Miriam’s relaxing beach getaway was shattered when she locked eyes with her daughter Pamela and her son-in-law across the hotel lobby, the same people she had tearfully buried five years earlier. With her heart racing, Miriam had to decide: confront the ghosts before her, or let them slip away into the sun-drenched crowd.
Miriam stepped out of the airport shuttle, inhaling deeply. The salty air of The Bahamas filled her lungs, which was a welcome change from the stuffy plane cabin.
At sixty-five, this vacation was long overdue. Five years of grief had taken their toll on Miriam, etching lines around her eyes and mouth that hadn’t been there before.
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The Ocean Club Resort rose before her. Its gleaming structure promised nothing but relaxation and escape, so Miriam allowed herself a small smile as she followed a bellhop into the lobby.
The marble floors echoed with the chatter of excited tourists and the clinking of luggage carts, and Miriam stared at all their happy faces, hoping she would end up feeling just like them.
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“Welcome to The Ocean Club, ma’am. May I have your name for check-in?” The receptionist’s cheerful voice snapped Miriam out of her thoughts.
“Leary. Miriam,” she replied, fishing for her ID from her purse.
As the receptionist tapped away at the computer, Miriam’s gaze wandered. That’s when she saw them.
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Time seemed to stop.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Standing by the gift shop, examining a display of colorful seashells, were two people who couldn’t possibly be there. Her daughter, Pamela, and son-in-law, Frank.
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But they were dead. Killed in a car crash five years ago… Or so she thought.
“Ma’am? Your room key,” the receptionist’s voice sounded distant.
Miriam’s hand shot out, grabbing the key without looking, while her eyes never left the couple as they turned away from the gift shop and headed for the exit.
“Hold my bags,” Miriam barked, already moving. “I’ll be right back.”
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She hustled across the lobby, struggling with her breath. She was really out of shape, and the couple was almost at the door.
“Pamela!” Miriam called out. Even her own ears heard the desperation.
The woman turned, and her eyes widened in shock. It was unmistakably Pamela!
Suddenly, she grabbed her husband’s arm and whispered something urgently. Frank looked back, and Miriam saw his face transform into a mask of panic.
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Without any more warning, they bolted.
Miriam’s heart raced as she followed them out into the bright sunlight.
“Stop right there!” she yelled, her voice carrying across the palm-lined driveway. “Or I’ll call the police!“
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The threat worked.
The couple froze, and their shoulders slumped in defeat. Slowly, they turned to face her.
Pamela’s eyes brimmed with tears, but Miriam had no idea why. Was Pamela crying because of guilt, because of the lie, or because of something else?
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“Mom,” her daughter whispered. “We can explain.”
***
Pamela and Frank’s hotel room door clicked shut behind them, sealing off the cheerful vacation atmosphere outside. Inside, the air felt heavy, charged with the past five years of Miriam’s mourning and her current anger.
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She stood rigid with her arms crossed. “Start talking,” she demanded firmly.
Frank cleared his throat. “Mrs. Leary, we never meant to hurt you.”
“Hurt me?” Miriam’s laugh was harsh. “I buried you. Both of you. I grieved for five years. And now you’re standing here, telling me you never meant to hurt me?”
Pamela stepped forward, trying to reach out. “Mom, please. We had our reasons.“
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Miriam recoiled from her daughter, although she also had the same urge. “What reason could possibly justify this?”
Frank and Pamela exchanged troubled glances, and it took a second before Frank spoke. “We won the lottery.”
Silence fell, broken only by the distant sound of waves crashing on the beach outside.
“The lottery,” Miriam repeated flatly. “So you faked your own deaths… because you won money?”
Pamela nodded and began to elaborate, although her voice could barely be heard.
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“It was a lot of money, Mom. We knew if people found out, they’d all want a piece. We just wanted to start fresh, without any obligations.”
“Obligations?” Miriam’s own voice rose. “Like paying back the money you borrowed from Frank’s family for that failed business? Like being there for your cousin’s kids after their parents died? Those kinds of obligations?”
Frank’s face hardened. “We didn’t owe anyone anything. This was our chance to live the life we always wanted, and we don’t plan on letting anyone get in our way.”
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“At the expense of everyone who loved you, and I bet you’re also avoiding taxes,” Miriam shot back. She turned to her daughter. “Pamela, how could you do this? To me?”
Pamela looked down and sniffled. “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t want to, but Frank said…”
“Don’t blame this on me,” Frank interjected. “You agreed to the plan.”
