A man left his young daughter with his mother to start a new life with his wife. When he returns ten years later, he’s shocked to find both his mother and daughter gone, with no sign of where they went.
Doris Dakkar had been a single mother to her son, Nicholas, after her husband left when Nicholas was seven. Life had been tough, but Doris worked two jobs to make sure Nicholas had everything he needed.
At that time, Doris was only thirty. She never thought she’d be raising a child alone again at sixty, nor did she expect Nicholas would abandon his own daughter, just like his father did.
Nicholas had married a wonderful woman named Sandra, but sadly, she passed away when their daughter, Paige, was nine years old. Shortly after Sandra’s death, Nicholas started a relationship with a woman named Donna and married her within six months. Doris, his mother, believed that Nicholas was just lonely.
Doris noticed that Paige, who used to be a happy and playful child, became quiet and withdrawn. Doris thought it was because Paige was grieving her mother’s death. She still believed her son was a good man, but that changed soon.
Selfish people don’t care about others’ happiness.
The summer Paige turned ten, Nicholas asked Doris if she could look after Paige for three weeks while he and Donna went on a vacation to Alaska.
“Every couple needs time alone, Mom,” Nicholas said. “Paige has been difficult lately… She doesn’t like Donna.”
Doris was surprised but agreed. “Alright, Nicky. A break might help all of you. But Donna knew you had a daughter when she married you. A grown woman should be able to handle a ten-year-old who is still trying to cope with her mother’s death and her father’s quick remarriage.”
Nicholas turned red with anger. “I should’ve known you’d take Paige’s side!” he shouted. “Donna makes me happy, and that’s all that matters!”
“I thought someone had to be on Paige’s side, and I’m surprised it’s not her father,” Doris replied. “Making your daughter happy should make you happy, too!”
Nicholas stormed out, but when he returned a week later to drop off Paige, he seemed like his usual self. He kissed Paige goodbye and hugged Doris.
“I’ll be back on August 27, Mom,” he said, then drove off, waving happily.
But August 27 came and went, and Nicholas never returned. Doris tried calling him, only to discover his number had been disconnected. He hadn’t called his daughter since he left, but sometimes replied to her text messages.
Now, it seemed he had disappeared. Doris found out that the house Nicholas and Sandra owned had been sold. He was gone.
He had abandoned his daughter with his elderly mother, showing no concern for her.
Doris sat down with Paige and reassured her, “We’ll be okay, you and I. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you. I love you, and one day, your father will regret what he’s done.”
Ten years later, Nicholas returned to his mother’s house. He was shocked to see the house looked abandoned, with an overgrown garden and boarded-up windows.
He knocked on a neighbor’s door. The woman seemed surprised to see him and hesitated to give him Paige’s new address. She looked at his shabby clothes and rusty car.
“Paige is married now, and Doris lives with her. I wouldn’t expect a warm welcome after what you did,” she said coldly.
Nicholas didn’t respond and walked away, confident he could charm his mother.
When he arrived at Paige’s new address, he was stunned. It was a luxurious mansion. He rang the doorbell and told the maid, “I’m here to see Doris or Paige Dakkar.”
The maid corrected him, “You mean Mrs. Dakkar or Mrs. Henderson,” and led him to a grand sitting room.
A few minutes later, Paige walked in. She looked at him silently, showing no surprise. Nicholas guessed the neighbor had warned them he was coming.
“Paige, my baby,” Nicholas said, stepping forward to hug the beautiful young woman his daughter had become.
“What do you want, father?” she asked calmly, without anger.
“I wanted to see you and Grandma Doris. I’ve missed you both so much,” Nicholas said, forcing a smile.
Doris walked in then, looking calm and younger than her age. “Nicholas, why are you here?” she asked.
“I came to see my family,” Nicholas said, raising his voice. “I was hoping for a warm welcome!”
“You abandoned me, father,” Paige said coldly. “Did you really expect a warm welcome?”
“It wasn’t my fault,” Nicholas whined. “Donna said she’d leave me if I didn’t go with her.”
