When my father’s new wife kicked me out of my room and into the shed, I thought I’d hit rock bottom. But Mom’s surprise visit and shocking revelation about the house turned everything upside down, leaving me to wonder if I’d ever feel at home with Dad again.
I arrived at Dad’s house with a knot in my stomach. Something felt off. Kim, my stepmom, opened the door with a fake smile.
“Michelle, honey, come in,” she said, her voice sickeningly sweet.
I stepped inside, dragging my suitcase. Sam and Leo, my college-age step brothers, lounged on the couch, barely acknowledging me. They were both glued to their shiny new laptops – the same ones Dad said he couldn’t afford to buy for me.
“Where’s Dad?” I asked, trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice.
“Working late,” Kim replied. She fidgeted with her necklace. “Listen, Michelle, we need to talk about sleeping arrangements.”
My heart sank. “What about them?”
Kim glanced at her sons. “Well, with Sam and Leo home for the holidays, we’re a bit short on space.”
“Short on space?” I echoed. “But I have my room.”
“Had,” Sam muttered under his breath, not looking up from his laptop.
I whirled to face him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Kim cleared her throat. “Michelle, dear, we had to give your room to the boys. They need a proper place to sleep and study.”
“And where am I supposed to sleep?” I demanded, my voice rising.
Kim avoided my eyes. “We’ve set up a nice space for you in the shed.”
“The shed?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You’re kidding, right?”
“It’s only temporary,” Kim said quickly. “Just until the boys go back to university.”
I looked around, hoping to see some sign that this was all a cruel joke. But Sam and Leo just smirked, and Kim stood there, lips pressed into a thin line.
“Where’s Dad?” I asked again, my voice cracking. “I want to talk to him.”
“He’ll be home late,” Kim repeated. “Why don’t you get settled in? I’m sure you’re tired from the trip.”
Defeated, I trudged out to the shed, lugging my suitcase behind me. The inside was musty and cramped, with a rickety cot squeezed between boxes of junk. A single bare bulb hung from the ceiling, casting harsh shadows.
I sat on the cot, trying not to cry. How had it come to this? Dad used to dote on me, but ever since he married Kim, everything changed.
A disconsolate teenage girl sitting on a cot in a garden shed | Source: Midjourney
He’d promised to buy me a laptop for school, then said he couldn’t afford it. But he bought new ones for Sam and Leo without hesitation. I remembered the excitement in his voice when he told them about the “surprise” he had for them.
“You boys need good computers for your studies,” he’d said, beaming with pride.
When I’d reminded him about his promise to me, he’d just shrugged. “Times are tough, Michelle. Maybe next year.”
Then there was the lake trip. Dad had planned a father-daughter weekend, just the two of us. I’d been looking forward to it for weeks.
“Sorry, kiddo,” he’d said, not meeting my eyes. “Something came up at work. We’ll do it another time.”
A week later, I saw photos on social media of him, Sam, and Leo at the lake, fishing and laughing. When I confronted him about it, he brushed it off.
“The boys were only home for a short time,” he’d explained. “I wanted to do something special with them.”
And now this. Kicked out of my own room, and banished to the shed like some unwanted pet.
I tossed and turned all night, the cot creaking with every movement. In the morning, my phone buzzed with an incoming video call. It was my mom.
“Hi, sweetie,” she said when I answered. “How’s everything at your dad’s?”
I tried to sound upbeat. “Oh, you know. Same old.”
A girl looking at her cell phone, sitting on a cot in a shed | Source: Midjourney
Mom frowned. “Michelle, where are you? Is that… is that the shed?”
I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.
Mom’s face darkened. “Why on earth are you in the shed?”
“Kim said there’s no room in the house,” I mumbled. “Sam and Leo are using my room.”
“They are WHAT?” Mom exploded. “Oh, hell no. I’m coming over right now.”
“Mom, no, it’s fine,” I protested weakly. But she’d already hung up.
An hour later, I heard tires screeching in the driveway. Mom burst into the shed, her face like thunder.
“Get your things,” she ordered. “We’re going to have a little chat with your father and his wife.”
I trailed after Mom as she stormed into the house. “John!” she yelled. “Get out here right now!”
