7-Year-Old Boy Defends His Mom from Rude Waiter in Cafe and Disappears Next Day – Story of the Day

7-year-old Matt is quick to defend his Mom, Heather, when a waiter is rude to her. The next day, Heather's world comes crashing down when Matt disappears. Her only clue is a chilling note in Matt’s bedroom, which contains a threat to teach the boy manners.

"That's...incredible!" Heather stared at Mr. Murphy, her family lawyer, who was seated opposite her and her son, Matt, in a bustling café. He’d just informed Heather that her grandmother left her $400,000 in her will.

"You can sign the paperwork once you're ready to claim the money," Mr. Murphy continued.

While Heather was absorbing this news, Matt accidentally dropped his glass. Cola splashed over Kyle, the waiter wiping their table, sinking into his white shirt.

"Hey, watch it, kid!" Kyle leaped back in disgust.

"Oops! I'm so sorry about that, sir," Matt immediately apologized.

"Your sorry won’t wash my shirt." Kyle snapped.

Heather and Mr. Murphy were stunned by the argument. Heather calmed Matt and apologized to the waiter, but he only got angrier.

"Can't you control your freaking kid? That's some Grade-A parenting!" Kyle slow-clapped sarcastically. "What a delightful mum!"

"Don't you dare talk to my Mom like that!" Matt refused to let some random guy insult his mother. He gripped the little ceramic vase at the center of the table and hurled it at the man.

"Your kid is out of control!" Kyle blocked the flying vase with his hand, sending it shattering on the floor.

"I'LL MAKE SURE HE LEARNS SOME MANNERS!"

"Kyle, that's enough!” The café manager appeared at their table. “You can’t speak to customers like that."

Kyle stared daggers at the little boy before storming away. The manager apologized to Heather and her son and offered them complimentary beverages to compensate for the mishap. The group had lunch, and Heather assumed she’d never see the arrogant waiter again.

The next morning, Heather went to Matt’s room to call him for breakfast, but he wasn’t there. She searched frantically until she spotted the note on Matt’s rumpled bed. A knot tightened in Heather's stomach as she read the chilling words:

"We have your son. Do you remember we promised to teach him manners? If you want him back, leave $400,000 in the yellow trash can outside the City Park gate tomorrow evening at 5. Don't think of going to the cops. Or you won't see your son again!"

Shaken to the core, Heather mustered her courage and drove to the local police station. As she hurried to the entrance, she received a message from an unknown number.

"We warned you not to go to the police. This is your last chance. One more mistake, and it's bye-bye, Matty."

Heather’s eyes darted from person to person, but she could not pinpoint who was watching her. Heather ran to her car. She tried calling the number, but neither calls nor messages went through. Desperate to find Matt, she decided to confront the waiter and immediately drove to the café.

The manager informed her that Kyle had been fired for his rude behavior the previous day. Heather convinced him to give her Kyle’s address by insisting she wanted to apologize to the waiter.

As she approached the waiter's house half an hour later, a creepy feeling overwhelmed her. Rubble blanketed the front porch, and the yard was unkempt. Heather knocked at the door, but there was no reply. Heather tried the doorknob. To her surprise, the door swung open. Summoning her courage, Heather entered Kyle's house.

An eerie sensation crawled through her nerves when Heather saw a broken ceramic vase at the doorway.

She soon discovered that the entire house was in disarray, and there was nothing here that would lead her to Matt.

Gathering her hopes of finding a clue — any clue — of her son’s whereabouts, Heather knocked on the neighbor's door. Moments later, Doris, Kyle's older neighbor, answered.

"Hey, sorry to bother you. I was just wondering...do you know the guy who lives there? Kyle?" Heather pointed to Kyle's house. "I wanted to see him. But he's not home. Do you know where he is?"

"He left early this morning, dear," Doris recounted. "It was strange…I think Kyle was drunk because the man with him had to practically lift him into his car. And then they drove off."

Heather grew suspicious. "Do you remember how this guy looked? Or anything about the car?"

Doris thought for a while. "No, dear. I couldn't see him clearly since it was still dark out. The car was a big, black SUV."

The older neighbor's words kept replaying in Heather’s mind, and nothing made sense to Heather. With time ticking away, Heather gave up playing detective. She drove to her lawyer's office.

"I want to claim my inheritance, Mr. Murphy,” she said as she entered his office. “And I want the money transferred to my account immediately…oh, what happened?" Heather grew concerned when she saw a bruise at the corner of the lawyer's lips.

"Some hooligans tried to mug me but I escaped," Mr. Murphy said. "I'll get the papers ready for you!"

Heather nodded. After signing the paperwork, she thanked Mr. Murphy and grabbed her handbag. Just as she was about to leave, a black SUV parked outside the lawyer's office. Heather froze.

"Mr. Murphy, the tank is full!" Mr. Murphy's assistant tossed the keys into the lawyer's hands.

The bruise on Mr. Murphy's lips looks like somebody punched him. And now this black car…is it just a coincidence or...?

