A woman was dumped by her wealthy ex while she was pregnant. She was shocked when she saw him working as a janitor. What did fate have in store for them when they met again in an unknown city?
Lana brakes at a red light, replaying in her mind the scene of the morning at her boss’s house. It was still a beautiful day. Andrew was happy, as was Mr. and Mrs. Gibson.
Lana had no idea that her life would take such a turn 6 months earlier. She never thought she would find a job, rent an apartment, and make a decent living. But it was Mr and Mrs Gibson who changed his life.
The couple have been extremely generous in hiring her as a babysitter for their son Andrew. They also recommended her to their friends, which helped her earn a good living. My life is finally getting back to normal, Lana thought as she waited for the light to turn green.
She looks out the car window, a smile on her lips. Even the weather was beautiful that morning! However, when Lana looked down at the sidewalk, she couldn’t believe her eyes. The light turned green and the cars behind her honked nonstop, deafening her. Lana was lost in thought…
«Are you out of your mind? That’s exactly why women shouldn’t drive!» a man shouted to her as he overtook his car and sped off. Lana doesn’t care about him. She couldn’t believe her ex was right in front of her, working as a janitor. He was cleaning the sidewalk in front of an establishment that appeared to be a small grocery store.
What happened to her? Lana wondered. Why does Neil work as a janitor?
Neil’s father owned a million dollar restaurant. Neil was the manager of one of his father’s catering companies when he and Lina parted ways. In fact, it was Neil who said he didn’t want to be with her anymore.
Your karma will catch up with you sooner or later.
At the time, Lana was working at the same restaurant as Neil. Everything had been so perfect. Then, all of a sudden, everything fell apart, and she couldn’t do anything. Absolutely nothing.
Neil was spoiled and self-centered. He was a womanizer, and Lana didn’t realize it until she got pregnant with him. After spending a passionate night in her apartment after their third date, he took her hands and said softly, «I love you, Lana. I’ve never looked at a woman the way I do. see you! You are special.»
It didn’t take long for Lana to realize that all the other women who came into Neil’s life were special until they ended up in his bed. She will never forget the day she realized that the very basis of her relationship was flawed.
Lana had been feeling nauseous for a few days and had taken a pregnancy test to be sure. When he indicated two lines, she was both excited and nervous.
«Oh my God, I can’t believe it,» she cried. «I am pregnant !»
Was she ready for this? Were she and Neil ready to start a family? Lana didn’t know the answers to those questions, but she broke the good news to Neil in the sweetest way.
She had made a gift box out of pink socks and slipped the pregnancy test stick inside. She expected to see a smile on Neil’s face, but instead he was furious. He threw the box on the floor and laughed wickedly.
«Oh, honey, you’re so stupid! Were you serious? You thought I was going to father your child?»
Lana was shocked and in tears. «What’s wrong, honey? I thought you liked children!»
«In your dreams, Lana! I’m not going to raise this dirty child! You’ll have to get rid of this baby if you want to keep me in your life!»
«Neile!» she shouted. «What’s wrong with you? It’s OUR baby! How can you ask me to terminate the pregnancy?»
«If you can’t do what I say, get out of my life!» he yelled, staring into her eyes. «As of today, we don’t know each other anymore. You should pray to God that our paths won’t cross again! And, yes, if dad finds out about all this, I’ll make your life hell!»
He pushed her away as he walked away and Lana didn’t know what to do. When she arrived at the restaurant the next day, she was fired. His superior told him that the money missing from the cash register of the restaurant had been discovered in his bag, inside his locker.
Lana remained silent and left the restaurant, knowing it was Neil’s doing. He wanted to get rid of her and he had succeeded. In fact, rumors soon spread throughout the town that she had been kicked out because she was a thief, and therefore had to fight for a living.
At the time, no one wanted to hire Lana because of her past, until she met… the Gibsons. She had moved to a new town to rebuild her life, and the couple were very kind to her. Now that she saw Neil sweeping the sidewalk, she wondered how her life could have taken such a drastic turn. She parked near the curb and got out of her car.
«Neil? Is that you?» she asked as she approached him, and he turned at the sound of her voice. He looked so frail and weak, Lana thought.
«Oh my God, Lana! What a surprise!»
«I didn’t expect to see you here either,» she said. «I had no idea our paths would cross like this.»
«I know…you must be shocked to see me like this, right?» he replied with a nervous smile. «Well, don’t you think I kinda deserved it? I’ve done bad things in the past.»
«I’m not here to judge you, Neil,» Lana said candidly. «However, I want…»
«Hey, I can’t. I mean…» He looks at the shop, then at the young woman. «You know, this place… I mean, I work here, and my boss is going to be pissed if he sees me talking to you here. He might as well fire me. How about the coffee shop down the street? He is called Red Brooks. I’ll see you there, well, if you want… You know, if you want to make up for lost time.»
Lana looks at her watch. «I have work after 2 p.m. If you can free yourself before then, that would be great.»
«Oh yeah, cool!» he said enthusiastically. «Perfect, I mean, yes. That’s…that’s fine. See you in about twenty minutes?»
«Yes, okay. See you later.»
