Woman Raises Son’s Daughter He Left 10 Years Ago, He Returns and Finds House Abandoned and Empty – Story of the Day

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A man left his daughter with his mother to start a new life with his new wife. But when he came back ten years later, thinking everything would be the same, he got the shock of his life—his daughter and mother had disappeared without a trace.

Doris Dakkar had already lived through heartbreak once. When her husband walked out on her and their young son Nicholas, she was only thirty years old. She had no choice but to raise Nicholas alone. Life was tough, but she worked two jobs and made sure he had everything he needed. She gave him all her love and all her strength.

She never imagined that, thirty years later, she’d become a single parent again—this time to her granddaughter. She thought her son had grown into a better man than his father. But she was wrong. Too wrong.

Nicholas had married a kind, sweet woman named Sandra, and they had a daughter, Paige. Everything seemed perfect—until Sandra died suddenly when Paige was just nine years old.

Doris grieved for her daughter-in-law and worried about Paige. But she was even more concerned when, just a few weeks after Sandra’s funeral, Nicholas started dating a woman named Donna. Six months later, they were married.

Doris tried to understand. “Maybe Nicky’s just lonely,” she told herself. “He’s not thinking straight. He’s hurting.”

But what hurt even more was seeing how Paige changed. The once cheerful, energetic little girl turned quiet and withdrawn. Doris figured it was grief from losing her mom, but she didn’t like how fast Nicholas had moved on—and how quickly Paige seemed forgotten.

Then came the summer Paige turned ten.

Nicholas visited Doris with an odd request. “Mom,” he said, “can you take care of Paige for three weeks? Donna and I are going to Alaska for a vacation. Just us. Paige’s been difficult lately. She doesn’t like Donna. She resents her.”

Doris looked at him, surprised. “A vacation? So soon?” she asked.

Nicholas shrugged. “All couples need time alone, Mom.”

Doris frowned. “Alright, Nicky. I’ll take care of her. But if you’ll allow me to say this… Donna knew you had a daughter. A grown woman should be able to understand that a ten-year-old is still grieving her mother—and needs her father.”

Nicholas flushed red with anger. His lips puckered in that old way Doris remembered from his childhood.

“I should’ve known you’d take Paige’s side!” he snapped. “Donna loves me, she makes me happy—and that’s all that matters!”

Doris couldn’t hide her disappointment. “Well, someone has to take Paige’s side. And I would’ve thought it would be her father! Making your daughter happy should make you happy too.”

Nicholas stormed off, offended. But a week later, he came back with Paige and her suitcase, smiling as if nothing had happened. He kissed Paige goodbye and gave Doris a hug.

“I’ll be back August 27,” he said with a cheery wave as he drove away.

But August 27 came and went. No Nicholas.

Doris called and called—but his number was disconnected. Paige sent texts, and once in a while, he would reply with a few empty words. Then even those stopped.

Soon, they learned that the house Nicholas and Sandra had bought had been sold. There was no trace of him anywhere. No call. No note. Nothing.

Nicholas had left his own daughter behind without a second thought, and with her, his aging mother.

Doris sat Paige down and gently told her the truth. “Sweetheart,” she said, holding her hand tightly, “I don’t know where your father went, but I promise you this: we’re going to be okay. I will take care of you. I love you. And I believe one day your father will regret what he’s done.”

And she was absolutely right.

Ten years later, an old, rusty car pulled up in front of the house where Doris used to live. Nicholas was behind the wheel. He stepped out and looked around. The garden was wild and overgrown. The windows were shuttered. The house looked empty, like it hadn’t been touched in years.

He walked to the neighbor’s door and knocked. A familiar older woman answered—Doris’s best friend.

Her eyes widened when she saw him. “Well, look who’s decided to return,” she said, unimpressed.

“I’m looking for my daughter and my mother,” Nicholas said.

The woman crossed her arms. “You’ve got nerve coming here,” she said coldly. “Paige is married now. Doris lives with her. I hope you’re not expecting the kind of welcome the Prodigal Son got. Because after what you did, you won’t find it here.”

Nicholas said nothing. He turned around and walked back to his car. He wasn’t worried. He could handle his mother.

But nothing prepared him for what came next.

He followed the address the neighbor gave him and pulled up to a massive mansion with white pillars and manicured gardens. It looked like something out of a movie.

This can’t be right, he thought. They live here?

He rang the bell. A maid in a crisp uniform opened the door.

“I’m here to see Doris or Paige Dakkar,” he said.

The maid raised an eyebrow. “You mean Mrs. Dakkar or Mrs. Henderson,” she corrected him coolly, then led him into a grand sitting room with velvet couches and crystal chandeliers.

A few minutes later, a beautiful young woman walked in. It was Paige.

She didn’t look surprised at all.

Nicholas realized right away—the neighbor must’ve warned them.

“Paige, my baby…” he said, stepping forward with open arms.

“What do you want, Father?” she asked, her voice calm and cold.

“I came to see you. And Grandma Doris,” he said with a smile. “I’ve missed you both so much.”

Just then, Doris walked into the room. She looked calm. Strong. And somehow younger than her age.

“Nicholas,” she said quietly. “Why are you here?”

Nicholas flushed. “I wanted to see my family. I was hoping… for a warm welcome!”

Paige’s eyes narrowed. “You abandoned me, Father. You left a ten-year-old girl with no explanation. And you want warmth?”

Nicholas looked at his mother. “Mom… It wasn’t really me. Donna—she made me do it. She said if I didn’t leave Paige, she’d leave me…”

“Oh,” Doris said with a sad little smile. “And let me guess—Donna left you anyway, once the money ran out?”

Nicholas glanced around the luxurious room. His eyes were filled with envy. “You’re clearly not struggling,” he muttered bitterly. “I was hoping you could spare something. I’m unemployed… things are hard.”

Paige stood up straight, her voice strong. “I can’t believe you have the nerve to ask us for anything. You left us. But we survived. Thanks to Grandma Doris, I had everything I needed. And now, thanks to my husband, we have more than enough.”

“I’m still your father!” Nicholas protested.

“You’re nothing to me,” Paige replied. But then she reached for Doris’s hand and added softly, “But for Grandma’s sake, I’ll help you.”

She walked over to a fancy desk and opened a drawer. She took out a set of keys and placed some money in an envelope.

“These are the keys to the old house,” she said. “There’s $5,000 inside. Don’t expect more. Don’t come back.”

Then she turned and walked out of the room, gently guiding Grandma Doris with her. Moments later, the maid returned and showed Nicholas to the door before he could even look twice at the valuable items around him.

Nicholas sat in his car, staring at the mansion.

“I did what I had to do,” he muttered to himself. “Why can’t anyone understand how much I’ve suffered? There’s just no gratitude in this world…”


What can we learn from this story?

Selfish people don’t think about anyone else’s happiness—only their own. Nicholas walked away from his daughter and mother without guilt, as long as he got what he wanted. But life has a way of teaching hard lessons.

You get what you give. Nicholas returned expecting love, comfort, and even money. But he was given only what he truly deserved—and even that, thanks only to Paige and Doris’s kindness.