“Hurry up !!! Pack your stuff; we are leaving,” the mother said to her twelve years daughter, Megan.
“Where are we going, mom? I don’t want to leave. I want to stay. I will miss my friends if I leave,” Megan replied.
“Listen to me, Megan. I don’t want your so-called dad to see us. He may come at any time,” the mother said brutally.
“Go alone. I’m not leaving,” Megan replied rudely.
“What did you say ?” the mother barked. Then she grabbed Megan’s hand and dragged her outside the house.
“Mia, stop! Why are you treating your daughter like that ?” the man waiting in the car asked, concerned.
“She is getting on my nerves,” she replied. She ran into the house, took the suitcase, threw it in the car’s trunk, and commanded the man, “Start the car; let’s get out of here.”
Megan started crying in the car. “ Honey, pleased, don’t cry. We will be okay,” the mother tried to console her.
“ But I don’t want to go,” Megan sobbed.
“ Why are you leaving your husband ?” the driver asked.
“ Because I’m tired of him,” Mia replied.
“ What do you mean you are tired of him?” the man insisted.
“ Look, I paid you money to drive me to Alabama. I don’t know you. Please don’t get in my business, “ Mia replied, annoyed.
“ Sorry, I don’t want to be noisy. I want to help,” the driver said.
“ You see, my daughter is twelve years old. Since she was born, I was hoping her dad would change. Unfortunately, he didn’t. He is still a drunkard. I can’t stand him anymore,” Mia said.
“ Maybe you tried the wrong method,” the man said straightforwardly.
“ What !!!” Mia screamed, shocked.
“ Did your husband beat you ? ” the driver asked.
“ Of course not. I have known my husband for fifteen years. He never hit me, ” Mia said honestly.
“ Did he ever cheat on you?” the driver asked again.
“ No. But why do you ask all those questions? Are you trying to help him? Are you playing male solidarity now ?”
“ I’m trying to understand your decision. I don’t know your husband, and my point is not to defend him. I think you shouldn’t leave him just because he is a drunkard. Maybe he needs your help,” the driver pressed on.
“ That’s fine. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. How far are we from Alabama?” Mia asked.
“ Alabama is two hours away, ” the driver replied. He looked in the rearview mirror and said,
“ Your husband is following us.”
Mia looked back and said, “ I don’t see any car following us. By the way, you don’t even know my husband. How can you say that he is following us?”
“ Do you see the white truck behind us ?” the driver questioned.
Mia looked back again and, this time, nodded.
“ There is a black sedan car behind the truck. I assume that your husband is in the car. He has been following us for miles now,” the driver said without looking at her.
“ Can you stop at the next gas station. ? I want to know if it’s him. I doubt he would do such a thing. But we never know.”
Eleven miles later, the driver stopped at a gas station. He got out of the car and rushed into the convenience store to get something to eat.
A back GMC car parked next to them. The man in the driver’s seat rolled down the car window and said, “ Honey, what are you doing all this?”
“ Andre, why are you following us ?” Mia barked.
Megan, who was sleeping, suddenly shouted, “ Dad!”
The little girl exited the car and jumped into her father’s arms.
“ How are you, my baby?” the father said, smiling at her.
“ I want to go home with you,” Megan said.
“ Don’t worry. We will all return home, sweetheart,” the father added.
“ You mean now ?” Megan demanded.
“ If your mom agrees,” the father insisted.
“ Come on, mom, let’s go home,” Megan begged.
“ Don’t try to use my daughter against me. You know why I left you. Don’t fool yourself. I’m not returning. I’m heading to Alabama,” Mia replied angrily.
“ I know I have a drinking problem. I’m working on it. Please help me overcome it,” the husband, implored.
“ I’m tired of helping you. Enough is enough. I’m not going back with you,” Mia replied adamantly.
“ Listen, honey. I want us to celebrate the victory. I won the case,” Andre announced, his face beaming with joy.
“ Celebrate what? What are you talking about?” his wife asked curiously.
Andre took a piece of paper from his jacket pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to Mia, his wife.
“Read it. This is the court decision. Palmas Corporation must pay me 65 million,” Andre said, looking straight into his wife’s eyes.
“Mom, let’s return with dad,” Megan pressed on.
When the driver returned from the store, he saw Mia staring at her husband. He greeted him and said, “You better return with your husband. It’s not too late to get things right. And without asking her, he took her suitcase from his car trunk and carefully arranged it in her husband’s car.
“Why are you doing that ?” Mia asked with little conviction.