Heather was lost in deep thought when Mr. Murphy suddenly spoke from behind, jolting her.

"Miss Heather...Are you alright?" the lawyer asked.

"I...er...yeah, I'm fine, Mr. Murphy," Heather stuttered. "Can I please have some water?"

While Mr. Murphy fetched her water, Heather started piecing together the puzzle. She tossed her fitness band, activated with the GPS tracker, into the inside pocket of Mr. Murphy's coat hanging on the coat stand.

The following morning, Heather received a phone notification stating the funds had been transferred to her bank account. She had only nine hours left to fulfill the kidnappers' demands.

Heather arrived at the City Park that evening and tossed the duffel bag containing the $400,000 inside the lone yellow trashcan at the entrance. Heather bolted back to her car. Once she’d driven a short way, she checked her GPS tracking app. To her shock, Mr. Murphy was heading to the City Park's entrance.

Heather turned back. When she spotted Mr. Murphy's car driving away from the park, she discreetly followed him. He led Heather down a deserted highway through the woods. When he suddenly turned onto a secluded road leading deeper into the forest, Heather was forced to continue on foot.

Eventually, she arrived in front of an abandoned cabin. Heather approached the shack and peered through the broken glass windows, scanning the dark corners with her desperate eyes. She crept inside. Cold shivers ran down her spine when she realized she was not alone.

"LOOKING FOR SOMEONE?!" a cold, menacing voice that seemed all too familiar spoke from behind.

Before Heather could escape, she felt a sharp blow to her head and collapsed.

Heather’s head ached as she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Matt and Kyle tied to a wooden pillar opposite her.

"MATT? Oh my God...Are you alright?" She cried and tried to reach her son, but she was handcuffed to a chair.

"What an idiot you are, Heather!" Mr. Murphy appeared in the cellar with a pistol in his grip and a sinister grin on his face.

"Did you think I didn't know you were following me? I was going to finish just the two of them and frame a "missing" Kyle for Matt's murder...now, you're making me waste another bullet!"

The lawyer pointed the pistol at Heather.

"The money in that duffel bag is fake!" Heather cried.

"What?!" Mr. Murphy's eyes bulged with shock. He checked the duffel bag and realized Heather had indeed deceived him with counterfeit money.

"Where's the real money?! Your son's fate is in my hands now." Mr. Murphy approached a terrified Matt and untied him. "You'll pay the price for betraying me."

"Have mercy. He's just a child. Please..." Heather cried. “The real money is in the bank. I deposited everything before driving to the park.”

"You are going to sign a power of attorney granting me sole custody of your inheritance money." Mr. Murphy stared grimly at Heather. "I'm taking your son with me to fetch the papers, so don't do anything to provoke me to do something nasty to your little boy..."

"Hey, do you have a hairpin?" Kyle asked once Mr. Murphy left with Matt.

"Yeah, I do!" Heather replied.

"Try to get closer so I can grab it. I have a plan," Kyle urged.

Heather started dragging herself and the chair toward Kyle. She had no option but to trust the stranger.

"You thought I was the bad guy, didn't you?" Kyle said in the meantime. "In a way, you were right! I used to pick locks before becoming a waiter. When I had that outburst with your kid, I was already having the worst possible day of my life. Until this situation, of course. Anyway, I have a plan. Look the other way and try to be still..."

Kyle grabbed the hairpin from Heather's hair with his mouth. After an exhausting attempt, he freed both of them. They glanced at each other, and the reality of the situation sank in. They could now escape, but Mr. Murphy was still holding Matt captive. They had to stay back and tackle the kidnapper firsthand.

An hour later, they heard Mr. Murphy return and took their places. When the cellar door opened, Kyle pounced on him. A loud bang startled Heather as she raised the pipe in her hands. Mr. Murphy had shot Kyle in the leg!

With all her strength, Heather struck a hard blow to Mr. Murphy's head, sending him groaning to the floor.

"He's passed out...hurry...we need to leave," Kyle shouted.

Heather tore her scarf, fastened it over Kyle’s wound to stop the bleeding, and then turned to Mr. Murphy. She swore at him as she handcuffed the lawyer to the staircase railing and then called 911.

"Mommy!" Matt raced toward her as she exited the cabin and threw himself into her arms.

Heather was relieved to see her little son alive and burst into tears as she hugged him. Around half an hour later, the police surrounded the cabin and arrested Mr. Murphy.

The next day, Heather visited Kyle in the hospital. She entered his ward carrying a bouquet of white lilies, and he was pleasantly surprised to see her.

"Our first meeting at the café went badly. The second time we met was worse!" Kyle said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. "I want to fix that! When I get out of here, can we meet for the first time all over again? Have you been to the new restaurant at the beach...?"

To Kyle’s surprise, Heather responded with a hug!

"It's a date!" Heather chuckled. "If you hadn't suggested it, I would've brought it up myself! And hey...thank you. For saving us!"

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