After her daughter passed away, Sylvia’s only purpose in life became caring for her newborn grandson. But things changed when the child got a new stepmom, who wouldn’t let Sylvia anywhere near the child.
After losing her husband at a young age, Sylvia worked multiple jobs to provide her daughter, Miley, with the best of everything. Miley became the center of Sylvia’s attention, and the mother never compromised on her little girl’s needs.
As years passed, Sylvia felt proud watching her girl grow into a beautiful, strong woman. Soon, Miley told her mother about the man she wanted to marry, and Sylvia happily approved of her daughter’s choice.
“May God always bless you both with lots of happiness!” Sylvia told Miley and her husband, Richard, on their wedding day, unaware that fate wouldn’t allow her daughter to live past a few more years.
“Mom! I’m pregnant!” Miley broke the news to Sylvia a year after the wedding. “I can’t wait to be a mom!”
Miley always wanted to start a family, and Sylvia was thrilled to learn that her daughter’s wish would finally come true. Nine months flew by. All was well until the doctors took Miley to the operation theatre for an emergency C-section one day.
Sylvia was nervous. She had been pacing the hospital floor for hours, praying, planning, and daydreaming. And then, she heard the words that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
“We’re sorry,” a doctor told Sylvia after the surgery. “Your daughter could not make it, but your little grandson is waiting for you to meet him.”
For several seconds, Sylvia couldn’t exhale. She felt a lump in her throat and weakness in her knees when she heard that Miley—the centre of her universe—had died at childbirth. The painful memory of the hospital’s waiting area was etched in Sylvia’s mind no matter how hard she tried to erase it.
“I don’t want this old hag to interfere in our family matters!” Rachel told her husband.
After her young daughter’s demise, a heartbroken Sylvia looked after her newborn grandson. She named him Stephen, as per Miley’s wish. Sylvia would constantly talk to the baby, telling him about his late mother, hoping he would grow up to be a caring person like her.
It was hard for Sylvia to look at Stephen and not think about her beloved Miley. The little boy resembled his mama so much! He had her eyes and her lips and even laughed like her.
“I wish you were here, Miley!” Sylvia would cry whenever little Stephen achieved a milestone. The grieving grandmother yearned to see her daughter one last time.
A year went by, then another. While Sylvia looked after Stephen, Richard began dating Rachel, a beautiful girl he met at work. He had told his girlfriend everything about his late wife and his son, hoping his honesty would strengthen their relationship.
One day, Sylvia was tucking Stephen in bed when Richard returned home from work and told her about Rachel.
“We are planning to get married soon,” Richard said. “She said she would take care of everything, Sylvia. She promised me she would love and look after our Stephen, too.”
“But I don’t mind looking after my darling grandson,” Sylvia said while ruffling Stephen’s hair. “I can look after him while you and Rachel work.”
Sylvia had always known, and hoped, that Richard would move on after Miley, giving Stephen someone to call ‘Mom,’ too. But Sylvia clearly had no idea about Rachel’s own plans. She thought she would keep meeting her grandson, unaware that Richard’s new wife wouldn’t allow that.
A few days after Rachel married Richard, she plainly asked her husband to keep Sylvia away from Stephen. “I don’t want this old hag to interfere in our family matters!” Rachel told her husband.
“I won’t let her hover around Stephen all the time!”
Richard was taken aback by those harsh words. Sylvia loved Stephen, and she had really come through for him and Richard. On the other hand, Richard did have a new family, new in-laws now. It couldn’t hurt to set a few boundaries, he thought. Caving to Rachel’s wish, Richard decided to talk to Sylvia.
“Thank you for looking after Stephen all this time, Sylvia,” he said. “But you really don’t need to do so much for him anymore. Rachel and I will look after him. You don’t need to visit us every day.”
But I love looking after my grandson. I don’t mind coming here, Richard,” Sylvia argued. “You know that.”
“I do. But Rachel wants to take care of Stephen. She’s the Mom now, after all. I know this isn’t easy, but…I hope you understand,” Richard said, staring at his shoes.
Sylvia wanted to argue, but she relented. She agreed to distance herself from Stephen, thinking it would help him bond with his stepmother. Little did she know that being a good stepmother was the least of Rachel’s interests.
