When Arnold sees his poor mother at his wedding, he becomes furious because he told her not to come. She hands him a gift and gives him a toast, and Arnold bursts into tears and drops to his knees the next minute.
“Ah, look, someone is leaving the café smiling. Just look at her blush!” Diana’s boss said as a wave of laughter rumbled across the eatery’s kitchen.
“We’ll be there, Miss Diana. What time is the wedding?” a co-worker asked as others flocked around Diana, who couldn’t stop blushing.
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“It’s at 11 a.m. this Sunday. I’ll be looking forward to seeing all of you at the church.”
The 60-year-old was a cleaner at the café. She had taken half a day off to buy the best wedding suit for her only son, Arnold. Diana spent a long-time shopping for the blue suit. It was pretty expensive, but she wasn’t bothered. “My boy should look his best!” she thought.
Diana had spent all her savings on buying her son’s suit, and she couldn’t wait to see his reaction when she surprised him at home…
“I can’t wait to see him get married!” Diana thought. She had been impatiently waiting for this moment ever since Arnold told her about his plans to marry his girlfriend, Masha.
“Son, look what I got for you!” Diana burst into their home, suit in hand and a beaming smile on her face. “I’m sure you’ll love this! Can you please try it on? The seller assured me I could still exchange it if there’s something wrong with the fit.”
Arnold walked away to throw his mother’s gift he thought was ‘garbage,’ but he was interrupted by her voice on the mic.
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She took out the suit from the garment bag and showed it to Arnold, who frowned. He was not pleased.
“I’m not wearing such an ordinary suit for my wedding. I’m marrying a rich man’s daughter and should look my best. I would look tacky in that cheap suit.”
Diana’s eyes started to fill with tears. She pretended she was okay, but her son’s words silenced her. She was disappointed, and her heart felt heavy.
But nothing crushed her more than when Arnold told her: “One more thing…I don’t want you to come to my wedding. Everyone from my fiancée’s wealthy family will be attending. I don’t want you to be there in your dirty clothes and spoil my image. Everyone will ask me what you do, and I don’t want to have to tell them you’re just a cleaner.”
Diana could no longer hold back her tears. She hurried to her room and locked herself away. She cried the rest of the day because she was terribly hurt. Arnold was too busy to check on her and left to attend to the wedding preparations. The celebration was in two days.
It was Sunday—Arnold’s much-awaited big day. And despite her son’s prohibitions, Diana wouldn’t miss such a beautiful moment. She pulled herself together and checked her wardrobe, picking the prettiest dress she had, then she got ready.
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“You are too young to understand this mother’s wish and pain. I cannot afford to miss your big day, son. I’m coming,” she said aloud as she stared at herself in the mirror.
Diana packed an old ceramic vase she intended to give as a gift to her son. When she arrived at the church, she saw her colleagues and boss were already there. She was happy and, for a moment, forgot Arnold had asked her not to attend his wedding.
“Howdy, Miss Diana! I’m sure you are the happiest mother on earth!” her boss commented.
Diana smiled and walked in with the heavy gift box. She watched the bride and groom exchange wedding rings and then kiss. Even if she wanted to, Diana could not stop her tears from flowing. She was delighted. “I’ve done it!” she said.
Following the wedding, a lavish reception took place. Several wealthy guests flocked to the venue to greet the newlyweds. Arnold saw his mom approaching and was shocked. He raised his eyebrows in disgust. “Why has she come? I told her not to spoil my day!” he thought.
“Congrats, darling! You two look amazing! Best wishes!” said Diana, handing the gift to her son.
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Arnold looked around and realized the moment was being photographed. He didn’t want to make a scene, so he shyly took the gift from his mother. He slightly tore open the box and saw the vase inside. “She gave me an old vase lying around in the house? How cheap?!” he groaned.
Arnold walked away to throw his mother’s gift he thought was ‘garbage,’ but he was interrupted by her voice on the mic. Arnold turned pale with shock. He had no idea that a twenty-five-year-old secret she’d been keeping from him would be unraveled that day.
“Twenty-five years ago, just minutes before my best friend died….” began Diana, who quickly looked up at the ceiling as tears started to gather in her eyes.
