A week after Karen’s life savings are stolen, she’s shocked to see her son driving a new sports car. He claims it’s from a new job, but Karen isn’t convinced. As her suspicions grow, a heated confrontation unfolds, leaving Karen desperate to uncover the truth about her son’s sudden fortune.
It had been twenty years since my husband left. Twenty years of scraped-together meals, late-night shifts, and those weeks when I’d count down to payday like it was some sort of lifeline.
A thoughtful woman | Source: Midjourney
I should’ve been used to the constant balancing act of being a single mother, but it still felt like I was one misstep from everything crashing down.
Jake was my life, though. No matter how hard things got, my bright-eyed, creative son was the reason I kept going. But there was a problem, a big one.
At twenty-five, Jake still hadn’t found his footing.
A young man checking his phone | Source: Midjourney
He had no job and no income. His art was everything to him, but it wasn’t enough to pay the bills. And trust me, there were so many bills. The financial pressure got worse when someone broke in and stole all my savings from my lockbox.
“Mom, you just have to trust me. I’ll figure out who stole your money. It’s all gonna work out,” Jake had said last week after my house was broken into.
But his voice had been too calm. Maybe I was too used to things going wrong. Still, the pit in my stomach only grew as I thought about that night. All the cash I’d saved for years, gone in an instant.
An old lockbox | Source: Midjourney
Then came the day when everything changed. Jake had gone out, probably off working on some new project that wouldn’t pay a dime.
I was at the corner store when I saw the shiny, red sports car gleaming in the sun. It screamed money. Flashy, expensive, and out of place in our neighborhood. I was about to climb into my beaten-up sedan when a familiar figure caught my eye: Jake.
He walked over to the sports car and climbed into the driver’s seat. My jaw dropped.
A sports car | Source: Pexels
My mind raced with possibilities as I headed home, each more impossible than the last. When I got inside, Jake was leaning against the kitchen counter, twirling the keys to the sports car parked in my driveway like they were nothing.
“Where did you get that car?” I demanded, barely able to keep my voice steady.
He glanced up, shrugging. “Oh, that? It’s nothing, Mom. I’ve got a new job.”
A man and woman speaking in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
“A job?” I scoffed, crossing my arms. “Doing what? You’ve never held down a job in your life, Jake.”
Jake rolled his eyes, pushing past me to grab a soda from the fridge. “I’m not doing some minimum-wage labor if that’s what you’re asking. It’s legit.”
“Legit?” I couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up.
His jaw tightened. “I’m not stealing, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
An angry young man | Source: Midjourney
“Oh, really? So where did you get the money for the car then? Or do you expect me to believe you just… stumbled into it?”
“I don’t owe you an explanation,” he snapped. “You wouldn’t get it anyway.”
My chest constricted. There was no way around it now. The horrible suspicion that had been gnawing at me since the robbery suddenly had teeth.
“You didn’t… take my money, did you?”
An angry young man | Source: Midjourney
He turned on me so fast. “How could you even ask me that? I can’t believe you’d think that of me. I’ve done nothing but try to make things better, and this is what I get?”
Without another word, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
I didn’t want to believe my son was a thief but I needed answers. I grabbed my keys and followed him. If he was up to something, I had to know.
A woman starting her car | Source: Midjourney
His new car was easy to tail. I followed him across town to some high-end beauty salon. My eyes narrowed as I watched him step out and wait by the curb. And then, she appeared.
A woman, older than Jake, maybe in her mid-forties, stepped out of the salon. I watched, frozen, as she wrapped her arms around Jake and kissed him. It wasn’t just a quick peck either. This was… intimate.
My throat tightened as I sank lower in my seat. Who was this woman? And what the hell was Jake doing with her?
A concerned woman in her car | Source: Midjourney
When they pulled away and got into the car together, I decided to keep following. They drove to the outskirts of town, where the houses turned into mansions. My stomach churned as Jake’s car pulled into the driveway of a sprawling estate.
My heart raced. This wasn’t just strange — it was wrong. Everything in me screamed that I had to stop this.
I didn’t wait for a second thought. I was out of the car and at the front door, pounding on it so hard I thought it might crack.
A grand front door | Source: Pexels
The door swung open, and there she was: the woman from the salon. Jake appeared behind her, his face immediately paling when he saw me.
“Mom?”
“Oh, you bet it’s your mom,” I spat. “What the hell is going on, Jake?”
