After Megan’s parents kick her out at eighteen, she turns her back on her family. But one day, she drives back to her childhood home, only to discover that the house is in her name and her parents have been missing. Years later, she drives by again, only this time, she sees the old house decorated for the holidays. Are her parents back?
It’s been twenty years since I last spoke to my parents. Twenty years since they kicked me out for getting pregnant.
I was 18, young and terrified, but stubborn enough to stand my ground. I still remember my dad’s voice, the anger almost chilling me to my bones.
An upset girl sitting on her bed | Source: Midjourney
“If you leave with him, Megan, don’t bother coming back!” he yelled. “I don’t want to see you again! You’re a mess, and instead of choosing to be better, you’re choosing self-destruction.”
I left anyway.
That same night, my mom stood quietly at the door, her arms wrapped around herself, watching me go. She didn’t say anything; she just let me walk out into the cold.
A shouting man | Source: Midjourney
“That’s it? You’re not going to say anything? Mom, really?” I said.
She opened her mouth for a second. Instead of saying anything, she just went inside and closed the door.
They never forgave me.
But here I am, twenty years later. I’m thirty-eight, with three beautiful kids and a man who’s been by my side through it all. Evan and I were high school sweethearts, and when I got pregnant, I really thought that he was going to leave me.
An upset woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney
“Why would I leave you?” he asked, holding the pregnancy test. “We’re in this together, Megan.”
“But what about your football scholarship to college? You’d give that up?” I asked.
“Of course, I would,” he said. “Let’s do this, Meg. You, me, and the baby!”
Just like that, I decided to tell my parents, which is how my father threw me out.
A teenage couple sitting on a bench | Source: Midjourney
Despite everything, we built a life. A really good life. And let me tell you, I don’t regret a single thing. Evan works hard, and our kids, Ella, Maya, and Ben, are everything I ever dreamed of.
If you had told my 18-year-old self that I’d still be with him two decades later, I would have laughed through my tears.
But here we are.
Happy.
Three children sitting together | Source: Midjourney
The last time I visited my parents’ house was five years ago. They had gone missing on a hiking trip in the mountains. It was supposed to be a short getaway, apparently.
Just a weekend.
But they never came back.
“I’m sorry, Megan,” our neighbor, Mr. Smith, said when I went over to ask about my parents. “You really didn’t hear about it? The incident?”
An older man standing in his doorway | Source: Midjourney
“What incident? What are you talking about?” I asked, an uneasy feeling taking over me.
“They went hiking, Megan. You know, the usual long weekend trips that they make? They left the keys here for me to feed the dog. But at the end of the weekend, they didn’t return.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
A couple hiking | Source: Midjourney
“When they didn’t come back, I reported it to the police, and a search party was sent out. The officers said that all they found were their abandoned backpacks on a cliff,” he sighed.
“No… bodies?” I asked, my voice threatening to break.
As strained as our relationship was, I always expected my parents to be here, at home. For them to always be within those four walls for when I needed them.
I always counted on them to be there for the day I decided to bring my children to meet them.
An upset woman standing on a porch | Source: Midjourney
And now?… they were gone.
“No, sweetheart,” Mr. Smith said. “No bodies, no footprints, nothing. They were just gone. They vanished without a trace.”
After that, it was all about getting the house signed over to me. I didn’t want to do anything with it, I just wanted to keep it there. I went to the police station and the detective signed off on the case as a cold case.
“Move on, Megan,” he said. “We’ve had no leads in years.”
The issue was proving that I was their daughter, luckily there was a clause in my father’s will, stating that everything would be mine if he and my mother passed.
For five years after, the house sat empty. I never had the courage to sell it, though. Something about letting it go felt wrong.
An empty house | Source: Midjourney
So, it just stood there, gathering dust and neglect, frozen in time like a ghost of the past I wasn’t ready to confront.
Until tonight.
It was Christmas Eve. And for reasons I couldn’t explain, I found myself driving toward the old place instead of getting the extra butter that Evan and I needed for the turkey the next day.
The house was abandoned and had been for the past five years. As I drove, I imagined exactly how it would look after all these years. I imagined the cracked front windows and the streaks of graffiti across the walls like battle scars.
An abandoned house with an overgrown garden | Source: Midjourney
I imagined the weeds swallowing the flower beds that my mother used to love, and the wooden porch, which was most likely splintered and sagging under the years of neglect.