“She gave me an old vase and told me to give it to her son the day he gets married. It was a gift from her late parents, and she wanted her son to have it.”
Arnold did not understand what his mother was saying.
“After she died, I adopted her little son and raised him as my own. I never married anyone because I wanted to devote my time and love only to my child. Son, it’s time to check out what your late mother left you in that vase. Cheers!” Diana lifted a glass for a toast as a shocked Arnold inspected the vase.
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He was flabbergasted. Inside the old ceramic vase were wads of cash. Tears gushed from his eyes as he dropped to his knees.
Arnold realized the woman he was ashamed of was not his birth mother but the one who sacrificed her whole life to raise him. She was more than a mother to him. She was his savior and guardian angel who saved him after he was orphaned.
“I’ve kept my promise to my late friend. I’m happy for you, son. Take care, and God bless you!” Diana finished. She walked toward the entrance to leave, but Arnold couldn’t let her go like that. He raced after her and blocked her way.
“Mom, I’m sorry. Your love for me is priceless. I’m sorry for hurting you. I was never a good son, but you were always a good mother to me. Why didn’t you tell me I was an orphan? Please don’t leave me. I don’t want to become an orphan again.”
Diana hugged Arnold, and they returned to the stage, where the groom danced with his mother.
“I love you, mom!” he whispered, and Diana smiled, tears of joy gushing from her eyes.
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What can we learn from this story?
A mother will do anything for her child, even look past his faults to see him happy. Though her son forbade her from attending his wedding out of shame, Diana chose to ignore that because she wanted to witness her son’s big day and his happiness.
No amount of money can measure up to the love a mother has for her child. When Arnold learned Diana had raised him and given him a better life after his birth mother’s death, he regretted uninviting her to his wedding. No amount of wealth could measure up to Diana’s love for him.
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Cashier Learns She Owns a $3.8M Business after Finding Will in Her Name — Story of the Day
An unusual letter provides the catalyst for one woman to uncover a secret kept from her for years, and receive unexpected wealth.
Gregory locked the door to the small corner shop where he’d worked as a cashier for the last twenty years. His coat was too old and thin to keep the chill from his bones as he walked home, but he smiled nonetheless. It had been another great day at work.
Gregory’s wife had never understood how he found satisfaction in what she called a low-level job. She’d left him because she felt he lacked ambition, but he still had his daughter.
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Linda was standing in the foyer of the apartment block where she and Gregory lived when he entered the building. She had also recently started working as a cashier and still wore her uniform. In one hand, she held a letter.
“What have you got there, Linda?” Gregory asked as he approached her.
Linda looked up, startled. “You tell me, Dad. I’m too scared to open it.”
Gregory frowned and took the letter from his daughter. The name of a legal practice was printed on the envelope.
“Why would a lawyer be contacting me?”
Gregory shrugged. He tore the envelope open and studied the papers inside. His jaw dropped, and his fingers began shaking as he read.
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“It’s bad, isn’t it?”
“It’s… strange. According to this letter, somebody has left you a business comprising three restaurants, and it’s worth nearly four million dollars.”
“What!” Linda snatched the letter from Gregory’s hands. “It’s got to be a scam.”
“I did this to find out whether you’re a good person.”
“There’s an easy way to find out.” Gregory leaned over to indicate the lawyer’s phone number on the letterhead.
Linda called the lawyer and arranged a meeting for the next day. Gregory accompanied her.
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“This has got to be a mistake,” Linda told the lawyer when they entered his office.
“I don’t know anyone who would leave me a business.”
The lawyer shook his head. “There’s no mistake, Miss. My client, Matthew Markham, was very particular in his instructions.”
Gregory felt as though he’d been electrocuted. “Please, say that name again.”
“Matthew Markham.”
Gregory understood everything then. He hung his head and burst into tears.
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A few months earlier…
Matthew shivered with anxiety as he approached the cashier. He set down the packet of gum and stared at the man who rang it up. The nametag on his chest said ‘Gregory.’ He was the right man.
“Sir? Are you okay?”
“Fine.” Matthew realized he’d zoned out and handed the cashier a five-dollar bill. “But I do need to talk to you. It’s about Linda.”