The woman’s smile never faltered. “You must be Karen. Jake’s told me so much about you.”
“And you are?” I snapped, not bothering to hide the venom in my voice.
An angry woman | Source: Midjourney
She extended her hand as though this was all perfectly normal. “Lydia. Jake’s girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?” I nearly choked on the word. “What is going on here, Jake? How long has this been happening?”
“Three months,” Jake muttered, not meeting my eyes. “Mom, please, just calm down.”
Calm down? Was he kidding me?
A stunned and furious woman | Source: Midjourney
“Calm down?” I repeated. “My house gets broken into, you show up in a sports car, and now I find out you’ve been shacked up with some rich woman for months?”
Lydia’s smile faltered a bit. “Karen, I think you’re misunderstanding—”
“No, I understand perfectly,” I said, eyes narrowing at Jake. “You’re using her. For her money, for this lifestyle. And that car — was that part of the deal too? Is this what you’ve been doing, Jake?”
Jake’s face darkened.
An upset man | Source: Midjourney
“It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it like?” I shot back. “Because I can’t see anything else.”
Jake’s eyes flashed with anger, but behind it, I saw something else: hurt.
“I love Lydia, Mom,” he said. “Even if you find that hard to believe. I’m not going to argue with you about my relationship. We’ll speak later.”
And with that, he shut the door in my face.
A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
When Jake came home later, I was sitting in the dark, waiting. I didn’t turn the light on when he walked in.
“Mom, we need to talk,” he said quietly. He wasn’t angry anymore. Instead, he just sounded tired.
I took a deep breath. “You’re right. We do.”
He sat across from me, rubbing his hands together like he was trying to find the words. I didn’t make it easier for him.
A nervous man sitting on an armchair | Source: Midjourney
“Lydia isn’t just some rich woman I’m using,” he said softly. “She’s been helping me. You know how hard I’ve worked on my art, but no one ever took me seriously. Except her. She pushed me to show my work and introduced me to people in the industry who saw what I could do.”
I blinked at him, the weight of his words slowly sinking in. “Jake…”
“I know I should’ve told you about her earlier, but I was scared,” he admitted, his voice cracking a little.
An emotional man | Source: Midjourney
“You’ve been through so much, and I didn’t want you to think I was doing something shady. Lydia’s helped me get my first real exhibition. I’ve already sold enough to pay off your debts, Mom. All of it.”
I stared at him, unable to speak for a moment. “You… what?“
“The money and the car didn’t come from anything illegal. It was from my art. Lydia helped me organize everything, and the exhibition is in two days. I’ve worked so hard for this, and I wanted to surprise you.”
An earnest man sitting on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
“I’m sorry I doubted you,” I whispered.
Jake looked at me, and for the first time in a long while, I saw my little boy who always had big dreams, even when they seemed impossible.
Two days later, I walked into a gallery filled with people admiring Jake’s work. My son, who’d spent so many years lost in his art, was finally being seen for the talent he was.
During the event, Jake stood up to give a speech.
A person holding a microphone | Source: Pexels
“Thank you all for coming. This night means everything to me. But I have to say, none of this would’ve happened without my mom. She’s the reason I kept going, even when things got tough. So, Mom, this is all for you.”
Jake smiled at me from the stage, and then, to my absolute shock, he held up the keys to the car. “I wanted to give you something to make life a little easier. You’ve earned it. Thank you, Mom.”
A happy woman at an art exhibition | Source: Midjourney
The room erupted into applause, but all I could do was cry. After years of struggle, we were finally going to be okay.
Here’s another story: When our daughter Sarah demanded a down payment for a house as her 18th birthday gift, we were stunned. Determined to teach her a valuable lesson, we gave her a fixer-upper instead. As Sarah dove into renovations, she faced unexpected challenges that transformed both the house and herself.
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.
Elderly Woman Quits Job after Quarrel with Director, He Appears on Her Doorstep a Month Later – Story of the Day
Linda worked her entire life as an accountant for a major firm, and she was still the best employee at her age. But she wanted to retire, something the director refused. She asked for an extended vacation, which was denied, and that’s when she finally decided to quit. However, the director showed up at her doorstep with a shocking suggestion.
“Mr. Salinger, I’ve been working for over 40 years. I think I have earned my retirement by now,” Linda told her boss in the accountant firm she had dedicated her life to.
