An unusual letter provides the catalyst for one woman to uncover a secret kept from her for years, and receive unexpected wealth.
Gregory locked the door to the small corner shop where he’d worked as a cashier for the last twenty years. His coat was too old and thin to keep the chill from his bones as he walked home, but he smiled nonetheless. It had been another great day at work.
Gregory’s wife had never understood how he found satisfaction in what she called a low-level job. She’d left him because she felt he lacked ambition, but he still had his daughter.
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Linda was standing in the foyer of the apartment block where she and Gregory lived when he entered the building. She had also recently started working as a cashier and still wore her uniform. In one hand, she held a letter.
“What have you got there, Linda?” Gregory asked as he approached her.
Linda looked up, startled. “You tell me, Dad. I’m too scared to open it.”
Gregory frowned and took the letter from his daughter. The name of a legal practice was printed on the envelope.
“Why would a lawyer be contacting me?”
Gregory shrugged. He tore the envelope open and studied the papers inside. His jaw dropped, and his fingers began shaking as he read.
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“It’s bad, isn’t it?”
“It’s… strange. According to this letter, somebody has left you a business comprising three restaurants, and it’s worth nearly four million dollars.”
“What!” Linda snatched the letter from Gregory’s hands. “It’s got to be a scam.”
“I did this to find out whether you’re a good person.”
“There’s an easy way to find out.” Gregory leaned over to indicate the lawyer’s phone number on the letterhead.
Linda called the lawyer and arranged a meeting for the next day. Gregory accompanied her.
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“This has got to be a mistake,” Linda told the lawyer when they entered his office.
“I don’t know anyone who would leave me a business.”
The lawyer shook his head. “There’s no mistake, Miss. My client, Matthew Markham, was very particular in his instructions.”
Gregory felt as though he’d been electrocuted. “Please, say that name again.”
“Matthew Markham.”
Gregory understood everything then. He hung his head and burst into tears.
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A few months earlier…
Matthew shivered with anxiety as he approached the cashier. He set down the packet of gum and stared at the man who rang it up. The nametag on his chest said ‘Gregory.’ He was the right man.
“Sir? Are you okay?”
“Fine.” Matthew realized he’d zoned out and handed the cashier a five-dollar bill. “But I do need to talk to you. It’s about Linda.”
The man looked up sharply at the customer who had just uttered his little daughter’s name. “Is she in some kind of trouble?”
Matthew shook his head. “Do you have a few minutes, please?”
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Matthew and Gregory arranged to meet at a diner nearby during Gregory’s lunch break. While Matthew waited, he thought over the revelations that had brought him to this point.
A few days earlier, he’d been discussing his terminal illness with a close friend, Jeremy, and lamenting that he had no heirs to whom he could leave his restaurant business.
Then Jeremy dropped a bombshell on him: Matthew had a daughter he didn’t know about. His ex-girlfriend had died in childbirth, and the baby was placed up for adoption.
Matthew immediately hired a detective to track her down. Days later, he was finally sitting down with Gregory, the man who’d adopted his daughter.
Matthew explained to Gregory that he was Linda’s biological father and then asked the question that was foremost in his mind:
“Does Linda know she was adopted?”
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“No, and you can’t tell her, sir.” Gregory looked at him pleadingly. “My wife left me a couple of months back, and I can’t lose Linda too. Please, don’t take her from me.”
Matthew was torn. He wanted to know his daughter but didn’t want to cause problems for the man who’d raised her. He also didn’t want to upset his daughter’s life by introducing himself when he only had a few months more to live.
“What is she like?” Matthew asked. “Is she a good person?”
Gregory smiled. “She’s an amazing person. She’s kind and treats everyone equally.”
Matthew nodded. He was starting to get an idea.
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The next day, Matthew disguised himself as a poor man and went to the store where Linda worked as a cashier. He took a few essential food items to her checkout and waited while she rang them up.
