Emily Gold, 17, was a bright and talented young woman who won the hearts of audiences with her Los Osos High School dance team on America’s Got Talent.
Her grace, passion, and energy lit up the stage – but now, we are heartbroken to share the tragic news of her passing.
Emily Gold, a 17-year-old dancer from Los Osos High School and America’s Got Talent contestant, has tragically passed away. On Friday, September 13, Emily was found dead, as confirmed by the San Bernardino Coroner’s Office.
The Southern California teen, who recently competed on AGT with her dance team, died by suicide. California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Rodrigo Jimenez said officers responded to the scene around 11:52 p.m.
“When officers arrived, they found a 17-year-old female who had been hit by a vehicle in the carpool lane on the eastbound 210 freeway,” Jimenez explained. “She was pronounced dead at the scene.”
Reports suggest that Emily may have jumped from an overpass and landed in the carpool lane in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Although her death is being treated as a suicide, no suicide note was found.
Earlier this year, Emily had captured millions of viewers’ attention with her high school dance team on America’s Got Talent, where the team made it to the quarterfinals.
Judge Simon Cowell was especially impressed by the performance of Emily Gold and her team on *America’s Got Talent*, praising the energy they brought to the stage.
“It was absolutely brilliant,” Cowell said during the show.
“What I loved was the energy. What I just saw is everything a great school should be doing – encouraging talent and friendship.”
He added, “It reminded me of watching *High School Musical* and thinking every kid should go to a school like that.”
After the performance, Emily spoke with *People* about the care and focus she put into each show.
“When I’m performing, I’m really thinking about all the corrections we get, even up to five minutes before going on stage. Applying those corrections is my biggest priority,” she said.
Following the tragic passing of Emily Gold, the Los Osos High School community is in shock. A fundraiser has been set up to support her family during this difficult time.
“With great sadness, we share that our Los Osos Grizzly, Emily Gold, has passed away,” the fundraiser statement said.
“As a community, let’s come together to support the Gold family. This money will go directly to them to help with expenses.”
Emily’s dance team also paid tribute to her on Instagram:
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beautiful, kind, and loving Emily Gold, Senior and Varsity Dance Captain. Emily embodied all of our team values with her strength, commitment, kindness, and compassion. She will be remembered as a leader, role model, friend, and sister to her teammates.”
Elderly Man Always Bought Two Movie Tickets for Himself, So One Day I Decided to Find Out Why – Story of the Day
Every Monday, I watched an elderly man buy two tickets but always sit alone. Curiosity drove me to uncover his secret, so I bought a seat next to him. When he started sharing his story, I had no idea that our lives were about to intertwine in ways I could never have imagined.
The old city cinema wasn’t just a job for me. It was a place where the hum of the projector could momentarily erase the worries of the world. The scent of buttered popcorn lingered in the air, and the faded vintage posters whispered stories of a golden age I had only ever imagined.
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Every Monday morning, Edward appeared, his arrival as steady as the sunrise. He wasn’t like the regulars who rushed in, fumbling for coins or their tickets.
Edward carried himself with quiet dignity, his tall, lean frame draped in a neatly buttoned gray coat. His silver hair, combed back with precision, caught the light as he approached the counter. He always asked for the same thing.
“Two tickets for the morning movie.”
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And yet, he always came alone.
His fingers, cold from the December chill, brushed mine as I handed him the tickets. I managed a polite smile, though my mind raced with unspoken questions.
Why two tickets? Who are they for?
“Two tickets again?” Sarah teased from behind me, smirking as she rang up another customer. “Maybe it’s for some lost love. Like an old-fashioned romance, you know?”
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“Or maybe a ghost,” another coworker, Steve, chimed in, snickering. “He’s probably married to one.”
I didn’t laugh. There was something about Edward that made their jokes feel wrong.
I thought about asking him, even rehearsing a few lines in my head, but every time the moment came, my courage vanished. After all, it wasn’t my place.
