{"id":6274,"date":"2025-01-11T16:38:18","date_gmt":"2025-01-11T16:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/?p=6274"},"modified":"2025-01-11T16:39:23","modified_gmt":"2025-01-11T16:39:23","slug":"dad-of-4-living-in-tent-gives-last-2-to-stranger-at-gas-station-wakes-up-owning-a-big-company-story-of-the-day-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/archives\/6274","title":{"rendered":"Dad of 4 Living in Tent Gives Last $2 to Stranger at Gas Station, Wakes up Owning a Big Company \u2014 Story of the Day\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A homeless and poor Brandon offers his last $2 to an elderly man in need at the gas station store and inherits his company the next day. Brandon thinks this is the start of a new life for his family.\u201d\n

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Brandon clutched his paper cup with change as he shuffled into the gas station store. He was near an aisle when a loud voice distracted him. He saw a queue of angry shoppers waiting behind an elderly man who had difficulty hearing.\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, what did you say about the water being funny?\u201d the elderly man asked the cashier.\n
\u201cMoney!\u201d she groaned. \u201cI said you don\u2019t have enough money, sir!\u201d\n
\u201cYes, it was a sunny day!\u201d replied the man with a frown.\n
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\u201cYou need more cash! For the water!\u201d A younger guy standing behind the man grabbed him by the shoulder and yelled into his ears.\n
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Brandon noticed everything. He was tempted to step in, but he didn\u2019t want to attract the shoppers\u2019 ire. Meanwhile, the elderly man explained he didn\u2019t have enough cash, asking if he could get a smaller bottle of water as he needed to take his pills.\n
\u201cIf you can\u2019t afford to pay, you\u2019ll have to go!\u201d shouted the cashier.\n
\u201cI can go?\u201d He smiled and turned to leave, but the cashier snatched the water bottle from his hand. \u201cJust get out, old man!\u201d she hissed. \u201cYou\u2019re way too much trouble!\u201d\n
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The elderly man requested that he needed to take his pills, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.\n
Brandon had had enough. He marched to the cashier and offered to pay for the old guy.\n
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\u201cHave a heart, lady,\u201d he said and emptied his cup on the counter. The woman looked at him in distaste before she counted the money.\n
\u201cThat\u2019ll cover it,\u201d she said, taking all the money, including his last $2. \u201cNow step aside. You\u2019re holding the line.\u201d\n
Brandon abandoned his can of beans on the counter as he offered the water to the older man.\n
\u201cHere you go, sir. I got you water,\u201d he spoke slowly and clearly, ensuring the man could see his face if he needed to lip-read. And the man thanked him. They left the store together, and Brandon headed to his tent on the bare patch of ground adjacent to the station, but the man stopped him.\n
\u201cWait!\u201d\n
Brandon turned around.\n
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\u201cWhy did you help me when you obviously needed the money?\u201d asked the older man.\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s one thing I\u2019ve learned from being homeless, sir,\u201d said Brandon, \u201cit\u2019s that the world works when people are kind to each other.\u201d\n
\u201cBut what are your kids going to eat? You left the beans on the counter.\u201d\n
\u201cWe have the last of yesterday\u2019s bread,\u201d Brandon replied. \u201cWe\u2019ll get by.\u201d\n
The man walked away but with a frown. Brandon noticed he got in a gleaming SUV and wondered why a man like him couldn\u2019t afford a bottle of water.\n
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The next day, while Brandon was dividing cold fries among his kids, a silver sedan pulled up near his tent. A man in a fancy suit approached.\n
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\u201cMorning, sir. Mr. Grives\u2019s last wish was for me to deliver this to you,\u201d he said, extending an envelope.\n
Brandon wiped his hands and took it. There was a letter inside.\n
\u201cDear sir,\n
Yesterday, you proved yourself to be a man of good character when you spent your last few dollars for me. Your kindness and belief in doing good for others have inspired me to repay your goodness with the greatest gift I can give you: my business.\n
My time in this world is coming to an end. I have recently become apprehensive about leaving my company to my son, as I\u2019ve come to see that he is a selfish man with a heart of stone. It would greatly ease my conscience if you inherited the company instead. All I ask is that you ensure my son is taken care of and can continue to live a safe, comfortable life.\u201d\n
