Gregory’s frustration grew every day. A dog was barking in front of his house every single morning, and it was driving him crazy. He couldn’t take it anymore. He decided he was going to find out why that dog kept showing up. The next time the dog appeared, Gregory was ready. He watched the dog closely. What surprised him the most was something he hadn’t expected: the dog had a photo of his late grandmother, Lucy, attached to its collar.
“Why is this dog carrying a picture of Grandma?” Gregory whispered to himself in shock.
Without wasting another moment, he decided to follow the dog, who suddenly darted off. As he trailed the dog, Gregory’s mind raced, but he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something important was about to unfold.
Gregory was a man driven by greed. His desire to grow his wealth was endless. Even when his son, Alex, grew older, Gregory’s one obsession was how he could make more money. So when it came time to think about Alex’s future, Gregory had already chosen the woman he wanted his son to marry—Allison, the daughter of Gregory’s business partner, William. It was all part of a plan to secure even more wealth.
Miraculously, Alex and Allison did fall in love, and everything seemed perfect. But there was one condition: William insisted that for the marriage to go forward, Gregory had to buy the young couple a nice house.
Gregory, being the greedy man he was, began plotting. He didn’t want to spend money on a new house, so he thought of something sneaky. He remembered his mother, Lucy, who lived alone in a beautiful, though old, Victorian house.
“That house could be useful,” Gregory thought. “Why not send Mom to a nursing home and take her house for Alex and Allison? I’ll save money that way.”
Gregory didn’t waste time. He went straight to his mother’s house and told her it was time for her to move into a nursing home. “But why?” Lucy asked, surprised. “I’m perfectly fine here on my own.”
Gregory waved her concern aside, “Mom, don’t be silly. You need to be at a nursing home where people can take care of you. Your dog can’t help you if anything happens to you.”
Reluctantly, Lucy agreed to go. “But, Gregory, promise me you and Alex will visit me,” she said.
“Of course, Mom. We’ll come by whenever we can,” Gregory lied, already thinking about how he’d take control of the house.
After a few months in the nursing home, Gregory had bad news for Alex. “Your grandma passed away,” Gregory said over the phone one day. “She left you her house. You and Allison can move in now. I had it cleaned up for you.”
Alex was shaken. “Wait… Grandma passed away? What about the funeral?”
Gregory quickly replied, “Don’t worry. She was already buried. You can come and settle into your new home whenever you’re ready.”
Alex couldn’t believe it. His heart sank as he and Allison began moving their things into Lucy’s old Victorian house. But something wasn’t right. Every night, a dog kept barking in front of the house.
“Alex, go figure out why that dog is barking every night, please,” Allison said, growing frustrated too.
Alex finally decided he couldn’t ignore it anymore. He went outside, determined to find the cause of the noise. To his surprise, the dog was friendly and let him pet it. As he looked closer, Alex noticed something strange: a locket on the dog’s collar.
When he opened it, his breath caught. Inside was a photo of his grandmother, Lucy, and a small note with an address.
“Why does she have a photo of Grandma?” Alex wondered. Just then, the dog began to run. Without thinking, Alex chased after it. The dog led him a few blocks away, stopping at a house, which turned out to be an old barn.
“Why did you bring me here, buddy?” Alex asked the dog, confused but desperate for answers.
When Alex walked into the barn, he couldn’t believe his eyes. There, lying on a pile of hay, was his grandmother. She looked sick, weak, and cold, as if she hadn’t eaten in days.
“Grandma?” Alex gasped, rushing to her side. “You’re alive? What happened? Dad said you were dead!” He couldn’t hold back his tears.
Lucy weakly opened her eyes. “Gregory… left me here. He said he couldn’t afford the nursing home anymore. He promised to bring supplies, but he never came back. My own son did this to me…” Her voice cracked.
“I’m so sorry, Grandma. I didn’t know. Dad lied to me. He told me you died in the nursing home…” Alex said, choking on his words, his heart aching for her.
Grandma Lucy’s eyes were filled with sorrow. “I would’ve died here if it weren’t for Walter, my dog. He found a piece of paper and a pencil, and I wrote down an address, hoping someone would come and find me.”
Alex was furious now, tears of anger mixing with his sadness. How could his father do this?
Determined to get Lucy the help she needed, Alex called for a cab. He carried his grandmother back to the house and told Allison everything. The next day, Allison shared the heartbreaking story with her father, William.
William was furious. “I can’t believe Gregory did this,” he said. He immediately cut all ties with Gregory, pulling out of their business deal.
Without William’s support, Gregory’s business began to crumble. Within months, it was clear that William had been the true backbone of their success. Gregory’s greed had caused him to lose everything. The business went bankrupt.
As for Alex, he made the tough decision to cut ties with his father for good. He realized Gregory had only ever cared about himself.
Alex promised to take care of Grandma Lucy, and he kept that promise. He, Allison, and Lucy, along with Walter the dog, settled into the beautiful Victorian house. And Lucy was finally at peace, surrounded by love and her great-grandchildren.
What can we learn from this story?
The truth always finds a way to come out. Gregory thought he could hide the truth about his mother, but in the end, the loyal dog Walter uncovered what had really happened. Lucy was alive, and Alex would never forget the sacrifice she had made to protect him.
Respect your elders. Gregory thought he could take advantage of his mother because she was old and weak. But in the end, his greed caught up with him. By abandoning his mother, he lost everything, while Alex learned that family comes before wealth.
Karma always finds its way. The man who thought he could manipulate his way to success ended up losing everything he cared about. Meanwhile, Alex, who had always been kind and loving, was rewarded with a life full of love and family.