Dad appeared from the kitchen, looking startled. “Helen? What are you doing here?”
“Why is our daughter sleeping in a shed?” Mom demanded.
Kim rushed in. “Helen, this isn’t your house. You have no right to barge in here making demands.”
Mom turned on her, eyes blazing. “Oh, I have every right. Didn’t John tell you? This house belongs to Michelle.”
The room went dead silent. I stared at Mom, then at Dad, who’d gone pale.
“What are you talking about?” Kim sputtered.
Mom smiled coldly. “When we divorced, we put the house in Michelle’s name. In a year, she’ll own it outright.”
Kim whirled on Dad. “Is this true? You knew about this?”
Dad nodded miserably. “I… I didn’t think it was important.”
“Not important?” Mom scoffed. “You let your daughter sleep in a shed in her own house!”
Sam and Leo appeared in the doorway, looking confused.
“What’s going on?” Leo asked, still clutching his new laptop.
Mom addressed them all. “Listen up. From now on, Michelle sleeps in her room. In her house. End of discussion.”
“But…” Kim started to protest.
A woman reacts in surprise, while a teenager stands in the background | Source: Midjourney
“But nothing,” Mom cut her off. “Unless you want Michelle to kick you all out when she turns eighteen, I suggest you show her some respect.”
She turned to me, her voice softening. “Come on, honey. Let’s get your things. You’re coming home with me.”
As we packed up my stuff, I could hear Dad and Kim arguing in the other room.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the house?” Kim demanded.
“I didn’t want to complicate things,” Dad replied weakly.
“Complicate things? You let me treat your daughter like garbage!”
Their voices faded as Mom and I walked out to her car. As we drove away, I felt a mix of emotions: relief, vindication, and a little sadness.
“You okay, sweetie?” Mom asked, glancing over at me.
I nodded. “Yeah. Thanks for coming to get me.”
“Always,” she said firmly. “I’ll always have your back.”
We rode in silence for a while. Then I asked, “What happens now?”
A woman drives, talking to the girl seated beside her | Source: Midjourney
Mom sighed. “That’s up to you, honey. If you want to keep visiting your dad, we’ll make sure things change. If you don’t, that’s okay too.”
I thought about it. “I think… I think I want to try. But only if things are different.”
“They will be,” Mom assured me. “Your father may be an idiot sometimes, but he loves you. He just needed a wake-up call.”
Over the next week, I stayed with Mom. Dad called every day, apologizing profusely. He promised things would be different, that he’d make it up to me.
Finally, I agreed to go back for a visit. As we pulled up to the house, I saw Dad waiting on the porch.
“Ready?” Mom asked, squeezing my hand.
He nodded, looking chastened. “I know. Come inside, please?”
We followed him in. The house was quiet – no sign of Kim or the boys.
“Where is everyone?” I asked.
A teenage girl addressing an older man | Source: Midjourney
“I asked them to give us some space,” Dad explained. “We need to talk.”
We sat in the living room, the tension palpable.
Dad cleared his throat. “Michelle, I messed up. Big time. I got so caught up in trying to make Kim and her boys happy that I forgot what was really important.”
“Me,” I said quietly.
He nodded, his eyes glistening. “You. My daughter. The most important person in my life.”
“Doesn’t feel like it lately,” I muttered.
Dad winced. “I know. I’ve been a terrible father. But I want to make it right. If you’ll let me.”
I glanced at Mom, who nodded encouragingly.
“What about Kim and the boys?” I asked.
“They know things have to change,” Dad said firmly. “Your room is yours, always. And I’ve made it clear that you’re my priority.”
“And the laptop?” I couldn’t help asking.
Dad smiled sheepishly. “It’s in your room. Along with an apology letter from Sam and Leo.”
I felt a glimmer of hope. “Really?”
“Really,” Dad confirmed. “And I was hoping… maybe we could still do that lake trip? Just the two of us?”
I hesitated, then nodded. “I’d like that.”
Dad’s face lit up. He opened his arms, and after a moment, I stepped into his embrace.
It wasn’t perfect. There was still a lot to work through. But it was a start.
