Once Maria met Linda, she understood why Aiden loved her so much. Linda was humble and didn’t judge Maria even when she learned where she worked. When Aiden revealed that he and Linda had gotten engaged, Maria gave her blessing immediately.
Maria decided to throw an engagement party at a local restaurant to celebrate and meet Linda’s parents, Hugh and Elizabeth.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen, Maria. My parents are very stuck up, so when they learned about Aiden’s background, they didn’t give their blessing,” Linda revealed.
After some time, Hugh and Elizabeth reluctantly gave Aiden their blessing and agreed to pay for the wedding. The ceremony was quite extravagant. Linda wore a designer wedding dress that her grandmother had gifted her. The cake was giant, and Hugh had hired a famous chef to cater the wedding.
Maria finally had the opportunity to meet Hugh and Elizabeth, but they didn’t treat her kindly. When asked what degree she had, Maria replied, “I didn’t get the chance to finish my studies because Aiden’s dad left me to raise him alone.”
“Well, if we hadn’t worked hard, then we couldn’t have given Linda all of this,” Elizabeth replied rudely. Hugh and Elizabeth had VIP guests, including well-known businessmen from around the city. When asked who Maria was, they seemed embarrassed to reveal that she was the groom’s mother.
After the vows and I-dos were said, it was the turn of the groom and bride’s families to give speeches. Hugh and Elizabeth took the stage first to congratulate the newlyweds on their union. They then revealed their gift, which surprised Aiden and Linda because Hugh had already paid for the wedding.
“We’re really sorry. We’ve mistreated you since the moment we met you.”
“We know you are both house-hunting and will move in together soon. So we’re going to pay for all of your furniture and appliances,” Huge revealed.
“Once you’ve found a house, it will be fully furnished,” Elizabeth added. The gift was met with applause from the attendees. Hugh and Elizabeth looked on with pride at the reaction. Next to the stage was Maria. Many guests began to whisper and murmur as they all expected a gift that would be quite cheap in comparison.
Maria wiped away a tear of joy as she congratulated the newlyweds. She didn’t care about the judgment. Maria was just proud of her son and daughter-in-law. But what she said next shocked the entire wedding party.
“I worked all my life and saved up to pay for your college tuition because I knew it would be expensive. Then you decided you wanted to be a doctor, and I thought, wow, even more expensive,” Maria joked.
She could tell that Hugh and Elizabeth were laughing at her, not with her. Maria reached into her purse for an envelope before continuing.
“The funny thing is, you got a scholarship to study medicine anyway, so you didn’t even need all the money I saved. So now that you’re about to get your doctorate and you’re getting married to this brilliant young woman, what better way to congratulate you than by buying you a house,” Maria revealed.
The entire wedding party gasped in shock as Maria opened her envelope and handed a set of keys to Aiden and Linda. Everyone stood to applaud while Hugh and Elizabeth were left stunned. After the ceremony ended, Hugh and Elizabeth apologized to Maria.
“We’re really sorry. We’ve mistreated you since the moment we met you. We apologize for judging you. You’ve really shown us how remarkable you are,” Elizabeth told Maria.
“Just remember, some of us might come from nothing, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be something,” Maria replied.
By the end of the year, Aiden had finished his doctorate and joined Hugh’s practice to work as a doctor. Aiden insisted that Maria retire from working as a janitor. Hugh and Elizabeth followed suit soon afterward. Linda threw Maria a retirement party, and Aiden bought her a brand-new car to thank her for everything.
Soon, Aiden and Linda had children of their own. Maria lived as a grandparent for the children, a role she happily shared with Hugh and Elizabeth.
What can we learn from this story?
Don’t take negative judgment to heart. All that mattered to Maria was her son’s happiness and success. She didn’t let the judgment bring her down, and in the end, she proved all of her doubters wrong.
You never know what someone has been through. Hugh and Elizabeth had false perceptions of who Maria was based on the fact that she was a janitor. In the end, they realized that Maria was just as hard-working and deserving of respect as anyone else.
