After Megan’s parents kick her out at eighteen, she turns her back on her family. But one day, she drives back to her childhood home, only to discover that the house is in her name and her parents have been missing. Years later, she drives by again, only this time, she sees the old house decorated for the holidays. Are her parents back?
It’s been twenty years since I last spoke to my parents. Twenty years since they kicked me out for getting pregnant.
I was 18, young and terrified, but stubborn enough to stand my ground. I still remember my dad’s voice, the anger almost chilling me to my bones.
An upset girl sitting on her bed | Source: Midjourney
“If you leave with him, Megan, don’t bother coming back!” he yelled. “I don’t want to see you again! You’re a mess, and instead of choosing to be better, you’re choosing self-destruction.”
I left anyway.
That same night, my mom stood quietly at the door, her arms wrapped around herself, watching me go. She didn’t say anything; she just let me walk out into the cold.
A shouting man | Source: Midjourney
“That’s it? You’re not going to say anything? Mom, really?” I said.
She opened her mouth for a second. Instead of saying anything, she just went inside and closed the door.
They never forgave me.
But here I am, twenty years later. I’m thirty-eight, with three beautiful kids and a man who’s been by my side through it all. Evan and I were high school sweethearts, and when I got pregnant, I really thought that he was going to leave me.
An upset woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney
“Why would I leave you?” he asked, holding the pregnancy test. “We’re in this together, Megan.”
“But what about your football scholarship to college? You’d give that up?” I asked.
“Of course, I would,” he said. “Let’s do this, Meg. You, me, and the baby!”
Just like that, I decided to tell my parents, which is how my father threw me out.
A teenage couple sitting on a bench | Source: Midjourney
Despite everything, we built a life. A really good life. And let me tell you, I don’t regret a single thing. Evan works hard, and our kids, Ella, Maya, and Ben, are everything I ever dreamed of.
If you had told my 18-year-old self that I’d still be with him two decades later, I would have laughed through my tears.
But here we are.
Happy.
Three children sitting together | Source: Midjourney
The last time I visited my parents’ house was five years ago. They had gone missing on a hiking trip in the mountains. It was supposed to be a short getaway, apparently.
Just a weekend.
But they never came back.
“I’m sorry, Megan,” our neighbor, Mr. Smith, said when I went over to ask about my parents. “You really didn’t hear about it? The incident?”
An older man standing in his doorway | Source: Midjourney
“What incident? What are you talking about?” I asked, an uneasy feeling taking over me.
“They went hiking, Megan. You know, the usual long weekend trips that they make? They left the keys here for me to feed the dog. But at the end of the weekend, they didn’t return.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
A couple hiking | Source: Midjourney
“When they didn’t come back, I reported it to the police, and a search party was sent out. The officers said that all they found were their abandoned backpacks on a cliff,” he sighed.
“No… bodies?” I asked, my voice threatening to break.
As strained as our relationship was, I always expected my parents to be here, at home. For them to always be within those four walls for when I needed them.
I always counted on them to be there for the day I decided to bring my children to meet them.
An upset woman standing on a porch | Source: Midjourney
And now?… they were gone.
“No, sweetheart,” Mr. Smith said. “No bodies, no footprints, nothing. They were just gone. They vanished without a trace.”
After that, it was all about getting the house signed over to me. I didn’t want to do anything with it, I just wanted to keep it there. I went to the police station and the detective signed off on the case as a cold case.
“Move on, Megan,” he said. “We’ve had no leads in years.”
The issue was proving that I was their daughter, luckily there was a clause in my father’s will, stating that everything would be mine if he and my mother passed.
For five years after, the house sat empty. I never had the courage to sell it, though. Something about letting it go felt wrong.
An empty house | Source: Midjourney
So, it just stood there, gathering dust and neglect, frozen in time like a ghost of the past I wasn’t ready to confront.
Until tonight.
It was Christmas Eve. And for reasons I couldn’t explain, I found myself driving toward the old place instead of getting the extra butter that Evan and I needed for the turkey the next day.
