I Found a Map on my Late Dad’s Table That Led Me to a Hidden Place in the Woods – My Story

Michaela was shocked when she was taken forced out of the luxurious lifestyle she had known all her life to living in near poverty after her father went bankrupt. However, she would later learn that her father was trying to teach her and her siblings a valuable life lesson.

My name is Michaela, and I turn 28 years old in a couple of months. The last year has been quite the roller coaster ride for my family and me. I would have never in a million years imagined we would find ourselves where we are today.

Growing up, we had always been above average financially. To put it plainly, we were rich. My father, Albert, worked hard so that my sister, Ann, my brother, Julian, and I could reap the rewards of his labor. We had a large house, a cook, and staff that helped maintain our home.

So, understandably, it was quite a surprise when my dad came back from work one day and said we had to move out of the blue.

"A map... to where exactly?" Ann asked.

"Michaela, Ann, and Julian, I need you all to hear me clearly. Things will be different from now on, and I need you all to trust me, okay?" Albert said.

"What do you mean different?" asked Julian.

"And where are we moving to?" I added.

Before my dad could respond to either one of us, the loading trucks sounded outside. I'll never forget the look on my brother's face when he saw the repossessors ransack our home.

We all felt the sting; there's no doubt about that. But Julian found it hard to accept even after seeing the small, rundown three-bedroom house we would now call home. It had no water or electricity, and every morning of waking up in it felt surreal.

My father explained that his business partner had framed him, and we could have all been arrested. He said we would all have to stay in this house until things were resolved and his assets were unfrozen.

"I have worked tirelessly to raise and look after you three. Now it is your turn to look after me," dad said.

He didn't have to say much after that; we all knew we had to find jobs. Within a month, Ann and I found employment. She worked at the local cafe as a waitress, and I saw the toll it took on her. She admirably swallowed her pride every day and put up with the sleazy men that would flirt with her daily.

On the other hand, I got a job helping fishermen on the pier. We both had degrees and hoped to find something more solid in our respective fields of study. But, until then, we did what we had to do.

Additionally, Julian couldn't be bothered to find anything. For Julian, this was one big nightmare, and he was just waiting until he woke up and returned to his reality of luxury.

We often discussed our father's fall from grace among each other as siblings, and Ann and I always agreed on our father's faults, whereas Julian didn't. After a while, it simply bordered on delusional.

"Listen, whatever happened, dad's innocent," Julian said.

"Take a look around, Julian. Innocent people don't just go into hiding and get their assets frozen and seized," said Ann.

"It's time to wake up and smell the coffee, Julz," I added.

The back and forth even began to cause a rift between us as siblings. But luckily, our joint struggle made it difficult to be apart. We were all we had, and dad was our father, corrupt or not.

Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, my father began to fall sick. At first, it seemed like nothing major, but we all began to fear the worst when he wasn't responding to the treatment.

Then about a week ago, it happened. My father passed away. We were all distraught, and it seemed that hope had become a general and faint idea for all of us.

A few days back, I went into his room to see what he had left and what I found left me completely baffled.

"What are you showing us, Michaela?" Julian asked.

"It's a map; I found it in dad's room," I replied.

"A map... to where exactly?" Ann asked.

"I'm not sure. That's what I'm trying to figure out," I responded.

The more I studied the map, the more it reminded me of where my father and I used to play pirates in the woods near the house. I decided I would investigate further and went to check it out.

While it was a little tricky getting into the house, I finally managed. The map was, in fact, of our backyard. The more I followed it, the more confident I became.

As my treasure ended, I wondered what my father was playing at. I had all sorts of questions I never got to ask him before he passed, and I hoped dearly that whatever was at the end of this treasure hunt would provide some closure.

I could have never prepared for what I found in the backyard; an actual underground treasure. However, it was locked. I figured the key should be somewhere in his room, so I went back home and surely found it.

I opened the rusty door, and to my amazement, all our valuables were in there, amongst a couple documents I couldn't quite understand. I then decided to call on my dad's old friend and lawyer, Gabe.

"Well, thank you for reaching out, Michaela," said Gabe.

"Thank you for helping. So, what can you tell me? What do these documents mean?" I asked.

"Well, firstly, I believe there is much your father has kept from you all. I have no doubt that his reasons were from a place of good intentions," said Gabe.

"You're talking about the possessions in the underground treasure," I said.

"Not just that. Your father's case was sorted out a couple months back, and he retained all his assets. He was cleared of all allegations," said Gabe.

"But, how is that possible? Why wouldn't he tell us? Why would he let us suffer like that?" I responded.

"While I have my own thoughts, I believe it's better you hear it from him yourself. He asked that I give you this note should you ever come seeking answers," said Gabe as he handed me a note.

In the note, my father explained that all his life, he had thought money would help us and improve our lives, but it only corrupted us. So, he decided to leave the life of luxury in hopes of teaching us how to live without it.

Dad knew he would soon die and was afraid to leave us so corrupt and capricious with his wealth. Looking back at what we learned in this difficult period, I am grateful for the lessons my sister and I learned.

I am grateful for my father and what he taught us. Even Julian finally understood why dad did that and began working hard with us.

I was shocked to find that our father had hidden such a big thing from us. Do you believe he was right in hiding this information from us? Did the ends justify the means?

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