Man Pushes Away Daughter He Never Knew, Cries after Learning of Her Last Will Later – Story of the Day

A dad cursed the daughter he never knew existed after she unexpectedly met with him, begging for a favor. He pushed her away, thinking she was a gold-digger, but burst into tears after reading her will and a final letter she left him.

55-year-old Richard Fletcher lived alone in his mansion in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. He loved many women over the years, and after a string of breakups, he gave up on finding love again.

During his youth, Richard was known as the "spoiled son" of a business tycoon. His mother had died when he was just one, so he was overly pampered by his dad.

Right from high school to college and later, Richard dated many women but never settled down with anyone because he thought he still had a lot of time for that. He took his youth for granted, and it was too late when he finally realized he needed a family.

Richard often fantasized about having secret children with his exes but mostly brushed it off as a dead joke until one day when he got a shocking letter from a 24-year-old woman claiming to be his love child...

Richard had been flipping through his old albums, recalling the names of the women he was pictured with when the doorbell rang.

"This was Emma in Paris," Richard had been saying, oblivious to the doorbell. "And oh, how did I miss this one?... Wait, what was her name? Emily? Rebecca?" He was trying to remember which ex-girlfriend it was when he heard loud bangs on the door, which jolted him back to the present.

"A favor? So, is this why you're here? For money? Don't call me again... I won't allow gold-diggers in my life again." Richard fumed. But fate had other plans six months later.

"Who is it? Wait, I'm coming...."

A mailman was at the door. He greeted Richard and gave him a letter. "Have a good day, Mr. Fletcher!"

"A letter from California?" Richard thought. Curious, he tore the envelope and read the most shocking letter of his life.

"Dear Dad, I know this must sound weird. But I'm your daughter, and I would like to meet you soon. My phone number is down here, and please call asap so we can talk further. Love, Jenni."

Richard froze for a few seconds, then took his phone. He trembled as he dialed the number and waited for the person to answer. "It can't be...a daughter? My daughter???" he gasped.

"Hello?" he heard a young woman say. "Hello...who is this?"

Richard couldn't believe his ears. The voice reminded him of someone. Clearing his throat, he responded in a faint and desperate voice. "H-hello...Hi, this is Richard Fletcher, and I just got a letter from someone named Jenni...saying she is my daughter...Is this Jenni?"

"DADDY???!"

Richard was stunned to hear someone call him daddy for the first time in his life. He had always wanted children and often regretted not having any. It took him by surprise, but at the same time, he had to verify the woman's claims. "Who is this? And how do you know my address?" he asked.

"I'm your daughter, Jenni."

"W-wait a minute. I don't have a daughter. I'm not yet married."

"I know...I know that, daddy. But you'll know everything when we meet. So, when shall we meet?"

Intrigued by the woman's assurance, Richard agreed to meet her but on one condition. "I need proof that you really are my daughter. Are you ready to take a DNA test with me?"

Jenni agreed, so they both bought at-home DNA test kits from the same company and sent their samples to the laboratory to be tested.

"No, it can't be!" a shocked Richard exclaimed as he read the results a week later, confirming he was Jenni's father.

Two days after, Jenni flew to Pittsburgh to meet her dad. She arrived early at the café where Richard told her to wait, looking around for any sign of the man. She sat in a corner, curious and nervous.

A few moments later, Richard entered and scanned the area. He didn't know how his daughter looked, and then he felt a hand grab his shoulder.

"Daddy?! Hi, I'm Jenni!"

Richard was surprised and quite embarrassed. He looked around to see that nobody noticed him with a girl who introduced herself as his daughter.

The two sat and stared at each other for a while. Richard looked into Jenni's eyes and recalled an ex. "Those eyes look familiar. What is your mother's name?"

"Sandra!"

"Sandra? So you're Sandra's daughter! I remember her. What happened to her? Why isn't she with you?"

"I'm not just Sandra's daughter. I am your daughter too, daddy." Jenni said, unable to hold back her tears. "Mom died last year. But before she died, she gave me her diary. That's how I found out about you.

In her diary, Sandra detailed her relationship with Richard, from their first kiss to their wonderful trip to Paris, including his address and a few of their photos.

"She wanted me to find you. I reached out to the address in her diary, but they said you had sold that house and moved elsewhere in Pittsburgh. I got your address from them six months ago, and I was hesitant to contact you. But finally, I did it."

