When Samantha, a modest woman, boards a business-class flight, she becomes the target of a bratty teen’s antics and his father’s mockery. Little did they know, their paths would cross again just hours later, leading to a twist neither of them could have predicted — one the father-son duo would deeply regret.
A few weeks ago, I received a letter — a real, honest-to-God, fancy letter in one of those thick, cream-colored envelopes. It was from a lawyer telling me I was a candidate for an inheritance from my late grandmother’s sister.
Woman opening a letter | Source: Pexels
I barely knew the woman, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out I might inherit something from her.
That’s how I found myself on a business-class flight to Dallas. Just as I was getting settled, I noticed this teenager in the row ahead of me. He couldn’t have been more than 15, but he was already a professional brat.
He was loud and obnoxious and made a scene just for the sake of it. His father, sitting right next to him, wasn’t any better.
A teen boy | Source: Pexels
Instead of telling his kid to calm down, he was egging him on, laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world. I mean, who does that?
I tried to tune them out, but it was impossible. The kid — Dean, I think I heard his father call him — started throwing chips over the seat, and of course, they landed right on me. I took a deep breath, counted to ten, and leaned forward.
“Hey, what are you doing? Calm down, kid!” I said.
A frowning woman on a plane | Source: Midjourney
I hate confrontation, but I wasn’t about to let some teenager treat me like a target practice dummy.
Dean turned around, smirking as if he’d just won the lottery.
“Calm down, kid! Calm down!” he mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. And then, he threw another handful of chips right at my face.
I was stunned. Who acts like this? I looked at his father, hoping he’d step in and say something, but no.
The man was laughing so hard he was practically in tears.
A man laughing | Source: Pexels
“Excuse me, are you this kid’s father?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, though I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.
“Hold on,” the man said, his voice full of amusement. “I’m recording this! Can you say ‘Calm down, kid!’ one more time?”
I couldn’t believe it. I felt the anger bubbling up inside me, but instead of snapping — which, believe me, I was close to doing — I just pressed the call button for the flight attendant.
A flight attendant | Source: Unsplash
When she arrived, I explained the situation as calmly as I could, and she was a godsend. She moved me to another seat without making a fuss.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about that kid and his father. How could people act like that? So entitled, so cruel, just because they could.
I’m not naive; I know the world isn’t always fair, but this was something else. It was like they didn’t see me as a person, just an object to be ridiculed.
A sad and thoughtful woman | Source: Pexels
When the plane finally landed, I grabbed my bag and headed straight for the taxi stand. I was exhausted from the flight and trying to keep my emotions in check. All I could think about was getting to the lawyer’s office and getting this over with.
As the taxi weaved through the traffic, a knot of nerves formed in my stomach. What if this inheritance wasn’t real? What if it was just some cruel joke? I didn’t know what to expect, and that scared me more than I cared to admit.
Traffic | Source: Pexels
I arrived at the lawyer’s office and walked inside. The receptionist directed me to the waiting area, and that’s when I saw them.
The bratty duo from the plane.
I froze in the doorway as the father stared at me, my heart pounding in my ears. What were they doing here? My mind raced as I tried to make sense of it. And then it hit me — they were here for the same reason I was.
They must be related to my grandmother’s sister somehow. I couldn’t believe the coincidence.
A father and son | Source: Midjourney
I’ve never been one to believe in fate or destiny or any of that. Life is what you make of it, right? But sitting in that stuffy lawyer’s office, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something bigger was at play.
The lawyer, Mr. Thompson, was the kind of man who seemed like he was born in a three-piece suit. He cleared his throat, the sound cutting through the tension that had been building since we sat down and he introduced us all.
“Thank you all for being here,” he began, his voice smooth as silk.
A man | Source: Pexels
“As you know, the late Ms. Harper had no children of her own, but she was fond of her nieces and nephews. It was her wish that her estate be passed on to one of her sisters’ grandchildren.”
I glanced over at Richard, the bratty teen’s father, sitting with his arms crossed, a smug look on his face like he already knew he’d won.
Mr. Thompson continued, oblivious to the tension. “Ms. Harper, in her unique way, decided to leave this decision up to a coin toss. She believed that fate would guide her fortune to the right person.”
A man holding papers | Source: Pexels
“Unique” was one way to put it. Crazy might have been another, but I kept that thought to myself. I mean, who decides to leave their entire estate to someone based on a coin toss?
Richard scoffed, rolling his eyes. “A coin toss? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Mr. Thompson looked up, his expression unchanging. “It was her final wish.”
Mr. Thompson pulled out a silver coin from his pocket and held it up. It caught the light from the window. My breath hitched as he placed the coin on his thumb, ready to flip it.
A coin | Source: Pexels
“This coin toss will determine who inherits Ms. Harper’s estate,” he said, his voice steady. “Heads, it goes to Ms. Rogers. Tails, it goes to Mr. Gray.”
