Businessman Learns He Owes Success to Dad Who Secretly Sold House & Became Homeless – Story of the Day

A son breaks his dad's heart and walks out on him to pursue his dreams. When a dire situation arises one day, his father makes a difficult choice no parent should have to make to save him.

They say no love is greater than a father's love for his son. And Alfred's love for his son Patrick stood out. After his wife's death, back when Patrick was little, a mountainous responsibility landed on his shoulders—he knew his son's entire future was in his hands, and there was no time to spare.

Alfred knew it would be a rough ride, but he was lion-hearted and devoted his heart and soul to raising his son. He taught him to walk, write, and talk, and he became Patrick's pillar of support in every aspect.

Growing up, Patrick celebrated Mother's Day and Father's Day with his dad. When Patrick would come home with an injury after falling off his bike, it would hurt Alfred's heart more than it hurt the boy. Whenever Patrick would be down with a fever, he would sit beside him all day and night, barely sleeping a wink.

How deeply Alfred loved and cared for his son! Every single second, his heart would only beat for Patrick, and poor Alfred was unprepared for the day when his beloved son would not hesitate to break his heart and just walk out on him as if he were NOTHING...

"My soul is forever tangled with yours...whenever I think about your beautiful smile, I fall in love with you all over again! Happy anniversary, darling!" Alfred, 50, held his late wife Emma's framed photo close to his heart as he tearily wished her a happy wedding anniversary.

Alfred quickly wiped away his tears when he saw Patrick, his 16-year-old son, walk toward him. He thought the boy had come to console him, but to Alfred's shock, Patrick had come intending to leave his dad and start his life independently.

"But Pat, you're only 16. You're too young to start a business," Alfred advised his son when he told him about starting a business in the city.

"You still have a long way to go. You still need to go to college. Never make hasty decisions that you'll regret later on. If your mother were with us, she would've told you the same thing. She was such a wise woman."

But Patrick was stubborn and wouldn't listen to Alfred.

Do not make hasty decisions that could trigger untold regrets later in life.

"Daddy, I'm 16, and I know better. I am not a kid anymore, so allow me to determine my life, alright?"

Unable to convince his son to change his mind, Alfred gave him an ultimatum.

"If you don't want to go to college, you can help me manage my café. This way, I'd be able to teach you more, son."

But Patrick was too blinded by his ambitions to listen to his father's words of wisdom.

The teenager waited for the right time to break free from his dad. A week after graduating high school two years later, he packed his things and bid goodbye to Alfred. Patrick left for the city, and there was nothing Alfred could do to make him stay. Nothing.

"Son, you're leaving your loving home in search of a destiny that will disappoint you without your family's love and support," the poor dad cried.

"Goodbye, dad! I'll not regret leaving you because I know where I'm going. I'll come back one day, and you'll be surprised to see how I've changed. See you!"

A few months passed. Alfred tried contacting his son, but Patrick seldom returned his calls and messages. He was too busy to even think about his father.

One day, out of the blue, Patrick called Alfred and bragged about his newfound 'achievements in business.'

"And you know what, dad, I'm flying business class to Miami to meet a new investor. Remember you often told me how you wished to fly in an airplane? Dad, I'm living my dreams now. I'm a successful businessman! It's still sad that you can only dream about flying when your son is actually getting served breakfast and drinks in the skies. Bye, daddy!"

Alfred was unhappy, although he prayed for his son's newfound success to last forever. But who knew that the 'achievements' Patrick boasted about came at the cost of the hefty loans he'd borrowed from his friends and the bank? And who knew his business would soon tank, drowning him in debt within a few months, making him crawl back to his dad for help?

Two months after Patrick's trip to Miami...

Alfred got an unexpected phone call from his son one day. It was strange because Patrick seldom called him.

"Daddy," Alfred heard his son sounding disappointed on the phone. He knew something was wrong right away, because after all, he was his father.

"Hey, sweetheart! What happened, son? You sound worried... is everything alright?"

Patrick gulped his anxiety and said he was sorry for not listening to his father.

"Daddy, you were right. I should've listened to you and stayed at home. I was wrong about everything. I'm bankrupt, daddy. Everyone's laughing at me. They are calling me a loser."

