A minted father who is unwilling to spend money to raise his newborn twins asks his wife to give up one baby for adoption. He kicks her out with the babies when she refuses and knocks on her door for help five years later.
It was a cold, rainy night, and Angie cradled her newborn babies at the bus stop. “Where will we go? Jesus, please help us. Shelter us as we wait out this rough night,” she cried, wiping warm tear droplets off her babies’ faces. Angie had nowhere to go, and her parents had died long back.
Suddenly, she sensed something creeping behind her and was terrified. Angie mustered the courage to protect her babies from whatever it was. “It’s a dog!” she sighed.
Angie never imagined her life would turn topsy-turvy overnight. She never thought her husband Jake, who she trusted and loved throughout their marriage, would kick her out with their babies just a week after their birth…
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pixabay
“How I wish my mom were with me today…Sorry, mama, I should’ve listened to you and not rushed with my marriage with Jake,” sobbed Angie, thinking about her late mom.
“You can stay in this house as long as you agree to keep just one baby or leave if you want to keep both. Decide wisely, dear.”
Angie met Jake after graduation five years ago. He was a young, handsome man, and she thought he was the one. They fell for each other in what would turn into a fairytale love story, but with one exception—there was no ‘happily ever after’ in Angie’s case.
Problems sparked in the fourth year of their marriage when she told Jake she was pregnant.
“But darling, you know I’ve just started my business. We have postponed baby planning all these years, and I am not ready to be a father yet,” Jake was upset when Angie showed him the two pink lines on her pregnancy test kit.
Jake’s reluctance to be a father showed he was unprepared for responsibilities. Poor Angie was torn between his disapproval of having children and her desire to have as many as possible. But was Jake prepared to know Angie was pregnant with twins?
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“I am okay with having a baby…you get it? I mean, one baby is enough,” said Jake as Angie walked into the ward for scanning. “I pray that you don’t come out and tell me we are having twins,” he joked, his mouth curved into an ironic smile. Moments later, fate joked back at him.
Angie came out, distressed and worried. She was pale while she was supposed to be blushing and smiling.
“What is it?” he asked her, impatient for her reply. “What did the doctor say?”
Angie swallowed her fear and spoke out, partly guessing Jake’s reaction. “Our babies are fine,” she said.
“Alright…wait, what…babies?” he exclaimed.
The scan Angie took minutes ago gave her a glimpse at two tiny lives growing inside her. She was pregnant with twins, and Jake was not happy about that.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Jake stormed to his car as Angie read his mind and pictured his frustrations. She was nervous and thought he had joked about having only one baby. But his reactions proved otherwise.
Jake grew distant from Angie day by day and focused only on making more money. She knew he was upset about having twins and assumed he would cool down with time. But it only worsened during her third trimester.
Angie was in the hospital, waiting for Jake to see their newborn twin baby girls. But he never showed up. He sent his maid and driver three days later to bring Angie and their babies home.
Jake did not want to get involved with his babies. He didn’t even welcome them home or hold them. He was unhappy and unprepared to be their father.
Angie returned home with her newborns that evening, knowing little about Jake’s condition. “We keep only one child and give the other up for adoption. If you are okay with it, we are a family. If not, you can leave the house with them,” he told Angie.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
At first, Angie thought Jake was kidding. He dragged her suitcase to the living room and placed it in front of her, indicating he was serious.
“I’m not ready to raise two children and burn a hole in my pocket. My business is fetching a lot of profits, and I need to focus on making more money…I don’t want to waste my time and wealth on raising two babies when I can easily raise just one,” he explained.
Angie was devastated. “They are our babies, Jake. How could you ask a mother to give up her baby? Are you out of your mind? Both my babies are our symbol of love,” she cried. But Jake was stubborn.
“My business has just started to flourish, and I don’t have the time to focus on family. I don’t want to waste my hard-earned money on two babies. You can stay in this house as long as you agree to keep just one baby or leave if you want to keep both. Decide wisely, dear,” he said, despite knowing Angie had nowhere to go.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
The poor mother’s choice was obvious. She took her suitcase and left the house with the babies. Jake’s greed for his newfound riches blinded his devotion to family. He failed as a husband and a father. But it didn’t matter to him.
