Girl Shelters Elderly Woman Crying on the Roadside, Next Day She Sees Her Again at Boyfriend’s Family Dinner – Story of the Day

Tina was driving through town in heavy rain when she sheltered a lonely older woman crying on the roadside. The woman shared her son's story, revealing his heinous plans. But when Tina suggested they call the cops, the woman refused and simply vanished. The next day, Tina arrived at her boyfriend's dinner to meet his mom. She was shocked when the same older woman answered the door.

As Tina reversed out of the Larsens' driveway, the wipers squeaked against the windshield. Thunder rumbled in the sky, and rain came down in thick curtains. Tina was only looking forward to a relaxing time now that she could have a break from babysitting for the Larsen family.

Mr. and Mrs. Larsen were a lovely pair. And working for their little daughter as a nanny had been a wonderful experience. Tina really needed the money, and the Larsens were wealthy merchants, so Tina received an attractive paycheck every month.

That evening, Mr. and Mrs. Larsen were leaving for a vacation to Miami with their daughter. So Tina could finally unwind. Her last working day was over.

She turned on the car stereo and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, enjoying the beats of the music as she drove through town. Suddenly, a figure in the distance amid the pitter-patter of rain caught her attention…

It was raining heavily and getting dark, so Tina couldn't clearly see who it was, the lonely shadow at the bus stop. She finally pulled over and rolled down her window, only to realize it was an older woman crying alone in the rain.

"Ma'am...Are you OK?" Tina called out from her car, and the older woman looked up. Her face was red with tears, and Tina couldn't bring herself to ignore her after realizing she seemed quite distraught.

"Can I help you?" Tina asked, but the woman shook her head.

"I'm waiting for the bus. You…you don't need to trouble yourself, dear."

Tina followed the same route every day, so she was sure the bus wouldn't show up for another hour.

"Uh, honestly, I don't think that would be a good idea, ma'am," she said. "It's going to be a while before the next bus gets here. I'm happy to help, really. How about you get in, and I'll drop you off? I just got off work, and I'm in no hurry to get home," she offered.

"I…" the woman nervously rubbed her palms. "I…I am fine. I'll wait."

"Are you sure?" Tina asked her. "The forecast says the weather's only going to get worse in the next couple of hours. Trust me, I don't mind dropping you off. It's really not safe for the elderly to stay out alone at this hour."

The woman paused, considering the offer. "Can you just leave me at the crossing at the main street?" she eventually asked.

"Yes! Absolutely!" Tina eagerly nodded. "My house is only a couple of blocks from there. That shouldn't be a problem at all!"

"Thank you," the woman timidly replied and got inside. Her clothes were slightly wet by the time she made it to Tina's car.

"Hello, I'm Tina," Tina smiled as she started the car. "Are you sure you're okay? If you're not feeling well, I could take you to the doctor."

The woman shook her head and sniffled. "I…I am OK, dear. Hi, I'm Janet."

"Nice to meet you, Janet," Tina said with a smile, her hands clutching the steering wheel tightly.

"So…if you don't mind me asking, how come you were out alone at this hour? I've lived here long enough to know it's not very safe around here, especially at a bus stop this late in the evening."

"I…I was just on my way home after meeting my son," Janet replied.

"Oh!" Tina looked at her and then at the road. "Is that why you were sad?"

"No..." Janet replied. "I...I..."

But before she could continue, Janet burst into tears, and Tina froze for a second, wondering how to console her.

"I'm sorry, but did…did something happen?" she asked worriedly, handing her the box of tissues. "I…I probably shouldn't have intruded. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

As Janet got herself together, Tina thought it best not to press the woman to share more. Little could Tina have guessed what the older woman would tell her next.

"No, don't apologize. It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault. I had raised my stepson with a lot of love," Janet began tremblingly.

"But he…he went down the wrong path. I'd never expected he would do something as stupid as landing himself in trouble with the thugs. When he lost money in gambling the first time, I asked him to stop, but he wouldn't listen to me, honey. He kept betting money even while he was in debt. Now, he's going to put my late husband's house on sale, and he is evicting me soon."

Tina gasped. "What? That…That is horrible, Janet! But does he have any right to sell your house according to the law?"

