Months after her husband Albert died, Vivienne started receiving her favorite flowers every week. None of her children or grandchildren had sent them, so they set up a surveillance camera to find out who did. But the truth changed their entire family.
Albert and Vivienne Harrison lived in Indianapolis, Indiana for most of their 55-year marriage. Albert died from natural causes at 86 years old, and she was heartbroken. But luckily, she had a big family to keep her company.
The couple had three children, six grandchildren, and their first great-grandchild was born a few months before Albert died. Vivienne knew they had lived a long, peaceful life filled with love, so her heart was at ease despite how much she missed Albert.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
But a few months after his death, she returned home from Sunday mass to see a bouquet of her favorite flowers on her doorstep. “Oh, aren’t these the most exquisite roses!” Vivienne said to herself after picking them up.
She called her daughter, Miriam, who told her she didn’t send them. Vivienne rang both her sons too, but neither Andrew nor Blake sent them either. They all promised to ask their children to see if any of them had.
But after a few phone calls, no one in the family could figure out who did it. “I’m sorry, Mom. None of my kids did. But Gina said that she once saw a movie where an old man instructed a flower shop to send flowers to his wife after his death,” Miriam said.
“Do you think your father did that?” Vivienne wondered.
“I don’t know, but I remember that Dad always got you flowers from the same shop. It couldn’t hurt to ask them,” Miriam suggested. So Vivienne called their go-to flower shop, but they didn’t have such an order from Albert.
She called Miriam again, but her daughter Gina had no other ideas. “Well, Mom. Maybe some kind stranger sent a random bouquet. Just enjoy them.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Vivienne put the matter off her mind for the rest of the week and continued with her life. However, another bouquet was waiting at her doorstep when she returned from mass the following Sunday.
“It’s weird, Miriam. What if it’s a creep or one of those stalkers I’ve read about?” she hesitated.
“Stop watching crime documentaries, Mom. It’s none of that. Just enjoy the flowers,” Miriam said, exasperated. She didn’t think her mother should be worried about flowers. But the bouquets kept coming every Sunday, and Vivienne needed to know what was happening.
“Ok, Grandma. I bought you this camera for your front door. It records who comes to your doorstep and such,” explained Hanna, Miriam’s other daughter, when she came over to visit her grandmother. She installed the camera herself, and they waited to see what happened.
That Sunday, they saw a strange man with a bouquet. He left them on her porch and then fled. “That’s weird, Grandma. It’s a young man,” Hanna said when she browsed through the footage.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“See? It’s weird. I told your mother this whole thing was odd, but she doesn’t think it’s a big deal,” Vivienne replied.
“I think he might just be a delivery man. I don’t think he’s the one sending the flowers, although he’s not wearing a uniform,” Hanna observed. “Let’s wait to see if he comes around again.”
He did. The man came over every Sunday at the same time to deliver the flowers. Finally, Vivienne had enough and decided not to attend church to catch him. This time, Hanna and Andrew’s son, Jake, stayed with her just in case.
They were watching the live footage of the camera when the man showed up. Jake rushed to the door, opened it, and the man bolted. But Jake ran to catch him while Hanna stayed behind with Vivienne.
Jake caught him before the man could escape and brought him back to his grandmother’s house. “Who are you, young man? Why have you been delivering flowers here every week?” Vivienne asked sternly.
“Mrs. Harrison, this is hard to explain. My name is Michael, and your husband was my grandfather,” the man began.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“What? Are you crazy, man? We know all our cousins. There’s no way,” Jake warned angrily.
“I know it’s hard to take. From what I know, Grandpa Albert had an affair right before getting married. My grandmother didn’t know she was pregnant until months later. Then she raised my mother alone. But I reached out to Grandpa a few years ago,” Michael stated.
“We formed a nice bond. He told me about your family and wanted to introduce me to you guys. But the timing was never right. The last time I spoke to him, he said that if he passed, he hoped I would buy you flowers, as his apology for not telling you the truth sooner.”
“I can’t believe this,” Hanna whispered. Jake shook his head. But Vivienne knew that the boy was telling the truth. He looked just like Albert did when they got married.
“You are the spitting image of my late husband. Do you think I could meet your grandmother?” Vivienne asked. She had a few questions for the woman.
“I’m sorry. My Grandma and Mom died in a car accident when I was 20. That’s why I reached out to Grandpa. I didn’t have any family left,” Michael revealed.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Oh, my dear. I’m sorry. In that case, I’m glad that you got to meet Albert. He was a family man through and through. This might be a shock to the rest of the family, but they will want to meet you,” Vivienne assured.
The entire family was shocked to learn about Grandpa Albert’s affair, but they welcomed Michael at Vivienne’s insistence. They had a BBQ party where everyone got to meet him. Michael also introduced them to his wife and their toddler.
“Mom, how can you be so calm about this?” Miriam asked her mother at the gathering.
