Old Businessman Pretends to Disinherit His Grandson to Test His Fiancée – Story of the Day

Having lived long enough to know how the world works, an old, wealthy businessman pretended to disinherit his grandson to see whether his fiancée would stand by him.

Arthur Finley was a wealthy businessman. He ran multiple companies that he'd built through sweat and tears. He had set up his first small start-up forty-five years ago, at only 25.

He was now 70, and his hard work was paying off. The business was booming, and he had expanded to over five states. He oversaw the main office in California and had more than 20 workers.

Among them was his grandson, Jason. Jason had studied Electrical Engineering at the University of New York. His mother, Arthur's only daughter, lived in New York, where she'd moved after getting married.

During Jason's graduation, his grandfather had said to him, "Jason, if you do not have any job offers yet, I'd like you to come work for me."

"Are you sure, grandpa? I mean, it would be an exciting opportunity for me," Jason replied, excited.

"Only if you want to. I could teach you the ropes," Arthur teased. And with that, Jason landed himself a position in one of the states' largest companies. Since then, Jason had been working at the company alongside his grandfather, learning the ins and outs of the business.

Everyone who knew Arthur knew how fond he was of his grandson, and it was no secret that he would inherit all his grandfather's fortune and companies once Arthur passed on.

Being his only grandson, Jason was close to Arthur, and whenever they were not at work, they would spend some more time together. Jason loved drinking from his grandfather's unending well of wisdom.

On the other hand, Arthur loved how conversant Jason was with the ways of the current world -- the millennial world. They never got bored of each other's company.

Jason's secretary had recently handed in her resignation, and a new one had filled the spot. Sara was a long-legged blonde in her mid-20's. She came from an influential family, and her parents were friends with Jason's parents. That's how she'd landed the job at Arthur's company.

As soon as she started work at the company, she began flirting heavily with Jason and showering him with attention. Jason's parents started throwing hints at him, asking if he liked Sara.

One evening, they dropped by to see their son, and they all went to a nearby restaurant to grab dinner. "How do you like Sara?" inquired Jason's dad, even before they sat down.

"She's alright. She works hard at her job," Jason answered.

"Nothing more? I mean, she's a beautiful girl," said his mother, throwing a quick wink at her husband.

"What do you mean?" asked Jason, but before the words were barely out of his mouth, he realized what was happening. His parents wanted him and Sara to date. They had found work for Sara at his grandfather's company intending to place them along each other's paths.

While the idea did not sit well with Jason, he began recalling all his encounters with Sara and realized she considered him more than just her boss. The realization hit him hard, but he decided he would give it a try.

Jason did not have a special girl in mind, and he stood to lose nothing if the relationship failed. He slowly began giving Sara more attention and soon realized that she was undeniably in love with him.

However, a thought always tagged at Jason's mind. Could Sara be after his money? Could this have been a scheme by his parents to marry Sara for profit? As months went by, however, Jason decided to go ahead and court her.

Soon after, the two were making plans to wed. Everyone at the company congratulated them, saying they were the perfect match. However, he could not shake the little voice at the back of his mind telling him Sara was not genuine.

One evening, Jason was immersed in thought and decided to take a walk and stop for dinner at a restaurant near his apartment. Once inside, he did not notice a waitress in his path and knocked her over. Her tray fell from her tiny hands and splattered everything.

As Jason bent down to help her clean the mess, he looked up and into the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. "Hi...hi...I'm Jason. Sorry about the mess," he exclaimed as he stretched his hand towards her.

The waitress shook his extended hand and replied, "I'm Chloe. And I'm sorry. I should have checked where I was going."

"This is entirely my fault. Don't worry about it," Jason said. "I'll pay for everything, and take you out to dinner as an apology."

"I don't know. I just started my shift," Chloe replied. After a little more back and forth, they agreed to meet up on Chloe's day off.

Jason could not believe how lucky he was. Chloe was beautiful, and in the few moments he'd stared at her eyes, he'd fallen in love. He'd been dating Sara for months, and he'd never felt anything close to what he felt when he looked at Chloe.

