A controlling woman kicks her daughter-in-law out of the house with her newborn child, only to find herself in appalling conditions years later.
Abbie and Jonathan were married for three years when they welcomed their son, Timothy. They lived in Austin, Texas, with Jonathan’s mother, Susan, who wasn’t the worst by all accounts but wasn’t the best either.
Susan’s problem was that she wanted total control over everything, especially Jonathan’s life. To her relief, she was always successful since Jonathan was a “mama’s boy” who never went against her.
However, things began to change when Abbie came into Jonathan’s life. He began to devote a significant percentage of his attention to her, making Susan believe that Abbie was pulling him away from her.
Eventually, Abbie got the impression that Susan despised her, so she advised Jonathan that they move out. But he politely declined, saying, “Oh darling, come on! You know how mom is! She may seem harsh on the outside, but she is soft on the inside. She adores you just as much as she adores me.”
But Abbie knew that wasn’t the case, and her worst fears proved true one day…
Mrs. Norris wasn’t supportive of Abbie and Jonathan’s relationship. | Source: Pexels
“GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE WITH THAT BABY!” Susan yelled at Abbie as she and Jonathan returned from the hospital following Timothy’s birth. She didn’t even go to the hospital for Abbie’s delivery because she despised her. And once Abbie was home, she already had a brilliant plan to get rid of her “pathetic” daughter-in-law.
“Susan, what’s the matter?” Abbie stared at her, bewildered. She didn’t understand why the woman would say something like that to her.
“Good Lord! Susan?” she whispered in disbelief on seeing her mother-in-law in such a terrible condition.
“What’s the matter with me?” she retorted. “That boy is not my son’s blood! He looks nothing like my son!” she lied, screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Susan!” Abbie yelled back, teary-eyed. “How could you say such a thing? He’s your grandson…Jonathan,” she said, turning to her husband. “Why aren’t you saying anything? You know he’s—”
Before Abbie could finish, Susan cut her off. “Stop bewitching my son with those crocodile tears of yours! You’ve already wrecked his life. Pack your things and get lost!” she repeated and grabbed Jonathan’s arm, pulling him to her side.
Mrs. Norris ordered Abbie to leave the house. | Source: Pexels
“Jonathan….” Abbie looked at him with hopeful eyes, but he didn’t utter a word. Instead, he stood by his mother’s side and lowered his head in shame.
Abbie couldn’t believe Jonathan didn’t say anything to his mother, even if it meant losing his son! She realized whatever was happening to her was probably the worst thing she’d ever faced, but she reasoned it was probably for the best if she moved away from the toxicity. So she packed her belongings and left Susan’s home to live with her parents.
Several years went by and Abbie had raised Timothy on her own, giving him the finest of everything. Fortunately, she also healed from the pain of her toxic marriage with Jonathan and took the first step towards divorce and a happy life with her son as a single mother.
A few years after the divorce, she found love again when she crossed paths with a man named Edward at Timothy’s school. He was a widower with a daughter, Caroline. He and Abbie fell in love and got married.
Abbie felt her life was complete after marrying Edward. She had a wonderful family, an excellent job, two beautiful children, and a devoted husband. She never thought about the horrific past again until something unexpected happened one day…
Abbie took a drastic step and became a single mom. | Source: Pexels
After dropping Caroline and Timothy off at school, Abbie was on her way to work when she noticed an elderly woman dumpster diving for food.
“Good Lord!” she sighed as she came to a halt and glanced at the woman. “What misery did she go through to have to eat from a dumpster?”
Abbie reached into her handbag for cash and got out of the car to offer it to the woman. But as she got closer, something about the woman’s filthy clothes made her stop.
She recognized the woman’s coat and immediately came to a halt in the middle of the street until a car blew its horn, interrupting her thoughts. When the homeless woman turned around to face her, Abbie’s suspicions were confirmed.
“Good Lord! Susan?” she whispered in disbelief on seeing her mother-in-law in such a terrible condition. “Susan, what happened to you? What are you doing here?” she asked worriedly as she dashed over to her.