“No, Linda. We can’t do that yet. You can’t do that to us. You can’t leave the company without a proper replacement for you. It’s just not possible,” Mr. Salinger replied, shaking his head at her suggestion.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Although Linda was the best employee in the firm, she truly needed to retire now. It was harder for her to learn all the advanced computer programs coming out now, and focusing on a screen was damaging her eyesight. She had headaches all the time and tired quickly. It was time for her to rest, especially because she had missed so much of her life working there.
Her firm demanded the most out of everybody that worked there. Linda was a hugely ambitious woman who wanted the very best for her family. Therefore, she invested double the hours and worked to become the number one employee in the company. And she had kept that spot for decades.
But now, the director, Mr. Salinger, told her to stay, and she complied again with his orders.
***
Unfortunately, Linda was overwhelmed with work and sad that Mr. Salinger had not supported her retirement. Her children and husband, Thomas, noticed this and decided to plan several weekend outings.
Linda spent time with her grandchildren at barbecues, the Richmond County fair in their hometown in Staten Island, and they even spent some time in New York visiting touristy spots.
One weekend, her husband surprised her with several tickets for a planned trip to Europe in the summer. They were interchangeable, so all she needed was to arrange her vacation time at work to enjoy it fully.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
That was the perfect solution. If Mr. Salinger wouldn’t let her retire, he had to give her a decent vacation time this year. After all, she had not taken a long break for many years. She was due.
***
“Absolutely not! That’s too much time. We need you here, Linda. I thought we had already discussed this,” Mr. Salinger stated, throwing some papers on his desk and looking at Linda in disappointment.
“Mr. Salinger, I’m due for a long vacation after all my years of hard work. We talked about retiring and you told me you couldn’t allow it. A vacation is only a month. That’s nothing,” Linda countered, her hands together in a begging gesture.
“I already told you my answer. It’s final!” her boss said and started typing on his computer, which was usually her cue to leave. But Linda had had enough. She looked at her boss’s face and felt a deep sadness. After all these years, this was how he treated her.
“Fine. I quit then. Effective immediately,” Linda said in the calmest voice possible. She didn’t have time to enjoy watching Mr. Salinger’s jaw hit the floor as she stormed out of his office. She went straight to her desk and picked up a few of her trinkets, photo frames, and purse. She was done.
“Linda! You can’t leave! You can’t quit!” Mr. Salinger yelled as she approached the elevator. The entire office turned to look at them in curiosity.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
“Goodbye, everyone!” Linda waved to her co-workers. “I’m officially retiring today!”
“FINE! GO THEN! WE CAN HIRE ANYONE TO DO YOUR JOB! IT’S THE EASIEST IN THE COMPANY! GO! YOU UNGRATEFUL OLD WOMAN!”
Linda’s co-workers had started to applaud but stopped when Mr. Salinger began yelling. She paid him no mind. She got in that elevator and left with a smile. She was free.
***
A month later, Linda was busy in her room trying to decide what to pack for Europe. She and her husband were leaving in a few days and would be traveling for at least two months. It was going to be amazing, but she needed to have wardrobe choices.
The doorbell rang. She walked to the door and was surprised to be greeted by Mr. Salinger’s saddened eyes.
“Mr. Salinger, what are you doing here?” she asked, shocked by his visit.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Linda, I’m here because we need you. The company needs you. We hired a younger person, and she doesn’t know how to do anything. We’re desperate without you,” Mr. Salinger begged, his face showing his anguish.
“I thought anyone could do my job,” Linda quipped.
“Please! Don’t make me beg. We need you back. I can offer you a raise and that vacation time you asked for,” Mr. Salinger insisted, looking like he was about to bend to his knees.
But Linda shook her head. “There’s no money in the world that will make me go back to work, Mr. Salinger. I asked for very little from you over these decades. I was the best employee, and you still treated me like trash. I wasted so much time and missed many milestones in my family’s life. Now, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I now know that work doesn’t matter. Spending time with your loved ones does. Goodbye, Mr. Salinger, and good luck,” she added calmly.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Mr. Salinger’s shoulders hunched, and Linda closed the door on his face.
What can we learn from this story?
- Don’t waste your whole life on a job. The truth is that a company will replace you easily if something happens, so don’t dedicate your life to it.
- Treat your employees well. Some employers don’t learn how valuable their employees are until it’s too late.
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 an older woman who spent Christmas alone when her children discovered she was a cleaner.
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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