Tina thought she had found her happily ever after when she married her high school sweetheart. But when her husband kicked her out and she was left to raise their son on her own, she came to understand how deeply our choices can shape our lives.
Tina had always dreamed of a grand, traditional white wedding. But that dream didn’t come true when, at just 18, she eloped with her high school boyfriend, Richard. Coming from a well-off family, Richard’s decision to elope seemed spontaneous and unexpected. Yet, despite the unconventional start, Tina was truly happy to be marrying the man she loved—his money had never mattered to her; it was Richard himself she cared about.
“Get out, Tina! If I see you around here again, we’ll have a serious problem.”
Just a few months into their marriage, Tina became pregnant. They had never really talked about having children, but Tina was overjoyed by the news and couldn’t wait to tell her husband.
“What do you mean you’re pregnant?” Richard asked, visibly upset.
“I thought you’d be more excited. I know it wasn’t planned, but I know the kind of family man you are. You’d make a great dad,” Tina reassured him.
“Family man? The only reason I married you was to get some space from my family! How could you do this to me?” Richard shouted.
Tina was completely stunned by Richard’s words. Was he finally showing his true colors? No, not my Richard, she thought. Tina convinced herself that he just needed time to process and that she needed to be patient.
But the very next day, Richard came home drunk and kicked Tina out of their apartment without warning.
“Get out, Tina! If I see you around here again, we’ll have a serious problem,” he said.
Tina didn’t resist. She left, thinking that Richard would eventually come to his senses. A few days later, Tina went back to the apartment and discovered Richard had changed the locks. She then called Richard’s parents — and what unfolded shattered her even more.
“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Tinney. I’ve been trying to reach Richard. I recently…” Tina began, trying to explain before being cut off.
“The nerve of you, young lady! Calling after everything you’ve done to our Richy!” Mrs. Tinney said.
“Me? I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Please… I’m not sure what he told you, but let me explain…” Tina tried again, only to be cut off once more.
“We know everything! How you cheated on him and got pregnant by another man. Don’t call here again or we’ll sue you into the ground!” Mrs. Tinney snapped.
At that moment, Tina realized — she and her unborn child were on their own.
The years passed, and Tina took on the full responsibility of raising her son with all the love and strength she had left. Her son, Greg, made things easier. Though she struggled to make ends meet, Greg’s awareness of their situation and willingness to help lightened Tina’s burden.
Tina had always been honest with Greg about what had happened between her and his father. Greg appreciated everything his mother had done for him and worked side-by-side with her to keep food on the table. At just 15, Greg got his first job as a caddy at the local golf club.
Even though he started working at a young age, he never let it interfere with his studies. Greg was one of the brightest students in his class, and he developed a strong work ethic. He graduated high school with honors and soon started a business with the money he had managed to save.
Tina was incredibly proud of the man Greg was becoming. But she also worried about the anger Greg had begun to harbor toward the father he never knew.
Greg wasn’t one to talk much, but every time his father — or fatherhood in general — came up, Tina couldn’t help but notice the flicker of rage in his eyes.
As time went on, Greg’s business flourished. Things got better with each passing day. Eventually, he became quite wealthy — even hiring his mother to work at one of his main offices. By the age of 26, Greg was one of the most successful people under 30 in their city.
One day, Greg decided it was time to visit his father. He had been tracking his movements for a while but had never decided when to make his big entrance.
Greg parked near Richard’s home, gripping the baseball bat resting on the passenger seat. He still didn’t know what he would do when he met the man. But the fury burning inside him was so intense that the bat might come in handy — though even Greg wasn’t entirely sure what his intentions were. Whatever they were, they weren’t good.
As he sat in his car, contemplating where his next steps in this long journey would take him, Greg saw something that shook him to his core.
Greg had never been a violent man — not even as a child. But he had nursed that wound for so long that the idea of it ever healing had never crossed his mind.
All the pain he’d harbored over the years told him that Richard deserved whatever was waiting at the end of that baseball bat. But when he saw his father come out to take out the trash—frail and ragged—Greg suddenly saw his own future.
In that moment, Greg realized how far and how low his thirst for revenge had taken him. The horrible man who had nearly destroyed him and his mother surely no longer existed. And even if a part of him still did, was it worth losing everything he had worked so hard for?
Greg noticed the “For Sale” sign in Richard’s yard and decided to drop the bat and copy the phone number. He called the number and soon learned that Richard was in debt and the house was being repossessed to cover his loans.
Greg immediately left Richard’s property, feeling grateful and at peace for not having committed what could have been the biggest mistake of his life. Shortly afterward, he bought his father’s house.
A few days later, Richard arrived to finalize the sale with the buyer. His heart sank when he walked into the real estate agent’s office and found Tina and Greg waiting for him.
Richard was speechless—though words wouldn’t have helped him much. Moments after entering the room, Greg revealed who he was and told him to leave the property.
“If I see you again, we’ll have a problem,” Greg said.
Those words echoed in Tina’s mind as she watched Richard walk away in shame—just like she had so many years ago. What were the odds? she thought.
What can we learn from this story?
• Be careful how you treat others; there are always consequences. Richard felt entitled to treat Tina and her unborn child however he pleased. Later, his actions came back to haunt him in ways he could have never predicted.
• Don’t give in to the thirst for revenge—it could lead to your own downfall. If Greg had followed through on his desire for vengeance, he might have started a destructive path. But by choosing to walk away from violence, he was able to handle the situation with integrity.