When I pulled into the driveway, my chest tightened at the sight of the house.
It was decorated.
Not just randomly decorated, but beautifully decorated. The old garlands of twinkling lights my dad used to string along the eaves were glowing softly against the evening sky.
Christmas decorations on an old house | Source: Midjourney
There was a faded wreath with little bells, which hung crookedly on the front door. There were the familiar plastic candy canes lining the path to the house.
I even recognized the same wooden reindeer we used to set up every December. They were all old and chipped but still standing proudly on the lawn.
My heart raced as I stepped out of the car. How could this be?
Wooden reindeer on a lawn | Source: Midjourney
Who would have done something like this? No one lived there. No one had for years.
As I walked around, I saw a little generator on the porch. It was hooked up to the lights, fueling them among the rest of the desolate house.
The decorations looked exactly the way my dad used to do them. The same lights, the same setup. A lump formed in my throat. It was like stepping back into my childhood, as if time had rewound itself.
A connected generator | Source: Midjourney
Even if it was just for one night.
I had to know who was behind this. I needed to know if it was real or if it was in my head.
The front door was slightly ajar. I hesitated for a moment, my pulse quick and uneven, before gently pushing it open.
Inside, the house smelled of dust and memories, but the living room…
The front door of an empty house | Source: Midjourney
The living room took my breath away.
A Christmas tree stood by the fireplace, just like the ones from my childhood. It was decorated with mismatched ornaments and too many strands of tinsel. The stockings were hung on the mantel, and beneath the tree were a few wrapped presents, tied with fraying ribbons.
And then I saw him.
A man hunched by a fireplace | Source: Midjourney
A figure sat in front of the fireplace, hunched slightly, silhouetted by the glow of the dying fire.
I couldn’t stop myself. The word slipped from my lips before I could think.
“Dad?” I called.
The figure stirred and turned slowly toward me, the firelight flickering across his face.
It wasn’t my dad.
It was a young man in his mid-thirties, I think. His dark hair was tousled, and his face was shadowed by exhaustion. He wore a threadbare coat, and his cheeks were pink from the cold.
But as soon as I saw him, I knew exactly who he was.
“Max?” I whispered.
A close up of a man | Source: Midjourney
His eyes widened, and a small, embarrassed smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You remember me? Megan?”
Of course, I remembered him.
He used to be the little boy who lived next door, the one with the messy hair and a toothy grin. But then, he couldn’t have been older than me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
A smiling young boy | Source: Midjourney
Max glanced around the room.
“I’ve been staying here. Just for the winters, Megan,” he admitted. “It’s the second year now.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“I don’t really have anywhere else to go,” he said, holding his head.
A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
It took me a minute to process what he was saying.
“Max, are you homeless?” I asked.
He gave a small nod.
“Yeah,” he said. “My adoptive parents, the Smiths? They kicked me out, actually. It was after you came around about ten years ago, and my dad told you about your parents. I’ve had some rotten luck, and I guess they just didn’t want to care for me anymore. It’s hard, you know? Finding work. I was between friends for a while… but even they got tired.”
A man sitting next to a fire | Source: Midjourney
My chest tightened at his words.
He glanced around the room, a smile playing on his lips.
“I remembered how your dad used to decorate the house. You guys had the nicest house in the neighborhood. When I was walking around for old time’s sake, I saw that the house was still empty. And I made myself at home… I found the decorations in the basement.”
A basement | Source: Midjourney
We were both quiet for a while.
“Why didn’t you get rid of the place?” he asked me.
“I don’t have any good answers,” I said. “I just wanted to keep it the way it was.”
Max nodded.
A man sitting next to a fire | Source: Midjourney
“I’m sorry if I shouldn’t be here,” Max said. “I just… had nowhere to go. No parents to turn to for the holidays, and honestly, I didn’t think anyone would mind.”
Something broke inside me at that moment. I had been through everything Max had just described.
“Come home with me,” I said. “Nobody should spend Christmas alone. And anyway, I have three kids who will need distracting from the pile of Christmas presents at home.”
A pile of presents under a Christmas tree | Source: Midjourney
Max’s eyes widened, and for a second, he looked like that same little boy from all those years ago, the one who had been desperate for someone to care.
Now, sitting in my living room, watching my kids get to know someone from my past, I realize what I need to do.
