Gregory waved his hand dismissively. “Look at this, Cynthia,” he said, showing her the envelope he had found on their front porch. “There were car keys inside the envelope and our old car is gone! Look over there,” he added, pointing outdoors where he had parked his old car last night. “That’s a brand new car! Who could have done this? What should I do now?”
“And there’s no note inside or anything indicating who sent this?” Cynthia asked, confused.
“I already double-checked the envelope. There is none! What do we—”
Before Gregory could finish his sentence, the honk of a car cut him off. When he looked out of the front door, he saw his old car parked in front of his house and a man stepping out of it.
Gregory’s eyes teared when he saw who the man was. “Oh my goodness! He kept his promise, Cynthia!” he said, turning to face her. Cynthia was smiling as if she knew this was going to happen.
The man gave Gregory a warm hug. “How have you been, Gregory? It’s been some time, hasn’t it?”
“Jack? Oh, I can’t believe this…I’m quite good, dear. How are you? And please tell me you did not do this!” he cried, hugging him back.
“I had to, Gregory. After what you did for me…I mean, who shows such kindness these days? And you can’t blame me for it completely. Mrs. Smith helped me carry out the plan….” he said, smiling.
“I clearly didn’t take him seriously! But now that I see that shiny new car standing outside our door, I regret it.”
“Honestly, I tried to refuse him, darling,” Cynthia told Gregory. “But this boy wouldn’t listen to me! And it was so hard to play along! I.m terrible at acting, aren’t I?” she asked, scrunching her nose, and Jack laughed.
“I don’t think so, Mrs. Smith!”
Gregory shook his head repeatedly. “So this old man was being played and he had no clue? Oh, what do I even say….”
Both Cynthia and Jack laughed. “Alright, alright, enough talking,” Cynthia finally said. “Now, because Jack has come all the way here for us, we can’t just let him go. Come in and join us for breakfast, Jack, and there is no need to go to the store, Gregory. We have groceries that will last at least a week…It was all part of the plan,” she chuckled as she walked inside, Jack close behind her.
As everyone sat at the dining table, Cynthia served breakfast and Jack began to recall his first encounter with Gregory. Cynthia knew bits and pieces of their story, but she wasn’t aware of the entire episode.
“So three weeks ago, Mrs. Simpson,” Jack began. “I met your husband at the airport. I was meant to fly the same flight as him to see my wife. She was in labor and I was very worried. In my anxiety, I didn’t realize I got the date wrong on my ticket. It was for the next day. I only realized it while checking in.
“Because there were no more seats available that day, Gregory offered me his ticket and said, ‘Boy, you NEED to be with your wife! Use my ticket and I’ll use yours.”
“Okay,” Cynthia said slowly, nodding. “I know about the ticket swap. But what about the cars? I’m still wondering what this car exchange has to do with anything….”
Gregory chuckled. “That’s another interesting part…Before we went to the check-in, Jack and I had met in the waiting room. We were casually talking, honey, and I mentioned that we were still paying off loans, so we can’t afford a new car, and how our old one is giving us problems… After we exchanged tickets, this boy said, ‘Today we switched tickets; in a few weeks, we’ll exchange cars, that’s a promise!’
“I clearly didn’t take him seriously! But now that I see that shiny new car parked outside our door, I regret telling him we wanted a new car. Before departing, he took my address, and look what he’s done! We can’t keep it, Jack. We value your intentions, but this is unnecessary, boy…”
Cynthia nodded. “Gregory is right. We won’t be able to keep the car. I didn’t think much when you met with me yesterday and told me about this whole surprise, but I regret saying yes. Please, this isn’t necessary….”
But Jack shook his head. “Trust me; it’s nothing in return for what you did. Because of your husband, I got to be with my wife and baby. Please, I would feel bad if you turned down my present. I insist….”
Gregory and Cynthia couldn’t say no to Jack. They accepted the car, but Jack’s generosity did not end there. He was aware that after Gregory retired, he and Cynthia were struggling to pay off their loans, and as a result, they’d been unable to complete their house repairs.
So Jack took care of it for them. And one day, he came to visit them with his wife and baby daughter.
