Scott was the stock boy at the supermarket, and he saw the chance to steal an envelope of cash from an older man. But there was a letter inside, and curiosity got the best of him. He started crying after reading the surprising letter and returned. But what he learned later was even more shocking.
Excuse me, sir. Are you ok?” Scott asked the older gentleman he had just run into at the supermarket. It wasn’t an accident. He did it on purpose. He saw a thick envelope in the man’s pocket and wanted to nab it. So, he devised a plan and ran into the man “accidentally,” taking the envelope discreetly from the man’s pocket.
“Oh, yes, young man. Don’t worry,” the older man replied and continued shopping around the store. Scott gave him a side-look while walking away as it seemed like the man had not noticed what had happened at all. He was right. The older gentleman walked up the aisle with no clue that he had just been robbed blind.
Scott went to the back where his locker was located and counted the money in the envelope. It contained several thousands of dollars, and he was delighted. He was finally going to enjoy some of his life.
Scott was 18 years old and lived his entire life jumping from one foster home to another. He lasted longer with his last family, but they never adopted him and didn’t feel like close relatives at all. So, now he lived in a tiny studio apartment and barely lived paycheck to paycheck as the stock boy at the local supermarket in Indiana.
He wanted more money, but he had nothing. He almost didn’t graduate high school and resented the world for his current predicament. It wasn’t his fault that his birth parents abandoned him in an orphanage, and now, he was alone in the world to fend for himself. Stealing wasn’t ideal, but no one noticed. The rich old man probably wouldn’t miss the money.
Suddenly, he noticed a piece of paper inside the envelope and almost threw it away in the trash. But his curiosity got the best of him, and he decided to read it.
did in the past, but I heard you desperately need it for your surgery. Please accept it. I will be depositing all my retirement savings to your account soon. It’s not a lot, but it should cover your needs. I want your baby to be born healthy and safe.
I won’t interfere in your life or your mother’s. But I hope to earn your forgiveness if you allow it. I miss you, darling. I made the biggest mistake of my life back then. Please, give me a chance.
Love, Dad.
Scott couldn’t contain his emotions after reading the letter. He didn’t know much of the context, but those words felt powerful. He couldn’t keep money meant to save a life and possibly an unborn baby’s life. That was just too cruel. Therefore, he returned d the letter back in the envelope and went out quickly to find the man.
“Sir, excuse me. I think you might have dropped this earlier,” Scott told the older gentleman when he found him at the register.
The man looked at the envelope, widened his eyes, and started searching his pockets. “Dear God! I can’t believe I didn’t even notice. It’s such a big envelope. Thank you so much, young man. Not everyone would’ve returned that amount of cash. Thank you,” the man said sincerely, taking the envelope from his hands.
Scott nodded, pursing his lips, and began to walk away. “Wait, young man. You want to get some coffee with me or something?”
Scott didn’t know what else to say, so he nodded, and they walked towards the Starbucks located right inside the supermarket.
“So, my name is Maurice. What’s yours, young man?” the older gentleman asked once they sat down.
“I’m Scott, sir,” he replied as the barista brought over their coffees.
“Well, Scott. I have to thank you again for this money. I’m depositing it in my daughter’s account later today, and she really needs it. You see… she’s pregnant but she has some sort of heart condition and needs to be operated before her pregnancy advances. It’s tricky and expensive,” Maurice explained his situation, sipping from his coffee.
“I hope it goes well then, and you get to see her,” Scott added.
Yeah, me too. This might be too much information on my part, but I don’t see my daughter often. Years ago, when she was 15, I cheated on her mother. The other woman got pregnant, and it was a whole mess. We got divorced, but I didn’t want anything to do with the other woman and her baby. As far as I know, she gave away the child for adoption. I hope he or she is doing well now. But anyway, my daughter has resented me for that since then.”
“Wow, that’s a big coincidence,” Scott remarked.
“Why?”
“Well, I was left in an orphanage as a newborn. Not everyone in the system gets adopted. I bounced around between foster families, and now, I’m here. The only thing I know about my father was that his last name was Hayes. I kept the name they gave me. But now I’m here, just getting by,” Scott continued, finishing his coffee and getting ready to go back to work.
“Wait, what? What’s your last name?” Maurice asked.
“It’s Hayes, sir. Why?”
“I’m Maurice Hayes,” the older man revealed, his brows furrowing, and his eyes concentrated on the young man in front of him.
“That must be a coincidence too,” Scott added awkwardly, but he was looking at the older man in wonder too.
“How old are you? 18?” the older man questioned, and Scott nodded. “The timeline fits.”
Scott shook his head and smiled awkwardly. It wasn’t possible. Maurice Hayes couldn’t be his father. And if he was… well, the man didn’t want him back then. Nothing had changed.
“Listen, young man. Even as an adult I made the biggest mistakes of my life. One of them was cheating on my wife and letting my family go. I admit that I didn’t think much about that baby I ignored, but if you’re my son, I must know. Will you get a paternity test with me? We’ll go right after I deposit this money in the bank,” Maurice continued, insisting on getting tested
Scott nodded wordlessly, not knowing if it was the right choice. But he had to know the truth too.
several days later, the results confirmed that maurice was his biological father, and they started spending more time together. the older man invited him to move into his big house. he wasn’t rich, but he managed to buy the house when the market wasn’t so saturated.
months later, maurice’s daughter reached out and wanted him to meet his new granddaughter, who was born perfectly healthy once alexandra had her surgery. the older man revealed that he had reconnected with his long-lost son, and alexandra agreed to meet him. now that she had a baby, she forgave maurice for his wrongdoings and didn’t hold any resentment against scott.
it finally felt like he had a family, and it was an odd but wonderful feeling.
What can we learn from this story?
Stealing is never the answer. No matter what you are in life, stealing will not solve anything. That money might be meant for something huge.
Doing the right thing can change your life. Scott decided to give the money back, and his whole life changed.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
