A man left his pregnant wife because he didn’t want to “waste his life” looking after a child. But life taught him a vital lesson, and he quickly came to regret his actions.
Brandon and Mary were head over heels in love and got married soon after graduating from college. For the first few years of their marriage, everything seemed to be working perfectly.
Brandon was an adoring husband, and he would never say no to Mary for anything. Soon, Mary announced she was pregnant, and Brandon’s happiness knew no bounds. However, with time, he began to overthink things.
His colleagues would joke that he should bid goodbye to his life since he would have to look after the baby constantly and give up everything. But they wouldn’t just stop there.
Brandon began overthinking and stressing about his wife’s pregnancy. | Photo: Shutterstock
They would take special care to note how their wives looked terrible after having babies. Sentences like “My wife got so big” and “I have a giant elephant waiting for me at home” would be a common part of their conversation.
All these discussions played the same role in Brandon’s overthinking as gasoline does in a fire, and Brandon started thinking that looking after a child would mean sacrificing everything and wasting his life. So one day, he returned early from work and went straight to Mary to convince her to terminate the pregnancy.
“I don’t want to have this child, Mary,” he said as he approached her.
Mary was stunned. “Honey, what’s wrong? Did someone say anything to you?”
Brandon began convincing Mary to terminate the pregnancy. | Photo: Pexels
“Nothing like that, Mary,” he said after pausing for a while. “I don’t think I’m ready to become a dad yet.”
Mary started laughing. “Oh God, Brandon. It’s okay. New parents are often anxious about whether they’ll be able to look after their children properly. You know what they say, right? You are never ready to become parents. When you finally have the little one is when you realize what being a parent feels.”
“No, Mary, I’m serious,” Brandon responded firmly. “I don’t want this child.”
Mary held Brandon’s hand and calmly said, “Honey, you’re stressed right now. Let’s talk about it some other day, okay?”
But Brandon jerked his hand out of Mary’s and began yelling. “Can’t you understand what I said? I DON’T WANT TO BECOME A DAD!”
Brandon lashed out at Mary | Photo: Pexels
At this point, even Mary lost her cool. “Brandon, stop acting like a kid. You were so happy when I told you about the pregnancy. What happened suddenly? Is it one of your stupid friends advising you that you shouldn’t have this child?”
“It doesn’t matter who’s telling me what. I don’t want to waste my life and change diapers. I want to enjoy my life while I’m young, so we are not having this baby,” Brandon said sternly.
“Brandon, I’m repeating myself,” Mary said in a firm tone. “Please calm down, for God’s sake. I won’t let you make a stupid decision just because of what your friends think, okay?”
“Who the hell do you think you are to decide what I should be doing?” Brandon said furiously. “Keep the child if you want it, but I’m not going to waste my life with that jerk!”
Brandon refused to take responsibility for the child. | Photo: Pexels
Mary took a step forward and slapped Brandon right in his face. “Don’t you dare utter a word about my child!” she said angrily.
“Fine. Keep that child. But I’m leaving you right now!” Brandon yelled. And within the next ten minutes, he packed all his belongings and left the house.
Mary couldn’t believe what had happened just now. A few days back, Brandon was so excited about becoming a dad, and then there was today when he said out loud that he didn’t want to have the child. She was devastated, to say the least. Nevertheless, she decided to keep the baby and raise it by herself.
Mary was devastated when Brandon left her. | Photo: Pexels
Years went by. Mary was now living happily with her eight-year-old son. Brandon’s life, on the other hand, just became more miserable.
His coworkers frequently went on vacations with their families and spent weekends with their children, but Brandon was all alone. His recent girlfriend had dumped him for another man, and frankly, Brandon didn’t feel like dating anyone.
He wanted to get back with Mary. He wanted to enjoy family life. He had even tried to contact her several times, but Mary didn’t return his calls or texts.
However, one day, their paths crossed again … only to make Brandon realize how wrong he was to leave his pregnant wife.
Mary was living happily with her son. | Photo: Pexels
It was a Friday evening. Brandon was sitting in the park watching other kids play and thinking about his child, who would have grown up like them too. Suddenly, he heard a voice from behind. When he turned back to see who it was, he spotted a boy standing there holding a short stick.
“Would you mind getting my paper plane for me?” he asked Brandon. “It’s stuck on the tree, and I can’t reach it.”
