My son, Michael, surprised me with a cottage in the countryside, but I soon realized it was all a trick. I’m Richard, 68, and I never thought I’d be seeking advice about my son.
As a single dad after my wife, Emma, passed away when Michael was just ten, we had always been a close-knit team. Michael grew into a hardworking and responsible man, and I was proud of him. We regularly had dinner together and talked often, so when he excitedly announced he bought me a cottage, I was both shocked and skeptical.
“It’s perfect, Dad. You’ll love it!” he insisted, despite my hesitation. Ultimately, I agreed to sell our family home, trusting his judgment. But as we drove further from the city, unease crept in. The landscape turned desolate, and I realized we weren’t heading to a cozy cottage but to a place called “Sunset Haven.”
When we arrived, I learned it was a nursing home. “Dad, you’ll be taken care of here,” Michael said, avoiding my gaze. I felt betrayed and angry. “I don’t need this! Take me home!” But he dropped a bombshell: he had already sold the house.
I felt the ground fall away beneath me. How could he sell it without my consent? I’d thought he’d raised him better than this. After moving in, I felt lost in the sterile environment of the home, filled with memories of a life I’d cherished.
A common room of a nursing home | Source: Pexels
Days passed in a blur of confusion and anger, compounded by overhearing a conversation about Michael’s gambling debts. Had he sold me out to cover his mistakes? It shattered my heart to think that my son had discarded me for selfish reasons.
Fate intervened when an old friend, Jack, visited. He was horrified to find me there and offered to help contest the sale of my house. After a legal battle, I regained my home and left Sunset Haven.
Now, Michael is trying to apologize. He came to my house, looking disheveled and remorseful. He confessed to his gambling addiction, explaining that he thought he was doing the best for both of us. “I was wrong, Dad. Can you ever forgive me?” he pleaded.
Part of me wants to move forward; he is my son, after all. But another part is still angry and hurt. How can I trust him again after what he did? He lied, manipulated me, and stole my home. What would you do in my place?
