One day, a homeless man woke up to see cops surrounding him. They took him to the police station to inform him that he was now a millionaire.
Grace had kicked Stewart out of the house after their mother suddenly passed away. He was shocked to see that their mother had left all her wealth to Grace.
Since Grace already disliked Stewart because he always disapproved of the men she dated, she saw this as the perfect opportunity to get rid of him.
Sitting at the corner of a busy street, Stewart thought about his time with his mother and Grace. They lived in a lavish mansion that their stepfather, Edson Dickens, left.
Edson Dickens was a wealthy businessman and one of the biggest names in town. He met Veronica at a coffee shop and instantly fell in love with her. They tied the knot a year after their first meeting with Stewart and Grace by their side.
After their marriage, Edson made it a habit to transfer thousands of dollars every month into Veronica’s account, so she never had to ask him for money. He also bought a luxurious mansion for her and her children and made her the sole owner of the property.
One day, while Veronica was busy in her morning yoga regime, she heard her phone ring. She extended her hand and answered the call from an unknown number.
“Hello,” she said, wondering who had called her at this time. She wanted to end the call and return to her yoga practice quickly.
“Hi, is this Veronica Dickens?” asked a man from the other end. After Veronica confirmed her identity, the man told her something she never wanted to hear.
“I’m sorry, but your husband, Mr. Edson Dickens, passed away in a road accident today,” said the man. He worked at the hospital where Edson’s body was taken after the accident.
Within a few hours, Edson’s employees made the funeral arrangements. Hundreds of people gathered after learning about the business tycoon’s untimely death.
It took Veronica a couple of months to accept that her beloved husband had left her all alone. He was the most important person in her life, and she had never imagined living without him.
Stewart and Grace felt bad watching their mother cry all day. They tried their best to console her, but it seemed like nothing worked. Her health was deteriorating day by day.
Three months after Edson’s death, Veronica called her attorney for a meeting. She felt she needed to finalize her will because she didn’t feel motivated to live without her husband.
Stewart and Grace had no idea that their mother had called the lawyer to draft the final version of her will. Stewart was at his workplace while Grace was in college when the attorney met Veronica.
When Grace arrived home in the evening that day, she was welcomed by a dark house. She wondered why her mother hadn’t switched on the lights, so she barged into her room to see her.
“Mom?” she said while opening the door. She quickly reached for the light switch and saw her mother sleeping in her bed. She took a few steps and stood beside her. Then she softly placed her hand on her forehead and felt her mother’s cold skin.
Her heart raced as she realized her mother wasn’t sleeping. She had passed away three months after her husband’s death. Grace immediately called Stewart, asking him to come home.
The next few days were difficult for Stewart and Grace. They found it difficult to accept that their mother had also left them alone in this world, and they couldn’t count on her for their needs anymore.
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Things took a different turn when the attorney informed Grace and Stewart about Veronica’s will. She had left her wealth and the house to Grace only. Stewart was shocked that his mother didn’t give anything to him.
Grace was over the moon after hearing the attorney’s words. Having the house to herself meant she could kick her brother out since he was constantly interfering in her life.
She thought of all the times she introduced her boyfriend to Stewart, and he disapproved of them, preventing her from starting her family. She could never understand why her brother had a problem with every man she dated.
However, Veronica didn’t expect her daughter to do this. She didn’t give anything to her son because she wanted him to work hard and earn money himself. She felt the wealth would have made him lazy, and he wouldn’t be able to get his dream job.
On the other hand, Grace finally found the perfect opportunity to get rid of her brother. “Pack your bags!” she told him. “I’m not going to let you live in this house and control my life anymore.”
“But why, Grace?” asked Stewart. “You know I’m still working as an intern, and my manager will monitor my performance for the next three months until he hires me as a permanent employee!”
“So what?” replied Grace in a mean tone. “That’s none of my business!”
“Grace, you know I can’t afford to rent an apartment right now,” replied Stewart. “Please let me stay here until my employer hires me permanently,” he pleaded.
“In your dreams, Stewart!” she laughed and pointed towards his room, asking him to pack his belongings.
Reading his mother’s will had left him shocked, and he felt confused after hearing Grace’s words. Helpless, he went to his room and started packing his clothes while thinking of a place where he could spend the night.
A few minutes later, Grace knocked on his door. “Are you done packing?” she asked.
“Please hurry up and leave!” she yelled. “I have to go on a date with James in ten minutes!”
Stewart rolled his eyes and told her he would leave within a few minutes. He heard the sounds of her steps fading as she walked towards her room.
After five minutes, Stewart walked out of the house. He had asked one of his friends to let him stay at his home for the night, and he had agreed.
The next day, he went to work from his friend’s house and searched for a cheap one-bedroom apartment to rent while working. Fortunately, he found one that matched his budget.
