Against my wishes, my 18-year-old daughter was marrying a 60-year-old man with whom she had fallen in love. She declared herself to be deeply in love with this man. I was horrified to learn a terrifying fact about him.
The living room was lit by the late afternoon sun as I went through the regular mail, and the ringing of the doorbell signaled Serena’s early return from her part-time job. She burst in, her exuberant presence infusing the room with energy and the aroma of vanilla. I looked forward to her visit every month at this time of year.
“Hey, Dad! You won’t believe what happened to Jessica, my roommate.” Sensing my discomfort, Serena hesitated. “All right?”
“Yes, indeed,” I replied. Everything is fantastic. Please come in, my love.”
“So,” I said, “how’s everything going?
All right?
Really, Dad. I have actually dealt with you. Someone I met seemed so kind and considerate. Edison.
he really adores me. Our goal is to tie the knot. However, he is…
“But?”
“He’s sixty.
‘Sixty’ hit me hard. Eighteen years old and a man in his sixties, almost three times her age? My judgment was clouded by disbelief and fear. “Serena, you’re sixty? That’s… don’t you see the problem here?”
“Dad, love is not defined by age.
Edison is aware of me and trusts me.”
But Serena, what about the future? He’s much older.”
“Dad, love is not about statistics.
Serena’s voice trembled with conviction, “It’s about feeling seen, loved, and cared for, and Edison makes me feel that way.” “Will you please try to meet him at least once?
I promise you’ll adore him.”
I was completely amazed. Has Serena forgotten the meaning of her words? But I couldn’t refuse her. What could go wrong at the meeting? I agreed to meet with this man from Edison.
The next night I went to Edison’s balcony when I wanted to rest. At that moment I heard a brief exchange of words.
“Annie, please hurry,” came Edison’s smooth voice. “My name is Brother. You know me. It’s just light fun. A chance to win something extra.”
“That’s reckless, Edison,” the woman, probably Annie, told Edison. “You’re playing with that girl’s affection for some ‘harmless fun’.”
Something cold twisted inside me.
“What are you talking about?”
Edison growled.
Annie growled, “Bet, Edison.” “You think marrying a naive girl is easy money to pay off debts?”
My heart sank. Edison was just using my daughter as a bet. I was furious.
I ran back inside to find Serena.
“Serena, you tricked us! He thinks it’s all a game.” I lost my mind.
“Dad, what are you talking about?” When I told Serena about the bet, she looked at first confused, then shocked.
“Serena, he’s lying to you!” I added with a crack in my voice, “He’s just using you.”
But Serena became belligerent.
“You’re making this up!
Edison was never your favorite!
Dad, Edison watches over me, but you don’t. You were never present. You seem to have put your work ahead of me when Mom left. I didn’t feel like I had a father. Dad, I didn’t need the babysitters or the fancy boarding schools. You were essential to me.”
Her remarks hurt, but I knew we had to deal with Edison’s dishonesty first.
Then I noticed him walk into the dining room. Edison. I just couldn’t control myself anymore. I burst out yelling, “Stay away from her daughter, you moron!” as I punched him in the face.
Serena was mad at me though.
“Dad, stop it! She pushed me back and yelled, “It’s my life, not yours.” I knew Serena wouldn’t support me at that point, no matter what I said. The artificial affection Edison showed her blinded her.
Finally, devastated but not defeated, I left. My daughter had to be saved. So I called my friend who works as a private investigator.
A few days later he texted me about Edison’s troubled past of misfortune and gambling addiction.
This was my chance to win Serena back by telling her the truth about Edison.
Duke R., Edison’s former business partner, was mentioned in the report but was overlooked due to Edison’s mistakes.
According to the article, Duke hung out at a small coffee shop outside of town called Le Beans Café. I got Duke’s phone number and called him.
Duke and I met in the dimly lit Le Beans Café. He had a hard life, but he was ready to tell all about Edison’s gambling problems. He wished to support me in protecting my daughter from Edison.
That evening I met with Duke and then went to the casino that Edison liked to visit and assumed the identity of “Parker”, a rich man from Texas. I prepared my story and looked at it. I smiled as I sat down at Edison’s desk.
“Hello, Parker. Today’s big game is about to begin. Are you feeling lucky?”
I literally played my cards right and beat Edison’s hand with a royal flush to win. Even though I knew he was shaken, he tried to stay calm.
“Looks like a rookie disaster,” Eddie growled.
I remarked, smiling softly as I revealed my identity to him. “Or maybe some of us just can play,” I added.
“Surprised to see me, Edison?”
He turned white when he finally realized what was happening. “Billy? What’s the purpose of this?”
“Serena is the topic. I firmly told him: “Leave her alone, and we’re right,” I didn’t give him another option.
“Alternatively,” I continued, “you can pay off the debt now. in money. And let’s say I collect the unpaid debts using some…unconventional means.”
“Okay, I’ll avoid her,” he said reluctantly.
As I left the casino, I was both worried and relieved that I had won. Edison fell too quickly and I had the unshakable feeling that our relationship with Serena was not over yet.
I was full of rage when I heard Serena’s voicemail again in the morning. Baby, why don’t you answer me? In a state of desperation, I called her friend Sarah, who happily told me about Serena’s engagement party with Edison, which completely surprised me.
“Engagement party? At Edison’s side?” That amazed me.
Indeed! Serena should have told you. Mr. Thompson, you should attend. Not seeing my surprise, Sarah replied, “It’s at Grand Springs, it starts at eight.”