“Oh, honey. Life is so short. If I had discovered this incident years ago, maybe I would’ve been mad. But now, I’m just glad to have more people to love. Also, he followed your father’s wishes to make me happy. That tells you the kind of man he is,” Vivienne shared.
In the end, Michael formed a beautiful bond with most of his cousins, who were all around his age. It took a little longer for his aunt and uncles to accept him, but they did in the end.
But most surprisingly, Michael had a soft spot for Vivienne. He continued to bring her flowers every Sunday, and the older woman invited him for tea every time.
What can we learn from this story?
- It’s easier to see the big picture when you’re older. Her kids and grandkids couldn’t understand at first, but Vivienne knew they would all be happier after accepting Michael.
- Don’t keep secrets. Albert should’ve told his wife about Michael as soon as he found out. But he died before he could say anything.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who heard a stranger say, “Everything is going according to plan,” at her husband’s funeral.
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.
My Relatives Thought They Had Robbed Our Rich Blind Grandfather, but He Turned Out to Be Much Smarter
When Ellie’s blind, dying grandfather gathers the greedy family to announce he’s donating his fortune to charity, tension explodes. The open safe tempts everyone, and as relatives enter the room one by one, Ellie suspects foul play. But when it’s her turn, Grandpa reveals a shocking truth.
At 19, I was the black sheep of a family that treated me like I was invisible. After Mom died, Dad married Sharon, who came complete with two daughters and had enough emotional baggage to sink a cruise ship.
A woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney
The way they looked at me — like I was something they’d scraped off their shoes — made our spacious home feel smaller than a closet.
Their matching designer outfits and perfectly styled hair only emphasized how much I didn’t belong with my thrift store clothes and a messy ponytail.
“Ellie, dear,” Sharon would say, her voice dripping with fake sweetness, “wouldn’t you be more comfortable eating in the kitchen?”
A disapproving woman seated at a dinner table | Source: Midjourney
That was her way of saying I embarrassed her in front of her country club friends. Dad would just stare at his plate, suddenly fascinated by his roasted asparagus.
My cousins weren’t any better. All six of them treated family gatherings like networking events, schmoozing with anyone who might boost their social status.
I usually ended up in the kitchen, helping the staff clean up. At least they talked to me like I was human. Maria, our cook, always saved me a piece of her famous chocolate cake.
A decadent chocolate cake | Source: Pexels
“Those people out there?” she’d say, sliding me an extra-large slice. “They don’t know what they’re missing.”
But Grandpa? He was different. He’d worked his way up from nothing to build the family fortune, but being wealthy never changed him. Grandpa was the salt of the earth, through and through.
He was the only one in the family who saw me for who I really was when everyone else looked right through me.
A young woman speaking to her grandfather | Source: Midjourney
Grandpa taught me everything worth knowing, from how to plant the perfect rose garden to how to laugh when life kicks you in the teeth.
While the rest of the family was busy climbing their social ladders, Grandpa and I would sit on his wraparound porch, drinking lemonade and talking about everything and nothing.
“Remember, Ellie,” he’d say when I was having a rough day, “the best revenge is living well. And maybe a little practical joke now and then.”
A young woman sitting on a porch with her grandfather | Source: Midjourney
I didn’t fully understand what he meant until that summer when everything changed.
Grandpa got sick, and his health deteriorated fast. His eyesight failed, and suddenly he was bedridden. The family descended like locusts, their concern was as fake as Sharon’s designer handbags.
I visited him every day, watching as he grew weaker, my heart breaking a little more each time. While the others whispered about his massive wall safe and what might be inside it, I just held his hand and read him his favorite books.
An open book | Source: Pexels
We worked our way through “The Count of Monte Cristo” at his request, which should have been my first clue about what was coming.
“Read that part again,” he’d say, “where Edmund discovers the treasure.”
Now I wonder if he was trying not to laugh.
Then came the day that changed everything.
A worried woman sitting at her grandfather’s bedside | Source: Midjourney
“Family meeting,” Grandpa announced via a voice message, his voice barely above a whisper. “Everyone come to my house. Now.”
The whole family rushed to Grandpa’s house, nearly trampling each other in their hurry to reach his bedside. I hung back, leaning against the wall near the door.
Then I noticed the safe in Grandpa’s bedroom was ajar. Grandpa never left the safe open. I glanced around the room, and my heart sank when I realized I wasn’t the only person who’d noticed.
A young woman frowning | Source: Midjourney
All my relatives were eyeing the dark crack at the door with hungry eyes. Sharon’s daughters, Amber and Crystal, kept nudging each other and pointing at it when they thought no one was looking.
“I’m sad I can’t see any of you anymore,” Grandpa said. “I’d give anything to see your faces again, but it’s too late for that now. The doctor says I don’t have much time left. That’s why I called you all here today. I’ve been putting my affairs in order and I want you all to know that I’ve decided to donate all my money to charity.”