“I’m sorry, Miss,” he said once she told him the cost.
“I can’t afford all of that. I’ve only got ten dollars.”
“Don’t worry about it, sir.” Linda smiled at him. “I’ll cover the rest.”
Matthew left the store and returned a week later. This time, he wore his finest suit. He chose several of the most expensive items in the store and again went to Linda’s checkout.
“Get out of the way,” Matthew shouted as he pushed his way to the front of the queue. “I’m in a hurry and need to be served fast.”
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He set his purchases down in front of Linda and waved his hands at her. “Hurry up, girl, I’ve got an important meeting to attend.”
“Then you’ll have to tell them you’re going to be delayed.” Linda pushed his purchases aside and gestured to the woman behind him. “You’re next, ma’am.”
“I need to be served first!” Matthew exclaimed.
“That’s too bad, sir. I don’t allow anyone to push to the front of the queue, no matter how important you think you are.”
Matthew grinned from ear to ear. “I’m glad you said that.”
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He reached for a bouquet of yellow lilies and placed the cash to pay for them on the counter. “These are for you, Linda. My name is Matthew, and I did this to find out whether you’re a good person.”
“Do me one favor, please, and remember my name when you see these lilies.”
Present day…
“Matthew is the name of your biological father, Linda,” Gregory said. “You’re adopted.”
“Why did you never tell me?”
“I’m so sorry. I never wanted you to feel bad about it. Then your mother left, and I was afraid you’d leave me too if you knew I wasn’t your real father.”
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Linda hugged him. “I’d never do that, dad.”
The lawyer cleared his throat. “As I was saying, my client bequeathed his three restaurants to you, his sole heir, when he passed away a month ago. These restaurants are each worth over a million dollars.”
“Mr. Markham also had a special request. He wanted me to give you something.”
The lawyer left the room and soon returned with a bouquet of yellow lilies, which he presented to Linda.
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Linda cradled the flowers in her arms. “I understand now.” She turned to Gregory. “He came into my shop once and asked that I remember his name when I see yellow lilies.”
Gregory placed a hand on Linda’s shoulder. “I’m sure he was very proud of you, Linda, and will continue to be proud of you from heaven.”
What can we learn from this story?
Treat people equally, and you will be rewarded. Matthew was encouraged to leave his business to Linda when he saw that she was a good person.
One can find happiness in a simple life. Gregory and Linda were both happy to work as cashiers and earn an honest living.
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 discovers the house she’s been cleaning for the past ten years belongs to her.
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.
Joyce DeWitt Finally Admits the Truth We All Suspected – You Won’t Believe What She Said
It’s been years since *Three’s Company* was on TV, but the laughs it brought us are still fresh in our minds.
With its memorable characters and hilarious mix-ups, this classic show changed the world of sitcoms forever. Now, Joyce DeWitt shares what truly made *Three’s Company* a show we’ll never forget…
From the funny adventures of three single roommates to the unforgettable acting of John Ritter and Suzanne Somers, *Three’s Company* is still a favorite on American TV. It’s hard to believe that 40 years have passed since the final episode aired on ABC, yet the show’s charm and humor continue to entertain us.
To show just how long it’s been, I recently watched the intro. The scenes at Santa Monica Pier remind me of how much has changed since the show was filmed.
Sadly, both John Ritter and Suzanne Somers have passed away, leaving us far too soon. But Joyce DeWitt, now 75, keeps the spirit of *Three’s Company* alive by sharing her stories and memories of the beloved show.
“The most dear, precious, tender – and utterly unexpected – experiences that have come from working in *Three’s Company* are the many, many adults who have told me that *Three’s Company* was a safe haven they could count on during their teen years – for some, the only safe haven,” Joyce DeWitt told *US Weekly*.
Playing Janet Wood alongside John Ritter and Suzanne Somers, Joyce DeWitt became a TV star and brought joy to millions of viewers.