He had planned to live there until his employer hired him as a permanent employee. He would rent a better apartment after getting his first salary.
Three months later, Stewart received the worst news of his life. His employer had decided not to hire him permanently because they weren’t happy with his performance.
The news left him stunned. He didn’t have a plan B because he believed his initial plan wouldn’t fail. What should I do now? He thought to himself.
Stewart checked his bank account and realized he was running out of savings. He couldn’t pay rent for the next month and had no idea what to do next.
Feeling helpless, he left his workplace and stood at the corner of the street. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Grace’s number.
“Hello, who is it?” she asked in a stern tone.
“Hi, Grace! It’s me, Stewart,” he replied. “How are you?”
“What do you want now?” asked Grace.
“I need a place to live, Grace. I don’t have a job,” he cried. “Can you please let me stay at your house for a few days until I find another job?”
“No. Please don’t call me again, Stewart!” yelled Grace. “I don’t want you in my life anymore!”
Stewart felt hopeless after his sister hung up. He sat at the corner of the street with his belongings by his side. Tears trickled down his cheeks as he thought about what to do next.
After sitting at the corner for a few hours, Stewart started feeling hungry. He bought dinner with the last $10 bill in his pocket and ate it while thinking how he would survive without money.
While he was having his food at the corner of a busy street, a man approached him. Stewart raised his head and saw the man with long hair and a beard standing in front of him.
“Are you looking for a place to live?” asked the man.
“Yes, but who are you?” asked Stewart. He wondered how the man would shelter him when he didn’t have enough money to wear good clothes.
“Come on. Follow me,” he said. “I’ll take you to my place. I live there with my friends.”
Since Stewart had no other option, he decided to follow the man. He immediately stood up, lifted his bags, and marched behind the man.
After walking for a few minutes, the man stopped under a bridge. It was dark, but Stewart could see people sitting on the ground by the walls.
“This is my home,” said the man. “My name is James, and I live here with my homeless friends. You can choose whichever corner you like.”
Stewart had to forcefully live under the bridge with the homeless men and eat what he found in the trash. His circumstances made him leave his luxurious life and accept his new life.
James had told him one golden rule about living under the bridge―to flee whenever you hear the police siren. Otherwise, they would arrest him. He explained that the police visited them because they often shoplifted and stole things from other places.
He also offered Stewart to join them when they shoplift next time, but he refused. He couldn’t stoop so low to satisfy his hunger. He felt it was better to eat from the trash instead.
One night, while Stewart and the other men were sleeping under the bridge, a police van arrived. Upon hearing the police officers’ footsteps, everyone woke up and ran in different directions, except Stewart.
“Get up!” yelled the police officer. Stewart opened his eyes and was shocked to see four policemen standing around him. He quickly got up and raised his hands.
“I haven’t done anything! I promise!” he yelled.
“We know you haven’t done anything wrong. You’re Stewart, right?” asked the policeman.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Is Grace Robinson your sister?” asked another police officer.
“Yes. She is. Did she send the police to arrest me?”
The policemen asked Stewart to sit in the van, and they took him to the police station. They made him wait for a few minutes before the chief officer spoke to him.
“Hi, Stewart. I am the chief police officer, and I asked my team to look for you,” said the policeman.
“What’s the matter?” asked Stewart with a confused expression.
“I have good news and bad news for you, Stewart. What would you like to hear first?” he asked.
Stewart told the police officer that he would like to hear the bad news first.
“Well, I am sorry, but your sister, Grace, passed away after battling cancer last month,” revealed the policeman.
“What? She had cancer?” Stewart asked and covered his mouth with his hands. He couldn’t believe that his sister had died without telling him anything.
Tears trickled down his cheeks as memories of his sister flashed in his mind. He remembered how he always stopped her from dating her boyfriends because they were after her wealth, but she thought he had something against her.
“Do you want to hear the good news?” The police officer’s voice interrupted Stewart’s thoughts.
“Yes. Please tell me what it is?” asked Stewart while wiping his tears.
“Since your sister was an unmarried woman with no children, the wealth she inherited from your mother, including your house, now belongs to you, Stewart,” revealed the police officer. “You won’t have to sleep under the dark bridge with those homeless men!” he added.
Stewart was happy and sad at the same time. He was glad that he wouldn’t have to look for food in the trash or sleep in the dirt. However, he felt sad knowing his sister wouldn’t be there in the house anymore.
What can we learn from this story?
Sometimes, it’s better to listen to your family instead of making your own choices. Stewart stopped Grace from dating those men because he knew they were more interested in her wealth.
Family should always come first. If Grace had listened to Stewart and let him stay in the house, he could have cared for her and helped her battle cancer.
