A bus driver mocks a breastfeeding mom on his bus and is surprised to see her being greeted by his son at the next stop. Moreover, the son is unexpectedly in a wheelchair.
Keith was behind the wheel, ferrying passengers across the city, when a young lady with a baby boarded the bus. Keith’s lips curled into a sly smirk.
Babies were too unpredictable and could start bawling at any moment. So nothing was worse to Keith than putting up with the baby’s loud cries during rush hour.
As the lady occupied a vacant seat with her toddler, Keith grumbled. “That should stop the child from whining,” he frowned…
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When a stop light arrived, and Keith turned around to check how many people were aboard, he saw the lady breastfeeding her baby. His anger flared, and his cheeks turned crimson red. “Hey, Lady! You can’t do that here!” he yelled.
“Why, of course, I can! I’m nursing my baby,” the mother responded.
Keith looked around at the others and was unsettled. The traffic light turned green, and he started driving, expressing his disapproval of the woman feeding her child.
“Disgusting! Kids think they’re entitled to everything and just display their breasts in front of complete strangers,” Keith mumbled loudly.
Keith’s murmurs intensified as the woman adjusted to cover up her chest. “Youngsters lack respect for others. Since when did breastfeeding in public become the norm?”
The lady overheard everything, and Keith’s discomfort persisted, echoing through the bus.
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A few men near Keith joined in taking a dig at the woman. Keith chuckled, and the mocking continued. “Like I said, no decency! Where’s her husband? Why didn’t anyone in her life teach her some self-respect?” he added.
The woman finished feeding her child and prepared to leave. As the bus doors opened, Keith’s gaze shifted to a man in a wheelchair waiting for her, and his jaw dropped.
“DANIEL?” he gasped, recognizing his son, who was now in a wheelchair. It was only the second time he’d ever seen him. Daniel was perfectly alright seven years ago, and Keith couldn’t understand what had happened to him.
His anxiety surged even more when he realized the woman he had insulted for the last half hour was his daughter-in-law. And the baby…his grandson. Keith’s heart cracked again.
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“Are you going to drive, old man?” a youngster in the back yelled, snapping Keith out of his reverie.
Keith turned around, trying his best to get his job done. But it wasn’t easy, especially when the vision of his life 22 years ago came flashing back into his mind…
“Honey, I’m home,” Keith gleefully cried out to his girlfriend, Sarah. “Ummm! That tastes delicious!” he exclaimed, gobbling a spoonful of pasta.
“I can’t do it, Keith,” she rose. “I want to have this baby.”
“I thought we agreed. You know we’re not ready for a baby yet,” he sighed.
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“I’m already 15 weeks along,” Sarah brushed her belly. “I want this baby. I love him. I…I’m sorry…I can’t.”
Keith was worried now. He tried to explain to Sarah that their one-bedroom flat in the secluded part of town and their minimum wage salaries wouldn’t be enough to raise a baby. But she stood her ground.
“Fine!” Keith eventually agreed. “We’ll figure out something.”
Deep inside, he was haunted by what to do all evening. And that’s when he remembered his best friend, Victor, and left for the pub to meet him.
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“Keith! Where the hell have you been, man?” Victor exclaimed as soon as Keith walked through the door of their favorite bar. They often hung out there, but Keith had refrained from nights out after moving in with Sarah.
“And how’s your girl?” Victor said, downing a drink.
“She’s good, man,” Keith nodded, licking his dry lips. “Is there any job for me…with you? Look, man, I’m ready to do anything. Please…talk to your boss Mr. Abraham. I’m good with cars…”
Keith knew the stakes were high but took up a job pretty soon. Hotwiring a car in less than a minute and stealing parts was a cakewalk for Keith, and soon, money started rolling in.
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Keith and Sarah eventually moved to a new area only a month after he started his new job. They were doing exceptionally well, and one night, when he arrived home, he found Sarah crying on the couch.
“The cops were here, Keith. They asked terrifying questions about you and Victor…and some Mr. Abraham… Why are the cops after you?” she asked.
A lump rose in Keith’s throat. “It’s better if you don’t know,” he said as Sarah’s worst fears were confirmed.
“Jesus! Are you in a gang, Keith? Wha—what if you get arrested? What’s gonna happen to me and our baby if you go down?” She cried.
