Two brothers with Down syndrome receive an unexpected windfall worth millions from their late mother on their 18th birthday. They plan a tear-jerking surprise for their adoptive father, who took them in when all others turned their backs.
Nicole and her husband, Josh, often wondered how having a baby would change their lives. They had recently celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary and looked forward to toasting a hundred more. But it felt like the prick of a needle whenever people asked them why they still had no kids.
“Honey, it’s not your fault,” Nicole told Josh, who constantly blamed himself for his inability to have children. He was infertile…
One day, Nicole decided it was time to revisit the subject of adoption.
“I think it’s time we give it a try,” she urged Josh. “We can adopt a baby. I’m sure foster homes will help.”
Josh thought long and hard about it and finally decided she was right.
Greed breeds contempt and destroys relationships.
The couple planned to meet with an acquaintance at the local foster home a week later. But their plans quickly changed when they heard about their neighbor Bethany’s sudden death. She was a widowed mother of twin boys with Down syndrome who lived next door.
“I think we should do something about it. I feel bad for those kids. Nobody wants to adopt them. People are just worried about their Down syndrome. Nobody sees how adorable those kids are. Why don’t we take them home?” Josh said as he watched the twin brothers Hayden and Dave at their mother’s funeral.
Although Nicole felt sorry for them too, she was unsure about parenting the 7-year-old twins. She wanted to bring home babies, so adopting Hayden and Dave was out of the question.
“I’m sure they will be wonderful. Come on, honey…You’ve always told me how adorable Bethany’s kids were,” Josh had insisted, and a few days later, he was readying the adoption paperwork for Hayden and Dave. Meanwhile, the boys were sent to a local shelter.
Despite knowing Nicole’s apprehensions, Josh completed the formalities and brought the boys home a few months later, not knowing that a surprise call awaited them the following day. It was Bethany’s lawyer, bearing information about her will.
Josh met with the lawyer and learned that Bethany, who had been preparing for her death after learning about her terminal illness, had left an inheritance for Hayden and Dave.
In her will, she explicitly mentioned that her sons would inherit her legacy only after turning 18, but their adoptive parents could use the money before that if they wanted after coming to a mutual agreement.
Josh was stunned because he had no idea Bethany was so rich. She lived in a small house and never discussed her estate with anyone. It turned out that the money she had left for her kids was her inheritance from her late husband, who also died of cancer.
While it seemed like a life-changing offer, the money was secondary to the joy the twins brought to his life. He genuinely loved the kids and wanted to be their father, regardless of whether they came with money or not. But did Nicole feel the same?
Josh remained indifferent to the news, but Nicole’s eyes sparkled with greed as soon as he told her about the will. It rained money in her mind as she dreamed about spending the boys’ legacy on expensive vacations and shopping.
“Let’s use the money on buying a nice, big house…and then we could go on a long holiday to Hawaii,” Nicole suggested. “We can leave the boys with a nanny. We will hire one. After all, we’ll be rich. What do you think, honey?”
At first, Josh thought Nicole didn’t mean what she was saying. But every day, she nagged him to claim the inheritance. As the kids’ main custodians, Josh and Nicole were given sole rights to manage their estate until they turned 18.
Day by day, Nicole’s greed reached new heights. But even if she wanted, she could not do anything beyond Josh’s disapproval. She could not claim the money without his mutual agreement and signature. Nicole even emotionally cornered him, saying how this money would change their lives, but it did not matter to Josh. He wanted to father Hayden and Dave, not take advantage of their innocence and helplessness.
Several weeks passed, but Nicole would not stop with her frequent demands for money. The last straw was when she threatened Josh with divorce.
A week later, he hurled the divorce papers at her, saying: “You asked for it. I want to raise my sons, and if you still see them as bank accounts, you can leave our lives.”
This ended it all. The couple divorced shortly after, and Josh was granted full custody of Hayden and Dave. He worked very hard to raise his sons, shuttling between two jobs and working overtime. He did his best to make his children happy, and despite his struggles, he never took a dime from their estate.
On their 18th birthday, Josh told the twins about their inheritance. He was jokingly discussing their plans with the money when Nicole unexpectedly showed up at the party. She had been waiting for the boys to turn 18 and had come to curry favor with them for their money. But will Josh let her succeed this time?
“Happy birthday, darlings!” Nicole greeted Hayden and Dave. The boys knew about the divorce. And despite knowing how bitter their dad would feel having Nicole around, they decided not to spoil the day. They greeted Nicole and showed no resentment, knowing little her greed for their money hadn’t changed a bit.
“You see, sons…I’ve done so much when you two were little. That was before I divorced your dad,” she said, sugar-coating her words. “I am sure you will not forget your mama when you get your inheritance.”
Josh was furious and tried to drive Nicole away. But she kept sweet-talking the twins, reminding them about how good she was as their adoptive mother, which the boys knew was not true.
“I am sure you will not send your mama away empty-handed. I’m not asking for millions, but I think I still deserve a quarter share for taking care of you!”
“Oh, no, you dond!” Dave finally said. “I juz hedh you thawk on the phone outside. You always hated uth, and you only wanthedh our mon-money. Y-You never loved uth like a-aa-our dhad!”
Dave had also overheard Nicole telling someone how she hated the sight of the boys, and it would be child’s play to lie to them and melt their hearts to act in her favor and give her the money.
“Y-you’re noth geth-gething anything from uth. You never loved uth. You were tho greedy. We are thor-thorry… bud we are not blind or thoo-thoopid!” added Hayden.
Nicole’s greed for money felt like a bitter pill she had unknowingly swallowed. Unable to endure the humiliation, she stormed out of the house, frowning. Meanwhile, Hayden and Dave hugged their father and offered him a share of their money.
“I won’t accept it. That was your mother’s last gift to you. You should keep it, not me,” he politely refused.
Hayden and Dave knew it would be hard to convince their dad. So a few weeks later, they took him to a big mansion and said: “Dadh, w-we know you wud never take our mo-mon-money. But for all th-thoth thr-thruggles, you end-endured for uth, we think ith time for you to retire and rest in our new house! You have to agree if you love uth!”
Josh could not deny them anymore. He felt emotionally cornered and shed tears of joy. He hugged his sons as they entered their big, luxe mansion.
