An extravagant traditional white wedding had always been Tina’s dream. Unfortunately, that was not the case when she eloped with her high school sweetheart, Richard, at the tender age of 18.
Richard was from a substantially wealthy family, and the idea of eloping seemed somewhat arbitrary to Tina. However, in her heart, she was just happy that she was marrying the man she loved. Richard’s wealthy background was never her interest; she genuinely loved Richard.
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“Get out, Tina! If I see you here again, we’ll have a problem!”
After a couple of months of staying together, Tina fell pregnant. Even though they had never discussed having children, Tina was over the moon at the revelation and couldn’t wait to tell her husband.
“What do you mean you’re pregnant?” Richard asked, agitated.
“I thought you’d be more excited. I know we didn’t plan this, but I know how much of a family man you are. You’d make an amazing father,” Tina reassured him.
“Family man? The only reason we are together is so I can get some space from the family I already have! How could you do this to me?” Richard barked.
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Tina was utterly taken aback by Richards’s words. “Was he now showing his true colors?” she thought. “No, not my Richard,” she concluded. Tina convinced herself he still needed a little more time to process everything and that she would have to be patient.
The next day, Richard came back home drunk and kicked Tina out of their apartment out of the blue.
“Get out, Tina! If I see you here again, we’ll have a problem!” he said.
Tina did not fight him but simply left, thinking Richard would come to his senses later. Tina went to the apartment a few days later, only to discover that Richard had changed the locks. She then called Richard’s parents, and the unfolding conversation left Tina shattered.
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“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Tinney. I was trying to reach Richard. We recently…” Tina attempted to explain before being crudely cut off.
“The nerve of you, young lady! Calling after everything you’ve done to our Richy!” said Mrs. Tinney.
“Me? I’m sorry, I’m not sure I understand. Please… I don’t know what you’ve heard, but let me explain…” Tina attempted to explain before being cut off again.
“We’ve heard about it all! How you cheated on him and fell pregnant with another man’s child! Don’t you ever call here again, or we’ll sue the eyelashes off you!” snapped Mrs. Tinney.
At that very moment, it was as clear as daylight for Tina; she and her unborn child were on their own.
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Years passed, and Tina took it upon herself to raise her child with whatever love or strength she had left. Her son, Greg, made it easy on her. While she struggled to make ends meet, Greg’s awareness of their troubles and eagerness to help and pitch in lifted a bit of the burden off Tina.
Tina had always been transparent with her son about what had transpired between his father and her. Greg was grateful to his mother for all her efforts and worked hand in hand with his mother to put food on the table. At only 15 years old, Greg had his first ball as a caddy at the local golf club.
While he had started working from a young age, he never let it interfere with his studies. Greg was never the brightest in his classes, but he had adopted an incredible work ethic. Greg eventually graduated from high school with honors and opened up a business with the money he had saved from his job shortly after.
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Tina was extremely proud of the man Greg was blossoming into. However, she worried about the anger Greg had begun to harbor for his estranged father.
Greg never spoke much, but every time his father or the very idea of fatherhood popped up in conversation, Tina couldn’t help but notice the indignant glare in her son’s eyes.
As the years progressed, Greg’s business grew, doing better with each passing day. He eventually became fairly wealthy. He even hired his mother at one of their main offices. At only 26 years old, Greg was one of the most successful people under 30 in his city.
One day, Greg decided it was time to pay his old man a visit. He had been tracking his movements for a while but had never quite figured out when he’d make his grand entrance.
Greg pulled up near Richards’s driveway with his hand tightly clutched to the baseball bat on his passenger seat. He had yet to learn what he would do once he met him. But his anger burned so furiously within him that the bat would most surely come to use even though he wasn’t quite sure what his intentions were. Whatever they were, they weren’t good.
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As he sat in his car, contemplating where his next few steps would lead him down his long journey, he saw something that would shake him to the core.
Greg was never a violent man or child, for that matter. But he had nursed this particular scar for so long that he had never for a second considered the possibility of it actually healing.
All the pain he had fostered over the years told him Richard deserved whatever was at the end of that baseball bat. But, as he saw his father walk out to take out the trash, frail and in rags, he realized his own demise.
At this moment, Greg realized just how far and low his search for revenge had taken him. This awful man who had almost destroyed him and his mother was surely no more. And even if he was somewhere in there, was he worth all he had worked tirelessly for?
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Greg noticed the “for sale” board on Richards’s yard and decided to put down the bat and pick up his phone. He called the number on the board and concluded that Richard was in debt and the house was being confiscated from him to sell and cover his loans.
Greg immediately left Richards’s property with a grateful and clear conscious for not doing what might have been the biggest mistake of his life. He then bought Richards’s house shortly after.
A few days later, Richard met with the buyer to finalize the sale. His heart sank as he walked into the property agent’s office to find Tina and her son awaiting.
Richard was lost for words, not that they would have done him much service. Moments after he entered the room, Greg announced who he was and told him to vacate the property.
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“If I see you again, we’ll have a problem!” Greg said.
The words lingered in Tina’s head as she watched Richard leave in shame the same way she had all those years ago. What are the chances? she thought.
What can we learn from this story?
Be careful how you treat others; there are always consequences. Richard felt comfortable treating Tina, and her unborn baby however felt convenient to him. His actions later created consequences for him he could have never foreseen. Never feed into the urge for revenge. It could lead to your own downfall. If Greg had decided to follow his vengeful heart, he would have initiated his own demise. However, by leaning away from violence, he was able to handle the situation justly.
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