She appeared in 171 episodes of *Three’s Company* from 1976 to 1984.
“It was such a gift. I mean, it was iconic. But who would have thought it?” Joyce DeWitt told *The Spec*. “All we wanted to do was make people laugh. When I think about it, the show was really like a modern version of a 16th-century comedy. It was all about crazy fun. We talked about serious issues sometimes, but that was always in the background.”
“John Ritter used to say, ‘We don’t want people to just laugh but to fall over their couch laughing,’” she added. “But in the end, it was about the deep friendship and love the characters had for each other. That’s what made people love them.”
After *Three’s Company* ended, Joyce DeWitt took a break from the spotlight for over ten years before returning to acting.
No matter what she has done or plans to do in the future, most people will always remember her for that iconic show. And according to DeWitt, there’s a simple reason for this.
“It was a ‘time out’ from the tough, stressful situations young people were dealing with in their lives,” DeWitt explains, adding:
“And, of course, they say the characters did silly, crazy things that made them laugh. But it was the love, trust, and support between the characters that made fans stay with the show for life.”
In unedited photos from the *Three’s Company* set, the close bond between the cast is clear, especially in the pictures of Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers, who played the much-loved Chrissy Snow.
Both actresses gave memorable performances, portraying young women making their way in a male-dominated world. Their contributions were just as important to the show’s success as John Ritter’s, and in those early days, their smiles in the photos show a sense of friendship and teamwork.
But beneath the laughter, tensions were brewing. While Somers was praised for her role as “the dumbest blonde in America,” her push for equal pay led to growing conflicts. She demanded a 500% salary increase, from $30,000 to $150,000, which put a strain on her relationship with DeWitt. What was once a joyful set became a place of tension and disagreements.
Suzanne Somers always saw *Three’s Company* as a serious business and took her role as an actor very seriously, but she knew this approach bothered her co-stars.
Eventually, Somers was fired but still had to finish the fifth season under strange conditions. She was kept apart from the cast, filming her scenes through odd phone calls while escorted by security. The tension grew, leading to a painful break between Somers and Joyce DeWitt.
For over 30 years, they didn’t speak, a long silence that felt difficult to understand when you looked back at their early friendship on the show.
“They painted me as if I was trying to ruin the show,” Suzanne Somers said in 2020. “So, I never talked to anyone on that show ever again. Ever again.”
Some people thought that Joyce DeWitt’s rivalry played a role in Somers’ departure, but it was really the salary negotiations that caused the rift between them.
Their different situations made things more complicated — Somers was a single mother who needed financial security, while DeWitt was more focused on her acting. This added to the strain on their relationship.
“We had very different approaches to our careers,” Joyce DeWitt said about her relationship with Suzanne Somers after the show. “We had very different needs. I didn’t have a child to support on my own. I didn’t have a business mindset, so I didn’t understand someone who did.”
But in a wonderful turn of events, the two finally reunited in February 2012 on Somers’ talk show, *Breaking Through*. It was clear they had made peace.
The former co-stars shared a heartfelt hug, and their open conversation about the past showed signs of healing.
DeWitt expressed her deep admiration for Somers, saying, “You went up against ruthlessness, and it came down, but what you’ve gone on to do is immeasurable.” This touching moment highlighted the strength of their journey and the power of forgiveness. The two actresses remained friends until Somers’s sad passing in 2023.
In an interview with *US Weekly*, Joyce DeWitt spoke warmly about her late co-stars, honoring the lasting impact they made. Reflecting on Suzanne Somers, who passed away from breast cancer, DeWitt described her as “absolutely wonderful.”
She also paid tribute to John Ritter, who died in 2003 during heart surgery, calling him “a true gift.”
Looking back at the photos from *Three’s Company*, we are reminded of a different, happier time—one filled with laughter, friendship, and unforgettable memories. These images not only capture the joy the cast brought to TV screens but also highlight the lasting legacy they have left behind.
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