Becky was a housekeeper for ten years, cleaning the house of a rich man named Gregory. She did her job well in order to feed her two children and save up for their educational expenses. One day, she finds out that the house she’s been cleaning was actually hers.
Becky had been working for Gregory ever since it was just him and his first wife Linda at home. Although they were wealthy, they were extremely kind to Becky and would often talk to her.
When Linda died unexpectedly, both Gregory and Becky were devasted. Since that time, Becky was the only person close to Gregory, and he confided in her often, seeing her like a daughter.
Gregory was so heartbroken about Linda’s death that he somehow needed to fill the void that she left in his life. So, when a young beautiful woman paid attention to him at one of his business meetings one day, he decided to court her and make her his wife.
Gregory’s new wife Marissa did not like Becky. The moment she and her grown son moved into Gregory’s mansion, they barely paid her any attention and told Becky only to show herself when serving them meals.
One day, Becky overheard Marissa talking to someone on the phone about Gregory contracting covid. She went up the stairs, asking if she could tend to Gregory. Marissa refused.
Instead, Marissa spilled the glass of red wine she was holding all over the carpet so that Becky had more work to do. “After you’re done cleaning the stains off the carpet, go and wash the dishes. My son ordered Chinese takeout for him and his friends and made a mess of the dining hall,” she directed.
Not wanting to disappoint Marissa any more than she already did, Becky went straight to work. She tried her best to clean the red wine stain on the carpet and went on to clean the dining hall and the dishes.
When Becky was finally done, she suddenly heard the car engine start. She peeped through the window and saw Marissa’s son in the driver’s seat, and Marissa walking towards the passenger seat wearing glamorous clothes fit for a party.
After watching them drive off, Becky prepared a bowl of hot soup for Gregory. She quietly took it up to his room, slowly entering so as not to wake him.
Little did Becky know, Gregory was asleep because of his high fever. Before waking him up, Becky started venting to the older man, not knowing would be listening.
“I miss when it was just you, Lindy, and I at home,” she sighed. “I’ve made your favorite soup, but I don’t want to wake you. I hope you see it when you wake up,” she said, placing the tray down as gently as she could on the table.
“I wanted to feed you sooner, but Marissa wouldn’t let me up. I’m sorry, Sir Gregory. I wish I could help you more,” she apologized. “I did not know that they planned to go out tonight. I would have stayed, but my children are waiting for me at home. I have no more money for a babysitter, and I really need to head home soon, or else she is going to charge me more,” Becky added, slowly making her way to the door.
The following morning, Gregory pretended to be asleep as Marissa and her son were talking. “This old man is such a bummer. How can we host a party here when he’s in this room sleeping? My friends and I won’t be able to make noise!” the boy complained.
“I know. I didn’t think he’d last this long when I married him,” Marissa sighed.
Upon hearing this, Gregory realized he had made the big mistake of marrying her. She was only after her money and didn’t care about him at all.
“If only covid would take him. Then, his riches will all be mine as his wife!” she started dreaming.
“Shush, mom. He might wake up!” her son warned. “But that would be nice, wouldn’t it?” he started to daydream.
After a couple more days, Gregory recovered. He informed his wife and stepson that he expanded the business and planned to move to San Francisco. “I bought a posh, Victorian mansion there,” he revealed.
He was amused by the squeals that left his wife’s mouth. “Oh I can’t WAIT to live there!” she gushed. “Imagine all the soirees we can throw there!”
Gregory shrugged, pretending to be as excited as she was. “I don’t want to disappoint you, so I’m having everything prepared very well,” he lied. “I booked a five-star hotel room for you in the meantime. You two can stay there, and wait for my staff to be in touch.”
The thought of staying in a five-star hotel excited Marissa even more. She and her son hurriedly packed their bags, thinking they were moving to a brand-new mansion in a couple of days.
Meanwhile, Becky was on her day off, helping her kids with their homework when she gets a call from a realtor. “Hello,” she greeted. “How can I help you?”
“Hi, this is Mr. Anderson of 15 Realty. Are you familiar with the house at 275 Oak Street?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, suddenly curious. “I work there. Why? Did anything happen?”
“I’m calling on behalf of Mr. Gregory. As of today, he wants you to know that you no longer work there. You live there,” the man revealed.
“What? How is that possible? Where is Mr. Gregory?” Becky asked. She was worried that something had happened to her kind boss, and was preparing to rush over to the mansion.
“Mr. Gregory has chosen to live a new life in San Francisco. He would like to leave his estate and everything inside the home to you and your children,” the man revealed. “If you could meet me in Oak Street in two hours, I would like to give you the legal papers that transfer ownership of Mr. Gregory’s house to you. Can you do that?”
Becky could not believe what was happening and thought she was dreaming. “Is this real?” she couldn’t help but ask. “Will I still be able to see Mr. Gregory?” she asked.
“It’s real,” the man assured her. “If you could meet me on the property, I can prove it to you.”
Without hesitation, Becky took her two kids and traveled to Mr. Gregory’s house. There, she saw the lawyer waiting for her.
True enough, none of Marissa’s things were there, and most of the valuable things at the house were left untouched. After she signed the documents, the lawyer handed them to her, along with a letter from her former employer. It read:
“Becky,I’ve always seen you as my own daughter. Thank you for the wonderful ten years you spent with me. You and your children deserve a comfortable home, and I would like to entrust mine to you. This was your home, too, and now, it’ll be yours even in papers. If you ever find yourselves in San Francisco, give me a call I would love to spend time with you and the kids.
With love, Gregory.”
Becky was in tears by the time she finished reading the letter. She promised that once she had extra money to spare, the first thing she’d do is buy tickets to San Francisco with her children to see Gregory.
Meanwhile, Marissa and her son were given the surprise of their lives at the hotel they were checked in at when Gregory’s lawyer appeared. “Are you going to take us to the airport now?” she excitedly asked.
“No,” the man said sternly. “I’m here to serve you your divorce papers,” he said, handing her an envelope.
“Divorce papers?! What are you talking about?!” she yelled.
“Mr. Gregory overheard you speak ill of him while he was down with covid,” the lawyer revealed. “He wants nothing to do with you anymore, because he finally knows your true intentions. If you refuse to sign the papers, you will hear from me again, but next time with a court order,” he threatened, forcing Marissa to sign the papers without question.
Marissa and her son were left with nothing but their belongings, and they were forced to move back to the small shack they once lived in. Meanwhile, Becky was able to provide her children with a safe and comfortable home which they lived in until they grew older.
What can we learn from this story?
The good you put out into the world will one day make its way back to you. Becky genuinely cared for her boss Gregory, and had his best interest in mind even when Marissa was being harsh on her. In the end, Gregory rewarded her loyalty by giving her his house.
Not everyone you meet is genuine towards you. Gregory thought that Marissa loved him, so he married her. He ended up finding out that all she wanted from him were his riches.
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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an old lady with a $2 million mansion who disinherited her daughter-in-law after hearing her phone’s ringtone.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.