A wealthy man, convinced that money could buy anything, destroyed a poor old man’s house to make way for a shopping mall. Later, while examining the debris, he discovered a childhood photo among the rubble.
Can greed make someone so blind that they harm others to fulfill their own desires? In July 2021, real estate developer Elliot Morris from Florida unintentionally shattered the dreams of an elderly man named Joe Brooke in his pursuit of wealth.
Elliot was searching for the perfect spot to build a fancy mall when he noticed Joe’s property. He was taken with the location and decided it would be the ideal place for his new project. Elliot chose to demolish Joe’s house to clear the land. When Joe protested, Elliot dismissed him as just an obstacle that could easily be removed.
Joe pleaded with Elliot, explaining that the house held precious memories of his late wife and that he had nowhere else to go. However, Elliot ignored Joe’s desperate requests. He informed Joe that he had already received approval from the mayor and planned to start the demolition in two weeks, leaving Joe with no choice but to leave.
Despite his fears, Joe refused to accept any money in exchange for his cherished home. As the deadline approached, he hoped for a miracle, but the day of demolition arrived too quickly.
When Elliot returned with his workers and heavy machinery, Joe once again begged him not to tear down his house. Elliot coldly reminded Joe that he had already given him a deadline and handed him a check, showing no concern for Joe’s situation.
Elliot ordered one of his workers to take Joe to a nursing home and insisted that Joe take the money, but Joe refused. With tears in his eyes, Joe told Elliot that he had let greed consume him, reminding him that money could not buy everything. Elliot dismissed Joe’s words and watched with satisfaction as his workers demolished the house. He felt a sense of triumph as he saw the building fall to the ground.
Later that day, Elliot returned to the site to celebrate his achievement. As he walked over the ruins, he stumbled upon the shattered glass of a photo frame. Picking it up, he recognized the image of his mother holding a baby.
Confused, Elliot realized this was a photo of him as a child, and he wondered how it had ended up in Joe’s home. Driven by curiosity, he immediately went to the nursing home to confront Joe. When Joe saw Elliot, he was upset, expecting more trouble. But Elliot showed him the photo he had found. He wanted to know how Joe had the picture of his mother.
Joe explained that he had found Elliot’s mother, Samantha, on the street 30 years ago, struggling in the rain with a baby in her arms. Joe had just come from his wife’s funeral and felt compelled to help her.
Joe shared that he had taken Samantha in, as she had been thrown out by her boyfriend. For five years, Samantha lived with Joe, who treated her like family. Eventually, Joe helped her get back on her feet, enabling her to start her own business and build a life for herself.
Elliot felt his heart break as Joe spoke, realizing that he had been unaware of the love and support Joe had given his mother. Overwhelmed with guilt, Elliot decided to make amends. The next day, he put up a sign on Joe’s old property and began constructing a new home for him.
Within a few months, a beautiful house replaced the one Elliot had destroyed. Elliot gifted this new home to Joe, sincerely apologizing for his past ignorance. Joe, however, refused any additional help, saying he would only accept the house and wanted nothing else but Elliot’s love. Joe moved into his new home, leading a simple life. He inspired Elliot, teaching him that compassion and love matter more than wealth.
In the end, Elliot decided to use his resources to help others by building retirement homes for those in need. He learned to respect people’s homes and dreams, vowing never to harm anyone for personal gain again. The story reminds us of two important lessons: never destroy someone else’s happiness to fulfill your own dreams and strive to create something beneficial for others when you have the chance.
My Son Stays Quiet as His Wife Insults Me — But He Soon Teaches Her a Lesson in Front of Guests
Kate cannot wait to spend the holidays with her son and his wife — it’s her first Christmas with the family. But when Liz criticizes her cooking, and John chooses silence over defending his mother, will the holidays be ruined?
I was always the feeder — especially after I got married, it was always me cooking for every family dinner and during the major holidays, like Christmas. But after Oliver, my husband, passed, I lost hold of that part of me.