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“Nothing’s gonna happen,” Keith pressed Sarah’s shoulders. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Really, Keith? You think the cops will spare you?”
Keith’s anger boiled over. “For God’s sake, Sarah! Can’t you see why I’m doing this? I had to bring more money…I’m doing all this for us!”
“Please, stop it,” Sarah cried her heart out, begging Keith to quit his illegal gig and return to the normal, simple life they once lived.
“We need MONEY to live!” he yelled.
“You can make that MONEY by doing something else…NOT THIS!” Sarah shot back as she cried, squinting her eyes. “The baby kicked…Ow!”
Keith calmed down as he cupped her face and looked into her eyes. “Look, babe, I have this huge gig coming up. It could set us up for life. I can’t give up in the middle. I want to give our son everything,” he said.
Sarah’s face contorted. “If you don’t quit this job, you’ll never be able to get out of it. The cops are after you…do you even realize that?”
“Sarah, this is my chance. I don’t want to return to some stupid low-wage job, okay? This is beyond my control. I used to feel low. But now, I have everything they said I could never have.”
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Sarah’s gaze lowered as she clutched her belly tight. “I don’t think this is gonna work out, Keith. You’re not the man I loved,” she sobbed.
“Oh, c’mon! How convenient, Sarah,” Keith lashed out at her expletively. “You enjoyed the money I made…What’s wrong now? Like it or not, I’m not quitting,” he declared, storming out of the room.
It was early morning when Keith returned home from another successful score. “Honey, look…I’m sorry. Things got a bit intense last night…Sarah?” He called out to her over and over.
But still no answer. So Keith hurried to their bedroom, wondering if she was sick or still sleeping, only to find it empty.
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Keith grew anxious as he rang Sarah’s number. But all his calls landed in voicemail. He rummaged through the closet and noticed some of her clothes were gone. All the onesies were missing from the nursery. “Sarah?” Keith panicked and ran around the house, but she was nowhere to be found.
They didn’t have many friends, so Keith thought Victor or the rest of his gang could help find her. Just as Keith frantically pressed the call button on Victor’s number, a loud knock on the front door jolted him.
“Police! Open the door, Mr. Griffith. We know you’re in there,” a cop yelled and banged on the door. “We have an arrest warrant.”
“Argh!” Keith held his head, knowing there was no escape now.
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Keith was arrested and sentenced to 20 years. However, he was released on parole after 15 years owing to good conduct. He didn’t go back to Victor or Mr. Abraham, and all he wanted was to find Sarah and their baby.
Keith tracked down their address and eagerly raced to a suburban area several miles west of their old neighborhood. The beautiful houses and picturesque landscapes pleased his eyes. This was the kind of place he wanted to live with Sarah and their son.
Finally, Keith made it closer to Sarah’s house, and just as he was about to enter the gate, an SUV drove past him. A well-dressed man got down as Keith stood puzzled. “Did I get the address wrong? But the mailbox shows the same number…”
“DAD!” a boy’s voice startled him. Keith looked up, his heart pounding in his chest, and a smile formed on his face.
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Keith’s heart shattered to a million pieces when he saw a teen boy bolting from the front door toward the stranger who had just gotten down from the SUV. And Sarah emerged from the doorway. “Guys, dinner is ready! Hurry!” she chuckled.
“Dad, let’s go,” the boy chirped. “Mom made spaghetti!”
“You’re right, Daniel! Let’s hurry!” Keith watched as the man wrapped his hand around the boy’s shoulder, and they walked inside the house. It could mean only one thing—he was the boy’s stepfather who had taken Keith’s rightful place in Sarah’s and their son’s lives.
Heartbroken, Keith decided to turn around and leave. But he wanted to see how happy they were together. He secretly peeked through the window and saw the teen and his stepdad cheering for a baseball game on TV. Sarah was sitting beside them and looked as beautiful as ever.
As the street lights turned on, Keith gathered his bits and pieces and walked away.
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A blaring horn in the distance snapped Keith to reality as tears rolled down his cheeks. He finished his last route for the night, and the thought of seeing Daniel in a wheelchair broke his heart again. “What happened to my boy? He was fine when I saw him seven years ago…” Keith wondered.
A few days later, he drove to the same address he last saw Sarah and Daniel to find out. He pulled over outside a neighboring house and waited nervously until a knock on his side window startled him.
