Rich Man Learns Son Makes Old Teacher Quit Job, 'Pack Up Your Stuff!' Dad Orders Him — Story of the Day

Clayton wasn't always rich, but his son Alex was born into wealth. When the teenager blatantly disrespected his math teacher at school, Clayton taught the boy a harsh lesson that brought a drastic change.

It was a regular Tuesday night at Ashley's, and there was nothing unusual about a man sitting alone at a table for four.

But Clayton wasn't just another customer. He was the owner of the place. He had been sitting alone for 2 hours, and his legs hadn't stopped shaking with nervousness.

'Alex, my boy…where are you?'

Clayton, his son Alex, and Mr. Simon were supposed to meet for dinner in about 5 minutes. Mr. Simon was a teacher by profession, so Clayton knew he would walk through that door right on time. It was his son Alex he was worried about.

Alex knew about the dinner, but there was a high chance he would bail on spending time with his father. Clayton had given Alex an earful that morning. 'Thinking back, I may have been too harsh on him.'

Clayton looked at the time. It was 6:59 p.m., and surely enough, Mr. Simon walked in through the door.

By now, 68-year-old Mr. Simon was holding his walking cane more as a prop than as support. He looked fresh, with his hair combed back and a bright smile on his face.

Clayton got up from his seat and hugged the old man. He helped Mr. Simon put the cane away and sit at the table.

Usually, there would be an instant burst of conversation between the two men. It would begin with the weather but always led to a discussion about the most exciting bizarre things in science and math.

Clayton didn't get a chance to expose his nerdy side to anyone other than Mr. Simon. The latter had been a mathematics professor for over three decades.

But today, the conversation wasn't much further than the chilly weather. After an awkward silence, Mr. Simon said, "Where is Alex? I have news for you both."

"I haven't been able to reach him all day," Clayton said. "I've got news for you, too."

Both men were visibly excited and did their best to remain tight-lipped until Alex arrived. To keep themselves from spilling their secrets, the men ordered some finger food to keep their mouths busy.

'Where is Alex?' Clayton and Mr. Simon thought simultaneously.

Finally, Mr. Simon couldn't hold his excitement any longer. "Okay, I'll go first. Clayton, I know you are worried about Alex's future. I know you wanted Alex to go to one of the nearby universities. But a month ago, one of my friends at Dartmouth university called me.

"He said they were interested in Alex's profile. All they needed was a glowing recommendation from me."

Clayton didn't know how to feel about this news. He loved Alex more than anything in this world. After his wife Ashley passed away eight years ago, Alex was the only family Clayton had left.

He raised Alex in the best way he knew. Clayton was a self-made businessman who hailed from a poor family. He had built his life and business on self-taught discipline, hard work, and kindness.

By the time Alex was born, Clayton and Ashley had become successful restauranteurs in the city. Alex was born into a wealthy family, where his needs and wants could be fulfilled without too much effort.

When his mother was alive, she knew exactly how to raise Alex into a gentleman rather than a brat. Somehow, she always struck the perfect balance of pampering and strictness.

But after Ashley died, Clayton struggled to keep that balance. For a few years, he gave in to Alex's every whim and tantrum, thinking it would strengthen their bond.

Then he started noticing that Alex had become complacent and arrogant about his luxurious life. He still let a few things slide, but one incident changed everything. That incident involved Alex's math teacher at school, Mr. Simon.

'There is no way Mr. Simon would agree to give my son that recommendation. Not after what Alex did to him a few months ago.'

Alex was the reason Mr. Simon walked with a cane. Months earlier, Alex had pulled a prank on him that broke his leg and forced him to quit his job as a professor.

Sometimes, it is tough love that cultivates kindness.

Mr. Simon remembered that day all too well. He was in his office, ready to get to Alex to conduct a test. That's when Alex ran towards the office and locked it from the outside.

"Alex, let me out!" Mr. Simon screamed. "Let me out right this moment!"