Lana returned to her car and went to the cafe. When Neil joined her, she ordered two cups of coffee, and he insisted on paying, but she told him it was good.
«So how did you end up here? I thought you worked for your dad’s restaurant,» Lana asked, taking a sip of her coffee.
Neil sighed. «He has closed.»
«Closed? But the company was doing well, wasn’t it?»
«Until you’re here,» he said, looking down into his mug. «I…I got in trouble with the rules and the acquittals…I was making deals I shouldn’t have made, and dad found out. He tried to save the restaurant, but it’s It was too late. He took away my car, my credit cards and all kinds of privileges.»
«Is that why you work as a janitor here?»
Neil nods. «Yes,» he replied. «Yes. That’s the very reason. But, you know, it’s just partly because I screwed it up.»
«I didn’t have the right mindset when dad cut me off, so I was in pubs all day and night. One night I got into a fight in a bar and… I’m embarrassed to say it, but I ended up doing 70 hours of hard labor.»
«WOW!» Lana exclaimed sarcastically. «So our breakup hasn’t changed you at all. Well, that sounds like an adventurous life, Neil, doesn’t it?»
«If you’re done making fun of me, why don’t you tell me how you are? Are you all right, at least?»
«Don’t you think it’s a bit late to ask that? I don’t need you to worry, Neil. I’m doing well in life. That’s enough for all you need to know .»
«And…about the…»
Lana knew where the conversation was going and choked back tears. “So, does the job pay well?” she asked him.
«What ?»
«Your current job,» she clarified, taking the last sip of her coffee. «Does your boss treat you well?»
«He’s fine, yes,» he said after a brief pause. «So…I was wondering…Are you free tonight or anytime? I’d love to take you out to dinner.»
Lana’s eyes flared up. She struggled to hold back her tears. «No, I’m not,» she snapped. «And even if I were free, Neil, I would never want to go out with you.
«I was devastated when you left me. I had no idea what to do or where to go. Dad was in hospital and I needed money to take care of him. You got me fired and I had a hard time finding a job. You never tried to contact me, and when I called you, you blocked me. And then the pregnancy… You know what what did all this make me understand?»
«It taught me that no matter what, it’s always for the best. Honestly, I’m glad it turned out that way. My dad is alive and well. I make a living and I live with dignity. I couldn’t have asked for more. I also know that the authentic character of a person does not change. So I will never trust you again. And I am not interested in doing anything with you I hope your son doesn’t end up like you!»
Lana takes her purse and leaves the café without looking back at Neil.
He muttered «SON» as she walked away. «So she didn’t terminate the pregnancy?»
The days pass, and each time Lana goes out, she hopes to never run into Neil again. She had moved on from her past and no longer wanted to be associated with him in any way. One Sunday, while visiting her father, she was surprised when he told her that someone had sent her presents.
«It was so weird,» her father said. «This person knew I was on medication, and they also sent books, toys and clothes…which I assume are for Andrew. The little one is going to love them.»
«There was no address or anything on it?» Lana asked.
«I didn’t even touch it, because I wasn’t sure if it was sent by one of your friends, honey. I wanted to wait until you were home.»
Lana rummaged through the gift basket and found a note at the bottom. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she opened it to read it.
«I’m sorry I followed you to get your address, Lana. I lost everything I had, but I managed to save two watches from dad. I thought I’d use them when I really needed them .
After meeting you, I realized there was a reason I never sold them. I’m sorry, Lana. Please forgive me.
It’s not that I deserve it after everything I’ve done, but I hope you give me a second chance. Now that I don’t have the watches anymore, I’m broke and I’ll be homeless if I don’t pay the rent by next week. But for the first time in my life, I’m happy to have put someone before me.
I left my phone number at the end of this note. How is my son? Is he okay?
— Neil».
Lana had never wanted to do anything with Neil since their separation, but this Neil was not the one who betrayed her. Lana’s heart felt he was a different man now.
Lana took all her gifts and went straight to the Gibsons’ house. She gave them to Andrew and said, «Dad sent them for you, honey. He misses you a lot.»
When Andrew was a baby, Lana had to put him in a shelter because she couldn’t afford to raise him. It was there that she met the Gibsons, an elderly couple who had no children. They adopted Andrew and allowed Lana to remain his nanny.
Lana’s work at the Gibson home has helped her get her dad treated while staying in touch with her son. Now she wants her and Andrew’s life to change. She visits Neil and tells him she’ll give him another chance if he proves he’s changed.
And Neil did. He quit his job as a janitor and started working as a waiter in a coffee shop. Lana ended up introducing her to Andrew, as she noticed he was improving.
Little Andrew couldn’t understand why he didn’t know that Lana was his mother and Neil his father. Lana decided to tell him everything when he was old enough to understand the truth, but she told him that she was on a «secret» mission to find her father.
Neil, meanwhile, has come to realize what true wealth is. «I promise to do everything for you, champ,» he promised Andrew each time, knowing that his child and Lana are his precious treasures. Not to mention that he now had a much better relationship with his father. And the Gibsons are happy that Andrew’s parents are keen to provide a better life for the young boy.