Angie snapped to her present and found herself still deserted at the bus stop, cradling her babies. “Where will I go? Please help me, Jesus,” she cried and was disrupted by an intense beam of light rays.
“Hello there, are you alright? It’s raining heavily. Would you like a ride, my dear?” an older woman called out to her from a taxi. Angie looked up and saw a nun. She wrapped her babies in her jacket and approached the car.
“Oh my, how adorable your babies are!” exclaimed the nun. “Get in. I’ll drop you. Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t know, Sister,” said Angie. “My path is dark, and I am lost. I don’t know which way to go. My babies and I were abandoned by someone dear to us.”
The nun understood Angie’s misery and immediately took her to the convent.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Angie and her daughters, Sophie and Marley, found a safe shelter to wait out the rough days of their lives. Angie taught in the school administered by the church. She also worked part-time in a restaurant, and two years later, she saved a good chunk of money to start her café.
Gradually, Angie was able to give her daughters a better life, though it could’ve been much better had their father been involved. Moreover, Angie did not regret her decision not wanting to divorce Jake. Deep in her heart, she hoped he would realize his mistake and come for them someday.
Five years passed, and Angie now had her own house. It was quite small yet comfortable. She spent the best years watching Sophia and Marley grow up.
There were times when Angie used to struggle without enough profits in business, but her faith and determination motivated her. She launched two more coffee shops in town, and gradually, her fortune grew. But in the other part of town, Jake’s business tanked.
He was drowned in debt, and everybody he sought financial help from refused to support him at the last minute. Jake knew how rich Angie was now and thought only she could help him.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pixabay
“Hey, how are you?” Angie answered the door one day when she least expected to see Jake at the doorstep. “Come in!”
Jake vaguely smiled and immediately apologized to Angie. “Darling, I’m so sorry for abandoning you. My greed to earn more money cost me big. I am bankrupt, and it’s the best punishment I deserve for kicking you out with our babies. Please forgive me, and please help me.”
Angie now understood why Jake had come. She had learned about his loss in business but never thought he would visit her and apologize, let alone ask for help.
Jake saw a photo of Angie with their daughters and cried. “I’m sorry, sweethearts. Please forgive your daddy,” he said. Angie’s heart melted, and though she knew Jake had come crawling for help, she was willing to do it because she still loved him.
“But darling, I will not be able to repay such a huge amount of money. I will need time. I was such a cruel husband and a heartless father. Are you sure you want to help me?” he sobbed when Angie gave him a check worth the money he wanted.
“The night you kicked me out, I learned what greed is and how it can ruin relationships. And today, I learned what forgiveness is. What are we going to achieve by holding onto our past grudges? Nothing! Everyone makes mistakes, but as humans, we must learn to forgive one another,” said Angie.
Jake realized his mistake and promised to take Angie and their kids back once he sorted his business issues. He wanted to be a good father to his children and compensate for the heartbreak Angie endured all these years.
My Brother Demanded I Give Up the House I Inherited from Our Dad – the Next Day, He Called In Tears, Begging Me to Take It Back
My greedy brother demanded the family home I’d inherited from our late dad. But less than 24 hours later, he called me in tears and begged me to take it back. Something behind those walls had shaken him to his core and I knew exactly what it was.
The day Dad’s laughter faded from our home was the day my world lost its color. For years, I watched helplessly as illness slowly dimmed the light in his eyes, and my hands used to shake as I spooned soup into his mouth or adjusted his pillows.
A son holding his old dad’s hand | Source: Pixabay
In those final moments, as I held his frail hand and whispered “I love you,” I felt a piece of my heart crumble away.
The house echoed with memories of better days, but also with the glaring absence of my brother Kyle, who couldn’t be bothered to say goodbye.
The day Dad died, I sat alone in the hospital room, holding his hand as the monitors flatlined.
An old man in a hospital bed | Source: Freepik
The silence that followed was deafening. I wanted to scream and rage against the unfairness of it all. But I just sat there numb as tears streamed down my face.
“I’ll miss you, Dad,” I whispered. “I hope I made you proud.”
As I left the hospital that day, I felt like I was leaving a part of myself behind. The world seemed duller and less vibrant without Dad in it.