“Hey, who are you? Why’s your car parked outside my compound? If you don’t leave, I’ll call the cops,” an older lady barked at him.
Keith stepped down from his car with a start. “No, please, ma’am. I just wanted to go there…”
“Go where?” she raised her hands and growled.
“Over there…to that house. I want to meet Sarah and Daniel. I haven’t seen her in years,” Keith clarified.
“Oh, dear,” the older lady’s voice softened. “Don’t you know what happened?”
“Yeah?” Keith’s forehead wrinkled with unease.
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“Sarah and her husband died last year,” the older woman revealed. “Their son Daniel lives with his wife and baby there.”
“WHAT? NO!” Keith’s eyes bulged with shock.
“Car accident. Daniel luckily survived because he was in the backseat. But he can’t walk,” the lady added. “It’s so sad. I saw that boy grow up. They were such a lovely family. And his baby…he won’t ever see his grandparents.”
Keith thanked the woman and regretfully walked past her, heading straight to the front door. He knew it was time to step up and face his son, no matter what. Keith adjusted his voice and sighed deeply before knocking on the door. It creaked open moments later, and Daniel rolled his wheelchair closer.
“Yes?” He looked up at Keith.
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A spoiled rich teen thought he could get away with insulting a flight attendant. However, his dad, who was watching everything from behind, decides to teach his arrogant kid an unforgettable lesson.
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I Recognized My Bracelet That Went Missing a Month Ago on the Wrist of the Nurse Taking Care of Me in the Hospital
The moment my eyes landed on the delicate gold bracelet wrapped around Stephanie’s wrist, my breath caught in my throat. I knew that bracelet. I had spent weeks searching for it and was convinced it was lost forever. But now, it was on the wrist of the nurse taking care of me.
Life had been good before I ended up in the hospital.
I’d been married to Toby for three years, and we were living a happy life.
A couple looking out a window | Source: Midjourney
I worked as a consultant in a clothing store, and he had a stable job in finance. It’s not like we were rolling in money. We had enough to live comfortably.
Most nights, Toby came home exhausted. He didn’t even have time to ask me how my day went. But honestly, I never complained.
I knew he was working hard for us.
One evening, as we sat on the couch, I held his hand gently.
“I can’t wait until we have our own place,” I murmured.
A woman talking to her husband | Source: Midjourney
“Yeah,” he sighed. “I just need a little more time to save up. You know how expensive houses are right now.”
“I know.” I smiled. “But when we finally get it, I want a big kitchen. And a backyard.”
“For a dog?” he teased.
“For a baby,” I corrected with a grin.
His expression softened, and he kissed my forehead. “We’ll get there.”
I believed him.
A man looking at his wife | Source: Midjourney
When he left for a work trip that Friday, I didn’t think much of it. His job required travel, and I had grown used to it.
I figured I’d use the weekend to deep clean the apartment.
Little did I know it was not the right decision.
I was dusting the top shelf of the hallway closet when the ladder wobbled beneath me.
A woman’s foot on a ladder | Source: Pexels
For a split second, I was weightless. And then I was falling.
The impact was instant. A sharp, searing pain shot through my right leg, unlike anything I’d ever felt before. I gasped and my vision started blurring as I struggled to move.
Gritting my teeth, I reached for my phone, barely managing to swipe the screen. My fingers trembled as I dialed 911.
Minutes later, the paramedics arrived. The pain was unbearable as they lifted me onto the stretcher. I could barely keep my eyes open as they wheeled me into the ambulance.
An ambulance | Source: Pexels
At the hospital, the X-ray confirmed what I already suspected. I had broken my leg.
“You’ll need to stay here for a few days,” the doctor informed me after wrapping my leg in a cast. “We need to monitor the swelling before we can send you home.”
The moment he left the room, I grabbed my phone and called Toby.
He picked up immediately. “Kate? Hey! How’s my beautiful wife doing?”
“Toby,” I whispered. “I… I broke my leg.”
A woman talking to her husband on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“What?” His tone shifted from playful to panicked. “How? What happened?”
I exhaled shakily. “I fell off a ladder while cleaning.”
“Jesus, Kate.” I heard rustling on the other end like he was moving around. “I’m coming home. I’ll cut my trip short.”
“No, you don’t have to—”
“Don’t even argue. I should be there with you.”
