Millionaire Accidentally Sees His Older Mom Working as Nurse for Disabled Man Who Resembles Him — Story of the Day

A man saw his mother seemingly working for a disabled man at the park, and he had no idea why. They had tons of money, but he had no idea what she would reveal when he went to her house later.

"That's wonderful, Mark. I love that idea. My wife loves this park so much that I wanted to try to recreate it for our backyard. I knew you were the right person for the job," Mr. Bernstein praised Mark for his ideas. He had invited Mark to the park to explain precisely what he wanted, and Mark was only too happy to do what Mr. Bernstein wanted.

Mr. Bernstein was one of the best clients of the construction company Mark had inherited from his late father. It had been small but successful until he took it over and made it the best in the city.

The men shook hands and went on their way. Mark had parked nearby and was getting his keys out when he recognized a familiar voice. He looked a few cars down in the parking lot and saw his mother, Deborah. He thought about calling out to her but stopped himself after realizing what she was doing.

"That's… so dishonest, Mom," Mark shook his head.

She was near a big SUV and helping a disabled man get out and onto his wheelchair. He also noticed that she was wearing some sort of uniform, which was odd because he sent plenty of money every month. He was a millionaire, and his mom lacked nothing. But now, she has a job?

Mark tried to hide behind his car when Deborah started rolling the man away, but he was shocked when he realized that the man looked exactly like… him. Who is that? What's going on?

All these questions ran through his head. Instead of approaching them, however, Mark decided to go to her house and wait. He was sure she had a reasonable explanation for that scene. But he never imagined what it would be.

***

"Mark! I'm so glad to see you, sweetie!" Deborah grinned when she stepped into her house and saw her son.

"Mom, what are you wearing? Did you get a job?" he asked, cutting to the chase.

"What? Oh, this is–"

"Don't lie, Mom. I saw you at the park helping a disabled man who looked exactly like me. Now, I need you to tell me the truth, please. What's going on? Who is that, and what are you doing acting as if you work for him?" Mark asked, crossing his arms from the couch and waiting for an answer.

Deborah sighed heavily, threw her purse on the floor, and sat beside her son. "It's a long story, Marky. But years ago. I was alone and had a very bad boyfriend. You know that I was an orphan, right? At 17, I ran from my foster home, shacked up with a bad man, and got pregnant," the older woman began but stopped.

"Keeping going," Mark said gently. He had uncrossed his arms and leaned closer.

"Well, we did some bad things that affected that baby. He was born with a disability, and my boyfriend dumped me at the hospital. He told me not to return to his house or that he would call the police. So, I had nowhere to go. I was staying at a woman's shelter and had a baby I couldn't raise myself," Deborah shrugged. "I didn't have a choice. I put him up for adoption, and a beautiful couple agreed to take them."

"Ok, that makes sense, but why didn't you tell me? Did Dad know?"

"No, he didn't, and I couldn't tell you for years," Deborah replied, shaking her head. "Years later, I got better and got a job as a maid at a hotel. That's where I met your father. You know that story."

Mark knew it perfectly. His father, Oliver, was at a conference trying to make more contacts for his rising construction company. But he was a lonely man and fell madly in love with the maid who cleaned his room that day. They married a few months later and lived blissfully until his father died a decade ago.

"Yes, I remember. But what happened with... my brother? Why are you working for him? Are you his caretaker?"

"Not exactly," Deborah pursed her lips. "After I had you, I desperately wished I had my older son in my life, too. His name is Samuel, by the way. They named him, not me. Anyway, I still didn't tell your dad, but I reached out to Sam's parents. They agreed to some visits as long as I didn't tell him I was his biological mother. He didn't know he was adopted. I agreed. So, we pretended I was a part-time helper hired to take him on outings."

"That's… so dishonest, Mom," Mark shook his head.

"I know. I know. But let me finish," Deborah said. "Samuel's father passed away right a few years before your father, and his mother, a wonderfully sweet woman named Rachel, asked me if I wanted to be around more often. I just started seeing them almost every day. But things have changed more now."

"What's going on?" Mark frowned.

"Rachel is dying too. She's terminal, so it was finally time to tell Samuel the truth, which I did earlier today," Deborah finished, grinning slightly.

"Oh. At the park?"

"Yes, dear. He was surprised, but he said he suspected it. I told him about you, and he wants to meet you. Would that be ok with you?"

"Of course! Of course! I have a brother! That's so cool," Mark smiled, and Deborah jumped up to hug her son.

Mark canceled all his appointments for the next day and went to see his brother with Deborah. Samuel was pleased to meet him, although this situation was new to him too. The brothers bonded over football and books while the women went to make lunch.

When they were away from their sons, Rachel cried because she was so relieved that her son would not be alone even after she was gone.

Deborah hugged her. "You raised him for me all these years, and you'll always be his mother. Thank you so much. But he still has a family and will never be alone," she reassured Rachel. They continued eating and had the best time in the world.

What can we learn from this story?

• Giving your child up for adoption takes strength, but it's never too late to reconnect. Deborah did the right thing for her son when she was alone and had nothing, despite how much it broke her heart. Luckily, they reconnected later.
• Let your loved ones explain everything before jumping to conclusions. Mark saw his mother doing something odd but let her tell her story and was glad in the end.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who made his elderly mother cry at a restaurant until someone stepped in.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. 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.