70-year-old Agnes miraculously survives an attempt on her life, narrowly escaping with a broken leg. One night, while lying still in her bed, she notices her son-in-law sneaking into her room and approaching her bedside.
In the quiet of the night, a soft rustling stirred 70-year-old Agnes to be as cautious as a hawk on the hunt. She peered out from under her blanket at the shadowy figure of her son-in-law, Chris, rummaging through her nightstand.
Beads of sweat broke on Agnes’s forehead. She’d been waiting for this moment. With a flick of her wrist, she turned on the light.
“Caught you, you conniving scoundrel! Your unquenchable greed has finally unmasked you…Time to say goodbye to my daughter and surrender your freedom to the cops.”
“A-Agnes??” Chris stammered. A look of agitation and surprise washed over his face. “I thought you were…DEAD.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
A few months ago…
Agnes and her 45-year-old daughter, Grace, entered the Silver Grande Cafe to meet Chris, Grace’s boyfriend of six months.
“Hello, Mrs. Xavier. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” Chris rose for a handshake.
Grace had told her Chris was 13 years her junior, but Agnes never thought he would be so charming. He was also oddly familiar. The trio sat down, and Agnes immediately started giving him the third degree.
“I recognize you… Have we crossed paths before?” Agnes asked.
“I don’t…think so.” Chris stared Agnes evenly in the eye.
“Oh, Mom! I’m sure you’re mistaken.” Grace pushed a plate of lobster toward Agnes. “It’s getting cold. Let’s eat.”
Dinner continued as awkwardly as could be expected and with much frustration on Agnes’s part. Every time she posed a question to Chris, Grace would chime in to answer. When the bill arrived, Agnes watched in disbelief as Grace took out her wallet to pay.
“So your beloved lady pays for your dinner, young man?” Agnes asked Chris.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Chris’s Grandpa left him a huge inheritance, but he can’t access it until the paperwork clears. He’ll have more than enough money to care for me then, okay?” Grace said, jumping to Chris’s defense yet again.
Flapping his blazer, Chris rose from his chair and hugged Grace. “Thanks for the dinner, darling. I have to give a presentation to an important client from Japan, and I’m already running late.”
Once Chris left the restaurant, Grace admonished her mother for being so rude to Chris.
“I don’t know how to sugarcoat things, Grace. I only know to ask in the face. Because I deserve to know the truth. Let’s go home now.” Agnes got up.
Grace hailed a taxi for her mother, saying she had to meet a friend in the theater. Grace stared idly out the cab window as the driver navigated traffic. Just as the taxi crossed a lane, Agnes noticed Chris entering a costume rental store with a bag in hand.
“Stop the car, driver!” Agnes instructed the cabbie, and the taxi came to a halt on the roadside.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Agnes lowered the window. Her sharp eyes weren’t deceiving her; that was Chris! A few minutes later, he exited the store looking terrible. Gone was the crisp blue suit from dinner, replaced by shabby trousers, a faded hoodie, and badly scuffed shoes. This was definitely not suitable attire for an important business presentation!
Agnes could only assume he’d lied to her and Grace. She asked the cabbie to follow him, but moments later, Chris entered an alley with insufficient room for the car. She followed Chris on foot. Soon, Agnes realized she was in a shady neighborhood notorious for criminal activities.
She watched in disbelief as Chris slipped into a run-down house. She crept closer, careful not to be seen or caught, and peered through a cracked window.
Her jaw dropped when she saw a familiar picture of herself wearing a $400 000 diamond necklace that had been in her family for generations.
As she pondered where Chris got the photo, some dark memories rushed back, jolting Agnes like a thunderbolt.
“That’s why Chris seemed so familiar,” Agnes whispered.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
15 years ago, a young man named Larry, who looked exactly like Chris, had tried to steal the necklace. He claimed it was his family heirloom that was stolen by Agnes’s ancestors. A legal battle ensued, but Larry was eventually sent to prison, where he died in a fire.