Mr. Simon was in such a fit of anger that he kicked the door multiple times despite his recent knee replacement surgery. By the time he broke the door open, he was crying in pain. He had broken his leg and had lost his job because of it.

Clayton didn't know about the incident until weeks later when Alex had failed his exam.

"Dad. The school brought a new math teacher, and he is just terrible. A lot of other kids in my class failed the exam."

"New math teacher? What happened to the earlier one? Mr….Simon, right?"

Alex had tried his best to avoid telling his dad about the incident involving Mr. Simon. But Clayton didn't stop asking questions until Alex finally confessed to what he had done.

"How could you do this to your own teacher? Haven't I taught you how to respect people? Or are you too arrogant to remember?"

Alex tried to explain, but Clayton wouldn't have it. "Pack up your things! You've taken your luxuries for granted long enough. You will live in the restaurant basement and work there until you've learned how to respect people."

Clayton's shoulders shuddered as he recollected Alex's teary eyes.

"Mr. Simon, do you think I have been too harsh on my son?"

On the surface, it would appear that Clayton had broken his son by forcing him to clean the toilets at his restaurant rather than have an everyday life. But Mr. Simon knew that Clayton's tough love was necessary and that it had transformed Alex.

Clayton had ordered Alex to work at the restaurant and attend college without skipping a single class. Beyond that, Clayton had asked Alex to spend 3 hours a day visiting and caring for Mr. Simon.

Initially, Alex spent those three hours out of obligation, doing only the bare minimum. However, one day, Mr. Simon offered to help with his math.

Thanks to that, Alex got to know the honest Mr. Simon - the sweet, intelligent, creative, and hilariously funny man behind the numbers. Soon, Alex began to treat Mr. Simon like family. There wasn't a day when they would miss their evening walk or cup of hot cocoa.

"You have nothing to feel guilty about. Thanks to your tough love, Alex is a changed young man."

Just then, a young man entered the restaurant. It was Alex. Finally!

The three men embraced and greeted each other and settled down at the table. Clayton had the urge to scold and question Alex about being late, but he let that impulse go.

"Dad, Mr. Simon, I have some news for you!"

"I'll go first," Clayton jumped and turned to Mr. Simon.

"Mr. Simon, you have been an incredibly kind person. You forgave my boy for a mistake that cost you your job and health. I know how much that job meant to you. And so…I had to pull some strings, and it took a while, but I got your old job back. You resume on Monday!"

Mr. Simon had tears in his eyes. Without saying a word, he leaned toward Clayton and thanked him with a warm hug. "Now, it's my turn," Mr. Simon exclaimed, wiping his tears.

"Clayton, as I was saying, I got a call from Dartmouth asking for a recommendation for Alex. They wanted to hear that Alex was good-natured, smart, and respectful as an individual before letting him in."

Mr. Simon held Clayton's hand and said, "And that's exactly what I told them because all of that is true. I've come to know Alex closely over the past few months. He is like a grandson to me. And he deserves the glowing recommendation I wrote him."

"Finally, it's my turn!" All three men got to the edge of their seats.

"When I applied to Dartmouth, I wasn't confident of myself. I still thought myself guilty, leaving Mr. Simon hurt without a job and leaving you, Dad, without showing you that you raised me well. But now, it all makes sense. After a month of waiting, I finally heard from Dartmouth again today.

"Your letter must have worked its magic, Mr. Simon. Because I've officially been accepted into the university."

When the three men held hands and cried happy tears for several minutes, everybody else in the restaurant believed that they were a family.

What can we learn from this story?

• Teachers deserve love and respect for the rest of their lives. When Alex disrespected Mr. Simon, Clayton was harsh with him. But Alex ultimately learned how his teacher was an incredible human being. In the meantime, Clayton did everything in his power to get Mr. Simon better and get him his old job back.
• Sometimes, it is tough love that cultivates kindness. Clayton did not like punishing his otherwise pampered son. Still, he made that difficult choice so that Alex would learn respect and compassion again.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a judge who must repossess a poor old woman's house, who she later recognizes as her favorite teacher in school.

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