Millionaire Demolishes Old Man’s House, Unexpectedly Sees His Childhood Photo among Ruins — Story of the Day

Can a person’s greed for riches blind them so miserably that they destroy someone else’s dreams to build theirs? In July 2021, Florida-based real estate tycoon Elliot Morris happened to shatter a poor old man’s dreams to fulfill his pursuit of wealth.

Elliot was looking for a perfect landscape to build a deluxe mall in the city when his eyes fell upon old Joe Brooke’s land. The young builder loved the location and fixed his mind to raising his new mall there.

He decided to tear down the old man’s house on the plot. When old Joe objected to it, Elliot saw him as nothing more than a thorn in his way that was easy to get rid of…

“Please, I beg of you. I don’t have anybody, and this house is the only treasured memory I have of my late wife,” Joe begged Elliot, who had visited with his men. “I have nowhere to go. Please don’t make me homeless.”

“How did you get my mom’s photo?” the man asked old Joe. “That’s me with her. Do you know my mom? What is your relationship with her?”

But Elliot turned a deaf ear to the poor old man’s pleas. “Look here, old man. I already talked to the mayor, and he is on my side. I’m bringing this thing down in two weeks. All you’ve got is 14 days to pack your stuff and leave with whatever money I give you. Is it clear?”

Poor Joe was worried. He refused to accept a dime in exchange for his beloved house and kept crying. But Elliot was far from kind and walked away, grinning. “Two weeks and I’ll be back,” Joe heard the rude rich man’s faint voice from outside.

Joe’s house was a bit farther away from his clustered neighborhood, so nobody stepped forward in his favor. The two weeks were nothing short of nightmarish for the poor old man. He hoped something would happen and change the rich man’s mind. He anticipated a miracle and never packed his things. But before he knew it, the day for the demolition had arrived.

“Please, I beg you! Please don’t destroy my house!” old Joe pleaded with Elliot and his men, who arrived two weeks later with heavy machinery outside his house to tear it down.

“Didn’t I tell you to pack your things?” Elliot retorted. “It’s not my problem anymore. Here, take this check and leave. I don’t have time to listen to your silly, old stories.”

Elliot ordered one of his men to take old Joe to the nursing facility. He handed out the check for the house, but the old man refused to take it.

Before leaving, a teary-eyed Joe looked at Elliot and said, “You’ve changed a lot, young man. Money has blinded you and ruined your soul…You cannot buy everything with money.”

“What rubbish! Take this old man from here,” Elliot ordered. He brushed Joe’s words as nothing and walked further to watch the house being torn down. Joy filled his heart as he saw the bricks and roof chipping away from the building, crashing onto the ground.

“I’ll be back in a while. Keep working, and do not touch anything until I arrive,” he said, driving past the dusty house in ruins.

That evening, Elliot returned to the demolished spot to celebrate his feat. “Getting rid of that old thorn was so easy!” he exclaimed as he walked over the broken bricks.

Just then, he stumbled upon the broken glass of a photo frame. He looked at the photo and gasped in shock.

“Mom? What is her photo doing here?” he said, picking up the picture. Elliot dusted it and realized it was an old photo of his mom with a baby.

“That’s me,” he exclaimed again. “But what is our photo doing in this old man’s house? I have to find out,” he said and immediately drove to the nursing home to see Joe.

“You? Why have you come here? Aren’t you happy yet?” the old man cried after seeing the young builder. “What more have you come to destroy?”

Joe refused to look at Elliot, who held his hand and showed him the photo he’d recovered from the demolished ruins.

“How did you get my mom’s photo?” he asked. “That’s me with her. Do you know my mom? What is your relationship with her?” Elliot was furious. He had known that his mother was a single parent, and finding her picture in Joe’s house raised many questions in his mind. “Tell me…how do you know my mother?”

Joe, who remained silent, finally spoke out, revealing something Elliot never knew.

“I found your mother Samantha on the road with a baby in her arms 30 years ago,” Joe said. “I was on my way home from my wife’s funeral and found your mom hopeless and drenched in the rain while trying to protect you.”

As Elliot heard this, tears slowly started to fill his eyes. “Then what happened?” he curiously asked.

“I took her in and gave her shelter. Her boyfriend, your dad, had kicked her out for another woman,” Joe narrated. “Samantha lived in my house for five years, and I treated her like my daughter.”

“But if she lived with you, why did she move out? We had a bigger house,” Elliot asked, still doubtful of old Joe’s revelation. “Is there something I’m missing?”