Doris smirked. “But Donna’s not here now. Did she leave when the money ran out?”
Nicholas glanced around the room enviously. “You seem to be doing well. I’m unemployed and struggling. Can’t you help me out?”
“I’m surprised you’d ask for help after abandoning us,” Paige said. “But for Grandma Doris’s sake, I’ll help.”
Paige went to a fancy desk, unlocked a drawer, and took out an envelope and a set of keys. “These are the keys to the old house, and there’s $5,000 in here. Don’t come back asking for more.”
Paige hugged Doris and walked out of the room. Moments later, the maid arrived and escorted Nicholas out before he could take anything valuable.
Nicholas sat in his car outside the mansion for a long time. “I did what I had to do,” he muttered. “Why can’t anyone understand how much I’ve suffered? There’s no gratitude in this world…”
My Husband Is Simping over His Sister-in-Law Like Crazy – I Had Enough & Gave Him a Lesson of Respect He Will Never Forget
My husband always praises and compliments his sister-in-law like she is the most perfect human being. Even when she is not around, he talks about her. It makes me feel awful compared to her. One day, I taught him a lesson that nearly made him cry.
My husband, Jerry, and I have been married for almost four years. We have two beautiful children, and while our lives have been busy and chaotic, we’ve managed to keep our relationship strong.
Parents with their two kids outdoors | Source: FreePik
Besides the occasional arguments, there is one thing Jerry does that annoys me. I don’t know if my husband does this on purpose or if just has a low EQ, but he knows that it bothers me yet he still does it.
A woman annoyed at a man | Source: Pexels
He thinks the sun shines out of his sister-in-law’s bottom. He sees her as a goddess, the embodiment of perfection. Nothing she says or does is wrong. Whenever we visit her, Jerry talks about her for three to four days afterward like he is in a trance. He compliments LITERALLY EVERYTHING she does.
One would think he was cheating, but I am sure he is not. They don’t even talk besides the times we all get together. Is he in love with her? I have no idea, but he is definitely insensitive towards my feelings.
A man in admiration | Source: FreePik
His sister-in-law, Grace, is married to Jerry’s brother, Martin. She’s always been the picture-perfect homemaker: three kids, an immaculate house, homemade meals. She somehow always looks put together. She makes motherhood seem so easy.
I’ve always admired her but never felt the need to compete. However, Jerry’s constant praise of her started to wear me down. One of our recent visits got the best of me, so I decided to give my husband a taste of his own medicine.
A woman annoyed | Source: FreePik
We visited last weekend to see their new baby. I swear he was paying more attention to her and the baby than he ever did to me or any of our children. He complimented everything about her, from how she looked to how clean the house was to the delicious food.
A woman cleaning the house | Source: Pexels
“Wow, Grace! No one would ever think you had just given birth. You look incredible!” he said as we entered their home.
He even praised how she made the bread and how she managed to recall our favorite dishes and desserts. “You are a superwoman,” he said. “Definitely limited edition.” I literally had it with him and said “enough” a couple of times, but he just ignored me. Meanwhile, Grace just giggled and welcomed the compliments.
A woman baking | Source: Pexels
At one point, she noticed that I was no longer comfortable with Jerry’s admiration. She would try to instead compliment me, but it was like my husband heard nothing.
Even when we arrived home, the praising continued. “Honey, isn’t it amazing how Grace can manage three kids and keep their home so neat and clean? What does that woman take?!” I tried to change the topic several times and even showed him I was annoyed. Still, Jerry kept going on as if he couldn’t take a hint.
A man talking to a woman | Source: FreePik
I had enough. So, yesterday, when we went to his sister-in-law’s again, I decided to turn the tables. As soon as we arrived, I started laying it on thick. We had a barbecue on their patio and Martin was behind the grilling. “Isn’t Martin amazing?” I said to Jerry’s sister-in-law. “He helps out so much and hasn’t succumbed to the dad bod yet. How incredible.”