Brandon gave him a pleasant smile and quickly removed the plane from the tree and gave it to him.
The boy gave Brandon a pleasant smile and thanked him for the help. | Photo: Pexels
“Thank you,” the boy replied with a friendly grin.
“It’s okay. Have fun,” Brandon said, moving his hands over the boy’s silk hair.
The boy then ran over to a lady. “Mom, see, I got my plane back,” he told her.
“That’s really brave of you, Aaron,” the lady replied. “Come, let’s go home now.”
Brandon kept looking at Mary and Aaron as they walked away. | Photo: Pexels
When Brandon looked closely at her, he couldn’t believe his eyes. The woman … she was none other than Mary. She looked as beautiful as before, or maybe more attractive, Brandon thought to himself.
He kept looking at them; they seemed really happy together. For one moment, he felt like running over to them and hugging them, but before he could decide what to do, Mary grabbed Aaron’s hand and walked away.
Aaron turned to look at Brandon while leaving and waved goodbye. But Brandon just stood there with tears streaming down his face, thinking how unlucky he was to abandon such a lovely family.
What can we learn from this story?
- Overthinking can lead to disaster. Brandon began overthinking and urged Mary to terminate the pregnancy after hearing from his colleagues about how their lives had become horrible once their spouses became pregnant.
- Nobody can beat a mother’s love for her child. When Brandon abandoned Mary, she was heartbroken. However, she chose to keep the child and raise him on her own.
Share this story with your friends. It might inspire people to share their own stories or to help someone else.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who fat shames his wife but regrets his actions when karma strikes back.
3 Inspiring Stories of Kindness Repaid in Full
Small acts of kindness can have life-changing consequences. In this heartwarming compilation, three people share how their simple, selfless gestures were repaid in extraordinary ways.
Kindness doesn’t always ask for recognition, but sometimes, it gets repaid in incredible ways. In this collection, we follow three individuals whose generosity sparked chain reactions that changed their lives forever.
These stories show how even the smallest act of kindness can lead to the most unexpected rewards.
An older woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
1. Single Dad Helps Older Woman Mow Her Lawn, Soon Gets a Call from Her Lawyer
My wife passed away seven years ago, but I still feel her absence in the house. I never thought I’d have to live without her. My only source of joy is my 15-year-old daughter, Alice. Her presence keeps me going.
One afternoon, I looked out the window and saw my elderly neighbor, Mrs. White, struggling with her lawnmower.
Without a second thought, I went out to help.
A close-up shot of a lawnmower | Source: Pexels
Mrs. White is fiercely independent, but that day, she accepted my assistance.
“Felix, you’re always so kind,” she said, smiling at me. “You’ve never asked for anything in return.”
“It’s no trouble, Mrs. White,” I replied, brushing it off. “That’s what neighbors are for!”
Once I finished mowing her lawn, she approached me holding an ornate box.
It was a work of art, its surface a canvas of precious stones that shimmered and sparkled in the daylight. Diamonds, rubies, and emeralds were set in intricate patterns, their colors complementing each other perfectly.
“This is for you, dear Felix,” she said. “It’s a reward for your kindness.”
An older woman talking to a man | Source: Midjourney
“For me? I can’t accept this, Mrs. White… it’s too precious,” I politely refused. “You don’t need to thank me for anything.”
But she handed me a bag of apples for Alice.
Back at home, I gave Alice the apples, and her eyes lit up with delight. But as she reached into the bag, she pulled out the same ornate box Mrs. White had tried to give me.
“Daddy! Look what was in the bag!” Alice exclaimed, holding it up.
I knew we couldn’t keep it.
“This isn’t ours, Alice. We have to return it,” I said firmly.
A man in his house | Source: Midjourney
When I went back to Mrs. White’s house to return the box, something felt wrong. I knocked, but there was no answer.
I found her lying peacefully on the couch.
Already gone.
I gasped.
I left her house with the box in my hands and called an ambulance. I felt so sad.
***
A day later, I looked up the box online. I found similar boxes worth over $250,000. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
A man using his laptop | Source: Pexels
At that point, I still felt it wasn’t right to keep the box.
Just as I was trying to figure out what to do, I got a call from Mrs. White’s lawyer, Jonathan. He asked me to meet him the next morning.