His feelings were confirmed when they went on the dinner date. Chloe was fun, goofy, and she challenged him. They talked for hours, and by the time they parted ways, Jason knew his fate was sealed. His parents would not be happy about it, but he was ready to take the risk.

One morning, Jason sat at his desk with a faraway look in his eyes. He wondered how he'd break the news to his parents and Sara that he'd fallen in love with someone else. He was so distracted he did not hear or see his grandfather enter his office.

Arthur noticed his grandson looked uneasy and asked what was happening. "You seem troubled, son. What's on your mind?" asked Arthur.

"I don't know, grandpa. I...I met a girl," he stammered, searching for a reaction from his grandfather's face, "I've dated Sara for months, but I still can't shake this bad feeling about her. But Chloe...Chloe...I don't know what to do!" he confessed.

Jason disclosed that he felt Sara was after his money, and he almost screamed with frustration when he saw a big smile plastered on his grandfather's face.

"That's easy, Jason. Let's put her to the test," Arthur said.

"But how? We're already planning to get married," Jason replied. "Isn't it too late?"

"Too late? No! We have the perfect timing!" said Arthur, excited.

As Arthur laid down the plot for Jason, it soon became clear what he needed to do. They both stood up and walked close to the door, then Arthur started shouting at Jason.

"I cannot believe this!" shouted Arthur. "How could you go behind my back like this?"

"I'm sorry, grandpa, I didn't mean for you to find out like this," Jason said, his voice shaky.

Confident that they now had Sara's attention, Arthur continued, "You've betrayed me. You're fired!"

Jason scrambled around then began storming out of his office when his grandfather shouted, " And, you are disinherited!"

Jason was now in front of Sara's desk and was sure she had heard everything. He approached her, but even from a distance, he could see her demeanor had changed.

Jason walked up to Sara, who hugged and comforted him, telling him things would be alright. Jason then walked out, leaving all employees shocked. For the next three days, Jason seemed stressed up. Sara could tell he was worried about having "lost" his job.

She was, however, still supportive, and for a brief moment, Jason began thinking he'd been wrong about her. But his fears were confirmed one evening. Sara called to say she wanted them to talk, then a few minutes later, dropped by Jason's house.

"Why did your grandfather fire you?" Sara asked the seemingly stressed-out Jason. "What did you do?"

"I made some deals behind his back that did not go so well," answered Jason.

"Do you think he can forgive you? Maybe take you back?" Sara wondered, hopeful.

"I doubt it. I did something I shouldn't have, and I would understand if he never forgives me," Jason answered, studying Sara's eyes.

The two spoke for a while, and when Jason mentioned that he would start looking for work elsewhere, Sara could no longer take it and said, "You know, Jason, I've been meaning to tell you. I don't think I can go ahead with the wedding."

"Why?" Jason said, shocked. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No. No. I just don't feel ready for marriage," said Sara.

"What has changed?" Jason wondered, realizing he had been right about her all along.

"Nothing, I've just been thinking about us and felt that we needed some time apart to figure things out," Sara answered, and with that, she picked up her handbag and left.

Jason feigned shock but was happy he got his answer. He walked back to his office the following day and high-fived his grandfather. Their plan to expose Sara had worked.

Arthur, however, suggested they test Chloe, but when Jason told her his grandfather had disinherited him, she said she would support him until he found a job somewhere else.

Jason's heart was contented, and he soon introduced Chloe to his grandfather and parents. His parents were disappointed with the turn of events at first, but they soon began seeing why Jason had fallen in love with her. They all helped plan for the wedding.

What can we learn from this story?

• Always trust your instincts. Sara could've fooled anyone that she was genuinely in love with Jason until she thought he would no longer be inheriting his grandfather's fortune. Jason's instincts helped him uncover Sara's true feelings.
• It helps to seek counsel from those older and more experienced than us. If Jason had not sought his grandfather's advice on what to do, he would have gone ahead and married a woman who did not love him.

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