I drove home in a daze, a fog of grief enveloping me. Each familiar street corner and storefront seemed to hold a piece of Dad, triggering a flood of memories that haunted me.
A grieving man | Source: Pixabay
The days that followed were a blur of funeral arrangements and well-wishers.
I threw myself into the tasks at hand, finding some small comfort in staying busy. It wasn’t until the reading of the will that I saw Kyle again.
He strode into the lawyer’s office, flaunting his expensive suit and polished shoes.
A man in an elegant suit | Source: Pexels
Kyle had always been the ambitious one, using Dad’s connections to network and jumpstart his career. Once he got what he wanted, he vanished like smoke in the wind.
While I held Dad’s trembling hand through endless chemo sessions, Kyle’s absence hung in the air like a suffocating cloud.
Dad’s eyes would dart hopefully to the door at every sound, but Kyle never appeared.
A sick old man lying on a bed | Source: Midjourney
On those long, dark nights when Dad’s pain was at its worst, and he’d whisper, “I wish both my boys were here,” I’d feel my heart shatter all over again.
And when Dad took his final breath, the empty chair beside his bed screamed Kyle’s indifference louder than any words ever could.
“Let’s get this over with,” Kyle said, snapping me out of my thoughts, not quite meeting my eyes as he took a seat.
A man in a black suit | Source: Pexels
Mrs. Hill, Dad’s lawyer, began reading the will. Most of Dad’s assets were to be split evenly between us. Then she paused, looking directly at me.
“The family home is to be left solely to Joseph.”
Kyle’s head snapped up. “What?”
Mrs. Hill continued, “Your father, William, specifically stated that the house should go to Joseph, in recognition of his care and dedication during his illness.”
A lawyer in her office | Source: Pexels
I could feel Kyle’s eyes boring into me, but I kept my gaze fixed on the lawyer.
“Furthermore,” she added, “William left a substantial sum for renovations to the house, with specific instructions for its use.”
As we left the office, Kyle grabbed my arm. “This isn’t over,” he hissed.
I watched him storm off, a sinking feeling in my stomach. I knew this was far from over.
An angry man | Source: Pexels
A week later, Kyle showed up at my farmhouse, unannounced and seething.
“You manipulated him,” he accused, pushing past me into the living room.
I closed the door, taking a deep breath. “Hello to you too, Kyle.”
He whirled on me, clenching his fist. “Don’t play innocent, Joe. You were with Dad, whispering in his ear, while I was out building a life for myself.”
A man clenching his fist | Source: Pexels
“Building a life? Is that what you call abandoning your family?”
“I had opportunities, Joe. Big ones. Dad understood that.”
“Did he? Because I don’t remember him understanding why his oldest son couldn’t bother to call, let alone visit when he was dying.”
A man with a fragile smile | Source: Midjourney
Kyle flinched but pressed on. “Dad must’ve made a mistake. The house should be mine. I’m the oldest. It’s tradition.”
I laughed. “Tradition? Since when do you care about tradition?”
“I’m serious, Joe. Give me the house, or I’ll take you to court. I’ll drag this out until you’re drowning in legal fees.”
A house surrounded by a beautiful garden | Source: Unsplash
I studied my brother, this stranger wearing familiar features.
Part of me wanted to fight and scream at him for his selfishness. But another part, a part that sounded suspiciously like Dad, whispered a different idea.
“Fine. You want the house? It’s yours.”
Kyle blinked, caught off guard. “Really?”
“I’ll sign it over to you. No strings attached.”
Suspicion clouded his face. “Just like that?”
Close-up shot of a man frowning in suspicion | Source: Midjourney
I nodded, already reaching for the paperwork Mrs. Hill had left with me. “Just like that. Consider it yours, brother.”
With a heavy heart and trembling fingers, I signed away Dad’s legacy. The keys felt cold and accusing in my palm as I dropped them into Kyle’s eager hand.
As Kyle strutted out, victory gleaming in his eyes, I couldn’t help but smile. He had no idea about the whirlwind he was walking into.
A man holding a key | Source: Pexels
“Joe,” Mrs. Hill said when I told her everything. “you realize this is madness, right? You don’t have to give in to your brother’s demands.”