Miriam watched as her daughter wilted under her husband’s glare. At that moment, she clearly saw the dynamic between them, and her heart broke anew.
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“Pamela,” she said softly. “Come home with me. We can fix this. Make it right.”
For a moment, hope flared in Pamela’s eyes. Then Frank’s hand clamped down on her shoulder.
“We’re not going anywhere,” he said, resolute. “Our life is here now. We have everything we need.”
Pamela’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, Mom,” she whispered. “I can’t.“
Miriam stood there, staring at the strangers her daughter and son-in-law had become. Without another word, she turned and walked out of the room.
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She couldn’t enjoy her vacation after that and changed her plans immediately. But the trip home was a blur.
Miriam moved on autopilot as her mind replayed the confrontation over and over. What should she do? Was faking your death illegal? Was Frank hiding something else?
However, by the time she reached her empty house, she had made a decision. She wouldn’t report them. Not yet.
She’d leave that door open, hoping against hope that Pamela would walk through it one day.
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***
Three years passed.
Miriam tried to move on, but the weight of this secret and the pain of betrayal never truly left her. Then, one rainy afternoon, there was a knock at her door.
Miriam opened it to find Pamela standing on her porch, soaked from the rain, with her arms wrapped around her body and looking utterly lost.
“Mom,” Pamela’s voice cracked. “Can I come in?”
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Miriam hesitated, then stepped aside.
Pamela shuffled in, leaving a trail of water on the hardwood floor. In the harsh light of the entryway, Miriam could see how much her daughter had changed.
The designer clothes and perfectly styled hair were gone, replaced by worn jeans and messy hair. Dark circles shadowed her eyes.
“What happened?” Miriam asked, her tone carefully neutral.
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Pamela sank onto the couch, her shoulders hunched. “It’s all gone,” she whispered. “The money, the house, everything. Frank… he got into some bad investments. Started gambling. I tried to stop him, but…”
She looked up, meeting Miriam’s eyes for the first time. “He left. Took what was left and disappeared. I don’t know where he is.”
Miriam sat down across from her daughter, processing the information.
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Part of her wanted to comfort Pamela, to wrap her in a hug and tell her everything would be okay. But the wounds were still too fresh, the betrayal too deep.
“Why are you here, Pamela?” she asked quietly.
Pamela’s lips trembled. “I didn’t know where else to go. I know I don’t deserve your help, after everything we did. How selfish I was. But I… I miss you, Mom. I’m so sorry. For all of it.”
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Silence stretched between them because Miriam had no idea what to do. This was what she wanted ever since that day in The Bahamas.
So, she studied her daughter’s face, searching for signs of the girl she used to know. After a few moments, Miriam sighed.
“I can’t just forgive and forget, Pamela. What you and Frank did… it was more than just lying. I think you broke the law. Faking your death may not be exactly illegal, but I bet you didn’t pay any taxes on that money. But also, you hurt a lot of people, not just me.”
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Pamela nodded as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. “I know,” she whispered. “And you’re right. Part of the reason Frank wanted to leave was to avoid paying taxes. Everything else… what he didn’t want to pay back to his family… well, that was just icing.”
“If you want to make this right with me and with everyone else,” Miriam continued, her voice firm, “you need to face the consequences. That means going to the police. Telling them everything. About the faked deaths and everything else you two did with that money. All of it.”
Pamela’s eyes widened in fear. “But… I could go to jail.”
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“Yes,” Miriam agreed. “You could. I don’t want you to, but it’s the only way forward. The only way to truly make amends.”
For a long moment, Pamela sat frozen, sniffling slightly. Then, slowly, she nodded. “Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll do it. Whatever it takes.”
Miriam felt a glimmer of pride break through her anger and hurt. Maybe her daughter wasn’t completely lost after all. Being far away from Frank was definitely a good thing for her.
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“Alright then,” she said, standing up. “Let’s get you into some dry clothes. Then we’ll head down to the station.”
As they walked out to the car a short while later, Pamela hesitated. “Mom?” she asked. “Will you… will you stay with me? While I talk to them?”
Miriam paused, then reached out and squeezed her daughter’s hand, allowing herself to again feel and show all the love she had for her. “Yes,” she said warmly and desperately. “I’ll be there, for sure.”
“Thank you,” Pamela nodding and taking a deep breath. Suddenly, her expression shifted. Her mouth set in a firm line, and determination filled her eyes. “Let’s go.”