The driver didn’t answer. He turned on the engine and drove away.
Andre gently opened the car’s door and invited his wife to sit in the passenger seat.
“Mom, I’m glad we are going back home,” Megan said excitedly.
“What do you think we can do with the 65 million?” Andre asked his wife.
“Let’s first think about your drinking problem. How will you get rid of that ?” the wife questioned.
“Do you think I’m a useless husband?” Andre asked.
“I won’t say useless. I would say you are an addicted husband.”
“I tried not to drink alcohol. I even went to Rehab Treatment Center. Nothing worked for me. Anyway, let’s talk about the money.”
“I suggest we put the money in the bank account until we have a clear picture of the types of investment we will do,” Mia advised.
“I want to let you know that there is a problem with the money,” Andre revealed.
“What !!!” Mia shouted, scared.
“Calm down, honey,” Andre said.
“Don’t call me honey, useless man,” Mia barked.
“I didn’t get any 65 million. I made it up to make you return home,” Andre replied softly.
Mia ran to the bedroom. She reached the safe, looking for a gun.
“Do you want to kill me ?” Andre asked as he followed her into the room.
“You tried to fool me? You deserve to go to hell,” she threatened.
I have the gun. You won’t find it anywhere. Please sit down, and let’s have a conversation,” Andre suggested.
Then they both heard the ringing of the doorbell. They looked at each other, confused.
“Are you expecting someone?” Andre finally asked her.
She didn’t answer and rushed downstairs to open the door.
When Mia opened the front door, two police officers were standing there.
“Is everything okay ?” One of the police officers asked.
Mia was shocked to see them. “I guess so, I….” she stammered.
Without asking her permission, the officers entered the house.
“Who is at the door?” Andre asked from upstairs, not knowing that the police officers were in his living room.
“Come downstairs, sir,” a police officer ordered loudly.
Andre rushed to see what was happening, scared by this unusual voice.
“Is everything okay, sir ?” the officers asked him.
He stared at his wife and, pointing his finger at her, replied, “Ask her. She started.”
“What’s going on here?” the police officer demanded.
“We had a little argument, that’s all. You know how couples do, don’t you?” Mia replied.
“Well, we hope the little argument, as you said, won’t turn into a tragedy. Have a nice day,” the police officer replied and left.
“Do you intend to kill me?” Andre asked.
“Why did you lie to me? Why did you tell me that you received 65 million? Now the drunkard became a liar. Shame on you. I regret coming back. You don’t deserve me. I’m about to leave, this time forever. I warn you; you will never see your daughter again,” Mia threatened.
“So, did you return because of the 65 million? I thought you loved me the way I am,” Andre said.
“I don’t want to hear your foolishness,” she replied and slammed the bedroom door on her way out.
She entered her daughter Megan’s room. The girl was playing a video game on her tablet.
“I need to talk to you and I want you to listen to me very carefully,” the mother growled, fighting tears.
“Are you okay, Mom,” Megan asked, worried for her mother.
“Look, I know you like being here, but I think we need to go,” the mother replied, avoiding eye contact.
“Again? I don’t want to leave. Please, can we stay ?” Megan begged.
“I don’t want to be with your dad anymore. I can’t, Megan, I’m sorry,” the mother replied.
The twelve-year-old girl rose from her bed, leaned against the door, and asked her mother, “Mom, do you love me ?”
The unexpected question shocked the mother.
“What do you mean ?” the mother stammered.
“Please, Mom, I need a clear answer: do you love me ?” Megan asked for the second time, gazing at her mother.
“Megan, you are my only child. Of course, I love you, and you know that,” the mother replied.
“If you love me, as you said, why are you forcing me to do something I don’t like? I don’t want to leave my dad. Either you stay or leave without me,” Megan said firmly and hurried away.
The mother was confused. She is trying to leave her husband, and now she has to deal with her daughter’s stubbornness. She stayed alone in Megan’s bedroom, not knowing what to do.
Her husband walked into the room unannounced.
“Mia, please don’t try to involve our daughter in your stupid decision. She is only twelve years old. I won’t let you go with her and let another man raise her. That will never happen. If you want the divorce, fine. But please do not bring our daughter into your mess,” Andre said gravely.
“You are wicked, Andre. Now you are using my daughter against me. Get out of my face,” Mia replied aggressively.
“By the way, I’m traveling with our daughter tomorrow. It’s a kind of daughter-father moment. I want to spend more time with our only child and show her more love,” Andre said and left, not allowing her to say a word.