Tears pricked my eyes. “Okay.”
I was still on the phone with him when the door opened. A nurse walked in.
I quickly told Toby I’d call him later and hung up.
A close-up shot of a phone | Source: Pexels
“You must be Kate,” the nurse said. “I’m Stephanie. I’ll be looking after you while you’re here.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, forcing a smile through my discomfort.
“Don’t you worry about a thing,” Stephanie assured me. “We’re going to take great care of you.”
I let out a breath, nodding. She seemed kind.
I had no idea that in just a few days, this woman would shatter everything I thought I knew about my life.
A nurse in a hospital room | Source: Midjourney
At first, Stephanie was wonderful.
From the moment she started looking after me, she made sure I was comfortable. She checked on me regularly, adjusted my pillows when I couldn’t move properly, and even brought me an extra blanket when I mentioned feeling chilly.
“You must be tired of hospital food already,” she joked one afternoon as she handed me a tray. “I wouldn’t blame you if you refuse to eat this.”
I laughed. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but yeah… this is not exactly gourmet dining.”
A woman talking to a nurse | Source: Midjourney
She grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ll sneak you something better if I can.”
Over time, we started talking about our lives.
“So,” she asked one evening as she fluffed my pillows, “do you have kids?”
“Not yet,” I admitted. “My husband and I want to buy a house first, then start thinking about kids.”
She nodded. “That’s smart. Kids are expensive.”
I smiled. “What about you? Are you married?”
She shook her head. “No, but there’s someone in my life. We’re dating. Nothing serious yet.”
A couple holding hands | Source: Pexels
“Do you think he’s the one?” I teased.
“Maybe,” she shrugged. “He’s great. You know, the kind types. He’s been spoiling me lately.”
“That’s sweet,” I said. “It’s nice when someone makes you feel special.”
The next day, when Stephanie walked into my room, something caught my eye.
A bracelet.
It was not just any bracelet. It was a delicate gold chain with a small heart charm, and it looked just like the one my grandmother had given me.
The same bracelet that I had lost a month ago.
A heart bracelet | Source: Midjourney
At first, I thought it was a coincidence. But then, as Stephanie rested her arm on the side table while adjusting my IV, I saw it up close.
The tiny engraving on the back of the heart charm had a little smiley face.
My grandmother had requested the jeweler for that smiley. She told me it was especially for me.
Suddenly, I felt lightheaded.
How is this even possible? I thought.
I had looked for it everywhere, and I was convinced I had misplaced it. But now, it was there. On my nurse’s wrist.
“That’s a beautiful bracelet,” I said, forcing a smile. “Where did you get it?”
A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
Stephanie glanced down, then smiled. “My boyfriend gave it to me.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“That’s sweet,” I said. “When did he give it to you?”
“A month ago.”
My fingers gripped the hospital blanket.
Suddenly, memories flooded back.
I had been getting ready for a party. I had done my makeup and reached for my jewelry box when I realized my bracelet was missing.
Pieces of jewelry | Source: Pexels
“Toby, have you seen my bracelet?” I asked, rummaging through the drawers.
“You probably left it somewhere,” he said.
“But it’s always in my jewelry box.”
He sighed, glancing at his watch. “Kate, we’re getting late. Just wear something else.”
His reaction had felt off at the time, but I let it go, thinking I had misplaced it.
Now, as I stared at the bracelet on Stephanie’s wrist, the pieces started clicking into place.
Toby had taken it.
And he had given it to Stephanie.
A man holding a bracelet | Source: Midjourney
Before I could say anything else, I needed to be sure.
My heart pounded as I reached for my phone. I quickly scrolled through my photos until I found one of Toby and me from our anniversary dinner.
Then, I turned the screen toward Stephanie.
“Is this your boyfriend?” I asked.
She glanced at the photo, her smile lingering for a brief second before fading.
“How do you know him?” she asked, confused.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Because that’s my husband.”
Silence.
A nurse in a hospital room | Source: Midjourney
Her eyes darted back to the bracelet on her wrist, and then back to me.
“Wh-what do you mean? Your husband?” she asked. “I… I don’t understand.”
“I’m saying that Toby is not just your boyfriend,” I explained. “He’s my husband. And that bracelet? It was mine before he stole it and gave it to you.”
