Man Lies in Bed after Hard Day at Work and Realizes It’s Not His Wife Lying Next to Him — Story of the Day
Todd returned home after a tiring day at work and dozed off in his bedroom with his wife, Lisa. A little later, his phone rang, and he rubbed his eyes in horror after reading a message from his wife. If Lisa was not at home, who was he sleeping with? Todd lifted the blanket for answers and froze on the spot.
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Todd Thomas had just finished milling the last plank of timber. He was exhausted as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. "Oh boy, it's already late," he mumbled as he hurried to his pick-up van.
Todd's only relief was that it was Friday evening. He sped home to rest a bit before planning a weekend outing with his wife, Lisa. The couple lived in a quiet neighborhood in Wilson, Arkansas.
At the end of his exhausting day, seeing Lisa at the doorstep was the only thing that put a smile on his tired face. But on this Friday evening, he didn't see her there. Todd thought it was weird and hurried inside to look for her...
Todd was taken aback when he didn't see Lisa at the doorstep like usual. | Source: Unsplash
"Lisa? Honey, I'm home...." Todd shouted in joy. "Look what I got for you!"
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Every Friday, Todd bought fresh fish, and he loved the barbecues they enjoyed in their yard. But since he was too worn out, he put them in the refrigerator and looked around anxiously. "Lisa...honey?" he called out as he marched into the kitchen.
Todd shivered in fear as he slowly pulled the blanket off the person on his bed. He froze and gaped in horror.
Todd looked for Lisa everywhere, but she was nowhere in sight. He hurried to their bedroom, and through the half-open door, he finally saw Lisa fast asleep. "Good gracious...you're here!" Todd sighed.
He thought it odd that his wife was sleeping on the wrong side of the bed. She hated when they switched sides.
"Hmmm...what's wrong with you today?" he mumbled and hurried inside.
Todd was baffled when he saw Lisa fast asleep on the wrong side of the bed. | Source: Pexels
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The blanket cloaked Lisa's face. Todd couldn't see her enough, not even her curly hair he loved. He frowned and went to the restroom to freshen up. Around 15 minutes later, he came out of the bathroom and crept onto the other side of the bed, exhausted.
The bedroom was grave silent, except for the wall clock that ticked and the phone that rang later. Todd was half-asleep when he shakily grabbed his phone from the side table to see who had called.
But it was a text message from Lisa. "Honey, are you home yet? I will be a bit late but don't worry. Mary is with me. Love you :)"
Todd rubbed his sleepy eyes and saw the time. It was 7:45 p.m., and the message had been delivered to him just a couple of minutes ago.
"LISA???" Todd shrieked. He turned and jumped out in fear. "If Lisa isn't home, then wh-who is lying next to me?"
At around 7:45 p.m. Todd got a text message from Lisa. | Source: Pexels
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Todd shivered in fear as he slowly pulled off the blanket from the person on his bed. He froze and gaped in horror.
"Wake up! Who are you and what are you doing in my house? And in my bedroom???" he fumed at the old woman fast asleep on his bed.
The woman woke up and looked Todd in the eye, and her eyes gushed with tears. "I-I am so sorry...I didn't know when I fell asleep," she cried.
Todd helped the woman downstairs and gave her a glass of cold water. "Now, tell me, how did you get in here?" he asked her. "Don't you know trespassing is a crime? You could be jailed for it."
The woman looked sorry and in pain. Her eyes were weary, and her skin a bit tanned. Anyone could tell she had wandered the whole day in the scorching sun by just looking at her...
Todd pressed the sad old woman for more details. | Source: Pexels
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"I'm Alice, and I was with my son-in-law, Steven," she said. "He told me he was getting gas and dropped me this morning on the highway...But he never returned, and it got darker."
Todd was baffled. He asked Alice if she had a phone, but she didn't. She was in her 70s and could barely remember anyone's contact number. "We'll figure out what's next, but you still did not tell me how you got in here," Todd said.