Agnes remembered seeing Larry’s younger brother in the courtroom. In a flash, she realized that young man was Chris and that he must’ve sought Grace out so he could get revenge for his brother’s tragic death.
But Grace would never believe her without proof. With trembling fingers, Agnes aimed her phone’s camera at Chris’s living room. She accidentally triggered the flash while trying to click a picture of him staring at the photo of the necklace.
Chris spun round to face the window. Agnes fled. She watched Chris appear on the doorstep from her hiding spot behind a trash can. He looked up and down the street, then went back inside. Agnes sighed with relief. With her heart racing, she escaped from the alley and hailed a cab to take her home.
The following morning, Agnes rushed to her daughter’s apartment to save her and the family heirloom from Chris.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
“Darling, I need to tell you something…it’s about Chris…last night I saw him going to this…”
Her voice trailed off when she saw Chris sitting on the couch with Grace. He looked up and smiled at Agnes.
“Mom, is everything okay?” Grace asked.
“We need to talk, Grace. And Chris, you need to hear this too.” Agnes settled down, her gaze fixed on Chris as she recounted everything that happened 15 years ago.
“Mrs. Xavier, you’re mistaken.” Chris shook his head. “I had no idea my brother had anything to do with your family necklace. I’m shocked myself. I was in the meeting, I swear. Not in some alley. Besides, If I wanted to rob Grace, why would I plan this?”
Chris reached into his pocket and removed a small velvet box. Agnes watched in disbelief as Chris got down on one knee and popped the question to Grace.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
“But I have proof!” Agnes took out her phone to show the photo she’d taken. Although Chris’s face was visible, the photo of her and the necklace was hidden by a ball of light from the flash reflecting off the window.
Grace only had eyes for Chris. She forgot everything Agnes had just told her as he slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her.
Agnes was taken aback by the swiftness of the proposal. She suspected Chris knew she’d been snooping because of the phone’s flash and had orchestrated the proposal to divert Grace’s attention. Determined to thwart Chris’s plan, Agnes decided to act ahead of him.
“In that case, let’s do one thing,” she interrupted the couple. “Give me the family necklace, sweetheart, and there won’t be any more drama!”
Grace frowned. “The necklace is safe, and you gave it to me, remember? Why do you want it back now? I want to wear it for the wedding.”
“I loaned it to you, Grace, but it’s still mine. Wear something else for your wedding, not this necklace. Return it…now.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Chris watched Grace remove the necklace from a hidden vault in the fireplace in disbelief. His face contorted with concealed frustration.
“Here, take your necklace.” Grace angrily shoved the case into Agnes’s hand. “I don’t want it.”
“I’m very happy for you both. Congratulations!” Agnes bitterly replied as she tossed the jewel case into her handbag. She then approached Chris and whispered:
“We’ll continue to play your wicked game, Chris…as long as you don’t run away! You’ll never get your dirty hands on this necklace.”
Agnes assumed Chris would disappear once she’d secured the necklace, but two weeks later, he and Grace tied the knot at a picturesque resort perched above the shimmering sea.
Agnes was shocked that Chris had taken his act this far. She couldn’t figure out his next move, so she was very vigilant. She stepped outside for a breath of fresh air on the restaurant’s balcony, 30 meters above the crashing waves.
Chris suddenly spoke behind her.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
“You know, Mrs. Xavier, you were right about the necklace!” Chris stared balefully at Agnes as he approached. “It rightfully belongs to my family. I’ll do whatever it takes to get it back.”
Agnes craned her neck to see behind Chris, only to realize they were alone. Even if she cried for help, the music in the party hall was too loud for anyone to hear her. Agnes was…trapped.
“What are you doing?!” Agnes stepped back. “Don’t come any closer. Stay right there.”