“I bought her a new house and helped her start a small business from my savings. She grew into a successful businesswoman but never forgot this old man. Samantha often visited me until she died ten years ago,” Joe explained. “I had also been to her funeral, but who would notice this poor, old man. You had grown into a successful, rich man, and I was happy to see how she raised you.”

At this point, Elliot’s heart broke. He recalled his mother once telling him about a loving father who was behind her success. But all this while, he had no idea that she had been talking about old Joe.

Guilty and heartbroken, Elliot decided to mend his mistake. The next day, he put up an “Under Construction” board on Joe’s property and ordered his men to build a new house there. In less than four months, a beautiful home replaced the one he demolished.

Elliot gifted this house to Joe and apologized to him for being so ignorant and forgetful of his past. He also promised to do his best to return the old man’s kindness. But the humble man he was, Joe forgave the young builder and refused any form of help.

“You are my grandson, and I will accept only this house from you, and nothing more. I do not expect any material help from you other than your love,” Joe said, creating a massive impact on Elliot. “You are always welcome to visit this old man as my grandson, not as a wealthy man filled with guilt. Even your mom wanted to help me, and I had told her the same!”

Joe happily moved back to his new house and lived a modest life. He inspired Elliot and taught him that money perishes but not compassion and love.

In the end, Elliot built a couple of retirement homes for older adults in the city. He helped people in need and never tore down another house that belonged to someone else unless they were willing.

What can we learn from this story?

• Do not ruin someone else’s happiness to build your dreams. In Elliot’s efforts to build his mall, he destroyed old Joe’s beloved house. He did not consider the old man’s pleas and ruined his happiness to fulfill his own.
• Create something useful for others when you get a chance. When Elliot realized his mistake, he apologized to Joe and built a house for him. And because he had the resources, he did his best to help the needy.

A poor widowed mother of four let a drenched old man into her house to wait out the rain. The next day, she hurriedly sold the only house she had for just $1 and decided never to return to that house again. Click here to read the full story.

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. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.

My future sister-in-law sent us her wedding invitation six months ago. The venue is super special and has a strict limit on the number of guests. She wanted to make sure everyone could come. Four months before the wedding, I took three days off, bought a dress, and prepared a gift.

But a week before the wedding, my husband, Andrew, got a call.

“Amanda is coming,” he said.

Amanda is Andrew’s best friend from college. He says they’ve never been in love, but something definitely happened between them. Whenever she breaks up with someone, he drops everything and rushes to her. But this time, he went too far.

On the day of the wedding, I came home from my makeup appointment and saw his message, “Babe, Amanda asked if she could come with me to the wedding, so I took our invitation and you can have some rest. I took your gift too! Thanks.“

I was like… WHAT?!

I immediately called his sister, Sarah. “Sarah, you won’t believe what Andrew did.”

“What happened?” she asked, sounding worried.

“He took our invitation to the wedding and gave it to Amanda! He took my gift too!”

Sarah was furious. “He did what?! Oh, he has gone too far this time. You know what? Come to the wedding as my cousin’s plus-one instead.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, feeling a bit better.

“Absolutely. You deserve to be there more than Amanda,” she insisted.

I rushed to the venue and arrived just in time to see Amanda being denied entry at the door.

“I’m sorry, but your name is not on the list,” the bouncer said firmly.

“What do you mean? Andrew invited me!” Amanda protested, looking shocked.

“Your name is not on the list. You cannot enter,” the bouncer repeated.

Meanwhile, I walked into the wedding venue, arm in arm with Sarah’s cousin. The guests turned to look, and Andrew’s face went pale when he saw me.

“Jill, what are you doing here?” he asked, his voice strained.

“I’m here for Sarah’s wedding. Is there a problem?” I replied coolly.

“Can you give your place to Amanda? Please, she has nowhere to go,” he pleaded.

“No, Andrew. I won’t be giving up my place. She shouldn’t be here in the first place,” I said firmly.

Andrew began to panic as Amanda was still arguing with the bouncer outside. The guests started whispering, sensing the tension.

A bit later, our families came to us and started asking what was going on, so I stood up and addressed them.

“Everyone, I have something to say. Andrew thought it would be appropriate to take my invitation and give it to his friend Amanda without telling me. He even took my gift for Sarah and tried to exclude me from this wedding.”

Gasps echoed through the room. Andrew looked like he wanted to disappear.

His mom spoke up, her voice filled with disappointment. “This is unacceptable. I didn’t raise you to behave this way. No respect in marriage is a dead marriage.”

