long have you two been enjoying Spain?” he asked casually.
“Uh, a few days,” Mark muttered. “Just a… spontaneous trip.”
Daniel didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, spontaneous! I love that. We should try that sometime, right, darling?”
I smiled sweetly, catching Mark’s bewildered expression. “Absolutely. Spontaneity is everything. Though, I’m not sure we could top your getaway.”
Mark’s face turned redder, and he shot a glance at Brenda, who was struggling to keep her composure.
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“We were actually about to leave,” Brenda said.
Then, the grand finale. Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He opened it slowly, revealing a stunning pair of diamond earrings.
“Brenda, I was planning to give you these. But I think they’ll suit my dear friend here much better.”
I didn’t suppress my grin as Brenda’s expression turned to pure horror.
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“You’ll never see a dime of my money,” Daniel added, his tone suddenly serious. “And as for the rest… well, I think we both know where we stand.”
Daniel glanced at me, giving me a playful wink. “Shall we, darling? We have a reservation at a much better place.”
We strolled out of the restaurant, heads held high, arm in arm. It wasn’t the ending I had expected when I boarded that plane to Spain, but at that moment, I realized I had finally let go of the life I thought I needed. And what I found was something far more valuable. I found myself.
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