A Father’s Last Trick: Who Truly Deserves the Fortune?
What wouldn’t a loving parent do for their children? Move mountains? Give up everything? Even break their own heart just to show how deeply they care? Benjamin, a rich and caring father, decided to test his five sons in a way none of them could imagine.
Benjamin was 68 years old, a man who had built his fortune from nothing, starting his business at 21 with nothing but hard work and determination. Over the decades, he taught his children the value of sweat and patience, always reminding them, “Hard work always pays off.” But his sons—Jake, Simon, Kevin, Jose, and Rick—didn’t care about those lessons. To them, money was the only thing that mattered.
Years passed, and the sons grew distant. They left their father’s home and only called him when they needed money. Benjamin watched sadly as his boys drifted further away. “Money is just paper compared to family,” he often thought, but how could he make them understand?
Life got even harder after Benjamin’s wife, Lily, passed away. Her death crushed the family’s last bonds. The sons cared less than ever, treating their father like an ATM machine. Benjamin was left alone, his heart aching for the children who seemed to forget him.
“I miss them so much,” he whispered to himself in lonely nights. “They will come back… someday.”
But days turned to months, and no one reached out.
Then, one shocking morning, each son received a letter from their father’s lawyer. The letter said Benjamin had died suddenly and asked them to come to the funeral. The letter read, “Please be present at the funeral. It was your father’s last wish to have his beloved children there.”
The sons smiled, thinking about the fortune they would inherit. But little did they know—Benjamin was alive. The letter was a clever trick.
On the day of the funeral, Benjamin sat quietly in his chair, hidden away near the cemetery’s patio. He waited excitedly to see his sons arrive. “It’s almost noon. They should be here by now,” he said, his eyes scanning the empty path.
Suddenly, a young woman in black appeared at the gate. She looked around, puzzled. “Is this the right place? I don’t see a funeral here…” she whispered to herself.
Benjamin stood and asked gently, “Do I know you, young lady?”
“I’m Alice,” she said softly. “I’m here to mourn my fiancé Jake’s father, Benjamin.”
Benjamin’s eyes widened in surprise. “My son has a fiancé? He never told me!”
Alice looked shocked too. “Your son? But your lawyer said you were dead. Why would you lie?”
Benjamin smiled sadly and shared his secret plan with Alice.
“I wanted to find out which of my sons truly deserves my fortune. So, I pretended to die. But I didn’t expect they wouldn’t even come to mourn. Instead, they only cared about my money.”
Alice felt a deep sadness for Benjamin. She told him how she had tried to convince Jake to attend the funeral, but he refused.
“He plans to visit the lawyer next week to claim his inheritance,” she said quietly. “He doesn’t care about you.”
Benjamin looked down, hurt. Then he asked, “But why did you come here against your fiancé’s wishes?”
Alice’s eyes filled with tears. “My parents taught me to respect my elders. I could never abandon my own father like that. It breaks my heart to think a child could leave their parent alone.”
Benjamin’s eyes glistened with tears. “Thank you, Alice. You have a kind heart.”
Two days later, the five sons got another letter—this time from their father himself. It shocked them to learn he was alive and had left his fortune not to them, but to someone else.
“What? How could this be? Dad is alive? Why did the lawyer say he was dead?” Jake shouted angrily.
They hurried to Benjamin’s home, only to find Alice there, caring for him. Jake exploded, “Alice! What are you doing here? And why is dad alive?”
Benjamin refused to listen to their excuses. He shut the door on their pleas to change his will.
Alice, furious, broke off her engagement with Jake. “I can’t be with a man who abandons his father,” she said firmly, throwing down the ring. “We all will grow old one day. How would you feel being left alone like that? Money means nothing compared to love and respect.”
From that day, Alice stayed by Benjamin’s side, caring for him lovingly until he passed away peacefully in his sleep months later.
After the funeral, Alice received a call from the lawyer. “Mr. Parker has left you his business and property. It was his final wish,” the lawyer told her.
Alice didn’t care about the money, but she accepted to honor Benjamin’s last wish.
Meanwhile, the sons grumbled and cursed their fate, angry at their father’s choice. But Benjamin had made his decision—one born from years of pain and hope.
What can we learn from Benjamin’s story?
Don’t take love for granted.
Benjamin’s sons knew their father loved and missed them. But they only reached out when they wanted money. They forgot to care about his feelings.
Money isn’t everything. Love and respect are the true treasures in life.
Alice fought with her fiancé Jake, attended Benjamin’s funeral against his wishes, and showed what it means to truly value family and honor.
As Alice said, “Respect your elders. Love matters more than all the money in the world.”