“You shouldn’t have meddled in my affairs,” Chris sneered. “Everything was going according to plan…until you followed me home. You thought I didn’t see that flash by the window? You’re an obstacle on my path. So why don’t you just…” He lunged toward her.
“Chris, stop! Please…No!” Agnes shouted in panic.
But it was too late. Chris grabbed her shoulders and pushed her. Agnes tried to grab the railing, but her fingers grasped at thin air. She plummeted toward the ocean.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
The next day…
Agnes’s eyes fluttered open. Everything ached as she craned her neck and saw her leg encased in a bulky cast. She was in a hospital bed.
“Mom, you’re awake!” Grace rushed to her, teary-eyed. “It’s a miracle you survived that fall with minimal injuries.”
“Chris pushed me, Grace,” Agnes said.
Grace’s expression shifted from relief to anger. She refused to believe her and ended up storming out of Agnes’s room in a fury. Grace’s stubborn denial gnawed at Agnes’s heart.
Then, a haunting realization gripped Agnes—Chris had the perfect opportunity to steal the necklace and escape forever.
She called the nurse and asked to be discharged, but the nurse refused. Once she left the ward, Agnes hatched an escape plan. She limped out of her bed, changed her clothes, then eased herself into a wheelchair. She wheeled down the hall and into the elevator.
A rush of anxiety and adrenaline washed over her as she escaped from the hospital and approached a taxi stand. At home, Agnes checked the safe and found the necklace intact. Chris hadn’t broken into her house yet, so she put out all the lights and crept into bed. She knew Chris would come for the necklace…and he did.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Back to the present…
“You survived that fall?” Chris scowled and cracked his knuckles. “Guess I’ll have to get my hands dirty and send you off on my own!”
He was advancing towards her when the bedroom door burst open. A squad of police officers surrounded Chris and arrested him. Grace rushed to her mother’s side when she heard the news and apologized for not believing her.
“The truth always finds its way out!” Agnes said.
Agnes hugged Grace as they prepared to leave for the hospital to continue Agnes’s treatment.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pixabay
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He lived on the margins and ate food from dumpsters – yet he managed to become an iconic actor and a father of 4 heirs
Life hasn’t been easy for Michael J. Fox of late.
The much-loved actor has been locked in a battle with Parkinson’s disease for many decades now, and as one can imagine, that’s not a fight that gets easier with time.
But did you know that Michael’s childhood was quite tough – and he faced significant challenges when trying to break through in Hollywood.
Overall, Michael J. Fox’s life has been a great success – even though his Parkinson’s Disease has taken its toll on him.
First of all, Michael’s upbringing was pretty unusual.
Born on June 9, 1961, in Edmonton, Canada, he grew up with a father who worked in the Canadian Armed Forces, and therefore, the family moved around a lot.
Michael’s mom was a payroll clerk, so she had a steady job – but Michael grew upp in a typical blue-collar home. Finally, the family settled in Burnaby, British Columbia, and Michael J. Fox found his passion for acting in junior high.
He joined the Drama division at school, and it was evident he was a talented actor. Per his website, his theater teacher encouraged him to audition for a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation series, Leo & Me, and Fox got the part.
He got several roles on television and, at the same time, worked at the local theater in Vancouver. Michael J. Fox had decided that acting was his call in life at that point. At the age of 17, he packed his bags to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles.
“I knew that if I wanted to be someone, I couldn’t just sit on my parents’ porch and think, ‘Boy, if I was only born in the States and my parents had money and weren’t living paycheck to paycheck, I could do something with my life,’” he said.
Fox dropped out of high school, and his parents always supported his big dreams. His father even drove him all the way to Los Angeles. Speaking on LIVE with Kelly and Mark recently, Fox said he still doesn’t know how he convinced his father to do it.
“I told him that I wanted to go to Los Angeles, I knew I wanted to go to the United States, I knew I wanted to be an actor. My father, I know, thought I was a hippie. He looked me in the eyes and said, ‘If you want to be a lumberjack, you might as well go to the forest.’ So he got me in the car and drove me to California,” Michael J. Fox recalled.