The house was abandoned and had been for the past five years. As I drove, I imagined exactly how it would look after all these years. I imagined the cracked front windows and the streaks of graffiti across the walls like battle scars.
An abandoned house with an overgrown garden | Source: Midjourney
I imagined the weeds swallowing the flower beds that my mother used to love, and the wooden porch, which was most likely splintered and sagging under the years of neglect.
When I pulled into the driveway, my chest tightened at the sight of the house.
It was decorated.
Not just randomly decorated, but beautifully decorated. The old garlands of twinkling lights my dad used to string along the eaves were glowing softly against the evening sky.
Christmas decorations on an old house | Source: Midjourney
There was a faded wreath with little bells, which hung crookedly on the front door. There were the familiar plastic candy canes lining the path to the house.
I even recognized the same wooden reindeer we used to set up every December. They were all old and chipped but still standing proudly on the lawn.
My heart raced as I stepped out of the car. How could this be?
Wooden reindeer on a lawn | Source: Midjourney
Who would have done something like this? No one lived there. No one had for years.
As I walked around, I saw a little generator on the porch. It was hooked up to the lights, fueling them among the rest of the desolate house.
The decorations looked exactly the way my dad used to do them. The same lights, the same setup. A lump formed in my throat. It was like stepping back into my childhood, as if time had rewound itself.
A connected generator | Source: Midjourney
Even if it was just for one night.
I had to know who was behind this. I needed to know if it was real or if it was in my head.
The front door was slightly ajar. I hesitated for a moment, my pulse quick and uneven, before gently pushing it open.
Inside, the house smelled of dust and memories, but the living room…
The front door of an empty house | Source: Midjourney
The living room took my breath away.
A Christmas tree stood by the fireplace, just like the ones from my childhood. It was decorated with mismatched ornaments and too many strands of tinsel. The stockings were hung on the mantel, and beneath the tree were a few wrapped presents, tied with fraying ribbons.
And then I saw him.
A man hunched by a fireplace | Source: Midjourney
A figure sat in front of the fireplace, hunched slightly, silhouetted by the glow of the dying fire.
I couldn’t stop myself. The word slipped from my lips before I could think.
“Dad?” I called.
The figure stirred and turned slowly toward me, the firelight flickering across his face.
It wasn’t my dad.
It was a young man in his mid-thirties, I think. His dark hair was tousled, and his face was shadowed by exhaustion. He wore a threadbare coat, and his cheeks were pink from the cold.
But as soon as I saw him, I knew exactly who he was.
“Max?” I whispered.
A close up of a man | Source: Midjourney
His eyes widened, and a small, embarrassed smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You remember me? Megan?”
Of course, I remembered him.
He used to be the little boy who lived next door, the one with the messy hair and a toothy grin. But then, he couldn’t have been older than me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
A smiling young boy | Source: Midjourney
Max glanced around the room.
“I’ve been staying here. Just for the winters, Megan,” he admitted. “It’s the second year now.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“I don’t really have anywhere else to go,” he said, holding his head.
A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
It took me a minute to process what he was saying.
“Max, are you homeless?” I asked.
He gave a small nod.
“Yeah,” he said. “My adoptive parents, the Smiths? They kicked me out, actually. It was after you came around about ten years ago, and my dad told you about your parents. I’ve had some rotten luck, and I guess they just didn’t want to care for me anymore. It’s hard, you know? Finding work. I was between friends for a while… but even they got tired.”
A man sitting next to a fire | Source: Midjourney
My chest tightened at his words.
He glanced around the room, a smile playing on his lips.
“I remembered how your dad used to decorate the house. You guys had the nicest house in the neighborhood. When I was walking around for old time’s sake, I saw that the house was still empty. And I made myself at home… I found the decorations in the basement.”
A basement | Source: Midjourney
We were both quiet for a while.
“Why didn’t you get rid of the place?” he asked me.