The room fell into a tense silence, and I could almost hear the sound of my own heartbeat. I glanced at Richard, who was suddenly very still, his eyes locked on the coin. Dean had finally stopped fidgeting.
Mr. Thompson flicked his thumb, and the coin spun in the air, catching the light with every rotation.
Woman staring | Source: Midjourney
Time seemed to slow as I watched it spin, my entire future hanging on the outcome of this one ridiculous coin toss. It felt like forever before the coin finally landed on the table with a soft clink.
Heads.
I blinked, not quite processing what I was seeing. Heads. I won. The estate and everything was mine.
Richard was the first to react. He shot up from his seat, his face flushed with anger.
A furious man | Source: Pexels
“This is bull!” he shouted, slamming his fist on the table. “I’ve got debts, serious debts! I was counting on this money!”
Mr. Thompson remained calm, his expression unchanged. “I’m afraid the decision is final.”
“But I deserve that money!” Richard’s voice was rising, desperation creeping in around the edges. “I’ve got bills to pay! I—”
“That’s not my concern,” Mr. Thompson interrupted, his voice cool and detached. “The will is clear. The estate goes to Ms. Rogers.”
Dean looked from his father to me, his bravado from earlier completely gone.
A teen boy | Source: Pexels
I sat there, stunned, as the reality of what had just happened began to sink in. I won. I actually won. But instead of the joy or relief I expected to feel, all I felt was this strange sense of disbelief, like I was watching it all happen to someone else.
Richard slumped back in his chair, and all the fight drained out of him. He looked at me, his eyes full of anger and something else, something that looked a lot like fear.
“You think you deserve this?” he spat, his voice low and venomous.
An angry man | Source: Pexels
“You don’t even know her. You’re just some nobody who got lucky.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Mr. Thompson beat me to it. “That’s enough, Mr. Gray. The decision has been made. I suggest you accept it with grace.”
Grace. There was nothing graceful about how Richard was falling apart in front of me. I could see it now, the desperation, the panic.
He wasn’t just upset; he was terrified. He had counted on this inheritance, maybe even planned his whole life around it. And now it was gone.
A woman | Source: Pexels
I stood up, my legs feeling shaky, and looked at Mr. Thompson. “Thank you,” I said, my voice quieter than intended.
He nodded, a small, reassuring gesture. “You’re welcome, Ms. Rogers. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.”
I nodded back, feeling like I was in a daze. As I walked past Richard and Dean, they avoided my gaze, their earlier arrogance completely shattered. They were a far cry from the people who had mocked me on the plane.
A woman looking over her shoulder | Source: Unsplash
Now, they were just two people who had lost everything, and I was the one who had it all.
Karma, fate, whatever you want to call it, had dealt its hand, and for once, I had come out on top. But as I thought about Richard and Dean, their faces etched with fear and anger, I couldn’t help but wonder, was it really worth it?
Mom with Baby Is Kicked Out of Home by Mother-In-Law, Sees Her Digging through Trash Years Later — Story of the Day
A controlling woman kicks her daughter-in-law out of the house with her newborn child, only to find herself in appalling conditions years later.
Abbie and Jonathan were married for three years when they welcomed their son, Timothy. They lived in Austin, Texas, with Jonathan’s mother, Susan, who wasn’t the worst by all accounts but wasn’t the best either.
Susan’s problem was that she wanted total control over everything, especially Jonathan’s life. To her relief, she was always successful since Jonathan was a “mama’s boy” who never went against her.
However, things began to change when Abbie came into Jonathan’s life. He began to devote a significant percentage of his attention to her, making Susan believe that Abbie was pulling him away from her.
Eventually, Abbie got the impression that Susan despised her, so she advised Jonathan that they move out. But he politely declined, saying, “Oh darling, come on! You know how mom is! She may seem harsh on the outside, but she is soft on the inside. She adores you just as much as she adores me.”
But Abbie knew that wasn’t the case, and her worst fears proved true one day…
Mrs. Norris wasn’t supportive of Abbie and Jonathan’s relationship. | Source: Pexels
“GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE WITH THAT BABY!” Susan yelled at Abbie as she and Jonathan returned from the hospital following Timothy’s birth. She didn’t even go to the hospital for Abbie’s delivery because she despised her. And once Abbie was home, she already had a brilliant plan to get rid of her “pathetic” daughter-in-law.
“Susan, what’s the matter?” Abbie stared at her, bewildered. She didn’t understand why the woman would say something like that to her.
“Good Lord! Susan?” she whispered in disbelief on seeing her mother-in-law in such a terrible condition.
“What’s the matter with me?” she retorted. “That boy is not my son’s blood! He looks nothing like my son!” she lied, screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Susan!” Abbie yelled back, teary-eyed. “How could you say such a thing? He’s your grandson…Jonathan,” she said, turning to her husband. “Why aren’t you saying anything? You know he’s—”
Before Abbie could finish, Susan cut her off. “Stop bewitching my son with those crocodile tears of yours! You’ve already wrecked his life. Pack your things and get lost!” she repeated and grabbed Jonathan’s arm, pulling him to her side.