Now, I barely cook, just enough to keep myself going, and barely that.
Except during the holidays because this is when my son, John, comes for his annual roast dinner. And then, it’s time for me to shine. But this year, things got very heated in the kitchen.
This was the first year with Liz, John’s wife, joining us. When they were dating, she always went home to her parents instead of visiting us. Which, I’ll admit, is fair because being with your family is everything during the holidays. Anyway, I was intrigued to see how Liz would mix with the rest of our family for the day.
Person chopping vegetables | Source: Unsplash
I got up early and began the Christmas meal, knowing that it would be an early dinner with many side dishes and different desserts to follow. I made the usual Christmas dinner that we’ve done for years — chicken, with roasted potatoes and gravy being the main attraction, but with lots of little dishes. Things that John loved.
But Liz? Oh, she definitely wasn’t a fan.
I was putting the final touches on the chicken when Liz strolled into the kitchen, cell phone in hand, eyeing my cooking. She looked around the kitchen with an expression that looked like she had smelt something terrible. I tried to ignore her because I was already sweating away.
Roast chicken on plates | Source: Pexels
Then, she hit me with a line that slammed through me. “Hey, Kate,” she said, “maybe we should order food. Not everyone wants what you’ve cooked. I don’t know if everyone enjoys your cooking, either. Every aspect of Christmas is supposed to be enjoyed by everyone. They should enjoy the food, too!”
I was completely blindsided by her words.
I saw John leaning against the archway, nibbling on a carrot. He altogether avoided my gaze, looking over me and out the window across the room. I held back my tears and bit my lip.
Family get together | Source: Pexels
The guests were almost all present, sitting all over the house, and I didn’t want to put a damper on the dinner, even if Liz had hurt me. Dinner rolled around, and the table groaned beneath the weight of the food. My guests, John included, were digging in and singing praises for the food I had been cooking for most of the day.
“The food’s great, right? Everyone’s enjoying it?” John asked the table.
His uncle laughed and helped himself to another serving of roasted potatoes. “Why wouldn’t we enjoy my sister’s food?” my brother said.
“Because Liz said that the dinner might be ruined by Mom’s dishes. She wanted us to order in.”
“Nonsense!” my brother exclaimed, drowning his potatoes in gravy.
Roasted potatoes | Source: Pexels
John looked at me and smiled. Which was when I realized that my sweet boy’s silence wasn’t meant to hurt me. No. He was trying to bide his time until he could teach Liz a lesson and embarrass her in front of our family.
Liz turned red from his comment as everyone stared at her. I’ll admit that I felt bad for her. It was her first Christmas with us, and already, it wasn’t looking promising.
Later on, when I was in the kitchen again, packing the dishwasher and emptying dishes of food, Liz came in.
“Kate, I’m sorry,” my daughter-in-law said. “I was so wrong to do what I did. I am sorry, please understand.”
“Understand what?” I asked her.
I did feel bad, yes. But I was still hurt.
Loaded dishwasher | Source: Pexels
“I only said that because John loves your food. He always talks about how you make all these special things for him. I can’t make a basic mac and cheese without him saying yours is better. I looked at the food, smelt all the delicious smells from this kitchen, and panicked.”
“Liz, you should know that a boy and his mother’s food is a relationship in and of itself,” I laughed, trying to diffuse the tension. “I can teach you how to cook just like me. My mother taught me everything I know.”
“Really?” she asked. “Even after I’ve been so horrible?”
“Yes,” I said with a softening smile.
Then, I led her to the Christmas tree, ready to give Liz her present.
I still think the whole thing hurts me, but I’m grateful she didn’t say what she said for a nasty reason. Liz felt threatened by John’s relationship with my food instead of fostering a relationship with Liz’s cooking.
But I can teach her.
Christmas present wrapped with red thread | Source: Pexels
If the same thing had happened to you, what would you have done? Would you have been silent until the truth came out, like me? Or would you have retaliated immediately?
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