***
The following Monday was different. It was my day off, and as I lay in bed, staring at the frost creeping along the edges of the window, an idea began to form.
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What if I follow him? It isn’t spying. It is… curiosity. Almost Christmas, after all—a season of wonder.
The morning air was sharp and fresh, and the holiday lights strung along the street seemed to glow brighter.
Edward was already seated when I entered the dimly lit theater, his figure outlined by the soft glow of the screen. He seemed lost in thought, his posture as straight and purposeful as ever. His eyes flickered toward me, and a faint smile crossed his lips.
“You’re not working today,” he observed.
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I slid into the seat next to him. “I thought you might need a company. I’ve seen you here so many times.”
He chuckled softly, though the sound held a trace of sadness. “It’s not about movies.”
“Then what is it?” I asked, unable to hide the curiosity in my tone.
Edward leaned back in his seat, his hands folded neatly in his lap. For a moment, he seemed hesitant, as though deciding whether or not to trust me with what he was about to say.
Then he spoke.
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“Years ago,” he began, his gaze fixed on the screen, “there was a woman who worked here. Her name was Evelyn.”
I remained quiet, sensing this wasn’t a story to rush.
“She was beautiful,” he continued, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Not in the way that turns heads but in the way that lingers. Like a melody, you can’t forget. She’d been working here. We met here, and then our story began.”
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I pictured it as he spoke: the bustling cinema, the flicker of the projector casting shadows on her face, and their quiet conversations between showings.
“One day, I invited her to a morning show on her day off,” Edward said. “She agreed.”
He paused, his voice faltering slightly. “But she never came.”
“What happened?” I whispered, leaning closer.
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“I found out later she’d been fired,” he said, his tone heavier now. “When I asked the manager for her contact information, he refused and told me never to come back. I didn’t understand why. She was just… gone.”
Edward exhaled, his gaze falling to the empty seat beside him. “I tried to move on. I got married and lived a quiet life. But after my wife passed, I started coming here again, hoping… just hoping… I don’t know.”
I swallowed hard. “She was the love of your life.”
“She was. And she still is.”
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“What do you remember about her?” I asked.
“Only her name,” Edward admitted. “Evelyn.”
“I’ll help you find her.”
At that moment, the realization of what I’d promised struck me. Evelyn had worked at the cinema, but the manager—the one who had fired her—was my father. A man who barely acknowledged my existence.
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***
Getting ready to face my father felt like preparing for a battle I wasn’t sure I could win. I adjusted the conservative jacket I’d chosen and brushed my hair back into a sleek ponytail. Every detail mattered.
My Dad, Thomas, appreciated order and professionalism—traits he lived by and judged others for.
Edward waited patiently by the door, his hat in hand, looking both apprehensive and composed. “You’re sure he’ll talk to us?”
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“No,” I admitted, pulling on my coat. “But we have to try.”
On the way to the cinema office, I found myself opening up to Edward, perhaps to calm my nerves.
“My mom had Alzheimer’s,” I explained, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. “It started while she was pregnant with me. Her memory was… unpredictable. Some days, she’d know exactly who I was. Other days, she’d look at me like I was a stranger.”
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Edward nodded solemnly. “That must have been hard for you.”
“It was,” I said. “Especially because my Dad, I call him Thomas, decided to put her in a care facility. I understand why, but over time, he just stopped visiting her. And when my grandmother passed, all the responsibility fell on me. He helped financially, but he was… absent. That’s the best way to describe him. Distant. Always distant.”
Edward didn’t say much, but his presence was grounding. When we reached the cinema, I hesitated before opening the door to Thomas’s office.
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Inside, he sat at his desk, papers meticulously arranged in front of him. His sharp, calculating eyes flicked to me, then to Edward. “What’s this about?”
“Hi, Dad. This is my friend, Edward,” I stammered.
“Go on.” His face didn’t change.
“I need to ask you about someone who worked here years ago. A woman named Evelyn.”
He froze for a fraction of a second, then leaned back in his chair. “I don’t discuss former employees.”