"Yes... My husband transferred the house to my son before he died, so he is the legal owner. And I have no idea what to do. He was such a good kid. My little boy. But as a grown-up, he's always inviting trouble. And the problems…they just never end. You won't believe it," Janet went on. "...but today, he told me he is going to break into his girlfriend's house...to rob her, and he asked me to be a part of his plan, or he'll get killed. Those thugs won't let him go if he doesn't pay his debt."

Tina felt a strange fear in the pit of her stomach. She looked at Janet and gulped in horror.

Tina had lent a helping hand to Janet out of sympathy, but she wondered if she had done the right thing by asking those questions. Janet's son was definitely associated with the wrong kind of men. And Tina now wondered if helping Janet was really a good idea.

How could she have been so naive as to offer a stranger a lift at this hour?

Confused and scared, Tina slammed on the brakes, causing the car to come to a startling stop.

But when she took another look at the petite, terrified Janet crying bitterly and feeling hurt by her son's actions, Tina could see the woman in her car was just a helpless mother. She felt awful for Janet.

"Calm down, Janet," she said eventually. "I'm sure you'll be able to figure something out."

Janet burst into tears again, shaking her head. "I don't know, dear. I…I want to tell him to stop...and not to do something like that. But I also can't let him die. No mother would let their child die! Sorry," she paused. "I…I guess I overshared. You didn't need to know any of that."

Janet looked miserable, and she trembled with cold as her wet outfit stuck to her body. Tina didn't have a change of clothes, and she couldn't see a place where she could buy Janet something.

But Tina spotted a coffee shop a few steps away. She could see some people inside through the glass door, and she had an idea.

Tina took a deep breath as she turned in the seat to look at Janet. "I'm sorry to say this, Janet…I'm just a stranger to you, and I don't know you or your son, but you can't let him do that! You need to get yourself out of the mess! If you just give in to whatever your son's planning on doing with his girlfriend, you will ruin your life as well as his.

"So listen to me! You're cold 'cause you got wet in the rain. Let me get you some coffee, and once we're done here, we go straight to the police and report your son, alright? We can stop him right now, Janet. Are you with me in this?"

Janet didn't utter a word but nodded slightly.

"Great! Now you wait here for me. I'll be right back," Tina told her as she stepped out of the car. The rain had stopped, so she reached the coffee shop without getting soaked.

Tina got two black coffees and walked back to the car. But as soon as she got to her vehicle, she realized the passenger seat was empty.

"Janet?" Tina called out as she looked around, but she couldn't see her anywhere. It was as if Janet disappeared into the night. Tina stood outside her car, waiting to see if Janet would turn up. But she didn't.

The sky rumbled again. And Tina got in her car just in time before it was pouring heavily. She sighed disappointedly as she drove down the street, hoping Janet was safe and that she would figure out what to do with her stepson.

The next morning, Tina's bedroom was a mess. There were clothes strewn on the floor, dresses clumsily hanging out her closet as she chose her outfit.

Tina was extremely nervous and wanted to look her best. She was going to meet her boyfriend's mother for the first time, and after hours of brainstorming, she finally decided the pink summer dress was not a bad idea.

"Yep! This works!" she smiled, twirling in front of her mirror.

As she arrived at Dustin's house, Tina did a final touch-up in the car before she and Dustin marched to his mother's front door and rang the bell. They were there for a family dinner, and while Tina knew it would be just Dustin's mom, she was still nervous.

"I'm so anxious, babe. Do I look OK?" she asked shyly. "Maybe I should've just gone with the green dress! This pink looks too tacky, doesn't it?"

Dustin wrapped an arm around her. "Mom will love you, babe. You have nothing to worry about," he chuckled. "And yes, you look perfect!"

Moments later, the door opened. Tina's heart raced, and she was about to say something. But she…she just froze.

"You?!" Tina blurted out, realizing she was standing in front of Janet. The older woman's eyes widened in shock, but she quickly composed herself.

"Have you two met before, Tina?" Dustin asked as he gave Janet a quick hug.

"Oh! I don't think so," Janet waved her hand dismissively, cutting Tina off before she could say anything. So Tina forced a smile, not knowing how to react.

"You really are beautiful, dear," Janet then complimented her.

"Thank…Thank you. It…it's…I mean, I probably confused her with someone else earlier. Sorry," Tina stammered. "Nice to meet you…Mrs...?"

"My bad, I didn't introduce you both!" Dustin laughed. "Mom, meet the love of my life, Tina. And Tina, this is my beautiful stepmom, Janet!"

