Rich Lady Picks up Dirty-Looking Hitchhiker on Highway and Learns He’s Her Daughter’s Fiancé – Story of the Day

Tina was driving to the city for a business convention when she picked up a dirty hitchhiker on the highway. At the end of their journey, she was shocked to learn the man in the car seat beside her was none other than her daughter's fiancé.

The day was mediocre, not too warm or too windy, with a gentle breeze kissing her face through the half-open car window. Tina was on her way to the city for a business event where she was supposed to deliver a speech.

At 47, Tina was a businesswoman, a mother, a widowed wife, and much more. In fact, she had always been a strong, independent woman, whether it was raising her only child, managing her career, or caring for her orphaned younger self.

But all that was in the past, and now Tina had the business convention on her mind. As she was driving along the clear highway roads, listening to her all-time favorite Beatles' Here Comes The Sun, a man suddenly jumped in front of her car, and she applied the brakes just in time...

"Jesus Christ!" she gasped as the car tires screeched on the road. "What was that? Is he insane?"

The young man raised his head and smiled sillily at her through the windshield, then approached her car window. "Can you give me a ride to the city, ma'am?" he asked. "I need to see my parents, and I wouldn't have made such a dramatic jump if it wasn't necessary."

"Pardon me?" said Tina, throwing him a disgusted look. Then she noticed his ragged appearance and shook her head. "No, sorry, but I don't give lifts to strangers. You could harm me, for all I know!"

He laughed. "Take my ID, and send it to whoever you like… I'm not a threat, trust me!"

"I have friends in the police, and I'll send it to them. Is that ok, Mr. 'I'm-not-a-threat?'"

He laughed again. "You're funny… Sure, go ahead," he said, handing her his ID. "My name is Chris, by the way."

"All right then," Tina said, snapping a photo of his ID and sending it to her friends, which included people in the police too. "I'm Tina. Hop in."

As Chris settled in the car and she began driving, Tina asked, "So what is the big emergency for which you had to risk your life by jumping in front of my car?"

"My mom and dad," he said. "Sorry if I shocked you earlier. They're elderly and have no one but me, so I'm paying them a visit. Nice car, by the way."

"Thanks," said Tina.

"Why are you going to the city… if you don't mind me asking?" he asked.

Don't be too quick to judge someone.

"I'm attending a business convention," she replied. "And I have to meet some business clients."

"Really?" he asked. "My fianceé's mom too! I mean, she's a businesswoman too! I recently proposed to my girlfriend, and she said yes, and… Sorry, I guess I overshared."

"You have an accent," said Tina with a smile. "And from the way you speak, you appear to be well-educated. Don't mind it, but your appearance leads me to believe otherwise. I'm not the type to sugarcoat things."

"Oh no, that's fine," chuckled Chris. "I was born in Portugal and spent most of my childhood there, then Dad relocated here, and the family moved with him. Dad had a business here, but he's no longer able to look after it now that he's old. My brother runs it."

"And you?"

"Oh, I work many jobs. I don't stick to one thing. I'm still figuring out what piques my interest the most. You know about the only property just before we enter the city? That one house?"

"It's yours?" asked Tina. "I thought nobody lived there."

"I don't blame you," he admitted. "My parents are lonely, and my brother works abroad, so all they have is me..."

Tina and Chris talked the entire ride as if they were best friends who had known each other for years. Tina forgot she was speaking to someone she had only recently met, which was unusual for her.

As Chris' destination arrived, he thanked Tina, and she said, "You were not a threat, except you talk a lot!"

He smiled as he hung his backpack on his shoulders. "Thanks for the ride! Actually..." He stopped and pulled out his phone from his pocket. "She's the one... my fianceé. I don't know why but I wanted to show her picture to you!"

Tina had to swallow hard as she looked at the picture on Chris' phone. "Brittany?" she gasped. "She's your, what?"

"You know her?" asked Chris with a silly laugh, but Tina just couldn't answer. She had shock and anger all over her face. She couldn't believe that the dirty-looking man she'd picked up in the middle of the highway who didn't stick to anything in particular and was so reckless as to jump in front of her car for a lift was her daughter's fiancé.

"Daughter!" yelled Tina. "She's my daughter! How can Brittany marry someone like you? Listen, boy! Stay away from my daughter, alright? AWAY!"

"Woah, Woah, Woah," Chris said casually, "Slow down, ma'am! Your daughter is old enough to make her own choices! Stop ordering her around. Anyway, thanks for the ride, and goodbye!" And Chris walked away.

Tina wanted someone smart, reliable, and wealthy for her daughter. She didn't want a reckless guy like Chris in her life. But she was well aware that Brittany would not listen to her. She never did.

Tina and Brittany had a strained relationship, and Tina was entirely to blame! She was too demanding of her daughter, expecting her to be as perfect as she was. But Brittany was not like her. She was like the rain on a sunny afternoon, unusual but beautiful.

But despite everything, Tina was worried about her daughter and decided to follow Chris to his house to see if he was at least an honest man. Was he really going to see his parents?

Tina studied his house from afar. Through the living room window, she could see him taking care of an elderly couple sitting and watching TV. He washed their faces, fed them something, and then went to the kitchen to cook.

"Perhaps he's not such a bad guy after all," she reasoned. "Kids nowadays don't care about their parents, and then he's looking after his elderly parents."

Tina walked to the house, knocked on the door, and apologized. Chris was the one who opened the door.

"Can I come in?" she said. "I'm sorry about what happened before."

"It's fine," said Chris. "But I'm a little busy. It's time for Mom and Dad to eat."

"I'd like to meet them," Tina said. "Do they know about Brittany and you?"

"Yes, they do," he said. "You know what, just come in. It's ok, I guess."

So Tina met Chris' parents and realized Brittany had found a treasure for herself. Chris worked night shifts in another city, then returned home to care for his parents before leaving for work in the evenings.

He had a caretaker look after his parents while he was away, but he didn't want them to feel as if they didn't have family, so he paid them daily visits.

"Do you honestly believe Brittany would be unlucky to have me as her husband?" he asked. "I'll keep her happy, Tina."

"No," said Tina eventually. "I think she couldn't have found a more perfect man. It was lovely meeting you and your family, Chris. It really was."

Six months later, Brittany and Chris got married, and Tina's relationship with her daughter improved. And Chris never disappointed Tina and Brittany. Never.

What can we learn from this story?

• Don't be too quick to judge someone. Tina decided Chris was the wrong choice for her daughter based on his reckless attitude. But she was mistaken.
• Instead of dismissing your children's choices, try to understand them. If Tina hadn't imposed her opinions on Brittany, their relationship would have long improved.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a rich woman who forbade her daughter from sharing lunch with a beggar and his two dogs until they saved the little girl's life.

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