“I know, Mrs. Hill. But sometimes you have to lose to win. And sometimes, lessons come in unexpected packages.”
The next morning, my phone rang at an ungodly hour. Kyle’s name flashed on the screen.
A phone with the screen flashing an incoming call | Source: Midjourney
“Hello?” I answered, my voice still thick with sleep.
“What the hell did you do?” Kyle’s voice was a mix of panic and rage.
I sat up, fully awake now. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Don’t play dumb! The house! It’s… it’s…”
“It’s what, Kyle?”
An angry man talking on the phone | Source: Freepik
“It’s a freaking circus!” he exploded. “There are slides in the living room! The bedroom is full of toys! Every room looks like it threw up a rainbow!”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Oh, that. Yeah, Dad and I had been working on a little project.”
“Little project? This isn’t a house anymore. It’s a damn daycare!”
“Actually,” I said, unable to keep the joy out of my voice, “it’s more of a community center for the local orphanage.”
“What are you talking about?”
A room full of toys | Source: Midjourney
I settled back against my pillows, enjoying this more than I probably should.
“Well, you see, Dad always wanted to give back to the community. We came up with this plan to turn the house into a safe space for kids who don’t have anyone looking out for them. Indoor swings, ball pits, inflatable castles, art stations… the works.”
“You can’t be serious,” Kyle growled.
Kids playing on an inflatable castle | Source: Pexels
“Oh, I am, brother! And the best part? It’s all in Dad’s will. The new owner — that’s you now — is legally obligated to maintain it as is and complete the renovations.”
“Renovations?” Kyle’s voice rose to a squeak.
“Yep. Remember how Dad loved that candy house from Hansel and Gretel? Well, starting next week, the house exterior is getting a makeover. Candy canes, gumdrops, the works. And guess who’s footing the bill?”
The silence on the other end was deafening.
A Hansel and Gretel fairytale-themed house | Source: Midjourney
“You knew,” Kyle finally said, his voice brimming with awe and fury. “You knew all this when you gave me the house.”
“I did! Consider it a lesson in being careful what you wish for.”
“Joe, please. You have to take it back. I can’t do this.”
For a moment, I was tempted. But then I remembered all the times Kyle had turned his back on us, all the lonely nights Dad had spent wondering why his eldest son didn’t care.
A sad old man sitting on a chair | Source: Pexels
“I’m sorry, Kyle,” I said, not feeling sorry at all. “But you wanted the house. It’s yours now, with all its responsibilities. Maybe spending time with those kids will teach you something about family.”
“But the money,” Kyle protested weakly. “I can’t afford all this. I want the money Dad left in his will.”
“The money Dad left for the renovations?” I laughed. “I’m donating it to the orphanage. They need it more than either of us.”
Wads of money in a plastic bag | Source: Midjourney
As Kyle’s pleas turned to sobs, my heart lightened.
“Joe, you don’t understand. My company isn’t doing well. I needed this house as collateral for a loan. I thought I could fix everything.”
“Oh, why didn’t you just ask for help?”
“Because I’m supposed to be the successful one!” he shouted, then his voice dropped to a whisper. “I couldn’t admit I was failing.”
An agitated man talking on the phone | Source: Freepik
For a moment, I saw the brother I used to know — scared, vulnerable, human.
But I also remembered the years of neglect and the pain in Dad’s eyes every time Kyle missed a holiday or birthday.
A sad, old man looking at his birthday cake | Source: Pexels
“Listen, Kyle, I can’t take the house back. But maybe we can figure something out. Come over tomorrow. We’ll talk.”
There was a long pause before Kyle responded, his voice barely audible. “Okay. Thank you, Joe.”
A man talking on the phone | Source: Pexels
As I hung up, I looked around my small farmhouse. It wasn’t much, but it was mine. And somewhere out there, a group of kids were about to get the playhouse of their dreams. Dad would have loved that.
I smiled, thinking of the conversation ahead with Kyle. It wouldn’t be easy, but maybe, we could start rebuilding our family. After all, that’s what Dad would have wanted.
And really, that was all that mattered.
A man smiling | Source: Midjourney
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