As it turned out, Lisa had forgotten to lock the door before leaving the house that day. Alice was wandering near Todd's yard when she felt thirsty.
"Nobody answered the doorbell and my knocks...The door was open, so I came in to ask for help," Alice shyly recounted. "I looked around for help, and unbeknown to me, I dozed off in the bedroom upstairs...I was exhausted and hungry."
Todd felt sorry for Alice. He served her some noodles and immediately called his son, Leo, to come over. Leo was a budding lawyer drowned in debt from the student loan he took from the bank. However, Todd was always proud of him, and he knew Leo would do something about Alice…
Steven had dropped off Alice on the highway & he never returned to pick her up. | Source: Unsplash
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"So, your son-in-law left you on the highway?" Leo asked Alice. "What does he do for a living?"
Alice's son-in-law, Steven, was a realtor. After his wife's death years ago, he lived with Alice so that she could help him raise his daughter, who was now 18.
"That house is the only priced treasure I have after my husband's death," Alice sobbed. "There were times when Steven wanted to put me in assisted living and remodel that house into a hotel."
By now, Todd and Leo understood where Steven was heading. They drove Alice to her house based on the directions she gave them. They saw Steven tour around the house with a few men when they arrived.
Alice's son-in-law had planned to remodel her house. | Source: Unsplash
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"This, I want this fountain removed, and we will have a huge aquarium instead...." Steven was saying when Leo interrupted him with some documents.
"No, you won't! This house belongs to Mrs. Alice Cooper, and she gets to decide where the fountain goes, Mr. Steven!" he shouted from the hallway.
Steven was shocked to see his mother-in-law back home. He trembled. "Who are you, and what rights do you have in my house?" he fumed at Leo.
Leo showed him the documents and told him that he was now Alice's legal advisor for her property. Steven paled out in shock. "I'll be sending you a legal notice for trespassing her property," Leo said.
Leo threatened Steven with a legal notice for trespassing Alice's estate. | Source: Pexels
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After a brief legal scuffle, Alice got back her property. She barred Steven from entering the premises again and decided to reward the two men who recovered her home.
"Oh, Mrs. Cooper, I'm sorry, but I can't accept that!" Leo said, denying Alice's offer to keep her house as a gift. "This is your house, and you have to enjoy your days peacefully here."
But Alice was insistent. Nothing would convince her to change her mind. Shortly after, she made Leo the legal heir to her house. It was an unexpected gift, and although Leo could quickly sell it and repay his debts, he decided to keep the house.
Alice was impressed, so she gave him a few heirloom jewelry pieces to pawn and repay his debts. This time it was an offer Leo couldn't resist. "I will retrieve them very soon!" he promised.
Impressed by Leo's humility, Alice gave him her heirloom jewelry to pawn & settle his debts. | Source: Pexels
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Todd and Leo helped Alice hire housekeepers to take care of the property and offered her to move in with them. Although she was reluctant at first, she agreed.
"You know, you would make a great grandma for my kid!" Leo told Alice as he patted her on their way home. "Oh, dad, by the way, Amy is pregnant!" he added, and the three laughed their hearts out.
From that day onward, they took Alice under their wing. She stayed three days at Todd's house and spent the rest of the week with Leo and his pregnant wife, Amy.
"Thank you for sending me here!" she sighed, looking at the sky when she was at Todd's house one particular weekend.
Alice found a loving family in the end, thanks to Todd & Leo for stepping up for her. | Source: Pexels
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What can we learn from this story?
- Treat elders as you would treat your parents. When Todd and Leo learned about Alice Cooper's story, they decided to help her reclaim her property from Steven and offered her to move in with them. Their chance encounter changed Alice's fate, and she was assured of a peaceful life onward.
- It is good to know the depths of someone's problem and help them. Although Todd was initially upset when Alice snuck into his house, he decided to help her after learning about her plight. He also teamed up with his son Leo and sought justice for the old woman.
Click here to read about how a man left his old mother-in-law in the hands of gang members and discovered something surprising later.
This account is inspired by our reader's story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Please share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you want to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.
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