As we hugged, I caught Mom’s eye over Dad’s shoulder. She smiled, giving me a thumbs up. I knew then that no matter what happened, I had people in my corner. And I’d never sleep in a shed again.
A man hugging a teenager girl in a living room | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done? If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you about a stepmother and her daughters who kicked a girl out of the house after hearing her father fell into a coma.
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.
Poor Mom Is Barred from Boarding Plane to Get Home to Son, ‘I Need to See My Baby!’ She Screams — Story of the Day
A distraught mom loses her cool when barred from boarding the flight. “You don’t understand! I need to see my baby!” she screams, but it’s all for naught. In the end, she receives help from the most unexpected place.
When Caitlyn and Declan Cooper welcomed their son, Eden, Caitlyn decided to step up on the household front and embrace her mommy duties, making Declan the family’s primary breadwinner.
However, a few months after Caitlyn became a full-time mom, Declan noticed how tired she looked. She hardly had any time to herself and couldn’t sleep well since Eden would wake her in the middle of the night.
So on Catilyn’s birthday, Declan surprised her with flight tickets to Japan for a trip with her friends, ensuring that he’d stay behind to care for Eden alone. Caitlyn was reluctant to go, figuring everything would be too much for Declan to manage on his own. But he insisted, and she agreed.
Caitlyn was barred from boarding a flight. | Source: Shutterstock
A week later, after Declan and Eden dropped her off at the airport, Caitlyn badly missed them already. Even as she settled on the plane, her thoughts were preoccupied with whether Declan would be able to care for Eden on his own.
From the minute she arrived in Japan, she called Declan every hour to check on how things were going at home. Her friends mocked her and laughed at her, saying she was just being paranoid about the whole thing.
But only Caitlyn knew how hard it was to subdue the unsettling fear in her heart that something dreadful was about to happen. She didn’t know it would happen so soon…
Three days into their vacation, Caitlyn and her friends were at a beachside party. Her friends Amanda, Sophie, and Veronica were ogling their eyes over the shirtless men, complimenting their hot bodies, but Caitlyn … she was just lost.
“Hey, Caitlyn,” Sophie whispered, interrupting her thoughts. “Where are you even, babe? Just look at that guy. Damn, he’s hot….”
Caitlyn and her friends were enjoying a beach party. | Source: Unsplash
“Ughh,” Caitlyn sighed. “I’m just not in the mood right now, Sophie. I – I want to go back to the hotel. I’m sorry.”
Sophie frowned. “Is this about your baby and husband again? Look, Caitlyn, I understand you’re a new mom and all that, but stop being such a bore here, okay? You know what, it’s because you’re too engrossed in that stupid phone! Give it here!” Sophie tried to snatch Catilyn’s phone from her grasp.
“STOP IT, SOPHIE!” Caitlyn screamed, jerking Sophie’s hand away and drawing Veronica and Amanda’s attention away from the loud music. “I told you I am not interested! To hell with you and your party!”
Caitlyn stormed back to the hotel room, agitated, and she was pacing across the room frantically as she tried to get Declan to answer the phone. Back at the beach, she’d already tried contacting him three times, and now there were a total of 10 attempts with no news from Declan.
Caitlyn’s heart dropped to the floor at that point, and as a last resort, she called their next-door neighbor, Mrs. Louis, to check on Declan and Eden, but the call went unattended. Sophie was bawling like a child at this point, unsure of what to do.
Caitlyn was dead scared when Declan didn’t answer his phone. | Source: Unsplash
Suddenly, her phone rang, and it was Mrs. Louis on the other end. But in addition to Mrs. Louis’ voice, Caitlyn also heard some commotion in the background.
“Mrs. Louis!” cried Caitlyn. “Declan…he’s not returning my calls. Could you please check in on him and Eden for me? Please? I’m in Japan right now, and….”
“Caitlyn! Oh, I’m so glad you are safe, honey. There – There was a fire at your house, and the firemen… they’re still trying to put it out…”
“Fire?” Caitlyn’s heart skipped a beat. “Hello? Mrs. Louis?” The phone call was abruptly disconnected.
Caitlyn tried again, but it was all for naught. She panicked at this point and dashed back to the beach.
“Caitlyn, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Sophie asked, concerned.