Tina saw blood drained off Janet's face. She was as shocked as Tina was, but she was pretending to be calm.

"It's great to meet you finally, dear," Janet approached Tina and gave her a gentle hug.

Tina played along. "Same here, Janet," she said.

"Come on in, then," Janet said nervously. "Don't tell me you're going to keep her waiting here, Dustin!” she added.

"Of course not, Mom! Let's go inside, babe," Dustin smiled at Tina.

Tina didn't understand what was going on. She just followed Dustin and Janet inside. Then, as Dustin busied himself with the barbecue in the backyard, Tina decided to confront Janet.

"What the hell is going on, Janet?" She was outraged. "You…Dustin? I knew Dustin's mom died when he was like three. But…out of all the women on this planet, you had to be his stepmom? And does that mean he's gonna steal from my place? What the heck is happening here? What is he going to do?"

"I'm so sorry, Tina," Janet sighed. "I couldn't have expected I would see you today. I wouldn't wish this upon anyone, really. I would've warned you last night if I knew it was you. And sorry about last night..."

"I wish your sorry could fix everything, Janet. But it won't. What's his plan?" Tina asked, getting straight to the point. "Tell me!"

Janet hung her head and looked away. "He asked me to add sleeping pills in your drink, and when you'd conk out, he'd go to your house and…" she trailed off.

"And?" Tina asked impatiently. "And what?"

"And he'll take off with a few things. He'll get the keys from your purse. And since you'll be drifting off here, everyone will see it as an unfortunate robbery," Janet continued. "Dustin will have an alibi. He will tell everyone he was here with you and me. And he seriously warned me that I'll have to stick to the plan."

Tina's heart fell. She couldn't believe she had fallen in love with a man as awful as Dustin! How could he do this to her?

"Janet, you realize we're both trapped in Dustin's game, don't you?" Tina told her, shaken by the revelation. "Listen, if you really care about Dustin, you can't let him do this. It's best if we get him caught in the act and hand him over to the cops. I know you don't want trouble for your son, but maybe this is all a cry for help! And maybe this is the only way to keep him safe from those thugs. We've got to stop him, Janet. If we don't stop him, he'll either run into a bullet himself or kill someone else!"

"But how…how are we going to stop him?" Janet's eyes brimmed with tears.

Tina knew how helpless Janet felt. She held her hand and looked her in the eye.

"I have a plan," she said. "And I need you to trust me, OK?" she added, and Janet nodded.

But they didn't know that Dustin was standing behind the door, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"You do as he told you," Tina then told her. "But you won't really add those pills to my drink. Just pretend like you did. Everything else goes as per his plan, and when Dustin leaves for my house, we call the cops and tell them everything, OK?"

Janet agreed. So Tina pretended to be calm when Dustin returned with the grill.

"Shall we eat?" he asked cheerfully, and Janet and Tina exchanged a glance and nodded.

They all sat at the kitchen counter, enjoying the wine and Dustin's barbecue. When the bottle of wine was empty, Janet was about to fetch them another, but Dustin said he would do it.

"Relax, ladies! I've got it!" he laughed and disappeared to the wine rack.

Never in a million dreams could Janet and Tina have guessed that Dustin knew about their secret conversation. He had heard everything. Everything about how Tina and Janet were planning on giving him a taste of his own medicine.

So before he returned to the table, Dustin added a couple of pills to the wine bottle. "Here you go, Mom," he said, handing over the bottle.

"Oh, babe. You've GOT to check out my coin collection right here. Mom, could you pour us another glass while I show Tina my collection?" Dustin asked, giving time to Janet to add the sleeping pills to Tina's glass.

"Sure…Sure, honey," Janet faked a smile, but she stuck to her and Tina's plan.

While showing the collection to Tina, Dustin only pretended to take a sip of the wine, but Janet and Tina drank it, guessing little about Dustin's move.

As Tina downed the whole glass, Janet smiled at her, giving her the sign to unleash the second part of their plan.

"Oh, I think I had too much wine," Tina said ten minutes later, holding her head. "Do you mind if I lie down, Dustin?"

"Sure, babe," Dustin said, but as Tina rose to her feet, she felt dizzy and grabbed her chair's rest. She didn't understand what was happening to her. She wasn't supposed to feel light-headed, but she was.

"Are you OK, babe?" Dustin asked as he rushed to her side.

"I…I'm fine," Tina replied. But her head started spinning, and as soon as she slumped on the couch and closed her eyes, she fell into a deep sleep.