Stephanie took a shaky step back, crossing her arms. “That… that can’t be true. He wouldn’t do that to me.”
“He’s been doing it to me for months,” I said bitterly. “You just didn’t know.”
A close-up shot of a woman’s eyes | Source: Midjourney
“No…” she said. “He told me he was single. He never mentioned a wife.”
I almost laughed. “Of course, he didn’t.”
Stephanie’s breathing grew uneven as she processed everything. Then, her expression hardened.
“I can’t believe this,” she exhaled sharply. “I can’t believe I trusted him.”
I met her gaze as a plan formed in my mind.
“If you’re willing to help me, we can make him confess when he comes here tonight,” I suggested. “He said he’d be back from his trip today.”
A man walking on the road with his luggage | Source: Pexels
“What do you have in mind?” she asked.
“We call the cops,” I said. “And when he comes in, we make him admit to what he did.”
“Alright,” she nodded. “I’ll do it.”
Then, she took the bracelet off her wrist and handed it to me.
“It’s yours,” she whispered. “Keep it.”
***
That evening, Toby arrived at the hospital. He looked frantic and exhausted as he rushed to my bedside.
“Kate, baby, I got here as soon as I could,” he said, brushing his hand over mine. “How are you feeling?”
I studied him carefully.
He was the same man who had been my husband for three years. The man I had trusted. The man who had stolen from me and lied straight to my face.
A man standing in a hospital room | Source: Midjourney
Before I could respond, the door opened.
Two police officers walked in, followed by Stephanie.
“What’s going on?” Toby asked, his face filled with confusion.
Stephanie stepped forward and pointed at my bracelet. “She says you stole that from her and gave it to me.”
Toby’s brows shot up. “What?”
The officer looked at me. “Ma’am, is it true?”
Before I could answer, Stephanie’s voice cut in. “No. It’s not true. I don’t have any bracelet. I don’t know why she thinks her husband is interested in me.”
I couldn’t believe it. Was this the same woman who had just agreed to expose Toby? The same woman who had seemed just as betrayed as I was?
A woman looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
“See?” Toby let out a nervous chuckle. “This is ridiculous. I don’t even know what this is about.”
I was still reeling from the betrayal when I heard it.
A sigh.
Then, a quiet, shaky voice.
“Alright… I did it.”
I snapped my head toward Toby, watching as he ran a hand down his face, his expression defeated.
“I stole the bracelet,” he admitted, his voice heavy with guilt. “I took it from Kate’s jewelry box and gave it to Stephanie.”
A bracelet with a heart charm | Source: Midjourney
“Toby!” Stephanie shouted. “No!”
But he ignored her.
“I met her at a bar one night after an argument with Kate,” he confessed. “It wasn’t supposed to be anything serious, but… things happened. I took the bracelet because I thought Kate wouldn’t notice. But she did.”
I heaved a sigh of relief.
The officers exchanged glances before one of them spoke. “Ma’am, do you want to press charges?”
I looked at Toby. He wouldn’t even meet my eyes.
A side-view shot of a man | Source: Midjourney
“No, officer,” I said. “I don’t want to press any charges.”
Toby’s head lifted slightly in surprise.
“I’m not going to ruin your life,” I said. “But I’m not going to stay in it either.”
Once the officers left, I turned to Stephanie.
“What the heck was that?” I yelled at her. “What were you trying to do?”
“I’m… I—”
“Get out!” I shouted. “Just get out of this room. Now!”
She hesitated, but then she nodded and left without another word.
A nurse walking away | Source: Midjourney
Toby stepped closer and tried to apologize. “Kate, I—”
“Don’t.” My voice was calm. “Just leave.”
His eyes filled with regret, but I didn’t care anymore.
He walked out, and that was the last time I saw him. Our divorce was finalized soon after.
Leaving him wasn’t easy. Letting go of the life I had built wasn’t easy. But I had no choice. I couldn’t stay with someone who had betrayed me so deeply.
A woman sitting on a bench | Source: Pexels
If you enjoyed reading this story, here’s another one you might like: Jeanne believed she had a happy, stable marriage, but John’s unexplained visits to his brother’s house made her uneasy. One Sunday, a phone call from her sister-in-law revealed a shocking secret that turned Jeanne’s world upside down, setting the stage for a confrontation she never anticipated.
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.
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