A man wearing dark glasses lying in bed | Source: Midjourney
The silence that followed was deafening. I could practically hear their dreams of inheriting millions shattering like cheap glass. My cousin Bradley actually gasped, then turned and stared at the safe.
Everyone else followed his gaze. It was like they were all thinking the same thing: if they took something, he’d never know.
“Now that’s out of the way, I’d like a chance to speak with each of you privately,” Grandpa continued, adjusting his dark glasses. “Who’s first?”
An elderly man wearing dark glasses speaking to someone | Source: Midjourney
What happened next was like watching piranhas in a feeding frenzy. Everyone started talking at once, pushing and shoving, trying to be first in line.
“Enough!” My uncle declared loudly. “I’m the eldest son, and I will go first.”
The look in his eyes silenced everyone.
“Grandpa, wait!” I called out, trying to warn him, but Amber and Crystal shoved me into the hall.
An extremely worried young woman | Source: Midjourney
I watched from the hallway as they went in one by one. Each came out looking smug, like cats who’d gotten into the cream.
My stomach churned. I knew exactly what was happening. The open safe was too tempting, and a blind old man would never know if they helped themselves, right?
I wasn’t allowed to see Grandpa until everyone else had their chance to “say goodbye.” I walked in and sat beside Grandpa’s bed, ignoring the safe completely. It was too late to prevent my relatives from plundering it now.
A young woman sitting at her grandfather’s bedside | Source: Midjourney
“Grandpa,” I whispered, taking his hand. “I’m not ready for you to go.”
Tears spilled down my cheeks as memories flooded back. “Remember when you taught me to fish? I was so scared of hurting the worms, but you showed me how to bait the hook gently. Or all those summer nights on the porch, watching the stars come out? You taught me every constellation.”
“And you remembered them all,” he said softly. “Just like you remembered to water my roses every day while I’ve been stuck in this bed.”
An elderly man in bed speaking weakly | Source: Midjourney
He squeezed my hand. “You’ve always had a good heart, Ellie. And you’ve always been the one person I could trust.”
Then he did something that made my heart stop. He reached up and took off those dark glasses, revealing eyes that were sharp and clear — and looking right at me.
“You’re probably wondering how I saw all this coming,” he said, grinning like a kid with a secret.
“You… you can see?” I stammered, nearly falling out of my chair.
A shocked woman throwing her hands up in the air | Source: Midjourney
“Yes, and I’ve seen everything,” Grandpa replied. “Every greedy glance, every hand sneaking into that safe. They didn’t think an old blind man could catch them, but I did.” Grandpa gestured to the safe. “Let’s see how much is left, Ellie.”
I walked to the safe, my legs wobbly, and opened the door wide. It was empty!
Grandpa laughed.
An elderly man in bed laughing | Source: Midjourney
“I had 10 million dollars in fake bills in there,” Grandpa announced proudly. “And they took every last one. The real money is in a bank vault downtown. And it’s all yours, Ellie.”
I couldn’t speak. My throat felt like I’d swallowed sand.
“You’re the only one I trust to use it wisely,” he continued. “And if you want to leave this toxic mess of a family behind, don’t look back. Heaven knows I’ve wanted to shake their dust off my shoes for years.”
A smiling elderly man pointing at someone | Source: Midjourney
A few days later, Grandpa’s health suddenly started improving with a new treatment. The doctors were shocked, but I wasn’t. You can’t keep a good trickster down.
I bought two plane tickets to Bali the next day. First class because Grandpa insisted we start our new life in style.
The family exploded when they realized what had happened. Sharon threatened to sue. Dad finally found his voice, but only to demand his “fair share.” My cousins showed their true colors with a rainbow of creative curse words.
Two people arguing | Source: Pexels
We left anyway, with nothing but our suitcases and the satisfaction of knowing justice had been served.
Now, I’m writing this from a beach chair in Bali, watching Grandpa teach local kids how to build the perfect sandcastle.
He’s got more energy than all of them combined, and his laugh carries across the sand like music. His recovery seems even more miraculous in the tropical sun.
An elderly man building a sandcastle with some children | Source: Midjourney
“Pass me another coconut drink, would you, Ellie?” he calls out. “Planning the perfect revenge makes a man thirsty!”
I bring him his drink and sit beside him, watching the sunset paint the sky in colors I never saw back home.
“Was it worth it?” I ask. “All that planning, pretending to be blind?”
He takes a sip and grins. “Look around, kiddo. You’re smiling. You’re free. And those vultures back home are probably still arguing about fake money. I’d say that’s worth everything.”
A woman and her grandfather on the beach at sunset | Source: Midjourney
I lean back and close my eyes, feeling the warm breeze on my face. For the first time, I know exactly what he means when he says living well is the best revenge.
And you know what? He was right about the practical jokes too.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
Leave a Reply