“I don’t have any good answers,” I said. “I just wanted to keep it the way it was.”
Max nodded.
A man sitting next to a fire | Source: Midjourney
“I’m sorry if I shouldn’t be here,” Max said. “I just… had nowhere to go. No parents to turn to for the holidays, and honestly, I didn’t think anyone would mind.”
Something broke inside me at that moment. I had been through everything Max had just described.
“Come home with me,” I said. “Nobody should spend Christmas alone. And anyway, I have three kids who will need distracting from the pile of Christmas presents at home.”
A pile of presents under a Christmas tree | Source: Midjourney
Max’s eyes widened, and for a second, he looked like that same little boy from all those years ago, the one who had been desperate for someone to care.
Now, sitting in my living room, watching my kids get to know someone from my past, I realize what I need to do.
Evan and I have some savings. It could be enough to do the house up properly. Once it’s fixed, Max can live there. He can rent out a couple of rooms to boarders if he needs the extra income. It’s not much, but it’s a start, and I know it will give him a chance to get back on his feet.
I put my cup of hot chocolate down on the coffee table. I was getting excited.
House renovations in progress | Source: Midjourney
I don’t know if my parents would approve of the plan, but it doesn’t matter. That house doesn’t belong to their memory anymore. It’s time to give it a new purpose.
And who knows? Maybe the money we make from it will go toward Ella, Maya, or Ben’s college fund someday.
What would you have done?
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
If you’ve enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you |
I Dropped My Naughty Kids at My Parents’ Home — I Was Shocked When They Were Good as Gold When I Picked Them Up
When Cara and her husband get an invitation to an adult-only party, they welcome the break from being parents of three for a few hours. Thankfully, her parents are ready to save the day and babysit the kids. But when Cara and Jason go back to fetch the kids, they’re shocked with the change in their behavior.
“Are you sure that the kids will be okay?” my husband, Jason, asked me as I went through my closet trying to find something to wear.
A woman looking through her closet | Source: Midjourney
“Yes!” I exclaimed. “They will be absolutely fine with my parents.”
“It’s just that you know how they can be,” Jason said. “The kids, not your parents. They’re a handful.”
“They’ll be fine,” I repeated.
A close-up of a smiling man | Source: Midjourney
But my husband wasn’t wrong.
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.
Two Brothers Couldn’t Share Their Grandfather’s Inheritance Until the Old Man Told Them a Wise Way to Do It
John and Matt have never seen eye to eye. From childhood squabbles to adult disagreements, their rivalry only grows stronger. When their beloved grandfather passed away, he left them a sizable inheritance, but there’s a twist. The brothers must find a fair way to split everything. Can the siblings set aside their differences and honor their grandfather’s last wish?
Why do some siblings never get along?
Grayscale image of two boys | Source: Pexels
John and Matt grew up in a cozy suburban home. As children, they constantly competed for their parents’ attention and praise, which led to many arguments. Their parents tried so hard to create harmony between them, but nothing seemed to work.
Two serious-looking boys posing outside their home | Source: Midjourney
Their beloved Grandfather Dudus was always in the middle, trying to reconcile his grandsons. He would sit them down and share wisdom and stories, hoping to mend their bond.
“Brothers should be each other’s best friends,” he often said, but his words fell on deaf ears. John and Matt’s quarrels continued, and the bitterness followed them into adulthood.
A grandfather and his two grandsons | Source: Midjourney
John was the older brother, and he always felt a need to prove himself. He wanted to be the best at everything.
Matt, who was just two years younger, resented always being in his brother’s shadow. He wanted recognition, too, but felt overshadowed by John’s achievements.
Two young men standing with their backs facing each other | Source: Freepik
Their parents were exhausted from the constant bickering. They hoped the brothers would find common ground one day. But that day never came. Small disagreements over toys and games turned into bigger conflicts over achievements.
Grandfather Dudus’s efforts never managed to bridge the gap either. He tried his best to end the conflict between the boys, but John and Matt couldn’t see past their rivalry.
