An unusual letter provides the catalyst for one woman to uncover a secret kept from her for years, and receive unexpected wealth.
Gregory locked the door to the small corner shop where he’d worked as a cashier for the last twenty years. His coat was too old and thin to keep the chill from his bones as he walked home, but he smiled nonetheless. It had been another great day at work.
Gregory’s wife had never understood how he found satisfaction in what she called a low-level job. She’d left him because she felt he lacked ambition, but he still had his daughter.
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Linda was standing in the foyer of the apartment block where she and Gregory lived when he entered the building. She had also recently started working as a cashier and still wore her uniform. In one hand, she held a letter.
“What have you got there, Linda?” Gregory asked as he approached her.
Linda looked up, startled. “You tell me, Dad. I’m too scared to open it.”
Gregory frowned and took the letter from his daughter. The name of a legal practice was printed on the envelope.
“Why would a lawyer be contacting me?”
Gregory shrugged. He tore the envelope open and studied the papers inside. His jaw dropped, and his fingers began shaking as he read.
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“It’s bad, isn’t it?”
“It’s… strange. According to this letter, somebody has left you a business comprising three restaurants, and it’s worth nearly four million dollars.”
“What!” Linda snatched the letter from Gregory’s hands. “It’s got to be a scam.”
“I did this to find out whether you’re a good person.”
“There’s an easy way to find out.” Gregory leaned over to indicate the lawyer’s phone number on the letterhead.
Linda called the lawyer and arranged a meeting for the next day. Gregory accompanied her.
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“This has got to be a mistake,” Linda told the lawyer when they entered his office.
“I don’t know anyone who would leave me a business.”
The lawyer shook his head. “There’s no mistake, Miss. My client, Matthew Markham, was very particular in his instructions.”
Gregory felt as though he’d been electrocuted. “Please, say that name again.”
“Matthew Markham.”
Gregory understood everything then. He hung his head and burst into tears.
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A few months earlier…
Matthew shivered with anxiety as he approached the cashier. He set down the packet of gum and stared at the man who rang it up. The nametag on his chest said ‘Gregory.’ He was the right man.
“Sir? Are you okay?”
“Fine.” Matthew realized he’d zoned out and handed the cashier a five-dollar bill. “But I do need to talk to you. It’s about Linda.”
The man looked up sharply at the customer who had just uttered his little daughter’s name. “Is she in some kind of trouble?”
Matthew shook his head. “Do you have a few minutes, please?”
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Matthew and Gregory arranged to meet at a diner nearby during Gregory’s lunch break. While Matthew waited, he thought over the revelations that had brought him to this point.
A few days earlier, he’d been discussing his terminal illness with a close friend, Jeremy, and lamenting that he had no heirs to whom he could leave his restaurant business.
Then Jeremy dropped a bombshell on him: Matthew had a daughter he didn’t know about. His ex-girlfriend had died in childbirth, and the baby was placed up for adoption.
Matthew immediately hired a detective to track her down. Days later, he was finally sitting down with Gregory, the man who’d adopted his daughter.
Matthew explained to Gregory that he was Linda’s biological father and then asked the question that was foremost in his mind:
“Does Linda know she was adopted?”
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“No, and you can’t tell her, sir.” Gregory looked at him pleadingly. “My wife left me a couple of months back, and I can’t lose Linda too. Please, don’t take her from me.”
Matthew was torn. He wanted to know his daughter but didn’t want to cause problems for the man who’d raised her. He also didn’t want to upset his daughter’s life by introducing himself when he only had a few months more to live.
“What is she like?” Matthew asked. “Is she a good person?”
Gregory smiled. “She’s an amazing person. She’s kind and treats everyone equally.”
Matthew nodded. He was starting to get an idea.
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The next day, Matthew disguised himself as a poor man and went to the store where Linda worked as a cashier. He took a few essential food items to her checkout and waited while she rang them up.
“I’m sorry, Miss,” he said once she told him the cost.
“I can’t afford all of that. I’ve only got ten dollars.”
“Don’t worry about it, sir.” Linda smiled at him. “I’ll cover the rest.”
Matthew left the store and returned a week later. This time, he wore his finest suit. He chose several of the most expensive items in the store and again went to Linda’s checkout.
“Get out of the way,” Matthew shouted as he pushed his way to the front of the queue. “I’m in a hurry and need to be served fast.”
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He set his purchases down in front of Linda and waved his hands at her. “Hurry up, girl, I’ve got an important meeting to attend.”
“Then you’ll have to tell them you’re going to be delayed.” Linda pushed his purchases aside and gestured to the woman behind him. “You’re next, ma’am.”
“I need to be served first!” Matthew exclaimed.
“That’s too bad, sir. I don’t allow anyone to push to the front of the queue, no matter how important you think you are.”
Matthew grinned from ear to ear. “I’m glad you said that.”
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He reached for a bouquet of yellow lilies and placed the cash to pay for them on the counter. “These are for you, Linda. My name is Matthew, and I did this to find out whether you’re a good person.”
“Do me one favor, please, and remember my name when you see these lilies.”
Present day…
“Matthew is the name of your biological father, Linda,” Gregory said. “You’re adopted.”
“Why did you never tell me?”
“I’m so sorry. I never wanted you to feel bad about it. Then your mother left, and I was afraid you’d leave me too if you knew I wasn’t your real father.”