Although Richard was moved by his daughter's efforts to find him, he questioned her sudden interest in meeting him. "I am genuinely happy to see you, Jenni. But what made you want to find me? Don't you think I'm a bad man for dumping your mother? I swear I had no idea she was pregnant."

"It makes no difference now. Mom had written in her diary about your multiple affairs. She loved you truly, but you failed her in many ways. She raised me alone because she feared you would question her loyalty. But now, all that doesn't make any sense to you, or does it?"

Jenni's words hurt Richard. He had no idea that Sandra was pregnant with his child. He was filled with regret and looked forward to a lovely reunion with his daughter. And then Jenni revealed her sickness, prompting Richard to back down.

"I'm not well and need a small favor from you."

"A favor? So is this why you're here? For money?" Richard fumed.

"No, daddy. Please listen to me. No, don't go."

Richard was too annoyed by Jenni's request for help. He surmised that she had come for his money and stormed away without listening to her fully.

"Don't call me again. Is that clear? I won't allow gold-diggers in my life again." His hurtful words tormented Jenni. She sat there crying as Richard stormed past her.

Richard was determined not to hear from Jenni or see her again though he often checked his phone to see if he got any calls or messages from her. He got none. But fate had other plans six months later when a lawyer reached out to him with some sad news about Jenni.

"Yes, that's right. I'm Brooke, Jenni's attorney. I'm calling from California, Mr. Fletcher. Would you mind coming here for a day or two? I have something to discuss with you about your daughter."

"My daughter? What does she want now? I am not going anywhere, and please stop calling me, alright?" Richard warned. He assumed Jenni had filed a lawsuit to claim money from him.

"Mr. Fletcher, wait. One sec...You need to calm down. Please listen to me. You need to come here to witness the will reading. Your daughter's will...."

Richard flinched. "Did you say my daughter's will?"

"Yes, that's right. I'm sorry, Mr. Fletcher. Your daughter passed away last week, and she left you a will."

"What do you mean she left me a will?"

"Just please be here next week for the hearing of the will."

Richard's heart sank and shattered into bits and pieces. He wanted to believe nothing he just heard was real, but it was. Jenni was dead, and she had left something for him to collect.

With a heavy heart and broken hopes, Richard flew to California for the will hearing and was stunned when the truth came to light.

It turned out that Jenni had been counting her days due to a terminal illness and she left the house and money she had inherited from her mother to Richard. She had met him in Pittsburgh to discuss the details, but Richard misunderstood her. She also left him a letter where she spilled her emotions.

"Dear daddy. I love you and always will, no matter how much you hate me. I was hoping to live the very few days I had left with you. I did not want a penny from you, but I just wanted your love. I don't know if I will wake up tomorrow. Death is waiting at my doorstep to unite me with mom. I only wish to feel your love one last time before I close my eyes. I know it will be too late when this letter reaches you. But I want you to know I always loved you, not your money. Love, Jenni."

Richard was crushed. He was so wrong about everything. He wished he could turn back time and do things right. All he could do now was visit Jenni's grave and cry.

"I'm sorry, darling. Please forgive me. Please call me daddy, just once...Please." He spent several hours beside Jenni's grave, thinking about how things could've been better if he had listened to her at the café.

Several days passed, but Richard never healed. He permanently moved into his daughter's house to live with her memories. With the money he inherited from her, he set up a charity foundation for sick children to honor his late daughter. He also built an orphanage and often spent time with children there. He regretted his past mistakes and decided to do good for others for the rest of his life.

What can we learn from this story?

• Do not judge someone without listening to them fully. When Jenni told Richard she was sick and needed help, he thought she wanted money from him. He criticized her and walked out, asking her to never reach out to him. But in the end, Richard regretted his mistake when he realized that Jenni was no more and that she wanted him to inherit her legacy after her death.
• Sometimes, you need to mend your mistakes before it's too late. Richard had dated several women and broke up with them just for the sake of it. He thought it was over after each breakup, but little did he know that one of his exes had been raising his child alone. When he learned of it, he was excited to get to know his daughter. But again, due to his hasty misinterpretations about Jenni, he lost touch with her and regretted it after the news of her death reached his ears.

A boy cries at his mom's grave, begging her to take him with her until he feels a woman's hand on his shoulder. Click here to read the touching story.

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