When Dustin turned around, Janet's head was plopped on the table, and she, too, had passed out.

Several hours must've gone by before Tina opened her eyes again. Her head was pounding, and she wanted to wipe the sweat beads covering her forehead, but her hands wouldn't move.

It took a few seconds for Tina to realize she was tied to a chair in the basement, her hands secured behind her by thick cords.

"Help!" she shouted. "Please! Someone help me!"

But her voice seemed to bounce off the walls. She kept trying to free her hands, but it was pointless. Then she heard a familiar voice.

"Tina?"

"Janet?!" Tina sniffled and looked around. She knew the voice was coming from somewhere close, but she couldn't see anyone in the basement.

"I'm sorry, Tina!" Janet's voice appeared again. "I…I shouldn't have gotten you into this. It was my fault, dear!"

"Janet, where are you?" Tina asked.

"I don't know, darling. This space is so small and suffocating!" Janet cried. "My hands and feet are tied, honey. And I…I'm strapped to a chair."

Tina realized Janet was probably stuck in a neighboring room, just like her.

"We need to get out of here, Janet!" Tina said. "But I don't know how…"

Tina looked about the space, trying to spot anything sharp that could cut the cords around her wrists. Suddenly, she noticed there was a toolbox in a corner of the room.

Tina dragged her chair across the floor to reach the toolbox. She was panting as she turned her head, trying to spot precisely where her hands should go to grab the glinting knife.

But right then, the basement door flung open, and Tina froze. She flinched as she saw it was Dustin, and he was carrying a gun!

"Looks like someone wanted to escape!" Dustin smirked and pointed the gun at her. "Are you in a hurry, Tina?"

"Dustin, put that thing down!" she gulped fearfully. "I…I am not going anywhere!"

"Of course, you can't," he smiled wickedly as he approached her, still pointing the gun at her. "And if you do as I say, I won't have to waste my bullet on you."

Tina was shaking in fright as the cold metal of the gun touched her forehead. "I…I'll do whatever you ask me to do, OK? Just…Just don't kill me! Come on, Dustin, you'll be getting your hands dirty for no reason!" she said shakily.

Dustin scoffed. "Well, you don't make the rules here, Tina!" he flashed her a nasty smile, then he freed her feet and took her to the room where Janet was held captive. Tina wanted to hug Janet and cry to her heart's content.

And the agony on Janet's face said she wanted to do the same. But the two women were held at gunpoint and only allowed to do what Dustin instructed them as they made their way out of the house.

Tina's car was parked in the driveway. Dustin ordered Tina to get behind the wheel, and Janet had to get onto the passenger seat. Thankfully, Tina's hands were free now. But Janet's weren't.

"Drive!" Dustin ordered Tina as he got into the backseat, still pointing his gun at her forehead. "Or do you want me to fire this thing, huh? I've got nothing to lose, Tina!"

"I…I'm driving! Put that thing away! Please!" she pleaded with him, but to no avail.

Tina turned the ignition on with trembling hands and started the car. As she drove, she occasionally peered into the rearview mirror and gulped in fear.

Tina wished she had known about Dustin's gambling. She had no idea he had been squandering his elderly mother's money or that he had landed himself in hot water. But the worst thing was that she and Janet were a part of it now, a part of the mess they didn't create.

And poor Janet didn't deserve to go through any of this after she had only wanted the best for her spoiled son. But Dustin didn't care about anyone. He didn't even respect Janet's love and care for him, so why would he care for Tina? Tina only wished she had never met Dustin and involved herself with him.

"Where…where are we going?" she asked him at some point, her heart racing at the sight of the gun in the rearview mirror.

"Just keep driving, or I swear I'll fire this thing right now!" he barked, pressing the gun's barrel against her forehead. "And yeah, when you reach the end of this road, take the left."

Tina's eyes welled up as she understood that it was a shortcut to reach the highway, but she quickly swallowed the tears and nodded. She had no idea if she was going to make it alive, but she had no choice. She followed Dustin's orders and kept driving.

But her heart throbbed against her chest, and she felt like her lungs were going to collapse the moment she realized where they were heading.

"There's no road ahead, Dustin!" she cried. "I need to stop the car!"

"You will stop the car, Tina, but not before I say so!" he snarled.