\u201cIs this a joke?\u201d Brandon looked up at the man.\n
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The man produced a stack of printed papers and a pen. \u201cMr. Grives was quite serious. And the moment you sign these papers, it\u2019ll be official.\u201d\n
\u201cBut I just met the guy yesterday. And now he\u2019s dead and leaving me everything?\u201d Brandon asked as he studied the documents.\n
\u201cI understand your concerns, sir, but these papers were drawn by the finest lawyers. All we need to do is fill in your name, and the lawyers will proceed with the rest.\u201d\n
This was his chance to provide his kids, so Brandon signed it. Then, the man drove him and the children to their new home.\n
As they arrived, Brandon stared up at the massive mansion.\n
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Brandon could barely believe it himself. But the moment he pushed the double doors open, he sensed something was wrong. The house was a mess\u2014a table lay on its side in the hallway, and a closet had been toppled over.\n
Brandon dumped the luggage, ran after the car, and told the driver to call 911. A few hours later, he stood among slashed sofas and broken furniture, speaking to the cops.\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve examined the entire house and found no sign of forced entry, sir,\u201d the officer said. \u201cThis, combined with the fact that the security system appears to have been overridden using the correct code, suggests that whoever vandalized this place had a legitimate means of gaining entry.\u201d\n
\u201cLike a key? So, the person who did this just walked in here?\u201d\n
\u201cI\u2019d suggest you change the locks, sir,\u201d the officer nodded.\n
As the cops left, Brandon suspected the elderly man\u2019s son.\n
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The next day, Mr. Grives\u2019s secretary arrived early. She took Brandon shopping and got him cleaned up at a barber before taking him to the company. In the office that once belonged to Mr. Grives, Brandon was about to go through the files on the computer when the doors burst open.\n
\u201cYou must be Brandon!\u201d A middle-aged man in a dark suit entered the office. \u201cI\u2019m Christopher, one of Mr. Grives\u2019s former business partners, and I\u2019m here to save you from a whole heap of trouble.\u201d\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry?\u201d Brandon asked.\n
Christopher explained he handled the sales for one of Mr. Grives\u2019s \u2018specific\u2019 businesses. Brandon quickly understood it was something illegal. He refused to continue it, but Christopher was having none of it.\n
\u201cListen up, you moron! Grives owed me $2 million for handling the illicit side of his business! You\u2019re now responsible for that,\u201d he snarled. \u201cAnd if you don\u2019t pay up, I\u2019ll go to the police and tell them everything. Furthermore, as the company\u2019s owner, you will be liable for all damages. So, I\u2019ll be expecting my $2 million by Saturday.\u201d\n
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\u201cWhat? This is extortion! You can\u2019t be serious!\u201d Brandon retorted.\n
\u201cYes, it is. And just in case you think I\u2019m not deadly serious\u2026\u201d Christopher pushed back his suit jacket and placed his hand on the butt of a gun holstered at his side. \u201c\u2026rest assured that if you cross me, Brandon, I\u2019ll make you disappear.\u201d\n
Brandon said nothing and agreed to Christopher\u2019s demands. But he wondered if Christopher was scamming him. So Brandon searched for any hints of this illicit side of the business.\n
By that evening, after reviewing the data from all the other departments, Brandon was convinced Christopher was lying. But then, he noticed the filing cabinet tucked into a corner of the room. Brandon unlocked it with the keys he\u2019d found earlier on his desk. And the first thing he noticed was an old-fashioned file box tucked into the drawer.\n
Inside it was a ledger with entries written in some kind of shorthand, and Brandon realized Christopher wasn\u2019t lying. In despair, he opened a drawer to find some bottles of scotch handy, and found nothing but a photo.\n
It showed Mr. Grives standing with\u2026a younger guy. Brandon\u2019s eyes bulged in horror when he realized how similar they looked. The young man was Christopher, Mr. Grives\u2019s son!\n
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Things started making sense to Brandon. He couldn\u2019t believe a kind man like Mr. Grives would be involved in illegal business practices. So, most likely, Christopher was using his own shady dealing to blackmail him, Brandon reasoned.\n
