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.
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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.
My girlfriend labeled me an ’embarrassment’ when I declined to cover her friend’s birthday meal at the restaurant
Hello everyone, my name is Calvin, and I’m 29 years old. Today, I want to share an experience that might sound rather unusual but it certainly opened my eyes to some underlying issues in my relationship.
My girlfriend, Sarah, who is 27, invited me to her friend’s birthday dinner at a fancy downtown restaurant. I was looking forward to a pleasant evening, but it unexpectedly turned into a very uncomfortable and insightful event.
Sarah and I have experienced our fair share of ups and downs, particularly around the topic of finances and dating. Traditionally, I have taken on the responsibility of paying for most of our dates, which seemed appropriate and was mutually agreeable at the beginning of our relationship.
This arrangement even extended to times when Sarah invited friends along; I would happily cover everyone’s expenses. Although it started as a small gesture, it later became a significant point of contention.
The incident occurred last Friday when Sarah texted me about joining her for her friend’s birthday celebration at a posh restaurant. I agreed, dressed up, and joined the party, which was lively and enjoyable initially.
However, as the evening progressed, I noticed the orders were becoming extravagant. I whispered to myself about the impending high cost as our table filled with expensive wines and deluxe meals.
As the bill approached, I discreetly told Sarah that I would take care of our share, believing this to be a generous offer. Surprisingly, Sarah asked, “Aren’t you going to pay for everyone? It would be the gentlemanly thing to do.”
I was taken aback by her suggestion. The table was filled with more than ten women, most of whom I barely knew. Paying for everyone seemed unreasonable. I calmly suggested, “I think it’s only fair if I cover our portion.”
The atmosphere became tense. Sylvia, the birthday girl, noticing the awkwardness, graciously intervened. “It’s okay, Calvin,” she reassured me with a smile. “I’ll handle the rest.”
Despite Sylvia’s intervention, I paid for Sarah and myself, and Sylvia covered the remaining bill. The tension was palpable as we left, and the ride home was uncomfortably silent.
The silence eventually broke when Sarah exploded with anger over my decision. “You’re an embarrassment! You had to pay for everyone; you’re a MAN!” she exclaimed, clearly upset and disappointed.
Feeling a mix of anger and disbelief, I responded, “It’s unfair to expect me to pay for everyone at a dinner to which I was merely invited.”
Sarah’s anger didn’t subside. “It’s not just about the dinner! It’s about stepping up, being a man! Everyone expected you to take charge, and you embarrassed me in front of them all! I can’t be with someone so weak,” she argued vehemently.
I tried to reason with her, “Sarah, this is absurd. You can’t seriously end our relationship because I didn’t pay for everyone’s dinner. Where’s the fairness in this?”
Her response was chilling. “Maybe I need someone who knows what it means to be a real man, someone who wouldn’t hesitate. If you can’t do that, maybe we’re not right for each other.” She then turned away, closing off any chance for reconciliation.
A few days of silence followed. Then, Sarah called. I hoped for an apology, but instead, she offered an ultimatum. “If you’re serious about us, pay for the entire dinner. Then we might discuss our relationship.”
Stunned, I replied, “Sarah, you’re asking me to buy my way back into our relationship? That’s not just about the dinner. It’s about proving something by paying a bill.”
Her sharp reply made it clear, “It’s about showing you’re willing to step up. If you can’t, this conversation is pointless.”
I realized then that this wasn’t just about the bill. It was about control and manipulation. “Sarah, this isn’t right. You’re turning our relationship into a transaction. I can’t believe you’re pricing our relationship.”
The phone call ended on a cold note, “Then there’s nothing more to say.”
The realization that our relationship was more about control than partnership was profound. In a turn of events, I later coordinated with Sylvia, the birthday girl, on a plan to teach Sarah a lesson about expectations and respect.
Sylvia invited Sarah to a lavish housewarming party, which ended with a request for Sarah to settle the bill, much to her shock. As she grappled with the demand, I appeared, echoing her earlier expectations of me, “Odd to pay for an event you’re just invited to, isn’t it?”
I paid the bill, highlighting a point about fairness and respect. Sarah approached me afterward, apologizing for her behavior and asking if we could start over. However, the experiences and insights gained were too significant.
I declined her offer, emphasizing my need for a relationship grounded in equality and mutual respect, and walked away. This decision marked a pivotal moment, leaving behind not just a relationship but an old version of myself, now more aware of the values I seek in a partner and the essence of respect in any partnership.
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