Alfred was shocked to hear about Patrick's sudden downfall.

I knew this would happen someday, he painfully thought and devised a plan to help his son, making one of the most difficult choices anyone could make.

"Son, I recently learned that you will get a large inheritance from your uncle. Don't worry about anything, alright??"

"My uncle? But dad, you never told me about him."

"That's right, son. He's an estranged uncle. Let's not get into the details. You needn't worry because you'll be getting a huge chunk of money from him. It will help solve your problems. Now go to sleep peacefully. Goodnight!"

But there was no inheritance or uncle. Alfred had deceived Patrick to help him. A week later, he sold the treasured café that was passed on to him from his grandfather and gave the money to Patrick to pay off his debts.

"Thank you so much, daddy! Please tell my uncle I thanked him for this money. I promise never to borrow money again," Patrick told Alfred. He restored his success but could not retain it for long. Patrick was in debt again a few months later and slowly climbed down the ladder of success. Assuming his father would help him, Patrick returned to his hometown.

But when he arrived at his doorstep, an unknown older woman answered the door.

Who is she, and where's my father? Patrick was startled.

"This is my dad's house... who are you? What are you doing here in our house?" he asked her.

"I'm sorry, but this is my house now. Your dad no longer lives here. Go away!" The woman slammed the door in Patrick's face, leaving him speechless and pale. A neighbor he met later told him that Alfred lived in a shelter for the homeless.

Why is my dad living there? He never told me anything. Oh God, what happened to my daddy? Patrick wondered as he left to meet his father to find out.

Later that day, Patrick marched to the shelter and found his father sick and bedridden in one quiet corner. He gaped in shock as he walked nearer, unable to believe his eyes.

"DADDY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE??" Patrick asked as Alfred rose, equally shocked at seeing his son there.

"Pat?? My boy, what are you doing here?"

"Daddy, I'm supposed to ask you that. And you're sick... why didn't you tell me?"

Patrick's questions were only met with his father's silence.

"Tell me, daddy. Why aren't you answering me??"

That's when another resident walked in and told Patrick the truth he was unprepared to hear.

"Patrick, I told your father not to sell his café. But he never listened. He said that it was not more important than you. Your dad sold his breadwinning business to pay your debts. And he lost his house because he could no longer pay his home loan."

Patrick gasped in shock when he realized he had made his dad homeless.

"Daddy, why did you do this? How could I let you suffer like this? I am so ashamed of myself."

"Son," Alfred began as he hugged his son and gently rubbed his back like he always did whenever Patrick was upset or let down.

"A father will never leave his son no matter what and will sacrifice anything for him without a trace! Money can be earned back, but a dad and son's relationship can never be rebuilt once it is destroyed."

Guilt and heartbreak hammered Patrick's heart as he cried on his dad's shoulder.

"Daddy, I'm so sorry I did this to you. Please give me one chance to make things right. I promise I'll do anything to make you happy. Let's get you out of here and rent ourselves a new house."

As days passed, Alfred saw significant changes in his son's attitude. Convinced that Patrick had changed for real, he joined forces with him to accomplish their mission.

Patrick worked several jobs, sold his former business, and, months later, started a small coffee shop in town. But his mission was still incomplete as he hadn't yet retrieved the café that once belonged to his dad.

It took him two years of steadfast devotion and hard work to redeem his dad's café. And when Patrick finally accomplished his mission, he decided to stay with his father and head the family business, just like Alfred had always wanted. He learned that money is not everything in life; what one truly needs to survive in this world is love and support from family.

What can we learn from this story?

• Do not make hasty decisions that could trigger untold regrets later in life. In his race to become a successful businessman, Patrick walked out on his father. Ultimately, he regretted it when his newfound business tanked and made him bankrupt.
• Even when the whole world calls you a loser and lets you down, your father will treat you as a hero and never leave you. When he was bankrupt, everyone taunted Patrick. But only his dad sided with him and sacrificed his business and house to help him settle his debts.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

My dad's tough parenting made me hate him all my life. But at 35, I cannot thank him enough for what he did. Click here to read the full story.

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.