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Linda hugged him. “I’d never do that, dad.”
The lawyer cleared his throat. “As I was saying, my client bequeathed his three restaurants to you, his sole heir, when he passed away a month ago. These restaurants are each worth over a million dollars.”
“Mr. Markham also had a special request. He wanted me to give you something.”
The lawyer left the room and soon returned with a bouquet of yellow lilies, which he presented to Linda.
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Linda cradled the flowers in her arms. “I understand now.” She turned to Gregory. “He came into my shop once and asked that I remember his name when I see yellow lilies.”
Gregory placed a hand on Linda’s shoulder. “I’m sure he was very proud of you, Linda, and will continue to be proud of you from heaven.”
What can we learn from this story?
Treat people equally, and you will be rewarded. Matthew was encouraged to leave his business to Linda when he saw that she was a good person.
One can find happiness in a simple life. Gregory and Linda were both happy to work as cashiers and earn an honest living.
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 woman who discovers the house she’s been cleaning for the past ten years belongs to her.
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.
“Roseanne” star Roseanne Barr, 70, looks “amazing” as she returns to Hollywood nearly five years after she was fired and “lost everything.”
Roseanne” star Roseanne Barr, 70, returned to Hollywood nearly five years after she was fired and “lost everything.”
She looks fantastic with long hair and makeup in a photo after flirting with Rihanna’s boyfriend, A$AP Rocky.
Barr revealed how TV daughter Sara Gilbert “destroyed” her life.
Roseanne Barr, the face of the hit show “Roseanne,” made a comeback. After a long time away from the spotlight, the actress has made her way back to Hollywood with a new comedy show titled, “Roseanne Barr: Cancel This!”
The actress also had some more excellent news after a new documentary on her long and intricate career was released. The return to show business comes after she made an insensitive comment about Valerie Jarrett, a presidential adviser back in 2018.
The comedy actress opened up after being canceled in 2018, saying she “lost everything.” The ordeal came just as her highly successful TV show was starting its reboot. After the comment, however, television executives decided the best course of action would be to cancel the reboot just as it started airing.
Barr also said it felt like a personal attack on her after her character was killed off.
But Barr refused to lie down. She opened up about the years after 2018, saying it was discouraging to be silenced wherever she went. She asked the studio executives for a chance to apologize and explain her actions, but they refused. She mentioned, “And they denied me the right to apologize.”
Luckily, Barr has gotten back up again and is being open about her experiences between 2018 and now. She has taken a step back from Twitter, investing in her Instagram presence instead. And fans have shown their support, saying, “You look fabulous Roseanne.”
Many users took to Barr’s comment section to show their support after the 70-year-old revealed her “makeup & long hair” look. One said, “You look absolutely AMAZING!!!!” In line with her new-found confidence, Barr sent A$AP Rocky a message, saying, “Call me when you get tired of Rihanna.”
Sara Gilbert, who played Barr’s on-screen daughter in “Roseanne,” also commented on the explosive Tweet.
Barr posed with her new hairdo and nails, smiling broadly in an Instagram post. She looked extremely happy to be back after the controversy, and Instagram users complimented her on the interview where the photo was taken.
How Did Roseanne Barr Feel after She Was Canceled?
Losing her job and being vilified by many people who used to be her fans and co-workers took its toll on Barr. She mentioned that she felt utterly alone. She noted it seemed to her as if she was being attacked from all sides by people who were jealous of her and who wanted to see her fall.
Gilbert was a considerable driving force behind the show’s reboot, and she corresponded with Barr to ensure she wanted to be a part of it.
Barr also said it felt like a personal attack on her after her character was killed off. To her, it was a message saying they didn’t want her around anymore and a direct dismissal of the work she did over the years. She commented:
“I’m the only person who’s lost everything, whose life’s work was stolen, stolen by people who I thought loved me.”
Although she has survived being canceled, Barr mentioned it was a terrible time. She described it as a “witch-burning” and as “terrifying” times in her life, noting, “I would die many times.” Although she’s glad to be back, she surely won’t forget the ordeal anytime soon.
What Did Sara Gilbert Do before Barr’s Cancellation?
After Barr’s controversial comments, numerous prominent Hollywood figures took to social media to show their disdain for her words. Everyone from Shonda Rhimes to congressman John Lewis criticized her, accusing her of being insensitive and urging her to apologize for what she said. But one accusatory comment left a deeper mark than the rest.
Sara Gilbert, who played Barr’s on-screen daughter in “Roseanne,” also commented on the explosive Tweet. Gilbert was a considerable driving force behind the show’s reboot, and she corresponded with Barr to ensure she wanted to be a part of it.
After Barr’s Tweet, however, Gilbert took to Instagram to express that the showrunners and the rest of the staff didn’t share the views expressed in the Tweet. Gilbert called the Tweet “abhorrent,” and mentioned that the TV show does not reflect what was implied in the Tweet. Barr responded to Gilbert’s statement:
“She destroyed the show and my life with that tweet. She will never get enough until she consumes my liver with a fine Chianti.”
Although Barr credited Gilbert’s statement for a large part of her downfall, Gilbert replied that her intentions were never to harm the actress. Instead, she mentioned that the show’s ending was heartbreaking for her, and she will always think of Barr as family.
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