Rude Son Disrespects Gardener, Regrets It Later - Story of the Day

A rude man tries to get his home gardener fired for being too poor but gets the surprise of a lifetime when his rich father reveals the truth.

Harry grew up in an incredibly wealthy family, thanks to his father’s company. Mr. Adam Mitchell had inherited it from his own father but built it from a small firm into a huge conglomerate.

Unfortunately, Harry lost his mother when he was still a child, and Mr. Mitchell was busy with work. So, the young boy was raised with nannies and was never taught the word “no” because of his father's guilt for not being there more often.

His son had always been a wonderful boy when his wife was around, but Mr. Mitchell was starting to notice that his son had changed. He was often called into Harry’s school because of his attitude.

All his friends were rich, but Harry found ways to bully the other kids in his private school. He was particularly harsh on the scholarship children who couldn’t afford tuition there without it.

“Harry, you’re behaving like an entitled brat,” Mr. Mitchell said on a rare occasion he was home.

Harry was sitting in his room playing with his phone and barely listening to his father. “Oh. So, now you’re going to play the role of concerned father?” he said disdainfully.

“Son, please. I know I have not been around much, but I did the best I could when your mother died,” his father added.

“Don’t talk about her. Look, those kids just exaggerated everything. We were playing around. It’s not a big deal,” Harry explained.

“It’s a big enough deal that the school called me,” Mr. Mitchell continued.

“Because they lied!” he said, exasperated. “You can’t possibly believe them more than me, Dad. Besides, those kids shouldn’t even be at our school. They wouldn’t if you hadn’t given them scholarships.”

“Harry, come on, boy. One of those kids is our gardener Tony’s son. Alex is a nice boy. You guys used to play all the time together when he came with his father,” his father chided.

“Ew, Dad. Please don’t remind me. How could you let me hang out with the help?” Harry added as he stood up and logged onto his computer. Mr. Mitchell didn’t know how to answer that question.

His wife had been such a loving creature, and everyone in their family understood that all this money didn’t make them better than anyone. Yet, his own son hated someone because he wasn’t rich like him.

He felt like a failure but walked away, for now, resolving that he would try to be home more often and teach Harry better. And Mr. Mitchell kept his promise. He was home for dinner more often and spent it with Harry.

Father and son had more in common than they ever imagined. He also wondered if Harry could use some therapy, as he might not have dealt with his wife’s passing properly.

One day, Mr. Mitchell actually had time to walk through his vast gardens. He hadn’t done so in years, as his wife had adored their beautiful landscape. He even spotted Tony.

“Hey, Tony! How are you doing today?” he asked, approaching the gardener who had been with them as long as he could remember.

“Good morning, Mr. Mitchell. I’m doing well. The flowers are really blooming this season,” Tony answered.

“Listen. I wanted to ask. How is your son doing at school? Is Alex getting along with everyone?” Mr. Mitchell asked although he knew that Harry might have been harsh on the kid.

“Oh, sir. I… I don’t know what to say. You were so generous with Alex. I could never repay such a thing. But…Alex is going to return to the public soon,” the gardener answered hesitantly.

“Why? Don’t do that, Tony. This school will open so many doors for him. It’s almost a guaranteed acceptance to college,” Mr. Mitchell started.

“I know, sir. But it’s just… he’s being bullied every single day and comes home in the worst moods. Yesterday, he finally broke down and cried to my wife. I can’t stand to see it,” Tony explained.

“Who bullied him? I will talk with their parents. This is unacceptable!” Mr. Mitchell said. Tony didn’t answer immediately and looked away toward his flowers. That’s when Mr. Mitchell understood the truth.

Harry was Alex’s bully, and his gardener didn’t know how to say this for fear of losing his job. “Tony, you have this job here for as long as you want it. My wife adored you, and having you keep this garden is like keeping her memory alive,” Mr. Mitchell answered.

“Mr. Mitchell. I’m so sorry. I never imagined this would happen. Alex and Harry used to run around these grounds all the time. I thought they would have a good time as school friends,” the gardener finally said.

“Don’t worry. I will put a stop to this right now,” Mr. Mitchell said and walked towards Harry’s room. He heard his son talking on the phone and stopped for a second to gather himself before knocking on his door.

“My dad’s such a loser,” Harry started. Mr. Mitchell stopped dead. “Now, he’s trying to play the role of a concerned father. Whatever, dude. I can’t wait for college. It’s going to be amazing, and I hope he dies soon.”

Mr. Mitchell couldn’t believe his ears. His own son had grown up in this manner. He knew it was partly his fault for not being there, but this was just too much.

“Yeah, I can’t even stand to talk to him anymore. He loves to help out poor kids. I’m going to get Alex expelled if it’s the last thing I do. Then his father, our gardener, will be fired too,” Harry continued. Mr. Mitchell couldn’t talk to his son after hearing that.

Instead, he came up with a plan and called his lawyer. It wasn’t long before the school called again. Apparently, Harry had set something up to make Alex take the fall and be expelled from the institution.

Mr. Mitchell showed up and saw Harry with his friends smirking outside the principal’s office while Alex sat in tears inside. He went in and talked to the principal. Alex would not lose his spot in this school, although Harry had convinced all the teachers that he was at fault.

When he emerged from the principal’s office, Harry approached him. “Hey, Dad. What happened in there? Is Alex finally going back to his riff-raff school?” he asked.

“No. He’s staying right here because I know who did it. It was you,” Mr. Mitchell told his son with a stern face.

“No. No. That’s not fair. You don’t know what happened. I didn’t do anything,” Harry tried convincing him.

“Is that why you were laughing with your friends?” his father asked but continued talking before Harry could answer. “Save it. I don’t want to hear whatever lie you came up with. Now, say goodbye to your friends. Because you are out of this school and will finish high school at the public one downtown.”

“What?” Harry exclaimed.

“Oh, that’s not all. As of right now, Tony and his family are set to inherit my company and all my assets. We don’t have any other family left, and you are not suited for the job,” his dad revealed.

“How could you do this? I AM YOUR SON!” Harry yelled as his father started walking away.

“No, you’re not the son your mother raised you to be when she was alive. I hope to see that person again. But this time, you’re going to have to earn your privilege,” Mr. Mitchell added and kept walking.

What can we learn from this story?

1. Don’t abuse your privilege. Harry had everything and hated those who didn’t. In the end, he got a harsh punishment.

2. Be there to raise your kids. You need to be there for your kids, or you won’t recognize them in the future.

Share this story with your friends. It might inspire people to share their own stories or to help someone else.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who makes fun of his friend for wanting to be a musician.

This account is inspired by a subscriber's story. All names have been changed to protect identities and ensure privacy. If you would like to share your story with us, please send it to info@amomama.com.