Making it big in Tinseltown, though, was easier said than done. Michael didn’t have the best starting point; he came from a working-class family and didn’t have much wealth to his name.
“I was living on the margins. I was 18 years old, with no money, no connections, literally dumpster diving for food,” he told Variety in 2023.
Fox fulfilled his dream of becoming an actor, and after only a few years, he got one of his most memorable roles. He was cast as Alex P. Keaton on the comedy series Family Ties, which became one of the biggest comedy series on television.
Not long afterward, he landed other parts, including his legendary role as Marty McFly in Back to the Future.
In 2022, he revealed his mother never supported him taking on the role in Back to the Future. And it seems like she had good reason not to support it either.
When he got the role, he was already working during the day on Family Ties. He revealed when he told his mother about the role in the movie, she advised against it. The actor recalled their exchange, “I was 23 years old, and I called her, she was in Canada, and I said, ‘They want me to do this Steven Spielberg movie, but I have to do it at night and I have to do Family Ties in the daytime.’ And she said, ‘You’ll be too tired.’”
But he went on to admit that his mother might have been right, he said, “I live for this kind of tired. It’ll be okay,” he had said to his mom, “To this day — well, till two weeks ago — my mother thought it was a really bad idea for me to do Back to the Future. She loved the movie, [but she was right], I got tired.”
On the set of Family Ties, he met Tracy Pollan. They were cast as each other’s love interests on the show. Sparks were only on-screen at the time, but a few years later, they’d reunite and fall in love.
Even so, Michael J. Fox already had a crush on Tracy while working on Family Ties.
“I developed a crush on her right away. When she left the show – the day she left the show, we were in the parking lot getting into our respective cars. She was getting into a rented Volkswagen, and I was getting into my Ferrari. And she called me over and said she wanted to play me a song. She played me a James Taylor song called That’s Why I’m Here, which was ostensibly about John Belushi. And one of the lines was, ‘John’s gone, found dead, died high. He’s brown bread, later said to have drowned in his bed. After the laughter, the wave of dread, it hits us like a ton of lead. That’s why we’re here,’” Fox recalled in an interview with NPR.
Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan tied the knot in 1988. They welcomed four children: Sam Michael Fox (born in 1989), twins Schuyler Frances and Aquinnah Kathleen (1995), and Esmé Annabelle (2001).
By the way, did you know that Michael Fox didn’t initially have the “J” in his name? Once in Hollywood, he attempted to join the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the labor union for film and television workers worldwide. However, when applying, he saw that there was another member named “Michael Fox.” Therefore, Fox added a middle initial to his name, choosing “J” as an homage to his favorite actor, Michael J. Pollard.
Michael J. Fox officially retired from acting in 2020 at 60 years old and having just starred as Louis Canning in CBS’s legal drama “The Good Fight”, a spin-off to “The Good Wife” where his character first appeared.
“I reached the point where I couldn’t rely on my ability to speak on any given day, which meant I couldn’t act comfortably at all anymore. So, last year I gave it up,” he said of his decision to retire, as per Good Morning America.
When Fox was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease he reportedly started drinking heavily. Thankfully, he stopped, sought help and was brave enough to disclose his condition in 1998. Since then he has been a strong advocate and inspiration to those battling with the disease.
Since 2000, the Michael J. Fox Foundation has raised more than $750 million to help find a cure for Parkinson’s.
Michael J. Fox’s life is a testament to the power of perseverance and resilience.
Despite hailing from a humble working-class background and facing numerous obstacles along the way, Fox rose to become an iconic figure in the entertainment industry. His story reminds us that with determination, hard work, and unwavering passion for our dreams, we can overcome any challenge.
So let’s celebrate Michael J. Fox not only for his remarkable talents but also for his inspiring journey that continues to inspire countless individuals worldwide.
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