Dustin forced Tina to drive till the end of the chasm and got out of the car, keeping an eye on her. Beyond the gap, the waves roared and sent a chill down Tina's spine.

She couldn't even afford to peek out the window and look down. She feared heights, and this was insane—being held 100 meters above the vast ocean's surface.

"Get out of the car, oldie!" Dustin ordered Janet. "You see the rope in the back seat? Take it and move towards Tina! Now!" He opened her door and waved the gun at her.

Tina noticed the duffel bag lying on the backseat. She knew it was hers. It was the bag she used to take to the gym. And Tina had realized Dustin had already robbed her house. He would probably kill her and Janet and dump their bodies into the water if she didn't act now.

As Janet was getting down, Tina leaned closer to her and whispered, "Throw that bag into the water, Janet. Trust me, I can get us out of this!"

Janet was scared, but she nodded. She climbed out of the car and went to the backseat. She reached for the rope, and Tina signaled at her in the rearview mirror.

Janet left the rope, grabbed the bag, and tossed it in the gap with as much force as her tied hands could muster. Dustin gasped in horror.

"No, no, no! What the hell did you do?!" Dustin gritted his teeth and spun around, now pointing his gun at Janet.

But Tina jumped out of the car, her hands in the air, and stopped him. "No, wait, Dustin! Don't…Don't hurt her! I can get you more money than what was in the bag! Please!" she said.

But Dustin was still pointing his gun at Janet.

"I'm not lying, Dustin! I can really get you more than what you had looted from my house," Tina stammered. "I…I can take you to my boss's house. The Larsens are on vacation in Miami. You know that! Remember I told you about them? I know where they keep the cash and valuables."

Dustin laughed. "Is this another plan you both came up with just to trap me?"

"You can either kill us or get all that money and clear your debt!" Tina said bravely, although her heart was shuddering in fear. "All you need to do is disable the alarm system in their house using a code. And only I know that. The choice is yours, Dustin."

Dustin hesitated for a moment, and Tina saw he was debating whether to take her offer. Her racing heart calmed down when he said yes.

"Get back in the car then!" Dustin ordered her and Janet. "And if either of you try to act smart this time, trust me, I won't even think once before pulling the trigger! You better get that in your freakin' heads!"

Tina nodded and heaved a sigh of relief as she returned to the car. She had a plan in mind to save herself and Janet. All Tina had to do now was patiently wait. She turned the ignition on and started driving, promising herself that she wouldn't let anything go wrong this time.

An hour later, Tina pulled into the Larsens' driveway. Their happy family home stood quiet. She led Dustin through the back entrance and disabled the alarm. Janet remained in the car, her hands tied.

"This way," Tina told Dustin as she took the stairs to Mr. Larsen's home office and flung the door open.

"The money you need is inside a safe right there," she pointed to the wall facing the mahogany desk.

"It's a secret safe. Built inside the wall. But you can only open it with a remote control that's lying in the table's drawer," she continued. "On the left side."

"Take me to the drawer and get me the remote!" Dustin pushed Tina forward while holding her at gunpoint. She walked over to the table and did as he instructed.

"Push the button. There's only one there," she said, and he glared at her. "Don't think you've got all the brains in the world!" he hissed as he pressed the button, but nothing happened.

"Why isn't it working?" he scowled at her.

"It must be stuck," Tina said. Dustin pressed the button again, but it was futile. Still, he tried again and again. Yet, nothing happened.

Frustrated that all his attempts went to waste, a strange fury gripped him. Still aiming his gun at Tina, Dustin approached the wall and began tearing off the wallpaper and even the plaster.

But Dustin had no idea that wasn't going to help his case. He kept trying to figure out an alternate way to open the safe.

When nothing seemed to work, he grabbed the remote angrily and kept pressing the button. "This darn thing!" he screamed as he approached the wall, trying everything he could to unlock the secret vault.

Suddenly, faint sirens appeared in the distance and distracted him. Dustin's face fell when he turned around and looked at Tina.

"How the hell did they know?" he screamed as he looked out the office window and saw a series of police cruisers arrive in the driveway.

"You turned off the alarm! How did they know?" he yelled in rage as heavy footsteps sounded outside. "Answer me, you idiot!"

"Maybe because you've been trying to open the safe by pressing the emergency button for the last five minutes," Tina smiled as she pointed to the remote in his hands.

Then she knelt down and put her hands behind her head as she waited for the cops to burst into Mr. Larsen's office.

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