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
‘I’m against It!’ Older Man Stops Wedding, a Minute Later Cops Arrest Groom – Story of the Day
While standing in the church with the man she loved the most, a young woman looked at the priest when he asked if anyone had a problem with the marriage. Suddenly, an elderly man barged into the church, telling the priest he was against the wedding.
“You’re gorgeous!” Myron told Hilary minutes after meeting her at a party for the first time.
Hilary felt butterflies in her tummy when she saw him look at her from head to toe. It had been ages since a man last complimented her, and she couldn’t recall what it felt like when a man held her hand while looking into her eyes. Her last relationship was nothing short of miserable because of her ex’s anger issues.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
However, meeting Myron at her friend’s party gave her a ray of hope. It made her feel she could try her luck again and date this man who looked at her like she was the most beautiful girl in the room.
Myron stayed by her side the entire evening, cracking jokes while telling her everything about him. He wanted to impress her during their first meeting because he thought she was the perfect girl for him.
The following day, Myron and Hilary met in a park, discussing their interests, goals, and life problems while walking together. Their discussion only made them grow closer, compelling Myron to ask her for a date the next day.
“Hilary, I think you are the girl I have been looking for all this time,” Myron said. “Will you be my girlfriend?”
“What?” Hilary’s hands went to her face, covering everything except her glistening eyes and forehead. She couldn’t believe the man she had met two days ago wanted to start a relationship with her.
“Will you be my girlfriend?” Myron repeated his question, looking into Hilary’s eyes.
“Yes!” she exclaimed and wrapped her arms around him. “I’ll be your girlfriend, Myron.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Hilary was delighted to start a relationship with him because her last relationship had left her heartbroken. She believed Myron’s love would help her heal, unaware he was keeping secrets from her.
However, when Hilary told her parents about it, a grain of doubt crept into their minds.
Soon, Hilary introduced him to her parents, and he took no time to win their hearts. He told them he had lost his parents at a young age and missed them a lot.
“Don’t worry,” Hilary’s mother said. “We are your parents now, okay? You can share everything with us. We’re always here to support you!”
Hilary felt relieved when her parents accepted her boyfriend. Their approval made her believe she had made the right choice by dating him and thought she was ready to spend the rest of her life with him.
The couple dated for five months before Myron made his next move. He took Hilary to an expensive restaurant on a date and knelt while everyone looked at him.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“Hilary, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to share all my happiness and sorrows with you,” Myron said. “Will you marry me?”
While others in the restaurant gasped, Hilary couldn’t believe Myron had proposed to her in front of so many people. She felt her heart skip a beat when she saw him on his knees, looking straight into her eyes, waiting for an answer.
“Yes!” Hilary said as she held his hands and pulled him up, wrapping her arms around him while tears trickled down her cheeks. She couldn’t believe the man she loved the most wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Since Hilary was head over heels in love with Myron, she didn’t feel that everything was happening too quickly. A man she had only known for five months suddenly wanted to be her life partner, but she couldn’t sense that the timing of his proposal was too odd.
However, when Hilary told her parents about it, a grain of doubt crept into their minds. They thought it was strange of Myron to propose to her too soon, but their suspicions vanished when they talked to him and saw how much he admired their daughter. Soon, the couple began preparing for their wedding, unaware that fate wouldn’t allow them to tie the knot.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
During the preparations, Hilary noticed many things about her soon-to-be husband that she had never seen before. During one of the discussions, she noticed Myron was interested in the material side of things.
“I’m so excited about all the stuff people will bring us!” he said, his eyes sparkling with greed.
“There’s going to be a lot of expensive gifts. I can’t wait!”
Although Hilary did not say anything to him then, she thought it was strange of him to think about the gifts. She wanted him to talk about their relationship, future, and how they would support each other after marriage, but it seemed like Myron was interested in other things.
“I guess he’s just acting immature,” Hilary thought, unaware of Myron’s plans.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
A few days before the wedding, Myron came to Hilary’s house and told her something she wasn’t expecting. “I think we should have a prenuptial agreement. What do you suggest?”
“Yes, I think that’s a smart decision,” Hilary said after a moment’s thought. “We should be prepared for the worst.”
“Exactly!” Myron exclaimed. “I think we should add a clause that states that if you initiate a divorce, you would have to pay up a fortune!” he chuckled coldly.
She thought it was strange of him to bring up a prenup, and she couldn’t be entirely sure if he was joking about it.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Later that day, Hilary called her lawyer and asked about the clause. She thought Myron was acting selfish, but the lawyer assured her this clause was quite common.
“Don’t worry, Hilary,” the lawyer said. “The same rule would apply to Myron if he initiates divorce.”
“He would pay me the same amount?” Hilary asked.
“Yes,” the lawyer replied.
“You don’t have to worry about anything. Most people add this clause to their prenup agreement.”
Hilary felt relieved after talking to her lawyer and felt terrible for thinking Myron was greedy. She called him and said she was ready to sign the prenuptial agreement. However, another strange incident made her doubt his intentions.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
A few days later, Hilary was cleaning Myron’s cupboards when she stumbled upon a divorce certificate with Myron’s name. “What is this, Myron?” Hilary immediately confronted him. “You never told me you were married!”
