A man abandoned his young daughter with his mother to run off with his new wife. Ten years later, he returned, only to find that both of them had vanished without a trace.

Doris Dakkar had raised her only son as a single mother after her husband left when Nicholas was just seven years old. It had been tough, but Doris worked two jobs to ensure her son never missed out on anything.

Back then, she was in her thirties. Never did she imagine becoming a single parent again at sixty, and she certainly never thought her own son would abandon his daughter. It was unimaginable that he could mirror his father’s actions so closely.

Nicholas had married a wonderful girl named Sandra, but sadly, she passed away when their daughter, Paige, was only nine. Doris consoled herself that her son was lonely and that was why he quickly entered a new relationship with Donna just weeks after Sandra’s passing, marrying her in less than six months.

Doris noticed that Paige, once a happy and energetic child, was becoming increasingly withdrawn. She attributed this change to the loss of her mother. She continued to believe her son was a good man, but not for much longer.

Selfish individuals do not consider the happiness of others.

The summer when Paige turned ten, Nicholas asked Doris to look after his daughter for three weeks while he and Donna went on a vacation to Alaska.

“All couples need some time alone, Mom,” Nicholas explained. “And Paige has been acting out lately… She detests Donna.”

Doris was surprised but agreed. “Alright, Nicky,” she replied. “I suppose a break could be beneficial for all three of you. But if I may… I believe Donna knew what she was getting into. She knew you had a daughter. A mature woman should be able to handle the grief of a ten-year-old girl still processing the loss of her mother and her father’s rushed remarriage.”

Nicholas flushed and pursed his lips, a gesture Doris knew well. “I should have known you would take Paige’s side!” he shouted. “Donna loves me; she makes me happy, and that’s all that matters to me.”

“I would think someone should be on Paige’s side, and it surprises me that it isn’t her father,” Doris replied, feeling hurt. “And making your daughter happy should make you happy too!”

Nicholas left in anger, but a week later, he returned with Paige and her luggage, looking as cheerful as ever. He kissed Paige goodbye affectionately and hugged Doris.

“I’ll be back on August 27th, Mom,” he said, and left with a bright smile.

Doris and Paige would not see him for over a decade. August 27th came and went, and Nicholas did not return. Doris called her son’s phone only to find it disconnected.

Nicholas hadn’t called his daughter since he left, only occasionally replying to her messages. Now it seemed he had disappeared entirely. Doris discovered that the house Nicholas had bought with Sandra was sold. He was gone.

He had abandoned his daughter and his aging mother without a word or thought for their well-being.

Doris sat down with Paige and told her, “Listen, we will get through this, just the two of us. I don’t want you to worry. I will take care of you. I love you, Paige, and I know one day your father will regret what he’s done.”

Doris had no idea how right she was. Ten years later, Nicholas pulled up to his mother’s house. The house was still there, but it looked abandoned and rundown. The garden was overgrown, and the windows were boarded up.

Nicholas knocked on his mother’s neighbor’s door. The woman was surprised to see him and hesitated before giving him the new address. She eyed his shabby clothing and rusty car.

“Paige got married, and Doris is living with her now. I hope you’re not expecting a warm prodigal son welcome,” she said coldly (being Grandma’s best friend). “After what you did to them, I’d brace myself for the worst if I were you.”

Nicholas didn’t reply. He just turned away and drove off. He wasn’t worried; he knew how to win his mother over…

When he arrived at the new address, he was stunned. His daughter and mother appeared to be living in a luxurious villa!

He walked up to the door and rang the bell. “I’d like to speak to Doris or Paige Dakkar, please,” he said to the maid who answered.

“You mean Mrs. Dakkar or Mrs. Henderson, sir,” the maid corrected with a disdainful smile and led him into a lavish sitting room.

Minutes later, Paige walked in. She looked at him silently, without any surprise, and Nicholas knew the nosy neighbor had called ahead to warn them of his arrival.

“Paige, my dear…” he said, stepping forward to embrace the beautiful woman his daughter had become.

“What do you want, Dad?” she asked, her voice devoid of anger.

“I wanted to see you and Grandma Doris, darling,” Nicholas said with his best charming smile. “I’ve missed you both…”

Just then, Doris stepped in. She too seemed calm—and much younger than her years. “Nicholas,” she said. “What do you want?”

Nicholas blushed. “I wanted to see my family,” he said. “I was hoping for a warm welcome!”

“You abandoned me, Dad,” Paige said coolly. “You expected warmth?”

“Mom?” Nicholas pleaded. “It wasn’t me… Donna… she insisted. She said she’d leave me…”

“Oh!” exclaimed Doris with an understanding smile. “But you’re here alone. Does that mean the money ran out, and so did Donna?”

Nicholas looked around the elegant room with envy. “You’re not lacking anything!” he said bitterly. “I would have thought you might help me out… I’m unemployed and struggling…”

“I’m surprised you have the nerve to ask us for anything, Dad,” Paige said. “You left us when we needed you most, but we made it. Thanks to my husband, we want for nothing.”

“I’m still your father,” Nicholas said indignantly.

“You’re nothing to me,” she said, but she reached out for Grandma Doris’s hand. Doris looked at Nicholas, tears of disappointment in her eyes. “But for Grandma Doris’s sake, we’ll help you.”

Paige went to a delicate Louis XV desk and unlocked a drawer. She took out a set of keys and placed some money into an envelope. “Here are the keys to the old house.

“There’s $5,000 in the envelope. Don’t expect more, so don’t bother coming back.”

With her arm around Grandma Doris, Paige walked out of the room. Moments later, the maid returned to escort Nicholas out before he could snatch anything valuable.

Nicholas sat in his car for a long time, staring at his daughter’s estate. “I did what I had to do,” he complained. “Why can’t people understand how much I suffered? There’s no gratitude in this world…”

What can we learn from this story?

Selfish individuals don’t consider the welfare of others, only their own needs. Nicholas did not hesitate to abandon his family as long as he got what he wanted.

You reap what you sow. Nicholas expected to share in his daughter’s prosperity but got a rude awakening. However, thanks to Paige and Doris’s kindness, he received more than he deserved—a roof over his head.

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