“Oh my god! Dec – Declan and Eden…there was….”
Caitlyn broke down after she learned her house was engulfed in a fire. | Source: Unsplash
“Okay, cool down, okay…” Amanda wrapped her arms around her and comforted her. “Did something happen at home?”
Still sobbing, Caitlyn told them what transpired, insisting to go home right then. Her friends accompanied her to the airport, but sadly, when Caitlyn checked for a flight back home, she discovered that all flights to New York were fully booked.
“I guess we’ll have to wait, Caitlyn,” Amanda said gently. “Let’s hope everything turns out okay.”
“Hell no! I am going home right now!”
Caitlyn began to plead desperately with nearly every customer at the check-in counter to sell her their ticket to New York. But she was met with dismay because hardly anyone understood English and those who did refused her.
Finally, an old woman approached her and offered to help her.
“Hello, are you the one wanting to buy a ticket?” she inquired gently.
A woman came to Caitlyn’s rescue. | Source: Unsplash
“Oh yes!” Caitlyn nodded desperately. “I am ready to give you whatever price you want and even my diamond earrings, please! I need to get home to my husband and baby. Please!” she said, ready to offer the diamond earrings that were Declan’s wedding anniversary gift to her.
The woman handed her her ticket with a gentle grin. “There’s no need for that. You can have this. I’m Brenda White, by the way.”
“Oh my God! Thank you so much! I’m Caitlyn – Caitlyn Cooper. Trust me, I’ll forever be grateful to you!”
“You better get going,” the woman said. “Your flight takes off soon.”
“Of course, thank you!”
Caitlyn was over the moon, but her joy was short-lived when she was barred from the flight. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” the ground stewardess at the check-in counter said after checking her passport. “The name on your passport does not match the name on your ticket. You cannot board this flight.”
“Listen, you don’t understand! I need to see my baby!” Caitlyn screamed. “Please let me go! It’s urgent. I can’t afford to waste time here!”
Catilyn was stopped at the check-in counter. | Source: Unsplash
“Sorry, ma’am, but that’s the protocol. Please step back,” the staff member replied flatly.
Caitlyn was about to burst into tears when another member of the staff approached her. “You may go, ma’am,” she said. “We have received word about your situation, so it’s all good.”
Caitlyn was so panicked that she didn’t even wait to hear how she was suddenly allowed on the flight. She was just anxious to get home – to Declan and Eden.
Several hours later, she arrived home and saw a half-burnt structure standing in place of what used to be her home, with no sign of Eden and Declan.
Caitlyn went to Mrs. Louis’ house, shivering in horror as she wondered where her husband and child were.
Mrs. Louis consoled Caitlyn. | Source: Pexels
Mrs. Louis informed her that Declan and Eden were taken to the hospital immediately after the accident and were admitted there. Caitlyn rushed to the hospital and learned from doctors that their condition wasn’t bad, but they needed to be monitored for a while. It turned out there was a short circuit at their home, resulting in a fire.
Caitlyn couldn’t stop crying when she saw Eden and Declan wrapped in bandages and with bruises on their faces. But she was relieved that they were still alive and safe.
When they were discharged about two weeks later, they stayed at Mrs. Louis’ place while their house was being repaired. It was during that time that Caitlyn told Declan about how an elderly lady had helped her.
Declan suggested they thank her, so they started looking for her on Facebook. But when Caitlyn found her, she almost collapsed to the floor. The woman was the airline owner’s mother. She had posted several pictures with her son. No wonder the staff gave her a pass.
Declan and Catilyn messaged her via Facebook, wanting to thank her, and a few days later, they got a reply. Mrs. White arrived for dinner with a beautiful bouquet, having accepted their dinner invitation, and she got acquainted with not only Catilyn’s family but also Mrs. Louis. The families have been close to each other ever since.
What can we learn from this story?
- Family is your greatest treasure. When she learned Declan and Eden were in trouble, Caitlyn was ready to spare anything, ever her diamond earrings, just for a ticket back home.
- Always be there for your loved ones. Caitlyn always prioritized her family, and she was there for them when they needed her the most.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who discovers a chest while digging in her backyard and opens it only 3 years later.
This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
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