Mrs. Norris ordered Abbie to leave the house. | Source: Pexels
“Jonathan….” Abbie looked at him with hopeful eyes, but he didn’t utter a word. Instead, he stood by his mother’s side and lowered his head in shame.
Abbie couldn’t believe Jonathan didn’t say anything to his mother, even if it meant losing his son! She realized whatever was happening to her was probably the worst thing she’d ever faced, but she reasoned it was probably for the best if she moved away from the toxicity. So she packed her belongings and left Susan’s home to live with her parents.
Several years went by and Abbie had raised Timothy on her own, giving him the finest of everything. Fortunately, she also healed from the pain of her toxic marriage with Jonathan and took the first step towards divorce and a happy life with her son as a single mother.
A few years after the divorce, she found love again when she crossed paths with a man named Edward at Timothy’s school. He was a widower with a daughter, Caroline. He and Abbie fell in love and got married.
Abbie felt her life was complete after marrying Edward. She had a wonderful family, an excellent job, two beautiful children, and a devoted husband. She never thought about the horrific past again until something unexpected happened one day…
Abbie took a drastic step and became a single mom. | Source: Pexels
After dropping Caroline and Timothy off at school, Abbie was on her way to work when she noticed an elderly woman dumpster diving for food.
“Good Lord!” she sighed as she came to a halt and glanced at the woman. “What misery did she go through to have to eat from a dumpster?”
Abbie reached into her handbag for cash and got out of the car to offer it to the woman. But as she got closer, something about the woman’s filthy clothes made her stop.
She recognized the woman’s coat and immediately came to a halt in the middle of the street until a car blew its horn, interrupting her thoughts. When the homeless woman turned around to face her, Abbie’s suspicions were confirmed.
“Good Lord! Susan?” she whispered in disbelief on seeing her mother-in-law in such a terrible condition. “Susan, what happened to you? What are you doing here?” she asked worriedly as she dashed over to her.
Mrs. Norris was looking through trash for food. | Source: Shutterstock
With tears in her eyes, the older woman stared at her. “Abbie? Forgive me for what I did, sweetheart,” she pleaded, bursting into tears. “Please forgive me! I’m starving! I haven’t eaten in days….” She fell at Abbie’s feet and wouldn’t stop crying.
Abbie never liked Susan, but she wasn’t so heartless that she would leave her like that on the streets. So she took a day off from work and accompanied the older woman to a restaurant.
As Susan finished eating, Abbie gently asked, “Susan, how did you end up like this? Where’s Jonathan?”
“All I can say is I paid for my sins, sweetheart,” she sighed, teary-eyed. “I lost everything I had. My Jonathan is no longer with me. He left me alone, and I was so miserable after that….”
Susan wouldn’t stop crying as she revealed that Jonathan was returning home from work one day when he was attacked and robbed by some hooligans. He tried to fight back, but he eventually succumbed to the injuries and died before reaching the hospital.
Jonathan’s death left Mrs. Norris miserable. | Source: Pexels
After the terrible accident, Susan almost lost her mind. Every night, she would sit for hours on her son’s bed, clutching his things and crying. She didn’t want to do anything or interact with anyone. She eventually gave up on life and began roaming the streets.
“I still have the house, but it’s so empty without him. It comes back to bite me when I go back there. I don’t want to be there. I want to run away from all the bad memories…All the bad things I did to you, oh, I regret them so much. Will you please forgive me? I beg of you!” she pleaded, trembling.
Seeing Susan’s dreadful situation, Abbie knew she had already had her fair share of suffering for her wrongdoings, so softening her heart for the older woman, she decided to let go of the past and forgive her.
“It’s all right, Susan,” she said. “I don’t have anything against you or Jonathan. In fact, I’m happy I went on with my life because I now have a beautiful husband and two wonderful children.”
Susan was surprised. “You remarried?”
Abbie was happy with her married life. | Source: Pexels
“Yes! And I am very happy with my life now,” Abbie replied, smiling.
Susan felt a tinge of jealousy, and she dropped her head in shame. But Abbie forgave her and decided to help her out, so Abbie started visiting her home and helping her around the house once in a while.
She also told Edward everything, and he was very sympathetic and supportive. Leaving the horrific past behind them, they now often invite Susan to their home and spend time with her so that she does not feel alone.
What can we learn from this story?
- One day, everyone pays the price for their wrongdoings. Susan ruined Abbie and Jonathan’s relationship and paid the price for it when she found herself all alone.
- Good things always happen to good people. Though Abbie’s divorce from Jonathan was devastating, it ultimately resulted in a much happier life for her and Timothy.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a mom who asks her old neighbor to babysit her children only to return home and find them missing.
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.
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