While they live in different cities, the Smiths feel like they’ve become a blended family with Jack. The young man checks on them every now and then and makes sure they don’t miss out on anything, especially after learning the old couple didn’t have any children of their own.
What can we learn from this story?
Kindness never goes unrewarded. Gregory offered his plane ticket to Jack so he could be with his pregnant wife, and in return, he and Cynthia received so much love and respect from Jack that they had not even thought of. Jack was like a son to them and cared for their smallest needs.
Help someone whenever and in whatever way you can. Gregory could offer Jack his ticket to help him, and he did that. In return, he and his wife were blessed with the love of a son they never had.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
A Stranger’s Note on My Husband’s Car Made Me Call My Lawyer
A Stranger’s Note on My Husband’s Car Made Me Call My Lawyer
When Sierra is in mom-mode, trying to get her kids off to school, she finds a sticky note on her husband’s car that makes her question where he had been the entire weekend. Wanting answers, she phones the number on the note and slowly, secrets unravel with her marriage.
It was a typical Monday morning. I was in my mom zone, trying to get the kids off to school on time. That’s when a piece of pink paper changed everything.
A close-up of smiling children | Pexels
I had just put the kids into the car and was about to put their lunch bags and backpacks in with them when I saw the bright pink sticky note plastered on the trunk of my husband’s car.
I paused, my heart pounding, and walked over to read it.
A pink sticky note on a car | Source: Midjourney
“Sit tight,” I told the kids. “I’m coming now! I just want to see what’s on Dad’s car.”
“Okay, Mom,” Natasha shouted from the backseat.
Children sitting in a car | Source: Midjourney
Sorry, I scratched your car last night. You shouldn’t park on the street though! -Neighbor from 283. This is my number in case you need anything!
Confusion and nausea washed over me. We don’t live near a house with that number, and my husband, Thomas, always parked in our garage.
A woman reading a sticky note | Source: Midjourney
“What was it?” my daughter asked when I slid into the driver’s seat.
“Nothing, honey,” I said. “Just a piece of paper that got stuck on Dad’s car.”
A woman in the driver’s seat | Source: Unsplash
Tom had just returned from a business trip this morning, so his car should have been parked at the airport the entire weekend.
My mind raced, and a sinking feeling settled in my stomach.
I knew that something was about to change.
A man wearing a suit | Source: Unsplash
“Enjoy your day, babies!” I said as the kids got out of the car at drop-off.
“Don’t forget, we have to make cookies for school tomorrow,” Natasha reminded me. “We need like sixty cookies, Mom.”
I left the kids and drove to the grocery store, needing to get everything for the cookies that we needed to bake.
An aisle in a grocery store | Source: Midjourney
“Can I help you, ma’am?” a young woman asked me as I walked up and down the baking aisle. She tied the grocery store’s apron tightly onto her.
“No, thank you,” I said absentmindedly. “I’m just browsing.”
A person tying an apron | Source: Pexels
But my mind just couldn’t stay focused at all. What was Thomas playing at?
I filled up the cart as I went up and down the aisle, getting enough ingredients for everything we needed and then paid.
Then, I decided to call Thomas and just check in.
A woman holding a phone and a card | Source: Pexels
“Hi, honey,” I said the moment he picked up.
“Hey, Sierra,” he said. “Are you okay? I’m just getting into a meeting now. I’ll speak to you later.”
And he cut the call.
A woman using her phone | Source: Pexels
“What on earth is going on?” I said aloud as I picked up gummy worms for Jake, my son.
Later, I picked up the kids and made toasted sandwiches while Natasha and I baked for her class.
A child holding a plate of toast | Source: Pexels
“Is everything okay, Mom?” Natasha asked, mixing in the chocolate chips. “You’re not helping Jake with homework.”
“Everything is fine,” I said, turning my focus back to my children.
Chocolate chips in a container | Source: Pexels
But still, my mind raced and I couldn’t shut it off. I was distracted and unable to stop the conspiracies that plagued my mind.
That evening, after tucking the kids into bed, I dialed the number on the note. The phone rang twice before a cheerful voice answered.
A little girl tucked in bed | Source: Pexels
“Hello, is this house 283?” I asked, nervously.
“Yes!” the woman said. “Who am I speaking to?”