Evan and I have some savings. It could be enough to do the house up properly. Once it’s fixed, Max can live there. He can rent out a couple of rooms to boarders if he needs the extra income. It’s not much, but it’s a start, and I know it will give him a chance to get back on his feet.
I put my cup of hot chocolate down on the coffee table. I was getting excited.
House renovations in progress | Source: Midjourney
I don’t know if my parents would approve of the plan, but it doesn’t matter. That house doesn’t belong to their memory anymore. It’s time to give it a new purpose.
And who knows? Maybe the money we make from it will go toward Ella, Maya, or Ben’s college fund someday.
What would you have done?
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
If you’ve enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you |
I Dropped My Naughty Kids at My Parents’ Home — I Was Shocked When They Were Good as Gold When I Picked Them Up
When Cara and her husband get an invitation to an adult-only party, they welcome the break from being parents of three for a few hours. Thankfully, her parents are ready to save the day and babysit the kids. But when Cara and Jason go back to fetch the kids, they’re shocked with the change in their behavior.
“Are you sure that the kids will be okay?” my husband, Jason, asked me as I went through my closet trying to find something to wear.
A woman looking through her closet | Source: Midjourney
“Yes!” I exclaimed. “They will be absolutely fine with my parents.”
“It’s just that you know how they can be,” Jason said. “The kids, not your parents. They’re a handful.”
“They’ll be fine,” I repeated.
A close-up of a smiling man | Source: Midjourney
But my husband wasn’t wrong.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
A husband, after spending 17 years in marriage with Inna, decided to leave her for a young student, but he did not expect that his wife would give him a farewell
Inna stood by the window, watching as raindrops distributed the glass, forming whimsical patterns. Seventeen years – is that a lot or a little? She remembered every day of their marriage, every anniversary, every gifts. And now everything becomes collapsed.
“We need to talk,” Alexey said.
“I’m leaving, Inna. To Natasha.”
Silence. Only the ticking of the old wall clock, once gifted by his mother, broke the calmness of the room.
“To the student from your faculty?” Her voice sounded surprisingly calm.
“Yes. Understand, my feelings have changed. I want new emotions, fresh impressions. You’re a smart woman, you should understand.”
Inna smiled.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Absolutely,” Alexey said. “I’ve already packed my things.”
Then she approached the cupboard and recovered that special bottle they had kept for a special occasion.
“Well, I suppose this is a rather special moment,” she began to open the bottle. “You know, I propose we have a farewell dinner. Invite your friends, your relatives. After all, seventeen years is no joke.”
Alexey surprisingly said:
“You… you want to throw a party for our divorce?”
“Why not?” Inna smiled. “Let’s send our life together off in style. After all, I really am a smart woman, remember?”
She began to send messages to relatives and friends.
“Tomorrow at seven in the evening. I’ll prepare your favorite dishes. Consider it my farewell gift.”
Alexey stood there, not knowing what to say. He had predicted tears, nervousness, reproaches – anything but this calm acceptance.
“And yes, tell Natasha that she’s invited too. I want to meet the girl who managed to do what I couldn’t all these years – ignite a new spark in you.”
The next day began awfully early for Inna.
She carefully called banks, met with a lawyer, and prepared documents. Every action was prapared.
By the evening, their spacious apartment was full of the aromas of exquisite dishes. Inna set the table, organizing the finest dinnerware – a wedding gift from her mother-in-law.
“Everything must be perfect,” she muttered.
His mother, Vera Pavlovna, awkwardly grasped her daughter-in-law:
“Innochka, maybe there’s still a chance to change everything?”
“No, Mama. Sometimes you have to make the right choice and let go.”
Gradually, their friends started arriving.
“Come in, have a seat,” Inna directed them to the head of the table. “Tonight, you are the main characters of the evening.”
Once everyone was seated, Inna stood up, holding a glass:
“Dear friends! Today is a special day. We are gathered here to celebrate the end of one story and the beginning of another.”
She turned to Alexey:
“Lesha, I want to thank you for seventeen years together. For all the ups and downs, for the joys and sorrows we shared. You taught me many things. For example, that love can be very different.”
An awkwardwhisper ran through the room. Natasha played with a napkin, avoiding eye contact.
“And you also taught me to be attentive to details,” Inna continued. “Especially financial ones.”
She began laying out documents:
“Here’s the loan for your car, taken out on our joint account. Here are the tax arrears for your company. And this – particularly interesting – are the receipts from restaurants and jewelry stores over the past year. I suppose you were trying to impress Natasha?”