A few months later, Rachel and Richard hosted a grand birthday party for Stephen. They invited their friends and family, and Rachel specifically asked that nobody bring gifts.
“If you insist, you may give him cash,” she spoke politely over the phone.
Sylvia was excited to attend her grandson’s third birthday party. When she learned about Rachel’s condition regarding birthday gifts, she decided to give all her savings to her grandson.
“I’m going to die sooner or later,” she thought. “What’s the point of keeping all this money with me?”
Sylvia attended her grandson’s party and handed Rachel a fat envelope of all her savings. “This is a present for my little boy. I’m giving all my savings to him,” Sylvia smiled. Rachel smiled harder.
The following day, Sylvia visited Richard’s place to help clean the house. She knew it would be difficult for Rachel to clean up alone, so she gladly offered to help.
But when she reached the house, she saw Rachel brushing her fingers over a gold necklace and earrings. It seemed like she had just bought the jewelry set.
“Your necklace and earrings look beautiful!” Sylvia smiled. “You bought them today, didn’t you?”
Rachel immediately stuffed the necklace and earrings back in the box and hid them. “Today?! No,” Rachel lied. “Richard gifted this to me when we got married.”
Before Sylvia could respond, Rachel rushed to her room with the jewelry box, unaware she had forgotten the receipt at the table. Sylvia picked up the receipt and learned that Rachel had bought a gold set and two rings that morning. It broke her heart, because she knew what Rachel had done.
“Oh, God!” Sylvia gasped. “How can she spend my grandson’s birthday money on herself? That’s ridiculous!”
Sylvia immediately kept the receipt back and began cleaning the house. She wanted to tell Richard about it, but he wasn’t home. He left to any city earlier that morning for a business meeting.
That day, Sylvia’s perception of Rachel completely changed. She now saw her mistreating Stephen, scolding him over little things and dismissing his needs. The loving grandmother’s heart ached for the boy.
Later that evening, Sylvia returned home and called Richard immediately. She wanted to tell him about the jewelry, but he didn’t have time to talk to her. “I’ll call you later, Sylvia,” he said before hanging up.
Sylvia’s concern for Stephen increased as days passed. Neither could she visit him, thanks to Rachel’s restrictions, nor did Richard make the time to talk to her.
Until one day, she received a call from Richard, asking her if she could babysit Stephen.
“Rachel and I are going out for brunch today,” he said.
“I thought you would love to spend some time with Stephen.”
“Sure, Richard!” Sylvia exclaimed. “I’ll be at your place in an hour.”
“No, wait,” Richard said. “Rachel said we could meet in the park. She said Stephen wanted to play there. Would it be okay if we met at the park instead?”
“Sure, dear,” Sylvia said. “I’ll see you there in a while.”
Excited to meet her grandson after a long time, Sylvia drove to the park. She immediately saw Richard and Rachel waiting for her, standing near the swings.
We will be back in a few hours,” Rachel said while putting Stephen on a swing. “I hope you don’t mind watching him.”
“Why would I mind?” Sylvia laughed. “I love my baby and would do anything for him!”
“Come quick, Rachel. I’ll start the car,” Richard said before leaving the park.
Without so much as a hug or goodbye kiss on the Stephen’s forehead, Rachel walked away from him. She didn’t seem to care about her wailing stepson. She didn’t even turn around once to smile at Stephen or tell him she would return soon.
“Come here, my baby,” Sylvia said while trying to calm the boy down. “Granny’s here to look after you!”
Sylvia pushed little Stephen on the swing, hoping to calm him down. But the little boy kept wailing. Maybe he’s hungry. She took a banana from his bag and tried feeding it to him.
“What’s this?” she said as she moved Stephen’s legs to get a clearer picture of the object.
“Mama!” Stephen shook his head and kept crying, refusing to be picked up, asking his grandmother to take him to his parents.
“Come on, Stephen!” Sylvia said. “They will be back in no time.”
“I want Daddy!” Stephen cried. “I want mama!”
After trying her best to soothe the little boy, Sylvia slid her phone out of her bag and called Richard.
“Pick up! Pick up!” she said while Stephen cried on the swing.
