We had no idea that our recently acquired dream home would completely upend our life until we discovered a hidden area. We had to move out as a result of what we discovered inside, but we had no idea that this nightmare would bring about an unforeseen turn of events.
I never imagined that I would wake up in a horror movie, yet that is exactly where I am. For years, Jack and I had been saving money to purchase our first house. I was ecstatic when we eventually received the keys. We immediately got to work on the improvements, with me leading the way while Jack concentrated on his task.
“Liv, you sure you’re okay managing all this?” The night before the renovations started, Jack inquired. Encircled by boxes, we reclined on our air mattress that we had borrowed.
I rolled my eyes. “I can handle this. Mr. Big Shot, you put your work first.”
Jack laughed and drew me in. “All right, all right. Just don’t enjoy yourself excessively without me.”
Everything was normal on Tuesday morning, until it changed. As I was enjoying my coffee and browsing through my phone, Carlos, the leader of our renovation team, contacted me.
He exclaimed, “Olivia, you gotta see this.”
Curious about what they’d discovered, I strolled over. Carlos gestured to a piece of the wall they had recently demolished. There was a door there, concealed by years of paint and drywall.
I said, “What do you think it is?”
Carlos gave a shrug. “I have no idea. Would you like to open it?”
I reached for the doorknob and nodded. I opened the creaking door and looked inside. My enthusiasm soon gave way to fear. Shuddering, I slammed the door shut.
“What’s wrong?” Carlos enquired, his expression filled with worry.
I was unable to talk. Reaching for my phone, I punched in Jack’s number. He detected the third ring.
“Hi Liv. What’s going on?”
“Jack, you must return home. Right now.”
“What? Why? Is everything in order?
Taking a deep breath, I tried to control my voice. Something was discovered inside the home. You must view it.
Jack didn’t dispute, so he must have heard the panic in my voice. “I’m on my way.”
I paced back and forth in front of the secret entrance while I waited for Jack. Although Carlos and his team continued to work, I could sense their wondering looks.
“You okay, Olivia?” Carlos paused his efforts to ask.
I nodded, not believing I could talk. My mind was buzzing with ideas. And what if it was a haunted house? What if we had discovered a sinister secret?
Jack was panting heavily when he got there. “Olivia, what’s going on?”
Taking his hand, I guided him towards the entrance. I remarked, “Look,” and carefully opened it.
Jack gasped in shock at what he saw. There were ancient garments in the concealed area that had originally been a closet. The worst part, though, wasn’t that. Insects crawled all over, and mold covered the garments. There was an overpowering smell, and spiders had taken up residence in the corners.
Jack mumbled, “Holy —,” and slammed the door. “How long has that been there?”
I gave a headshake. “I’m not sure. It was never brought up by the realtor.”
For a few while, we stood there in quiet, taking in what we had just witnessed. At last, Jack said something.
Single Father of Two Daughters Wakes Up to Make Breakfast, Discovers It’s Already Prepared
As a single dad juggling work and two young daughters, Jack never expected to find a stranger’s homemade pancakes on his kitchen table one morning. When he discovers the mysterious benefactor, her shocking story of hardship and gratitude changes his life forever, forging an unexpected bond between them.
Being a single dad to two little girls, Emma, who was 4, and Lily, who was 5, was the hardest job I ever had. My wife left us to travel the world, and now it was just me and the girls. I loved them more than anything, but balancing work, cooking, and taking care of everything at home left me exhausted.
Every morning, I woke up early. First, I went to wake the girls.
“Emma, Lily, time to get up!” I called softly, opening their bedroom door.
Lily rubbed her eyes and sat up. “Good morning, Daddy,” she said, yawning.
Emma, still half asleep, mumbled, “I don’t want to get up.”
I smiled. “Come on, sweetie. We have to get ready for daycare.”
I helped them get dressed. Lily picked her favorite dress, the one with the flowers, while Emma chose her pink shirt and jeans. Once they were dressed, we all headed downstairs.
I went to the kitchen to make breakfast. The plan was simple: oatmeal with milk. But when I entered the kitchen, I stopped in my tracks. There, on the table, were three plates of freshly made pancakes with jam and fruit.
“Girls, did you see this?” I asked, puzzled.
Lily’s eyes widened. “Wow, pancakes! Did you make them, Daddy?”
I shook my head. “No, I didn’t. Maybe Aunt Sarah stopped by early.”
I picked up my phone and called my sister, Sarah.
“Hey, Sarah, did you come by this morning?” I asked as soon as she picked up.
“No, why?” Sarah sounded confused.
“Never mind, it’s nothing,” I said, hanging up. I checked the doors and windows, but everything was locked. There was no sign of anyone breaking in.
“Is it safe to eat, Daddy?” Emma asked, looking at the pancakes with big eyes.
I decided to taste them first. They were delicious and seemed perfectly fine. “I think it’s okay. Let’s eat,” I said.
The girls cheered and dug into their breakfast. I couldn’t stop thinking about who could have made the pancakes. It was strange, but I decided to let it go for now. I had to get to work.
After breakfast, I dropped Emma and Lily off at daycare. “Have a good day, my loves,” I said, kissing them goodbye.
At work, I couldn’t focus. My mind kept going back to the mysterious pancakes. Who could have done it? Why? When I returned home that evening, I got another surprise. The lawn, which I hadn’t had time to mow, was neatly cut.
I stood in my yard, scratching my head. “This is getting weird,” I muttered to myself. I checked the house again, but everything was in order.
The next morning, I decided to find out who was helping me. I got up earlier than usual and hid in the kitchen, peeking through a small gap in the door. At 6 a.m., I saw a woman climb in through the window.
She was wearing old postal worker clothes. I watched as she started washing the dishes from the night before. She then pulled out some cottage cheese from her bag and began making pancakes.
My stomach growled loudly. The woman turned around, startled. She quickly turned off the gas and ran towards the window.
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