I came to him and said personally, “I see that Amanda is extremely important to you. However, this time you crossed the line. This is it. I mean it.”

The room fell silent. He tried to speak, but no words came out. Sarah came over and hugged me, thanking me for standing up for myself.

As I walked out of the venue, I felt a sense of empowerment and relief. I left Andrew to face the consequences of his actions alone. The wedding proceeded with everyone now fully aware of Andrew’s betrayal, and I knew that I had made the right decision for my future.

Revenge was sweet, and it was even sweeter knowing that I had reclaimed my dignity and self-respect. Sometimes, the best way to handle betrayal is to face it head-on and show that you will not be treated as an afterthought.

The wedding ceremony continued, but the air was thick with tension. Sarah’s family rallied around me, offering support and kind words.

“Jill, you did the right thing,” Sarah’s mother said, squeezing my hand. “Andrew needed to be put in his place.”

“Thank you,” I replied, feeling a bit emotional. “It means a lot to hear that.”

As the night wore on, I watched from a distance as Andrew tried to blend into the crowd, avoiding the disapproving glares from family members and friends. Amanda had finally left, unable to handle the embarrassment.

Sarah approached me again, her face a mix of concern and sympathy. “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

“I’m fine,” I said, offering a small smile. “It’s just a lot to take in.”

“You’re stronger than you think,” she said, giving me a reassuring hug. “And we’re here for you, no matter what.”

I nodded, appreciating her words. The music started again, and people slowly returned to enjoying the celebration. I mingled with the guests, determined to make the most of the evening despite the earlier drama.

As the night drew to a close, I found myself reflecting on everything that had happened. I knew there were difficult conversations and decisions ahead, but for now, I was content knowing I had stood up for myself.

Andrew approached me, looking hesitant and remorseful. “Jill, can we talk?” he asked quietly.

“We can talk later,” I replied, my voice steady. “Right now, I just want to enjoy the rest of the evening.”

He nodded, defeated. “I understand.”

The wedding ended on a positive note, with Sarah and her new husband surrounded by love and happiness. As I left the venue, I felt a newfound sense of strength and determination. This was just the beginning of a new chapter for me, and I was ready to face whatever came next.

And so, I walked away, leaving Andrew to contemplate his actions. The future was uncertain, but I knew one thing for sure: I deserved better, and I was ready to fight for it.

On Her Wedding Day, Bride Is Terrified When Her Supposedly Dead Fiancé Appears among the Guests — Story of the Day

A young woman is standing at the altar about to marry a man she doesn’t love when she sees her dead fiancé among her guests.

Sarah looked into the mirror and tucked the fine gold chain she always wore out of sight. This was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, but she was on the verge of tears.

“Now, don’t you cry!” said the makeup artist pouting, and quickly dusting a sheer veil of face powder under Sarah’s eyes, “You’ll spoil my work!”

Across the room, Sarah’s mother smiled thinly. “Tears of joy,” she said, but she knew they were tears of grief.

Sarah adjusted her wedding dress and felt the comforting weight of the engagement ring against her chest. A delicate ring with a tiny diamond, so different from the 15-carat monstrosity now weighing down her left hand.

“This is your choice,” Sarah told herself softly. “And now that David is gone, it doesn’t really matter who you marry…” The man she was marrying was pleasant enough and kind, but he was her father’s choice.

Frank Melville was the son of Sarah’s father’s partner, and their marriage would consolidate a business relationship that had lasted for decades and had made both men millionaires many times over.

Her true love was dead. He’d passed away three years before in a horrific car accident, her love, David O’Reilly. David had been her driver when Sarah was a young celebrity being chased by the paparazzi who lived on recording the misdeeds of the young and rich.

Sarah had noticed David watching her through the rearview mirror sometimes and turned her face away in disdain. Then one night, at a club, she had drunk too much, or someone had slipped her something.

Happiness is worth more than all the luxuries and jewels in the world.

She felt ill and helpless, and she called David. Within minutes he was there to pick her up at the door of the club. He jumped out of the car and helped her walk to the curb, where her legs had folded.

To Sarah’s shame, she vomited, and David held her head and rubbed her back, murmuring senseless comforting words. He carried her into the car, cleaned her face, and took care of her.

From then on, it had been Sarah watching David, and before long she’d convinced him to go out with her on a date. Before long they were in love, and one day David presented her with a delicate circle of gold and its tiny crumb of a diamond.

Sarah said yes, of course, and had been naive enough to believe that her parents would be equally happy to see their only child marry a driver without a cent to his name.

Want to know what happened next? Click here to read the rest of the story.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.