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“You need to make an exception,” I pressed. “Edward has been searching for her for decades. We deserve answers.”
Thomas’s gaze shifted to Edward, narrowing slightly. “I don’t owe him anything. Or you, for that matter.”
Edward spoke for the first time. “I loved her. She was everything to me.”
Thomas’s jaw tightened. “Her name wasn’t Evelyn.”
“What?” I blinked.
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“She called herself Evelyn, but her real name was Margaret,” he admitted, his words cutting through the air. “Your mother. She made up that name because she was having an affair with him,” he gestured toward Edward, “and thought I wouldn’t find out.”
The room went silent.
Edward’s face paled. “Margaret?”
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“She was pregnant when I found out,” Thomas continued bitterly. “With you, as it turned out.” He looked at me then, his cold expression faltering for the first time. “I thought cutting her off from him would make her rely on me. But it didn’t. And when you were born…”
Thomas sighed heavily. “I knew I wasn’t your father.”
My head spun, disbelief washing over me in waves. “You knew all this time?”
“I provided for her,” he said, avoiding my gaze. “For you. But I couldn’t stay.”
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Edward’s voice broke the silence. “Margaret is Evelyn?”
“She was Margaret to me,” Thomas replied stiffly. “But clearly, she wanted to be someone else with you.”
Edward sank into a chair, his hands trembling. “She never told me. I… I had no idea.”
I looked between them, my heart pounding. Thomas was not my father at all.
“I think,” I said, “we need to visit her. Together.” I glanced at Edward, then turned to Thomas, holding his gaze. “All three of us. Christmas is a time for forgiveness, and if there’s ever a moment to set things right, it’s now.”
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For a moment, I thought Thomas would scoff or dismiss the idea altogether. But to my surprise, he hesitated, his stern expression softening. Without a word, he stood, reached for his overcoat, and nodded.
“Let’s do this,” he said gruffly, slipping his arms into the coat.
***
We drove to the care facility in silence. Edward sat beside me, his hands folded tightly in his lap. Thomas was in the back seat, his posture rigid, his eyes staring out the window.
When we arrived, the holiday wreath on the facility’s door seemed oddly out of place against the surroundings.
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Mom was in her usual spot by the lounge window, her frail figure draped in a cozy cardigan. She was staring outside, her face distant, as though lost in a world far away. Her hands rested motionless in her lap even as we approached.
“Mom,” I called gently, but there was no reaction.
Edward stepped forward, his movements slow and deliberate. He looked at her.
“Evelyn.”
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The change was instant. Her head turned toward him, her eyes sharpening with recognition. It was as if a light had been switched on inside her. Slowly, she rose to her feet.
“Edward?” she whispered.
He nodded. “It’s me, Evelyn. It’s me.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and she took a shaky step forward. “You’re here.”
“I never stopped waiting,” he replied, his own eyes glistening.
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Watching them, my heart swelled with emotions I couldn’t fully name. This was their moment, but it was also mine.
I turned to Thomas, who stood a few steps behind, his hands in his pockets. His usual sternness was gone, replaced by something almost vulnerable.
“You did the right thing coming here,” I said softly.
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He gave a slight nod but said nothing. His gaze lingered on Mom and Edward, and for the first time, I saw something that looked like regret.
The snow began to fall gently outside, blanketing the world in a soft, peaceful hush.
“Let’s not end it here,” I said, breaking the quiet. “It’s Christmas. How about we go get some hot cocoa and watch a holiday movie? Together.”
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Edward’s eyes lit up. Thomas hesitated.
“That sounds… nice,” he said gruffly, but his voice softer than I’d ever heard it.
That day, four lives intertwined in ways none of us had imagined. Together, we walked into a story that had taken years to find its ending—and its new beginning.
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Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
If you enjoyed this story, read this one: The day before Christmas, everything seemed perfect until it wasn’t. I found a receipt for a stunning necklace, signed by my husband, hidden in my sister’s coat. Was it a gift or something far worse?
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
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