A woman smiling at a man | Source: FreePik
My husband looked at me, startled, while his sister-in-law’s eyes widened. But I wasn’t done. “He is so fit in his 40s!” True enough, Martin was in shape and regularly went to the gym. He also watched what he ate.
I continued, ignoring the increasingly tense atmosphere. As we were about to go home, I noticed their new patio decor and added it to my list of compliments. “Did you build those, Martin?” I asked. “Wow, you have golden hands. Jerry can’t even screw in a light bulb,” I quipped.
Home patio decor | Source: Pexels
My brother-in-law, Martin, looked content receiving the compliments, smiling modestly. But his wife, Grace, and my husband, Jerry, visibly looked awkward. Jerry’s face turned red, and he started fidgeting.
When I mentioned how great Martin’s hair was, Jerry, who had hair problems and was slowly becoming bald, suddenly ran to our car.
An upset man | Source: FreePik
I excused myself and went after him. I found him in our car, nearly crying. “Okay, I got it,” he said. “My brother is better than me in everything, so why did you marry me then?”
Jerry went on to say that he has always been compared to his brother. However, hearing it from me made it sting even more. He went on to accuse me of being in love with his brother, and I just laughed.
A couple fighting in the car | Source: Pexels
I took a deep breath and replied calmly, “I just did the same thing you’ve been doing to me for the last few years.”
“What do you mean?” he replied.
“I mean, you always praise Grace in front of my face. You’re so obsessed with that you talk about her even when we’re no longer in their home. You make her seem like a God! Maybe YOU are in love with her!”
A couple fighting in the car | Source: Pexels
He was silent for a moment, then drove home suddenly. He was quiet for the rest of the evening and slept much earlier than usual.
A man in tears | Source: Pexels
The next morning, he came to me with flowers and an apology. “I’m so sorry, Penelope,” he began. “I appreciated Grace’s housekeeping skills because it was hard for me to manage work and house chores. I wasn’t complimenting her in comparison to you. I was complimenting her in comparison to ME.”
A man holding a bouquet of roses | Source: FreePik
He added, “I have been feeling like a lousy husband when it comes to household work, and I just wish I could be more like her. But I hadn’t realized how my words affected you. I promise to become a better husband and pay you more attention.”
I looked at him, holding the bouquet, his eyes filled with remorse and tears about to fall. Part of me wanted to believe him, to forgive and move on. But another part of me was still hurt, still stinging from the months of feeling second best.
A thinking woman | Source: FreePik
The next few weeks were a mixture of cautious hope and lingering doubt. Jerry started making small changes. He was helping more around the house, planning surprise date nights, and most importantly, expressing genuine appreciation for everything I did.
Maybe everything he said was true, but the fact that my husband felt that way meant I did something or didn’t do something. Was I lacking in making him feel appreciated? Was he just that insensitive to my feelings?
Unlike Jerry, another husband has been making his wife feel wonderful. At 50, he began to change into the man he was when she fell in love.
My Husband Turned 50 and He Suddenly Became the Man I Married
My husband, Chris, and I have been married for over twenty years. He has always been a good man and a wonderful father to our kids. In the early days, he was incredibly affectionate, and couldn’t keep his hands off me. We had this electric chemistry that I thought would never fade.
A couple enjoying time on the internet | Source: Pexels
But, after the kids came along, things started to change. The affection, the romance, and even the playful flirting that we once had, all began to fade away. It got to the point where I felt like we were just roommates. I read about couples losing intimacy and romance after having children, but I didn’t think it would happen to me.
A woman on her laptop and her family sleeping on the bed | Source: Pexels
Then, two months ago, something completely unexpected happened. Out of the blue, Chris asked me if I wanted to go away for the weekend, just the two of us. It was such a shock that I almost didn’t believe it at first. We hadn’t done something like that in years. But I agreed, hoping it would rekindle some of what we had lost.
A couple sitting by the beach | Source: Pexels
When we got back home, his new attitude continued. He started losing weight and getting more toned. He looked better than he did when we got married, and I found it difficult to keep my hands off him. I couldn’t help but wonder what had caused this sudden transformation.
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.
Leave a Reply