An elderly man sitting on a couch with two boys | Source: Midjourney
Years passed, and the rivalry grew more intense.
John excelled in school, sports, and later in his career. Matt tried different paths to outshine his brother but never felt successful. Their childhood arguments became adult resentments. Family gatherings became tense and uncomfortable.
Two men drinking beer | Source: Freepik
As adults, their relationship remained strained. The unresolved tensions of their childhood had a lasting impact. Despite their parents’ hopes and Grandfather Dudus’s wisdom, John and Matt never found peace. They never became friends.
Then, one day, their beloved Grandpa passed away. John and Matt were heartbroken.
People attending a burial | Source: Unsplash
Despite never listening to him when he tried to make peace between them, they had always loved him deeply. Grandpa Dudus had always been there for them, sharing stories, giving advice, and showing them unconditional love.
After the funeral, the brothers were invited to Dudus’s lawyer’s office. The two brothers shifted in their seats as the lawyer, Mr. Campbell, finally entered and sat down.
A male lawyer | Source: Freepik
“Thank you for coming, boys,” he began as he pulled out a document. “Your grandfather has left a substantial inheritance for both of you. This includes a house, some land, a car, and a significant amount of money in the bank.”
John and Matt exchanged looks, their old rivalry flaring up. The lawyer continued, “But there’s a condition. You can only use the inheritance when you come to me and say you’ve split it fairly, with no complaints.”
A serious-looking man in suit | Source: Freepik
John frowned. “That’s ridiculous! I deserve more! I always took care of Grandpa!”
Matt shook his head. “You? You were never around. I was the one visiting him every week.”
The lawyer raised a hand to calm them. “Gentlemen, your grandfather wanted this to bring you together, not drive you apart.”
A man in suit talking to a person | Source: Midjourney
John’s voice was sharp. “But I did more for him! I should get more!”
“Cut it, John! You’re just trying to take everything, as usual!” Matt sneered.
Two young men in suit chatting at a lawyer’s office | Source: Midjourney
Their voices rose, echoing in the office. The lawyer sighed, watching them argue. He even tried to interrupt them, but neither of the two men would listen.
“I’m not giving in to you, Matt,” John stood up, anger flashing in his eyes. “I deserve a bigger share. I’m the older one.”
A young man in suit talking to his brother | Source: Midjourney
Matt stood up, too, matching his brother’s glare. “How does that make you entitled to a bigger share? If you want to keep doing this, fine! Then we both get nothing. Are you happy with that?”
At that moment, the room fell silent. The lawyer looked at them both and sighed. “Is this how you want to remember your grandfather? By fighting over his gift?”
A senior man in suit looking serious | Source: Freepik
John and Matt looked away, their anger still simmering but mixed with shame.
“Your grandfather believed in both of you. He wanted you to work together. I suggest you take some time to think about this, boys. His legacy is in your hands,” Mr. Campbell finished.
Last will and testament | Source: Unsplash
And so it happened that a week later, in John’s living room, the brothers sat down to negotiate the inheritance. The atmosphere was tense as they each proposed different distributions.
John wanted the house and half of the money, leaving Matt the land, the car, and the rest of the money. Matt, however, felt the house should be shared, with the money and other assets split evenly.
A wooden house and a person stacking coins | Source: Pexels
“You’re just trying to take more than your share!” John accused, his voice rising with a sense of superiority.
Matt, frustrated, shot back, “And you’re being selfish, as always. This isn’t just about you!”
Two men arguing at home | Source: Freepik
Their voices echoed through the house, and every attempt at negotiation ended in frustration. Neither brother was willing to give an inch, and their relationship, already fragile, seemed on the verge of breaking entirely.
“We need to think of what Grandpa wanted,” Matt said, trying to calm the situation. “He wanted us to work together.”
John scoffed. “You think I don’t know that? But I did more for him! I deserve more!”