When Richard did not answer, Sylvia called Rachel, hoping she would pick up. On the other hand, Rachel heard her phone ring, but she didn’t answer the call after seeing Sylvia’s name on it. “Why can’t she leave us alone for once?” Rachel thought and switched her phone off.
Oh no!” Sylvia gasped when Rachel didn’t answer her call. “What should I do now?”
“Okay, let me see what’s inside this swing!” Sylvia cheered, trying to distract her grandson.
She walked near the swing and inspected it closely, touching the belt to grab Stephen’s attention. As she looked inside the swing, a shiny object caught her attention. It had been poking the boy’s thigh, causing him discomfort.
“What’s this?” she said as she moved Stephen’s legs to get a clearer picture of the object. “Is that Rachel’s earring?”
Sylvia immediately picked it up and put it on her palm. She looked closely at it and realized it was Rachel’s new gold earring she had bought after Stephen’s birthday.
Meanwhile, Rachel and Richard were enjoying their brunch when Rachel’s hand went to her right ear, and she realized her gold earring was missing.
Oh no!” Rachel said and bent down, looking for her earring under the table.
“What happened? Is everything okay?” Richard asked.
“My earring! I think I dropped it somewhere!” Rachel cried.
Once she was sure she didn’t drop the earring in the restaurant, she asked Richard to take her back to the park.
“I’m sure I must have dropped it there!” she said. “Please take me back, Richard. I can’t lose my gold earring!”
“Calm down, Rachel!” Richard said while putting his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll take you back.”
Meanwhile, Rachel and Richard were enjoying their brunch when Rachel’s hand went to her right ear, and she realized her gold earring was missing.
“Oh no!” Rachel said and bent down, looking for her earring under the table.
“What happened? Is everything okay?” Richard asked.
“My earring! I think I dropped it somewhere!” Rachel cried.
Once she was sure she didn’t drop the earring in the restaurant, she asked Richard to take her back to the park.
“I’m sure I must have dropped it there!” she said. “Please take me back, Richard. I can’t lose my gold earring!”
“Calm down, Rachel!” Richard said while putting his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll take you back.”
Once Rachel reached the park, she darted towards the swings and frantically searched for her earring there. Meanwhile, Stephen cried, tugging her arm repeatedly, but she shrugged him off each time.
“Can’t you stay quiet for once?” Rachel finally yelled at the little boy. “Stop bothering me! Not another sound from you!”
At that point, Rachel had no idea that Richard was standing behind her, shocked after watching her yell at his helpless son.
Sylvia calmed her fuming breath and picked Stephen up to comfort him. She then turned to Rachel, “Is this what you’re looking for?” Sylvia extended her hand and gave the earring to Rachel.
“Oh yes!” Rachel exclaimed. “Where did you find it? I was so worried about it!”
“Listen, woman,” Sylvia said in a serious tone. “Take your precious earring, turn around, and walk away from my grandson. You don’t deserve to be his stepmother!”
Rachel was snapped out of her joy with those words, and she looked to Richard, knowing he always defended her.
“Sylvia is right!” Richard said instead. “I can’t believe what I just saw. How can you worry about your earring when my son kept crying for you?”
Rachel tried to cut in, but Richard had been holding his silence for far too long. He spoke out, recounting every example of Rachel’s selfishness and lies, before he finally came to a calm conclusion.
“You don’t deserve to be his stepmother or my wife! I wan to have nothing to do with you.”
“What?’ Rachel gasped. “Richard, please don’t do this to me! Please don’t leave me!”
“I said I don’t want to continue this relationship!” Richard yelled in the park. “Please leave, you’ll hear from my lawyer soon.”
That day, Richard realized he had made the wrong decision by marrying Rachel. “I don’t know why did I trusted her with Stephen,” he told Sylvia. “She could never replace Miley.”
“Oh, honey. No one can. It’s okay, son. We all make mistakes,” Sylvia patted his back. “I can take care of Stephen. I love spending time with him.”
Richard agreed to let Sylvia look after his son. He dropped Stephen at her place every morning while going to work and picked him up on his way back.
For years, Sylvia looked after little Stephen, and raised him to be a kind young man. She gave him all the love and care he deserved and never let him feel his late mother’s absence.