Upon entering his office, I saw Mrs. White’s son, Henry. He accused me of stealing the box.
“I didn’t steal it,” I insisted. “She gave it to me.”
But Henry didn’t believe me.
Instead, he offered me $1,000 to return it.
A man standing in a lawyer’s office | Source: Midjourney
Knowing its real value, I refused and told him he could bid for it at an auction.
But things spiraled out of control at the auction. I had to flee from the venue because I didn’t have proof of ownership.
That night, I went back to Mrs. White’s house, desperate to find anything that could prove she wanted me to have the box. But Henry caught me in the act.
A man standing in a house | Source: Midjourney
“You’ve made a big mistake,” he warned. “This is breaking and entering. It’s a criminal offense. But I’m willing to overlook this if you do exactly as I say.”
“You have until tomorrow,” he stated firmly. “Bring the box to me, or I’ll have no choice but to file a report with the police. They’ll be very interested to learn about your little nocturnal excursion.”
I returned home and thought about my next steps.
A man sitting on a couch, thinking | Source: Midjourney
I knew I couldn’t return the box, so I decided to send Alice to her grandmother’s house with the box for safekeeping.
“Dad, why can’t you come with me?” Alice asked before leaving.
“I might not be around for a while, sweetheart,” I said, trying to hold back my fear. “But I promise I’ll come back.”
After Alice left, I called Henry and told him I was ready to turn myself in. The police arrested me that night.
I spent months in prison, wondering if I had made the right choice.
A silhouette of a man | Source: Pexels
One day, a guard told me to pack up.
To my shock, Alice was there waiting for me. She had found documents in the box that proved Mrs. White had wanted me to inherit it.
“It wasn’t easy Dad,” she told me. “The box needed a three-digit code to open, remember?”
“Yes, I remember,” I said. “But how did you crack the code?”
“It took me a lot of time Dad,” she replied. “Probably a month or so.”
A teen girl | Source: Pexels
“I found these papers inside the box,” she continued. “At first, I didn’t know what to do, but then I found a buyer for the box who helped me so much. They didn’t just pay for the box but helped me find a lawyer and explained about bail.”
“That’s… that’s wonderful, sweetheart,” I said, unable to process how my daughter had suddenly become so responsible.
Alice had secured my release thanks to those papers and the lawyer’s help.
“Dad, we’re free,” she smiled. “The box was worth everything, but the most important thing is we still have each other.”
“Thank you, my love,” I said, hugging her. “I’m so lucky to have you in my life.”
That day, I realized how my kindness repaid me in an unimaginable way.
A man sitting in his house | Source: Midjourney
2. I Gave My Last Dollar to a Stranger and Saw Him Again at My Prom
Living with my mom and grandma was never easy, but we made the best of it. We didn’t have much, but we had love, and that was enough for me.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel excited about prom. Like most girls, I dreamed of wearing a beautiful dress and feeling like I belonged.
One morning, my mom, Dina, and grandma, Holly, surprised me with an envelope.
An envelope | Source: Pexels
“We’ve been saving up,” Mom said softly, sliding the envelope across the table.
Inside, there was just enough money to buy a dress.
“Thank you!” I hugged them. “I can’t believe you did this for me!”
I was super happy and couldn’t wait to buy the perfect dress.
On the bus ride to the dress shop, I clutched the envelope tightly, imagining the gown I’d choose. But my thoughts were interrupted when two workers started checking tickets.
That’s when I noticed a man at the back of the bus. He looked worried.
A man sitting in a bus | Source: Pexels
“I-I don’t have my ticket,” he stammered. “I forgot my wallet at home.”
The workers exchanged annoyed glances.
“No ticket means a fine,” one of them said sternly.
“You need to pay up, or we’re calling the authorities.”
“Please, I’m begging you,” the man said. “I need to get to my daughter. She’s sick, and I have to take her to the hospital. I… I forgot my wallet in my rush. Please, I just need to get to her. I can’t pay the fine.”
A worried man | Source: Midjourney
The bus workers didn’t seem convinced. One of them shook his head.
“We’ve heard every excuse in the book. If you can’t pay the fine, you’ll have to explain yourself to the police.”
My heart ached watching the desperation in the man’s eyes.
I hesitated, thinking about the dress, but something inside me told me this man needed my help more than I needed a gown.