A man getting aggressive while talking to another man in black | Source: Freepik
“That’s not true, and you know it,” Matt replied, his frustration growing. “We both loved him!”
“You’re impossible to deal with,” John said, shaking his head.
“And you’re just as stubborn,” Matt replied.
A man hiding his one eye with two fingers | Source: Pexels
The brothers eventually sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts. They realized that something had to change, but neither knew how to make the first move.
Meanwhile, the lawyer’s words echoed in their minds: “Your grandfather believed in both of you. His legacy is in your hands.”
A smiling old man | Source: Pexels
Days passed, and the brothers were no closer to an agreement. One afternoon, while arguing on a busy city street, John and Matt were at it again.
“I should get the house and the car,” John insisted, his voice rising. “I took care of Grandpa more than you did!”
Matt’s face turned red. “That’s not true! I visited him every week. You just want the best parts for yourself.”
Two men during an argument | Source: Midjourney
Their heated argument caught the attention of a homeless man sitting nearby. He watched them for a while before approaching.
“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation,” he said gently.
John and Matt stopped arguing and looked at the man with irritation. “What do you want?” Matt snapped.
A homeless man sitting near metal post | Source: Pexels
“Yeah, this is none of your business,” John added dismissively.
The homeless man smiled kindly. “I heard you two arguing about your grandfather’s inheritance. I once heard a parable about two men who couldn’t divide a plot of land. So they came up with an idea. One of the men would divide the plot into two parts as he decided and thought would be fair, and the other was to be the first to choose one of the parts for himself. Thus, the first man did everything to make the parts equal. The other simply chose from the two already equal parts.”
Man in black jacket standing near sidewalk | Source: Pexels
The brothers exchanged glances.
“Maybe we should try it,” John said reluctantly.
Matt nodded, equally hesitant but willing to give it a shot. “Alright, let’s see if it works,” he agreed.
Two men chatting in a street | Source: Midjourney
And so, a few days later, they met in John’s living room again. The tension was still there, but the memory of the homeless man’s story gave them hope. John took a deep breath and said, “I’ll divide the inheritance. You choose first.”
Matt nodded. “Okay, let’s see what you come up with.”
Two men chatting at home | Source: Midjourney
John carefully divided the assets: the house, the car, the land, and the money. He made sure each part was as equal as possible. When he finished, he looked at Matt. “Here you go.”
Matt studied the divisions, his face thoughtful. After a long pause, he pointed to one half. “I’ll take this one.”
John nodded, a sense of relief washing over him. “Alright. That’s fair.”
Two men at home | Source: Midjourney
A week later, John and Matt found themselves back in the lawyer’s office, but this time, their demeanor was markedly different from their previous visit.
When they presented their decision to Mr. Campbell, he was pleasantly surprised by the fairness of their division. “For the first time, I see you two agreeing on something,” he remarked, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
A smiling man sitting with a laptop and some documents | Source: Pexels
John and Matt exchanged glances. “We realized it was the best way to honor Grandpa,” John said.
Matt nodded. “It wasn’t easy, but we managed.”
Mr. Campbell looked at them, pleased. “It’s a testament to your grandfather’s wisdom and his enduring influence on your lives. Well done, boys.”
A senior man looking genuinely pleased | Source: Pexels
As they signed the necessary documents, Mr. Campbell observed the transformation in their relationship. The brothers, once bitter rivals, now stood as partners and friends.
Walking out of the lawyer’s office, John turned to Matt and extended his hand. “Let’s make this work,” he said sincerely.
Matt shook his brother’s hand firmly. “Agreed. For Grandpa.”
Two happy men walking together | Source: Freepik
“I still can’t believe we did it, though. We actually worked together.”
Matt smiled. “Yeah, it feels good. Grandpa would be proud.”
John chuckled. “I never thought we’d see the day when we weren’t at each other’s throats.”
An old man holding a cane | Source: Pexels
Matt laughed. “Me neither. But here we are.”
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