When I arrived at The Grand Springs, I saw Edison radiating magic among the visitors and Serena beaming with joy. When I went to Edison, I was furious and my heart was racing.
I pulled him aside and said, “We need to talk now.”
“At this moment? While the celebration was going on?” Edison grimaced but I wasn’t having it and dragged him away to talk in a secluded bathroom.
Pinning him against the wall, she asked, “You think you can just dance in and take my daughter’s life?”
“He adores me. And your naughty little secrets? Insinuating that he knew something about me that might be harmful, Edison replied, “They could destroy you.
“But that won’t work.
Not under my watch!” I said as I was troubled by his promise to inform Serena of my previous transgressions.
“Thompson, two minutes.
Then I’m going to call security,” Edison warned me, upsetting me. “Dad, do you think you can stop this? She respects me.
He longs for me. And no matter what you do, he’ll never trust you again if he notices the slightest scratch on me. Thompson, is that what you’re after? for your beautiful daughter to leave you?”
I had to admit that the old creep was right, despite my strong dislike for him. Serena wasn’t even into me. I couldn’t bear to lose her forever.
Dejected and saddened, I found myself outside where the dazzling city lights seemed to mock my failure to protect Serena from Edison’s deception. Stunned, I sat on the bench and covered my face with my hands.
I was absorbed in my own suffering until I noticed someone coughing. I looked up to see a tall gray-haired woman who looked quite delicate in the gloom. “I presume you are Mr. Thompson?” she murmured.
“Annie? Edison’s sister?” he was startled to see her.
She smiled a little. Yes, we have seen each other before. She reminded me of the time you tried to save your daughter at Edison.
I immediately explained to her the whole problem with Edison and his deceitful behavior towards Serena. “And you realize that too, don’t you?”
Finally, Annie spat out, “The sly weasel”. “He squandered everything – our inheritance, my savings from years of performing… it all went to feed his gambling addiction.”
“We could stop him,” I added, sensing she might be willing to help.
“What do you mean?”
Annie asked.
I explained my strategy to her and even made her an initial financial offer. I added, “Think of it as a beginning.”
She said, “I’m listening,” with curiosity.
We therefore carried out our plan at the wedding. Annie was there, pretending to be another visitor. The young woman exclaimed, “He’s a liar!” once Edison placed the ring on Serena’s finger.
Then a second woman stood up and told her own story about Edison’s fraud. As more people came forward, Edison’s gruesome activities were revealed.
Edison tried to refute this. “No, they’re not telling the truth! He claimed, ‘I don’t even know them,’ but once everyone realized who he really was, he began to break down.
Our strategy was successful. The wedding became the occasion when all of Edison’s lies were revealed to the world.
In a tense moment, an older woman approached Serena.
“My dear, don’t fall for his tricks. He’s just trouble all around. Leave him as soon as you can!” “I was a victim too,” the woman stated adamantly.
I watched on video call as Serena’s fantasy of bliss dissolved and she dropped her wedding ring.
This was the culmination of a plan devised by Annie and her troupe to reveal Edison’s true identity to the public. Even though it was obvious that Serena was hurt, running out of the chapel was her only option to avoid a serious mistake.
Then when the police arrived to take Edison into custody, things became much more serious as it became clear that Edison would eventually have to pay for his actions.
Helping Annie came at a high price, but it was worth it when I saw my daughter freed from Edison.
I had a really emotional meeting with Serena when I met her later in her apartment. “I’m so sorry, Dad. She sobbed, “I should have paid attention to you.
I reminded her of her desire to pursue fashion design, hugged her, and showed her the plane ticket to Boston. “It’s time to start over, follow your dream,” I advised her.
She gave me a hopeful and appreciative look. “Thank you so much, Dad. I admire you,” she said.
This whole experience made me realize how important it is to support our children and ensure their safety.
Serena would never fall for someone like Edison if I was there for her. After taking a deep breath, I decided to put my daughter first.
Please share this story with your friends and let us know what you think. It could motivate them and make their day.
Here’s another story to read if you liked this one: A lonely little girl who says she’s waiting for her mother comes across a park cleaner. When he contacts the police the next day and finds her sitting on the same bench, he is taken aback.
Through this harrowing experience, I realized how crucial presence is for our children. My initial neglect and focus on work drove Serena into the arms of a wily man like Edison. Her desperate search for love and recognition led her down a dangerous path that I was supposed to protect her from. This trial taught me that love and protection are not just about financial support or material comfort, but about being emotionally available and attentive.
In the end, it was a community effort, involving the help of Edison’s sister Annie and her acting troupe, that finally revealed the truth and saved Serena. It was a painful and public denouement, but it was necessary to break the illusion that Edison had woven around my daughter. Police intervention ensured that Edison would face justice, and it offered a semblance of closure.
Serena’s sincere apology and our subsequent conversation were steps toward healing our broken relationship. The plane ticket to Boston symbolized a new beginning not only for her in pursuing her dreams but also for me in making amends for my past mistakes. It marked the beginning of a new chapter in which I would put my daughter above all else, learn from my mistakes, and strive to be the father she needed.
The experience served as a stark reminder of how far we must go to protect our loved ones. She emphasized the importance of vigilance and a willingness to face difficult truths for the sake of those we care about. Sharing this story is a testament to the resilience of family bonds and the power of unwavering love and support in overcoming adversity.