Before I could second-guess myself, I stood up and said, “I’ll pay his fine.”
A girl standing in a bus | Source: Midjourney
The man, Rick, looked at me with wide eyes while I handed money to the bus workers.
“I… I can’t believe you did that,” he said with tears in his eyes. “You’ve saved me. Thank you!”
“It’s okay,” I smiled. “I hope your daughter feels better soon.”
I went home empty-handed and told my mother what had happened. She was furious.
“You gave away the money?” she asked, shocked. “How could you be so naive, Carly? That man could have been! What if he tricked you?”
A woman talking to her daughter | Source: Midjourney
Tears filled my eyes. I didn’t think about that.
That’s when my grandma wrapped me in a hug.
“You did the right thing,” she whispered. “Kindness always comes back.”
A few days later, I attended my prom wearing an old dress. I felt so out of place as other girls twirled in their beautiful, shiny gowns.
I almost regretted showing up until I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I turned and saw Rick standing there, smiling. Beside him was his daughter, healthy and full of life.
An older man smiling | Source: Midjourney
“This is my daughter, Haley,” he said.
Then, he handed me a gift-wrapped box.
“Please open it,” Rick insisted.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I unwrapped it. Rick had bought me the most beautiful dress I had ever seen.
“I don’t know what to say…” I said.
Rick smiled. “You’ve already said enough by helping me when no one else would. Now, it’s time for you to enjoy your night.”
I quickly changed into the dress and walked into prom feeling like a princess.
A back view shot of a woman in a dress | Source: Midjourney
That night, I realized that kindness really does come back when you least expect it.
3. I Paid for a Stranger’s Groceries, and It Led to My Grandma’s $230k Treatment
I was at the grocery store, just getting a few things for my grandma, when I noticed that the woman in front of me at the checkout was struggling.
She realized she’d left her wallet in her friend’s car and was about to walk away empty-handed.
“Ma’am, I’ll cover it,” I said without thinking.
A boy at a grocery store | Source: Midjourney
“Oh, no. I couldn’t put you out like that,” she said after looking at me from head to toe. I think she was shocked to see a 12-year-old offering to help her.
“I insist, ma’am. Sometimes, we have to do good things, and karma will reward us later, right? That’s what my grandmother says all the time,” I said.
She hesitated, but I insisted.
I wasn’t rich, but I knew it was the right thing to do.
“Thank you so much,” she said. “I’m Mary. And you?”
A woman in a supermarket | Source: Midjourney
“I’m Mark,” I replied.
“Thank you for what you did, Mark,” she smiled. “Listen, how about you give me your phone number so I can pay you back as soon as I get my wallet?”
I wrote down my number on the receipt and handed it to her. “Here, but don’t worry about it. There’s no rush. I live nearby anyway.”
“Alright, Mark,” she smiled and thanked me once again before leaving.
A woman talking to a boy | Source: Midjourney
I felt good, but honestly, I didn’t think much about it after that. My focus was on my grandma. She was in the hospital and needed a major surgery that we couldn’t afford.
I had started a GoFundMe, but it wasn’t going well.
A few days later, I heard a knock on my door. Mary came with her daughter, Anastacia, to return my money.
“Thank you once again, Mark,” Mary said. “How’s your grandma doing? Is she around?”
A woman asking a boy about his grandmother | Source: Midjourney
That’s when I explained our situation. They were shocked that I was raising money for her surgery on my own.
Then, they did something incredible. They offered to help.
Anastacia shared our GoFundMe link with everyone she knew. She even posted the story on Reddit, telling people how I had helped her mom.
At first, I didn’t think it would work, but the story started getting attention.
A boy using a phone | Source: Pexels
Soon, more people donated, and the story went viral.
And before I knew it, donations were pouring in, amounting to $230,000, which was enough for my grandma’s surgery. I was in shock.
I had only spent $20 to help Mary, and somehow, it had led to saving my grandma’s life.
Thanks to Mary and Anastacia, my grandma got the treatment she needed, and I’ll never forget how one act of kindness brought everything full circle.
A boy smiling | Source: Midjourney
If you enjoyed reading these stories, here’s another one you might like: When Phoebe decides that her new chapter begins with a divorce and a new house, she finds a little house in a sleepy neighborhood. As she gets unpacking, she meets a wonderful neighbor, who has a big responsibility for Phoebe.
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.
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