“Hey, calm down!” he replied. “It’s not what you think. Trust me.”
“How much more are you hiding from me, Myron? We are getting married in a few days!” Hilary yelled.
“Listen to me,” he held her shoulders and made her sit on the bed. “This marriage was a mistake. I was young and impulsive when I married this woman. It’s in the past now and means nothing to me!”
“Why should I believe you?” Hilary rolled her eyes and looked away.
“I swear this marriage means nothing to me,” Myron said. “All I want to do is forget about it, and that’s the only reason I never told you about it. Trust me, honey.”
“I’m marrying you in a few days, and I have no idea who you are!” Hilary started crying. “I’m starting to doubt my decision now.”
“Come on,” Myron hugged her. “You know how much I love you. Why would I ever lie to you, my love? Stop crying, please.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Once again, Myron cleared Hilary’s doubts through his magical words. He convinced her he wasn’t keeping any secrets, but the truth was otherwise.
“I am against this marriage!” an unknown man shouted while walking down the aisle.
A day before the wedding, Myron was talking to someone on the phone at Hilary’s place.
“If you mess it up, I won’t be able to vouch for myself!” he whispered, unaware that Hilary overheard him.
Once he hung up, she asked him who he was talking to. “What you said sounded so suspicious!” she said. “What’s going on, Myron?”
“That was my ex-girlfriend,” Myron rolled her eyes. “She was threatening to show up at the wedding.”
“Really?” Hilary asked.
“Yes,” Myron said confidently. “She has lost her mind or something.”
Yet again, Myron had managed to deceive her, though Hilary’s heart grew restless with each pang of doubt and suspicion. Little did he know she would learn about his true intentions sooner than he expected.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Hilary woke up early on her wedding day and started getting ready. She was excited to marry the man of her dreams but had no idea what awaited her inside the church. She couldn’t wait to see what her groom looked like.
Once she was ready, she went to the church with her family and was delighted to see how well everyone had dressed up for her big day. All her friends and family were waiting for her to walk down the aisle and stand beside Myron.
She walked down the aisle holding her father’s hand while everyone looked at her. Once she reached the altar, the priest began reading the wedding vows. Then, he asked the guests if anyone was against the marriage.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“I am against this marriage!” an unknown man shouted while walking down the aisle. “I can’t allow Myron to marry this innocent girl.”
Suddenly, the guests started whispering amongst themselves while Hilary gasped in shock. She looked at Myron, who was staring at the man angrily.
“I warned you, Myron, didn’t I?” the man grumbled. “You refused to listen to me, so now you must bear the consequences.”
Suddenly, a team of police officers barged into the church while Myron tried to escape. However, he couldn’t get away because the police had surrounded the church from all sides. They arrested and dragged him outside while Hilary kept asking Myron what was happening.
“Where are they taking him?” she cried. “What have you done, Myron? Why don’t you stop them?”
Hilary collapsed on the ground and cried hysterically.
Why did he do this to me? Why did he play with my feelings? Hilary thought she would faint from the pain of what was unfolding.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Then, the man who had canceled her wedding walked toward her. “I’m so sorry for what you are feeling right now,” he said. “The police arrested Myron because he was accused of repeated fraud.”
“What?” Hilary gasped. “But how do you know that?”
“I’m Myron’s estranged father,” the man said. “You can call me Mr. Brown.”
“But he said his parents had passed away,” Hilary was shocked.
“I know he keeps lying to girls,” Mr. Brown said. “He cut ties with me when I discovered he was a professional gigolo and was looting girls by marrying them for money.”
“What?” Hilary couldn’t believe her ears.
“I tried my best to stop him, but he never listened,” Mr. Brown said. “I had given up on him until the police knocked on my door one day asking me if my son lives here.”
“Myron had given my address everywhere because he knew the police would come after him,” Mr. Brown continued. “I got so sick of this but knew he wouldn’t stop. His mother cheated on me the same way.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
It turned out that Mr. Brown had contacted Myron to warn him when he learned about Hilary. The father wanted his son not to play with Hilary’s feelings, but Myron refused to listen.
“It was you who called him yesterday?” Hilary asked. “He lied to me that it was his ex-girlfriend.”
“It was me,” Mr. Brown said.
“I called him, but he didn’t listen to me. So I had to call the police.”
Whatever Myron did in the past few months started making sense to Hilary. She finally understood why he had been acting so strangely.
“Thank you for saving me, Mr. Brown!” she said. “I owe you for saving me from getting robbed.”
Soon, Myron’s case was taken to court, and the judge ordered him to compensate every woman he had conned. A few months later, Hilary received her share of the settlement but decided not to keep it.
“This is for you, Mr. Brown,” she said while handing him the money. “Thank you for saving me!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
What can we learn from this story?
- You can’t get away with deceiving people. Myron thought he would keep marrying women for money, unaware he would soon get caught. He wouldn’t have conned multiple women if he knew his father would send him to jail one day.
- Sometimes, you have to take a difficult step for your loved ones. It wasn’t easy for Mr. Brown to send his son to jail, but he did it because he wanted to teach Myron a lesson.
Share this story with your friends and family. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
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