Mrs. Norris was looking through trash for food. | Source: Shutterstock
With tears in her eyes, the older woman stared at her. “Abbie? Forgive me for what I did, sweetheart,” she pleaded, bursting into tears. “Please forgive me! I’m starving! I haven’t eaten in days….” She fell at Abbie’s feet and wouldn’t stop crying.
Abbie never liked Susan, but she wasn’t so heartless that she would leave her like that on the streets. So she took a day off from work and accompanied the older woman to a restaurant.
As Susan finished eating, Abbie gently asked, “Susan, how did you end up like this? Where’s Jonathan?”
“All I can say is I paid for my sins, sweetheart,” she sighed, teary-eyed. “I lost everything I had. My Jonathan is no longer with me. He left me alone, and I was so miserable after that….”
Susan wouldn’t stop crying as she revealed that Jonathan was returning home from work one day when he was attacked and robbed by some hooligans. He tried to fight back, but he eventually succumbed to the injuries and died before reaching the hospital.
Jonathan’s death left Mrs. Norris miserable. | Source: Pexels
After the terrible accident, Susan almost lost her mind. Every night, she would sit for hours on her son’s bed, clutching his things and crying. She didn’t want to do anything or interact with anyone. She eventually gave up on life and began roaming the streets.
“I still have the house, but it’s so empty without him. It comes back to bite me when I go back there. I don’t want to be there. I want to run away from all the bad memories…All the bad things I did to you, oh, I regret them so much. Will you please forgive me? I beg of you!” she pleaded, trembling.
Seeing Susan’s dreadful situation, Abbie knew she had already had her fair share of suffering for her wrongdoings, so softening her heart for the older woman, she decided to let go of the past and forgive her.
“It’s all right, Susan,” she said. “I don’t have anything against you or Jonathan. In fact, I’m happy I went on with my life because I now have a beautiful husband and two wonderful children.”
Susan was surprised. “You remarried?”
Abbie was happy with her married life. | Source: Pexels
“Yes! And I am very happy with my life now,” Abbie replied, smiling.
Susan felt a tinge of jealousy, and she dropped her head in shame. But Abbie forgave her and decided to help her out, so Abbie started visiting her home and helping her around the house once in a while.
She also told Edward everything, and he was very sympathetic and supportive. Leaving the horrific past behind them, they now often invite Susan to their home and spend time with her so that she does not feel alone.
What can we learn from this story?
- One day, everyone pays the price for their wrongdoings. Susan ruined Abbie and Jonathan’s relationship and paid the price for it when she found herself all alone.
- Good things always happen to good people. Though Abbie’s divorce from Jonathan was devastating, it ultimately resulted in a much happier life for her and Timothy.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a mom who asks her old neighbor to babysit her children only to return home and find them missing.
This account is inspired by our reader’s story 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.
Why don’t airplanes fly in a straight line to save fuel?
Have you ever looked at a flight path on a map and wondered why airplanes take curved routes instead of flying in a straight line? Wouldn’t flying in a direct line be more fuel-efficient and faster? At first glance, it seems logical that a shorter distance would result in less fuel consumption, but in reality, aviation is far more complex.
Several factors determine flight paths, including the Earth’s shape, jet streams, weather conditions, and air traffic regulations. Let’s break down why airplanes rarely fly in a straight line and how their curved paths actually make flights more efficient.
The Earth’s Shape and the Great Circle Route
One of the biggest reasons airplanes don’t fly in a straight line is the Earth’s curvature. While we often view flight maps as flat, the Earth is a sphere, and the shortest path between two points is actually an arc called the Great Circle Route.
If you take a globe and use a string to connect two distant locations, you’ll notice that the shortest route often curves rather than follows a straight path. This is why flights from New York to Tokyo pass over the Arctic region rather than flying directly west across the Pacific Ocean.
Using the Great Circle Route helps planes save both time and fuel, even though it appears curved on a flat map.