The man looked up sharply at the customer who had just uttered his little daughter’s name. “Is she in some kind of trouble?”
Matthew shook his head. “Do you have a few minutes, please?”
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Matthew and Gregory arranged to meet at a diner nearby during Gregory’s lunch break. While Matthew waited, he thought over the revelations that had brought him to this point.
A few days earlier, he’d been discussing his terminal illness with a close friend, Jeremy, and lamenting that he had no heirs to whom he could leave his restaurant business.
Then Jeremy dropped a bombshell on him: Matthew had a daughter he didn’t know about. His ex-girlfriend had died in childbirth, and the baby was placed up for adoption.
Matthew immediately hired a detective to track her down. Days later, he was finally sitting down with Gregory, the man who’d adopted his daughter.
Matthew explained to Gregory that he was Linda’s biological father and then asked the question that was foremost in his mind:
“Does Linda know she was adopted?”
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“No, and you can’t tell her, sir.” Gregory looked at him pleadingly. “My wife left me a couple of months back, and I can’t lose Linda too. Please, don’t take her from me.”
Matthew was torn. He wanted to know his daughter but didn’t want to cause problems for the man who’d raised her. He also didn’t want to upset his daughter’s life by introducing himself when he only had a few months more to live.
“What is she like?” Matthew asked. “Is she a good person?”
Gregory smiled. “She’s an amazing person. She’s kind and treats everyone equally.”
Matthew nodded. He was starting to get an idea.
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The next day, Matthew disguised himself as a poor man and went to the store where Linda worked as a cashier. He took a few essential food items to her checkout and waited while she rang them up.
“I’m sorry, Miss,” he said once she told him the cost.
“I can’t afford all of that. I’ve only got ten dollars.”
“Don’t worry about it, sir.” Linda smiled at him. “I’ll cover the rest.”
Matthew left the store and returned a week later. This time, he wore his finest suit. He chose several of the most expensive items in the store and again went to Linda’s checkout.
“Get out of the way,” Matthew shouted as he pushed his way to the front of the queue. “I’m in a hurry and need to be served fast.”
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He set his purchases down in front of Linda and waved his hands at her. “Hurry up, girl, I’ve got an important meeting to attend.”
“Then you’ll have to tell them you’re going to be delayed.” Linda pushed his purchases aside and gestured to the woman behind him. “You’re next, ma’am.”
“I need to be served first!” Matthew exclaimed.
“That’s too bad, sir. I don’t allow anyone to push to the front of the queue, no matter how important you think you are.”
Matthew grinned from ear to ear. “I’m glad you said that.”
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He reached for a bouquet of yellow lilies and placed the cash to pay for them on the counter. “These are for you, Linda. My name is Matthew, and I did this to find out whether you’re a good person.”
“Do me one favor, please, and remember my name when you see these lilies.”
Present day…
“Matthew is the name of your biological father, Linda,” Gregory said. “You’re adopted.”
“Why did you never tell me?”
“I’m so sorry. I never wanted you to feel bad about it. Then your mother left, and I was afraid you’d leave me too if you knew I wasn’t your real father.”
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Linda hugged him. “I’d never do that, dad.”
The lawyer cleared his throat. “As I was saying, my client bequeathed his three restaurants to you, his sole heir, when he passed away a month ago. These restaurants are each worth over a million dollars.”
“Mr. Markham also had a special request. He wanted me to give you something.”
The lawyer left the room and soon returned with a bouquet of yellow lilies, which he presented to Linda.
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Linda cradled the flowers in her arms. “I understand now.” She turned to Gregory. “He came into my shop once and asked that I remember his name when I see yellow lilies.”
Gregory placed a hand on Linda’s shoulder. “I’m sure he was very proud of you, Linda, and will continue to be proud of you from heaven.”
What can we learn from this story?
Treat people equally, and you will be rewarded. Matthew was encouraged to leave his business to Linda when he saw that she was a good person.
One can find happiness in a simple life. Gregory and Linda were both happy to work as cashiers and earn an honest living.
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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who discovers the house she’s been cleaning for the past ten years belongs to her.
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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