Alexey became pallid. Natasha abruptly lifted her head.
“But the most important thing,” Inna said as she retrieved the final document, “is our prenuptial agreement. Remember, you signed it without reading? There’s an interesting clause about dividing property in case of infidelity.”
The silence in the room became booming.
“The house is in my name,” Inna continued. “I’ve already blocked the accounts. And the divorce petition was filed last night.”
She turned to Natasha:
“Dear, are you sure you’re ready to tie your life to someone who has neither a home nor savings, but instead has considerable debts?”
“Excuse me, I need to leave,” Natasha said softly.
Vera Pavlovna refused:
“Lesha, how could you? We raised you differently.”
“Mama, you don’t understand…” Alexey began, but was disturbed by his father:
“No, son, you don’t understand. Seventeen years is no joke. And what did you destr0y it all for? For an af:fair with a student?”
The friends at the table remained soundless, avoiding each other’s gaze. Only Mikhail, Alexey’s best friend since school, quietly said loud:
“Lesha, you really screwed up.”
Inna continued standing, holding her glass.
“You know what’s the most interesting? All these years I believed that our love was unique. That we were like those old couples from beautiful stories who stayed together until the end. I turned a blind eye to your work delays, your strange phone calls, your new ties and shirts.”
She took a sip:
“And then I started spotting the receipts. Jewelry store, restaurant ‘White Swan’, spa salon… Funny, isn’t it? You were taking her to the same places where you once took me.”
Natasha returned but did not sit at the table. She stood in the doorway, clutching her purse:
“Alexey Nikolaevich, I think we need to talk. Alone.”
“Of course, dear,” he got up, but Inna stopped him with a gesture:
“Wait. I’m not finished yet. Remember our first apartment? That one-bedroom on the outskirts? We were so happy there. You said we needed nothing but each other.”
She smiled:
“And now look at you. Expensive suits, a fancy car, a young mistress… Only, here’s the catch – all of it was built on lies and debts.”
Natasha’s voice trembled, “you said we were divorced. That we lived separately. That you were going to buy us an apartment.”
“Natashenka, I’ll explain everything.”
A ringing silence tumbled the room.
Without saying a word, Natasha turned and ran out of the apartment. T
“Inna,” Alexey clutched his head, “why are you doing this?”
“Why?” she laughed.“How did you expect it to be? For me to cry, beg you to stay? To roll around at your feet?”
She scanned the room:
“You know what’s the most amusing? I truly loved him. Every wrinkle, every gray hair. Even his snoring at night seemed endearing to me. I was ready to grow old with him, to raise grandchildren.”
“Dear,” Vera Pavlovna whispered, “maybe it’s not worth it.”
“No, Mama, it is,” Inna raised her voice for the first time that evening. “Let everyone know. Let them know how your son took out loans for gifts for his mistresses. How he used our shared money. How he lied to me, to you, to everyone!”
She published another document:
“And this is especially interesting. Remember, Lesha, three months ago you asked me to sign some papers? You said it was for the tax office? It turned out to be a guarantee for a loan. You mortgaged my car, can you believe it?”
“Son,” Alexey’s father said heavily as he rose, “we’ll probably leave too. Call when… when you come to your senses.”
Vera Pavlovna grasped Inna:
“Forgive us, dear. We never thought he…”
“Don’t apologize, Mama. You have nothing to do with this.”
Alexey sat there. His expensive suit now seemed like a silly masquerade costume.
“You know, I could have done a month ago when I found out everything. I could have bought your car, torn up your suits, had a meltdown at your workplace.” Inna said.
“But I decided to do it differently,” she said.
“I’m flying out tomorrow. The Maldives, can you imagine? I’ve always dreamed of visiting there, but you always said it was a waste of money.”
She put the keys on the table:
“The apartment must be bought by the end of the week. I’m selling it. And yes, don’t even try to withdraw money from the accounts.”
Alexey looked at her with a sad expression:
“What am I supposed to do now?”
“That’s no longer my problem,” she said
“You know what’s the funniest part? I’m truly grateful to you. You made me wake up, shake off the dust. I suddenly realized that life doesn’t end with you.”
She walked to the door and turned around one last time:
“Goodbye, Lesha. I hope it was worth it.”
The door closed quietly. Alexey was left alone in the hollow apartment. Inna began a new trip which marked a first step of her new life.
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