On his deathbed, a rich old man revealed his nurse of ten years was actually his biological daughter. The sudden confession left his other children shocked and regretful of how they treated the woman all those years.
Alice started working for Martin after leaving the foster system when she was 17 years old. At the time, the job was recommended to her by her foster mother, who was a good friend of the wealthy blind man.
One day, Alice was making Martin breakfast, his favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwich, when they started reminiscing about the first time they’d met.
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“Tell me, Alice, how long has it been since you started working here?” Martin asked Alice out of nowhere.
“Hmmm, I think it’s been ten years, sir!” Alice replied as she spread the peanut butter and jelly mix on a piece of bread. “I remember that time so well. I was afraid of leaving the foster care system because I didn’t think anyone would hire me. Then Mrs. Chester said you needed a nurse and here I am!”
“Why is it that you only ever make breakfast for dad? You’re a slave, you’re supposed to be serving everyone at home,” he scoffed at Alice. The word “slave” made Alice’s stomach twist, and she was close to tears when she heard it.
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“Adam!” Martin suddenly yelled, making both Alice and Adam jump in surprise. “How dare you call Alice a slave! Insult her once more and you can forget that you’re my son! Get out of here before you make me even angrier!” he said.
Adam shook his head and slowly left the kitchen. “I don’t understand why you favor her over your own son,” he muttered as he left.
“I can tell that you’re sad,” Martin told Alice. “I’m sorry about how my children treat you. I don’t know what my wife and I did for them to grow up that way.”
“It’s alright, sir. I’m here for you anyway, not for them. I’m so lucky to have you as my employer. You are so kind to me, and that’s all that matters. I see you as the only father figure I’ve ever had in my life,” Alice admitted.
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Martin’s face suddenly fell as he heard this. However, he slowly recovered and tried to put a smile back on his face. “Your birthday is coming up, right?” he asked her.
“We will celebrate.”
Three days later, it was Alice’s 30th birthday. When she went to prepare breakfast, Martin was already in the kitchen with a smile on his face. Beside him were his sons Adam and James, and his daughters Lucy and Eva.
Alice checked the clock on the wall, and it read six in the morning. She started to panic about not preparing breakfast on time, as she knew that Martin and his children usually woke up at eight.
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“Alice, are you here?” Martin asked.
“Yes, sir,” Alice said frantically. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were going to wake up early today. I’ll get breakfast ready soon,” she said, rushing to get some ingredients out of the refrigerator.
“Breakfast can wait,” Martin suddenly interrupted. “I have a gift waiting for you outside, Alice. Happy 30th birthday,” he said. He slowly stood up, trying to get a feel of his surroundings.
“A gift outside?” James asked.
“You’ve never given me a gift that needed us to go outdoors,” Eva added.
Alice guided Martin out the door, as his four children followed behind them. When they got out, a small car with a ribbon on top was waiting for them.
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“Unbelievable! Are you serious?” Adam scoffed.
“Alice has been by my side for ten years. She is family to me, and nothing you can say will ever change that,” Martin told his children.
That day, Martin hosted a small party in Alice’s honor. They were joined by other caretakers in his large property — his gardener, driver, and housekeeper.
“Thank you, sir. I don’t know what I did to deserve your kindness, but I promise to do my job well for as long as you need me,” Alice promised.
Through the years, Alice saw Martin as a father she enjoyed spending time with rather than her boss. Likewise, Martin treated Alice like his own daughter.
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Martin’s health started to deteriorate when he turned 80 years old. At one point, he felt the end of his life was near, so he asked to see all of his children, including Alice.
“I know you all have been wondering who I’m leaving my estate to. Lucy, Eva, Adam, and James, you already have control of the business I started. You can continue to run it. As for this house, everything in it, and my money, I give it all to Alice.”
“What?! What did this witch tell you?! Why are you leaving your inheritance to her?!” Lucy protested.
“You will hear from my lawyer! From ALL our lawyers,” Adam said.
“That is precisely why I decided to leave everything to Alice; because I knew you were only after my money. It was only Alice who took care of me all these years. And besides, there’s something I haven’t told you…” Martin said.
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“I’m sorry it took me this long, but I did not want anything to change, that is why I am only telling you now. Alice, you are my biological daughter… Your mother left me when she found out I couldn’t marry her. I had to marry somebody else. When she died, you were left in the orphanage, and my friend became your foster mother. She only told me you were my daughter when you were 17,” Martin said with tears in his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Alice. I hope I was able to treat you well in the years that we knew each other. I love you,” he told her.
Alice hugged Martin tearfully. “I love you,” she whispered. “I’ve always felt you were my dad, and now, what you said confirms it. I am so grateful for the time we shared, dad.”
What can we learn from this story?
Be nice to those who help you. Everybody deserves the same respect. Martin’s children did not respect Alice because they thought of her as a housemaid and not their equal. It was Martin who had to keep reminding them to respect Alice, who has worked hard to help their family through the years.
It’s never too late to make things right. Martin only found out that Alice was his daughter when she was seventeen, but he made sure to try and make things right with her for the rest of his life.
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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a poor girl who was the only one who visited her grandma’s grave regularly. One day, she meets the late lady’s lawyer there with a message for her.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only.