“Sierra,” I said. “I’m sorry, but I found your note on my husband’s car this morning. Can you tell me more about the incident?”
A woman holding a phone | Source: Pexels
There was a brief pause.
“Oh, yes, I’m Jane. I’m really sorry about that. I accidentally scratched his car when I was parking last night. I live at 283 Elm Street. Are you new to the neighborhood?”
My heart pounded.
“No, no,” I said. “I’m sure Thomas was just visiting a friend. Don’t worry about the scratch, I saw the car. It’s all good!”
A parked car | Source: Pexels
“Oh, are you sure?” she asked. “I’m sure that the insurance will cover it.”
“I’m sure,” I said, turning to look out the window. “But can you tell me where exactly he was parked?”
There was silence for a moment.
When Jane spoke, her voice was softer.
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Pixabay
“He was parked right outside my house. There’s a small park across the street, and next to it, is a woman’s house. I’m sorry,” she said.
“Thank you, Jane,” I said.
I hung up, my mind reeling. Thomas had lied to me. He wasn’t on a business trip. He hadn’t even left the car at the airport.
A house with a garden | Source: Midjourney
Instead, he was at some woman’s house.
I didn’t want to confront my husband yet. I needed proof first. So, I got into bed beside him and forced myself to fall asleep.
A woman sleeping in bed | Source: Unsplash
The next morning, I gave the kids cereal for breakfast while trying to decide my next move.
After dropping them off at school, I drove to Elm Street. According to the GPS, it was about twenty minutes away from me. I looked for the park and the house next door.
Bowls of cereal | Source: Midjourney
Before doing anything else, I knocked on the door. A few moments later, a woman in her thirties opened the door.
“Hi, can I help you?” she asked.
“My name is Sierra,” I said. “I believe my husband, Thomas, was with you this weekend?”
Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
A white front door | Source: Midjourney
“Oh, my God. I had no idea he was married. Please, come in. I’m Mary.”
My heart ached, and my wedding ring seemed to get tighter around my finger.
“He didn’t mention us? His family?” I asked.
Mary shook her head.
A woman hiding her face | Source: Unsplash
“No, he told me he was single. We met at a local market, and we’ve been seeing each other for a few months now. But he did say that work has been hectic recently. So we haven’t seen each other very often.”
“Mary, I need your help. I need evidence of his infidelity for my divorce lawyer. I can’t stay married to a man like this, especially with my kids. Can you help me?”
People at a farmer’s market | Source: Unsplash
Mary looked at me with determination.
“Of course,” she said. “We need to catch him in the act.”
Later that evening, Mary was going to text Thomas and invite him over. She told him that she really wanted them to have dinner together at home.
“I’ll tell him that I cooked,” she told me as I left her home. “That usually gets him here.”
A homecooked meal | Source: Midjourney
I left the kids with my mother and drove to Mary’s house, ready to catch Thomas in the act. When he arrived, Mary kissed him at the door.
My stomach turned, but I snapped the picture anyway. Then, I stepped out of my hiding place.
“Thomas,” I demanded. “What the hell is this?”
His face turned pale.
A couple embracing | Source: Unsplash
“Sierra, what are you doing here?”
Mary crossed her arms, glaring at him.
“You lied to both of us, Thomas,” she said. “How could you? And you have children?”
He stammered, trying to find the right words, but there were none.
“It’s not what it looks like,” he finally managed to say.
“Save it,” I said, holding my camera. “I have all the proof I need. I’m ready to file for divorce.”
A close-up of a camera | Source: Unsplash
“Sierra, please,” he said, trying to follow me to the car.
I brushed him off and got in, ready to head home to my children.
In the following weeks, Mary and I became unlikely friends, bonded by our shared betrayal. The most surprising thing was how quickly my children got attached to her.
On the day that the papers were finally signed, I felt the biggest sense of relief and empowerment.
Two woman sitting together | Source: Unsplash
Sure, my heart was broken, and so was my home. But as I was trying to fix myself, my children stepped in, ready to fill my life with the joy that only children can.
As for Thomas? He moved back in with his parents. He didn’t even put up a fight to make things better.
Two smiling children | Source: Pexels
What would you have done?
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