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Mom of 3 Kids Crying of Hunger Learns She Can’t Pay for Burgers, ‘No Worries,’ Low Voice Assures — Story of the Day
A mom and her three children took the wrong bus and ended up lost. She realized she couldn’t buy her children food until a low voice startled her, offering much-needed assistance.
Julia had no choice but to raise her three growing children alone after her husband left her. He had been cheating on her with her best friend, and once she found out about their love triangle, he left her and stopped supporting their children.
At the time, Julia was devastated. She thought her life was ruined. She suffered from major trust issues after being betrayed not just by her husband but also her best friend.
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“You have to pull yourself together, Julia. You have three children you need to raise. You can’t be sulking at home because of what they did to you. Use it as motivation to do better,” her mom said after seeing Julia crying in the bathroom.
Julia looked at her children and knew that her mom was right. She had to look after her kids and make sure they lived comfortable lives, even if it meant working two jobs to earn enough money.
Julia’s mom, Lisa, happily volunteered to care for the three kids while she was at work. She had two jobs, working a total of 14 hours a day.
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Every day, she would start working at six in the evening, working as a waiter. Then from one in the morning until eight, she would work as a housekeeper at an inn.
By the time she got home, she had about three hours until her children woke up. She’d use this time to sleep before waking up alongside her kids to play with them and clean the house.
Julia’s work schedule exhausted her, especially because she didn’t get enough sleep every day. This lack of sleep often caused her to be scatter-brained, unable to remember the simplest things.
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One weekend morning, Julia had to take her kids to the hospital for their vaccinations. On their way home, Julia accidentally mixed up the bus routes, and they ended up in a place in town they’d never been.
Unfortunately, it would take another hour before another bus came around. She bought tickets at the bus stop and they quietly sat there until her kids began to cry, yelling that they were hungry.
Julia walked to a nearby burger stand, where she ordered four burgers. When she was about to pay, she frantically searched for her wallet inside her bag, only to look up at the sky, defeated.
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“My wallet was right here,” she cried. “I just purchased our bus tickets!” She looked through her bag again.
“I’m sorry to hear that, ma’am,” the man who took her order said. “This part of town is notorious for pick-pockets.”
Julia looked at her kids, ashamed that she couldn’t buy them food. She apologized to them and told them they’d have to wait an hour before they could eat, only for them to cry even louder. “Mom, I haven’t eaten the whole day!” her daughter whined. “I’m so hungry!”
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At that moment, Julia was at her breaking point. Her eyes started to fill with tears. Suddenly, she heard a low voice say, “No worries.”
She looked up and saw the man from the burger stand taking out his wallet. He paid for the burgers, packed a bag for Julia, and handed it to her.
“Please, take this. It’s on the house,” he told her.
Julia looked at the man in shock. Tears started to stream down her face, and she thanked the man numerous times. “Thank you so much; you have no idea how much this means to me,” she told him. “Can I please ask for your number? I want to pay you back once I can get some money.”
The man shook his head. “It’s no big deal, and it’s a simple act of kindness I’d like to do for you.”
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Ever since that day, Julia always made sure to help someone out whenever she had the chance. After working two jobs for a few more years, she earned enough money to start her own business. She created a mobile app that allowed users to book different services, from housekeepers to nail technicians, laundry shops, car cleaners, and more.
One day, while in a business meeting, Julia came across the man who helped her several years back.
“You’re the guy from the burger stand,” she said. He smiled, recognizing her as well.
“You’re the mom with three crying children,” he recalled. “How have you been?”
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That conversation ended up being life-changing for both of them. Julia insisted on treating the man, who introduced himself as Jacob, to dinner. It was her way of paying him back.
She discovered Jacob was looking for a job and she decided to hire him as her executive secretary. He went with her to all her meetings and helped her grow her business.
Eventually, after spending so much time together and getting to know each other more, they fell in love. They married, and Jacob adopted Julia’s three children, loving them as his own.
What can we learn from this story?
- If you’re in the position to help someone, do it. The man felt terrible that Julia couldn’t feed her children when they were hungry, so he stepped in to help her. When you’re capable of helping someone in need, do it without expecting anything in return, as it could save that person from reaching their breaking point.
- What goes around comes around. After receiving an act of kindness, Julia paid it forward. Eventually, she came across the man who helped her again, this time in the position to help. This led to a beautiful working and personal relationship between them.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a beggar who gave half of his pizza to a hungry rich man, only for the man to give half his business to the beggar later on.
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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