Jet Streams and Weather Conditions Impact Flight Paths
Another key factor affecting airplane routes is jet streams—high-altitude wind currents that move at speeds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h). Pilots strategically plan routes to take advantage of these strong winds when possible.
Video : Why Airplanes Don’t Fly Straight
Flying with jet streams allows an airplane to get an extra push, helping it move faster while burning less fuel. Flying against a jet stream can slow down the plane significantly, increasing fuel consumption. Pilots often adjust routes to avoid strong headwinds, even if it means flying a longer distance.
Additionally, storms, turbulence, and severe weather conditions also play a role in determining flight paths. Airplanes may adjust mid-flight to bypass dangerous weather zones, thunderstorms, or areas with extreme turbulence.
Air Traffic Control and Flight Regulations
Air traffic isn’t a free-for-all where planes can just fly wherever they want. There are strict regulations set by aviation authorities and air traffic control (ATC) that dictate flight routes.
Some of these rules include restricted airspace, where certain areas, such as military zones, national security locations, and political zones, prohibit commercial flights from entering. Predefined flight corridors exist to avoid mid-air collisions, ensuring flights follow established air traffic lanes. Major airports handle hundreds of flights daily, so ATC ensures safe and efficient arrivals and departures.
Due to these regulations, airplanes cannot always take the most direct path and must follow designated routes instead.
Avoiding Air Turbulence for Passenger Comfort
Turbulence can make a flight uncomfortable, and pilots actively adjust routes to minimize rough air conditions. There are different types of turbulence, including thermal turbulence caused by warm air rising from the ground. Flying at higher altitudes helps avoid this.
Mechanical turbulence happens near mountains and rough terrains where wind patterns shift unpredictably. Clear-Air Turbulence (CAT) is sudden, strong air currents in high altitudes that are difficult to predict.
To ensure a smoother ride for passengers, pilots may deviate from the shortest path to avoid these turbulent areas.
Why Do Airplanes Sometimes Ascend Before Landing?
If you’ve ever been on a flight where the plane suddenly climbs just before landing, you might have felt a bit concerned. This maneuver is known as a go-around and is actually a common and safe aviation practice.
Some reasons why pilots perform a go-around include runway clearance issues. If another plane hasn’t cleared the runway in time, pilots must abort the landing and circle back. Poor weather conditions, such as poor visibility, strong crosswinds, or sudden gusts, can make a landing unsafe. If a plane is too fast, too high, or not properly aligned with the runway, the pilot will ascend and try again for a safer landing.
Go-arounds are standard procedures in aviation and ensure passenger safety above all else.
The World’s Longest Non-Stop Flight
While most flights follow curved paths, some routes push the limits of non-stop travel. The longest direct commercial flight in the world is from Singapore to Newark, New Jersey, USA.
This flight covers a distance of 10,400 miles (16,700 km) and takes approximately 18 hours and 45 minutes. It follows a carefully optimized path to balance fuel efficiency, wind conditions, and passenger comfort.
Video : Does Earth’s Rotation affect the Airplanes Speed & Flight Time
What Happens If a Plane Suddenly Loses Cabin Pressure?
A sudden drop in cabin pressure is often portrayed as a dramatic event in movies, but in reality, pilots are well-trained to handle it calmly.
When this happens, oxygen masks automatically deploy, and passengers should put them on immediately and breathe normally. The plane will descend to a safe altitude where oxygen levels are sufficient for breathing. The flight crew will assess the situation and communicate with passengers.
Losing cabin pressure doesn’t mean the plane will crash—pilots follow strict safety protocols to handle such incidents efficiently.
Final Thoughts: Why Curved Flight Paths Are More Efficient
While it may seem counterintuitive, airplanes take curved routes instead of straight lines to optimize flight efficiency, fuel usage, and passenger safety. Factors such as the Earth’s shape, jet streams, air traffic control, and weather conditions all play a crucial role in determining flight paths.
So next time you’re on a plane and see the route map displaying a curved flight path, remember there’s a lot of science and planning behind it to ensure you reach your destination as safely and efficiently as possible.
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