Kid Hears Stepmom Talking on the Phone, He Rushes to Leave but the Door Is Locked — Story of the Day

A child accidentally overheard his stepmother talking about sending him off somewhere on the phone and quickly assumed the worst, so he tried to run away.

Tim was an 11-year-old boy whose mother passed away when he was three years younger. His father, John, had remained single ever since, and over the years, his relationship with his son only grew stronger.

They had all sorts of fun together, and John did his best to make sure Tim did not miss his mother's loving touch. However, unknown to the 11-year-old, his father was also actively seeking a woman who would be his mother.

John knew he could only do so much to keep his son happy, and he felt having a wife who would take care of them both would make life better and complete his son's childhood.

John searched for two years, and when he finally decided upon a woman, he invited her to his house to meet his son. Her name was Olivia, a beautiful woman he met at his workplace.

They started dating months after they ran into each other, but John had kept it from his son to avoid getting his heart broken had things not worked out.

After several months of dating, John got her pregnant and proposed to her. She accepted his proposal, so he decided it was time he told his son. He waited till the weekend when Tim would not be at school.

"Tim, I want you to stay indoors today," he said.

"But dad I'd like to play football today," Tim complained.

"Don't worry, you'll still be able to play," John said. "But I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?!" Tim exclaimed excitedly. He loved gifts.

"You'll see," John answered.

"Is it a dog?" Tim asked. "I've always wanted a dog."

After making sure Tim would remain indoors, John left to get Olivia. When he returned, Tim was shocked to see her baby bump. She was nine months pregnant and would be due anytime.

Introductions were made, and because Tim saw that his father seemed happy around Olivia, he decided not to throw any tantrums. However, deep inside, he did not like that his father was giving her more attention.

They got married a few days later, and she moved in with them. Tim got increasingly jealous of Olivia because of all the time she was spending with his father.

They were always talking about the new baby, so Tim figured they had plans to get rid of him. One day he overheard Olivia talking to someone on the phone.

" — I will send Tim there, let him figure it out on his own."

Tim was stunned. His young mind raced as he started to imagine what his stepmom could possibly have in store for him. None of the scenarios in his head were good, so he decided he would rather run away than give in.

He quickly snuck past Olivia, who had her back to him, and headed directly for the front door. It was locked, and no matter how hard Tim shook it, it refused to budge. Tim felt trapped.

What he'd overheard kept playing over and over in his head, and it got him so flustered he did not notice that Olivia had finished making her call and had materialized behind him to see what he was up to.

Her nearness unnerved him even more, and he started to panic. Olivia tried to calm him down, but he shrugged off her help and stormed away from her.

The next day, he went to a river close to their home to think about what he would do to get rid of Olivia before she could get rid of him.

She joined him at the river later that day, but Tim was still feeling angry, so he got into a dispute with her right there. It escalated when Olivia tried to gather Tim in a hug, hoping to comfort him; Tim pushed her away and she fell straight into the river.

Heavy as she was with the child, Olivia could not swim, so she started to drown. Tim considered letting her drown briefly, then he remembered his father and realized he was doing a terrible thing.

Tim jumped into the river and helped Olivia get to shore, where she promptly collapsed out of exhaustion. He remained by her side as she recovered her strength and decided to confess about what had been eating at him.

"I heard you talking on the phone about getting rid of me," he said sadly.

"What?" Olivia was stunned. "That's a silly thing to think of, Tim."

"I thought you didn't want me around because all you do with my father is talk about the new baby."

"Tim, the new baby will be your stepbrother and you two will have lots of fun together," Olivia told him.

"What about who you were talking to?" Tim asked, afraid to believe her.

"Well, it's supposed to be a surprise but I'll tell you," she answered. "Your dad and I just bought a bigger house we will move into soon and I was going to send you to the pet shop to choose a dog before we did. Your father said you have always wanted one."

Tim could not believe his ears. He was getting a dog and a stepbrother to play with. He apologized for his actions, and Olivia promised to keep what happened from his father. The next day, she went into labor and gave birth to a baby boy.

What did we learn from this story?

• Never act out of jealousy. Tim did many wrong things because of his jealousy. It took a near-fatal accident to make him realize how terrible he was acting. Jealousy is a bad emotion, and decisions influenced by it are never good.
• Listen before acting. Tim overheard only one part of Olivia's phone call and had immediately jumped to the conclusion that turned him into a bitter boy who almost took a life. Luckily, he did not, but it could have been avoided had he been more open to listening.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man whose daughter absconded from home as a teenager, but a year later, she sent him a letter that made his heart sink.

This account is inspired by our reader's story but written by a professional writer. All names have been changed to protect identities and ensure privacy. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.