A stroke of luck and a terrible twist that threatened to take it all away \u2013 everything was happening way too fast. Luckily, Brandon was not unfamiliar with the whirlwinds of the business world.\n
That Saturday, Brandon met Christopher in the underground parking lot but with a counteroffer.\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got to keep my word to your old man,\u201d Brandon said, \u201cso I\u2019ll give you 49 percent of the company while I keep the remaining 51 percent. That\u2019ll be enough for you to live lavishly, right? And I\u2019ll reserve the right to manage the company like your father wanted.\u201d\n
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But Christopher refused. \u201cI\u2019m not a fool! I deserved all of it, not some token! Let\u2019s talk when you come to your senses!\u201d he hissed and left.\n
Brandon went back to the office. He decided to pay Christopher his $2 million and be done with this but found the company\u2019s money was tied up in assets or allocated to monthly expenses. Brandon was helpless.\n
He returned home, dejected, where another trouble awaited him. As he opened the front door, he found his kids\u2019 nanny tied to a chair and gagged.\n
\u201cHe took the kids! He said to tell you that this should be your wake-up call!\u201d she cried as he freed her, and Brandon knew who she was talking about.\n
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Brandon called Christopher and agreed to hand over the company, begging him not to hurt the children. They decided to meet at noon. But Brandon also called the police, and in the next half an hour, he was sitting with an FBI agent.\n
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\u201cJust follow my instructions, and we\u2019ll have your kids back\u2026\u201d Agent Bates assured him.\n\n
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That noon, Christopher was chilling by the poolside of a hotel he\u2019d rented out. He\u2019d locked Brandon\u2019s kids in a closet and dismissed all hotel staff except the manager, whom he had paid handsomely.\n
\u201cExcuse me, sir,\u201d the manager interrupted him. \u201cYou have a package.\u201d\n
When Christopher checked the envelope, he grinned. He strode to his room and signed the paperwork he found inside the envelope. The company was finally his! Then, he freed Brandon\u2019s children. \u201cI\u2019m sure a bunch of ragamuffins like you four can find your way. Now, get lost!\u201d\n
]Christopher finished getting ready. Suddenly, he heard a click behind him. Although soft, Christopher instantly recognized the sound of a gun\u2019s safety selector.\n
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\u201cFBI! Put your hands in the air! You\u2019re under arrest.\u201d\n
Meanwhile, Brandon held his children close on the sidewalk. Thanks to Agent Bates\u2019s idea of putting a tracker in the documents, Christopher was caught.\n
Brandon took the children home, ready to make everything right. And when the FBI\u2019s fraud division showed up with a warrant, he handed over the evidence\u2014the copy of the company\u2019s records and the ledger he\u2019d found in his office\u2014to the agents, knowing that by the time the investigation was over, he wouldn\u2019t have a penny to his name. But he\u2019d be free.\n
\u201cDaddy, are we going to leave our home\u2026just when Mommy died?\u201d Kelly asked him.\n
Brandon got down on one knee and hugged his kids.\n
\u201cListen, you four, we\u2019re going to be okay. You want to know why?\u201d\n
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Kids looked at him earnestly and nodded.\n
\u201cIt\u2019s because the most valuable thing we have is right here, in my arms. So long as we stick together, we\u2019ll always be rich in the most important way: love.\u201d\n
Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.\n
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If you enjoyed reading this story, you might like\u00a0this one\u00a0about a gang who mocked a plus-size woman at a beach. Little did they know she would teach them an unforgettable lesson.\n
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\u2019s life.\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A homeless and poor Brandon offers his last $2 to an elderly man in need at the gas station store and inherits his company the next day. Brandon thinks this is the start of a new life for his family.\u201d Brandon clutched his paper cup with change as he shuffled into the gas station store. […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6274"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6274\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6276,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6274\/revisions\/6276"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}