Entitled Neighbor Vandalized My Sick Grandpa’s Car – I Taught Her to Mind Her Own Business
When I saw the cruel message scrawled on my recovering grandpa’s dusty car, I was livid. But uncovering the culprit’s identity was just the beginning. What I did next would teach this entitled neighbor a lesson she’d never forget.
Two months ago, I was at work when my phone rang. It was Mom.
“Meg, it’s Grandpa,” she barely managed to speak. “He’s in the hospital. He—”
“What? Hospital?” I cut her off, totally blindsided. “What happened?”
A woman talking on the phone at work | Source: Pexels
“He had a heart attack,” Mom continued in her shaky voice. “We gotta go see him.”
“Oh my God, Mom, is he okay?”
“I don’t know, Meg…”
“I’ll be there as fast as I can, Mom,” I replied as I quickly logged out of my work email.
The thing is, Grandpa Alvin is my rock, my confidant, and my favorite person in the world. It won’t be wrong to say that I love him more than Mom. Shh! It’s a secret!
An older man standing in his house | Source: Midjourney
And that phone call from Mom had turned my world upside down. I could literally feel a knot in my stomach as I rushed out of my office after informing my boss about Grandpa’s condition.
The drive home from my workplace is a blur. I don’t remember how I got there, but I quickly picked Mom up before we rushed to the hospital.
The drive from our house to the hospital was about 45 minutes long. And let me tell you, those were the longest, most painful 45 minutes of my life. Mom kept crying the entire time, while I could feel my heart pounding inside my chest.
Once we reached there, a nurse told us that Grandpa was in the operating room. After what felt like an eternity, the doctor came out.
A close-up shot of a doctor’s arms crossed on his chest | Source: Pexels
“The surgery was successful, but he needs rest and care,” he told us. “He needs to eat a heart-healthy diet, low in salt and saturated fats. Regular, gentle exercise is crucial. And absolutely no stress.”
“Alright, doc,” I nodded. “But when can we see him?”
“Is he really okay?” Mom asked impatiently.
“Don’t worry,” the doctor reassured her. “He’s resting comfortably now. The nurses will let you know when it’s a good time to visit.”
A doctor talking to a woman | Source: Midjourney
Grandpa was allowed to go home a few days later, but there was a problem. He lives in another town, and we couldn’t visit him every day to look after him.
As a result, we hired a full-time nurse.
She was a godsend, agreeing to cook for him too. For two months, Grandpa didn’t leave his apartment and focused solely on his recovery.
Last week, I realized it had been too long since I’d seen him.
A woman sitting on a chair, thinking | Source: Midjourney
“Mom,” I said over breakfast, “I’m going to visit Grandpa this weekend. Wanna come?”
Her eyes lit up.
“That’s a wonderful idea, honey,” she smiled. “I’ll come with you. He’ll be so happy to see us!”
“Perfect!” I said before I took a bite of my scrambled eggs.
On Saturday, I woke up early, bought a bouquet of Grandpa’s favorite bright yellow sunflowers, and drove all the way to his place with Mom.
I couldn’t wait to meet him and see his face light up. I was expecting a day full of Grandpa’s stories, unaware of what was waiting for us there.
As we pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex, I spotted his old, beat-up car. It was covered with a thick layer of dust, clearly proving he hadn’t driven it since getting sick.
But as we got closer, something made my blood boil.
A woman in a car | Source: Midjourney
Someone had left a message on the rear windscreen. It seemed like they had written it using their finger. It looked fresh.
The message read, “YOU ARE A DIRTY PIG! CLEAN UP YOUR CAR OR GET OUT OF THE COMMUNITY. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!”
I was absolutely furious. How could someone be so cruel to an old man who’s been too sick to even get out of bed, let alone clean his car?
A woman in a car, looking angry | Source: Midjourney
“Oh my God,” Mom gasped. “Who would do such a thing?”
I clenched my fists. I could feel my cheeks burn with rage.
“Some entitled jerk with nothing better to do than harass a sick old man, that’s who.”
