When Chelsea decided to adopt an abandoned baby she found lying in a trash can, she never thought he would be the catalyst for a major change in her life. Three years later, she discovered a shocking truth that led to another unexpected change.
As the early morning sun rays fell over the trash cans piled up on the curb, Chelsea heard a scuffle among the bins. Frightened that it might be a huge rat, she shuffled away, only to be startled by the sound of a crying baby. Motherly instinct made her override all her fears. She immediately reached into the can, only to find a tiny human being wrapped in a soft blanket.
With a temporary foster placement secured, Chelsea and William (the name she gave the baby) embarked on this unexpected journey together. The only reason she knew his name was an expensive bracelet she had found around his arm when she had fished him out of the trash can. She did not have many resources, but the Child Protection Officer secured a temporary grant for her to look after the baby. Things were not easy, though, as her employers in the city did not have much compassion for her situation. They gave her weeks of leave, and when she could not return to work the next Monday, she was dismissed.
Desperate to find some kind of income, Chelsea started working as a house cleaner. Although the circumstances were not ideal, she had a reliable friend in the boarding house who looked after Will when she had to work. She removed the valuable bracelet and hid it deep in her simple jewelry box. If she ever needed money for the boy, she would sell this precious item.
After almost a year, the search for Will’s parents had come to a dead end, and the state offered Chelsea the opportunity to adopt the boy. She knew that if it ever came to that, the decision was a done one – he was already her son, and the paperwork just had to be finalized. She did it with no regrets.
When Will was about 3 years old, Chelsea started looking for better work opportunities. An ad for a hardworking person to manage and clean a home caught her eye. The salary was negotiable, but there was also a living quarter available on the premises. Although Chelsea had little hope that she would qualify for the job, she immediately called the number.
A harsh voice on the other side told her to be at a set address in 2 hours for an interview. The man who opened the door was clearly short-tempered and irritated. He asked her to sit down and inquired about her experience. When she told him that she worked as a street cleaner for a while, he briefly looked up and frowned.
With courage that Chelsea did not know where it came from, she addressed the man in a firm voice, “I know it may seem like I have little to offer, but I can assure you that I’m one of the most hardworking and reliable people you would ever meet. If you give me the chance to prove myself to you, you will never look back. I will not beg, but I’m asking humbly that you give me a chance.”
Maybe it was the determination in her eyes, but the man stared at her for a few seconds and then simply asked her when she could start. Chelsea could not believe her luck. When she pitched for work the next morning, she promised that she would deliver a high standard of work but made him aware that she had a son who was still very young and that she was the only one taking care of him.
In the months that followed, Chelsea and Will settled into life in the servant’s quarters of the big mansion. Paul, the man who had hired her, was a quiet man, clearly short-tempered and troubled. He mostly barked short commands and then retreated to a place of solitude. But month after month, he started warming up to both Chelsea and her son. Although Chelsea told Will not to bother Paul, she was often caught off guard when she saw him playing at her employer’s feet or even sitting on his lap.
When she apologized and tried to remove Will, Paul would tell her to leave the boy be. This little 3-year-old was slowly but surely softening the heart of a man who was clearly fighting some demons.
One evening, as Chelsea was about to return to her quarters, Paul asked if she could stay and have a meal with him. She was very surprised but agreed to the invitation. She needed to freshen up after work and suggested she meet him in an hour.
“You go your own way, Lee Will with me,” he said in a friendly voice.
Although Chelsea was cautious, she was also a little excited. She knew she had no chance, but she had developed some feelings for her employer. She would simply enjoy the evening for what it was: a man thankful for the life that had returned to his home because of her little boy.
Chelsea did not anticipate that Paul would open his heart to her, but halfway through dinner, he started sharing his story about a girl who fell pregnant from him at a stage of his life where wild partying was his escape from the pressure of corporate life. He knew he did not want to marry the girl but wanted to take responsibility for his son.
When the girl told him she wanted an abortion, he offered her money to go through with the pregnancy. Afterward, he would raise his son. She agreed to the terms, gave birth in a fancy hospital, but when he came to visit that evening, she had disappeared with his son.
Despite everything he did to find him, there was no trace of his son. He could not face life and became a dreadful person to work for. He started spending more time at home in isolation and appointed people to run his companies and manage his fortunes. He had lost all sense of life until Chelsea and Will came into his life. He knew he had no claim on them, but for the first time in 3 years, he had a reason to live.
“Maybe it is because my son’s name was William that I feel so drawn to your boy. But I’m not only fond of him, I’ve grown fond of you too, Chelsea. I know it may seem very inappropriate, but I think I’m in love with you. I know I have been a harsh man, but I will make it up to you if you just give me a chance.”
Chelsea was out of her mind with joy, but then he revealed the frightening truth that made her blood freeze in her veins. “I had a golden bracelet made for William just before his birth. I want to make a similar bracelet for your Will if you will allow me to become his dad.”
Suddenly, Chelsea jumped up and ran out of the room. All Paul could think of was that she did not feel the same, but he couldn’t understand why she had left the child behind. Seconds later, she returned with the bracelet with the name William inscribed on the inside. She did not have to explain anything; he immediately understood that this little boy he adored so much was his own flesh and blood.
A few weeks later, Will was the ring bearer at the wedding ceremony. Paul didn’t want to waste any more time, and that day, the three of them became a real family, the one all of them had always dreamt about.
What an amazing ending! Would you have ever expected such a turn of events? How would you have reacted in Chelsea’s place?