Then, I felt Mom’s soft hand on my arm.
“Honey, calm down,” she said. “Let’s not upset your grandfather.”
I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself.
“You’re right. Let’s go see him.”
A parking lot of an apartment complex | Source: Pexels
We quickly headed up to Grandpa’s apartment. I rang the bell, waiting for him to open the door.
“My girls!” he smiled from ear to ear. “What a wonderful surprise!”
“Grandpa!” I hugged him tight. “You look so good! So handsome!”
“Well, of course I do!” he chuckled. “When have I ever not looked handsome? Even in my hospital gown, I was turning heads left and right!”
An older man in his house, smiling | Source: Midjourney
As we headed inside, I couldn’t stop thinking of the cruel message on his car. I couldn’t erase that image from my mind.
“Megan? Are you listening, sweetheart?” Grandpa’s voice snapped me back to reality.
“Sorry, Grandpa. I was just… thinking. How are you feeling?”
We chatted for a while, but my mind kept drifting to that message. I needed to do something about it.
“Hey, I need to take care of something real quick,” I said, standing up. “Mom, can you stay with Grandpa? I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
A woman talking to her mother | Source: Midjourney
“Sure, honey,” Mom said.
In no time, I headed down to the security office near the entrance, where I met a bored-looking guy sitting behind the desk.
“Excuse me,” I said. “I need to see the security camera footage from the parking lot.”
He raised an eyebrow as he straightened his back.
“Sorry, ma’am. We can’t just show that to anyone who asks.”
A security guard | Source: Midjourney
I leaned in, lowering my voice.
“Look, my grandfather lives here. He’s been very ill, and someone vandalized his car with a horrible message. I need to know who did it.”
The guard hesitated, then nodded.
“Alright, just this once.”
We reviewed the footage from the last few days when I suddenly saw an older, snooty-looking woman, heading towards Grandpa’s car. She took her sweet time to write that awful message on his car.
An older woman standing near a black car | Source: Midjourney
“Who is this?” I asked the guard.
“That’s Briana from 4C,” he said. “Always causing trouble.”
I thanked him and turned to leave, but he stopped me.
“Wait, there’s something else. I overheard some of the neighbors talking in the lobby last week. Apparently, this Briana woman has been giving your grandfather a hard time for months now.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He scratched his chin thoughtfully.
A security guard talking to a woman | Source: Midjourney
“Well, they were saying she’s been complaining about every little thing. Like, she’d make a fuss if his newspaper was left out too long, or if his welcome mat wasn’t perfectly straight. One of the ladies even mentioned that Briana tried to get your grandpa fined for having a potted plant that was ‘an unapproved color’ or something ridiculous like that.”
“Are you serious? Why hasn’t anyone done anything about this?”
“Most folks just try to avoid her, I guess,” he shrugged.
“Your grandpa’s too nice to make a big deal out of it. But between you and me, I think everyone’s getting pretty fed up with her attitude.”
Yeah, my grandpa’s nice, but I’m not, I thought to myself before marching straight to Briana’s apartment.
The door opened soon after I knocked on it.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m Alvin’s granddaughter,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. “I saw what you wrote on his car. You have no right to humiliate him like that!”
A young woman talking to her grandfather’s neighbor | Source: Midjourney
“I don’t care,” she shrugged. “If he can’t keep up with community standards, maybe he shouldn’t be living here.”
And with that, she slammed the door in my face.
I was livid. It was clear that talking to her wasn’t going to get anywhere, so I decided to handle it my own way. I came up with a plan to teach her a lesson. All I needed was a roll of duct tape and a paper with evidence.
A woman leaving a building | Source: Midjourney
The next day, I took a screenshot of the security camera footage, ensuring Briana’s face was clear, and got it printed. Then, in big, bold letters, I wrote: “SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! Lady from Apt 4C is abusing elderly neighbors.”
I taped that sign right in the elevator where everyone would see it. It was crystal clear who she was and what she’d done.
Within a day, the whole building was buzzing.
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