Mia looked at him openmouthed.
The following morning, Andre and his daughter took their suitcases, loaded them in the car and departed without uttering a word to Mia about their destination.
Desperate, she call her best friend , Cathy.
“ Hey, Mia, how are you?” Cathy asked when she picked up the phone after the first ring.
“ You won’t believe what my husband did to me,” Mia said in tears.
“ Calm down and tell me what’s going on.”
Mia went on and explained how she feels about her husband, insisting particularly on his drinking habits and her decision to divorce and start a new life.
Cathy listened without interrupting her. After thirty minutes or so, she asked.
“ Did your husband ever curse at you or lay hand on you?”
“ No”
“ Did he cheat on you with another woman?” Cathy interrogated.
“ No. But I don’t love him anymore. I’m sick and tired of his drinking problem. I just want to leave,” Mia replied.
“ Why not stay and help him. Your husband needs your help,” Cathy suggested.
“ I was expecting a different reaction from you, Cathy. How can you tell me to stay with a drunkard? Sorry, I can’t,” Mia responded and hung up.
A week later, Andre and his daughter returned home from their oversea trip.
Mia welcomed her daughter Megan but didn’t speak to her husband, Andre.
Megan told her mom how excited she was to spend a great time with her dad in a foreign country.
“ That was an amazing experience I will never forget,” she said.
“ Which country did you visit ?” Mia asked, curious.
“ Singapore. What a beautiful place. Just amazing, Mom,” Megan replied with excitement.
“ Good for you. Megan, I’m your mother. I’m leaving. I don’t want to live with your dad anymore. You are only twelve years old. I care about your future. Your dad can’t raise you. For the last time, let me ask you: do you want to come with me for your own sake? I promise to give you a better future. Your father might marry another woman who would not like you. To avoid all that, Megan, please come with me.”
“ Mom, I love you, but I don’t think leaving Dad and I is a good idea. Why don’t you try to talk with him and find a solution? My decision hasn’t changed. I stay with my dad,” Megan said without remorse.
Mia gazed at her daughter, speechless.
With tears streaming down her face, Mia stood before her daughter and said, “You have betrayed my trust.”
The following day, she gathered all her belongings and departed, leaving behind her daughter Megan and her husband, Andre.
The following Saturday after Mia left, Megan asked her dad to take her to her best friend’s birthday party. The father went with her daughter to the store, bought a gift, and continued to the friend’s house. Megan is an extroverted young lady. She loves being with friends and interacting with others.
While the teenagers were partying downstairs, the adult watched TV in the living room. The host selected the Christian channel TBN. On the show, a guest shared his testimony about how he got delivered from alcohol and detailed how God restored his life and saved his marriage. The testimony touched Andre’s heart.
He leaned toward the host, Melanie , and whispered, “I have the same problem. I’m bound to alcohol. I tried everything, but it didn’t work. Do you think…” He didn’t finish his sentence, feeling ashamed to reveal his struggle.
“Don’t be ashamed. I used to be a call girl. But He set me free.”
“Really!!!” Andre said, astonished.
“If He did it for me, he can do it for you,” Melanie insisted.
“So what can I do to be delivered ?” Andre asked intentionally
“All it takes is a simple prayer. If you believe and make Jesus your Lord and Savior, you will be saved,” Andrea explained.
“I’m willing to give my life to Jesus. I’m tired of being bound to alcohol.
Melanie led Andre into the salvation prayer. Then she opened a drawer and took out a brand new bible. “This is my gift to you,” she said while handing him the precious gift.
“That’s the best decision you’ve ever made. The day I made him my Lord and Savior, He changed my life, ” Rogers, a tall man whose son was also invited to the birthday party.
“What’s the next step?” Andre asked, eager to learn more about his new commitment.
“Just like a mother takes care of her newborn family, our church family will take care of you and nurture you with the word of God. Tonight, when you get home, I want you to read 2 Corinthians 5 verse 17.”
Three months later Andre’s life has changed. He got delivered from alcohol. Everyone who knew them was amazed by his new lifestyle. One day as he was at the dinner table with his daughter Megan, his phone rang.
“ May I speak to Andre Waylon, please?” a male voice asked as he picked up the phone.
“ This is him,” he replied quietly.
“ We want to make an offer for your screenplay,” the man said.
“ Who are you, and what’s your offer?” Andre questioned.
“ I’m the CEO of Lion’s movies producer. We want to buy your screenplay for five million. We will meet you at our headquarters office in downtown Los Angeles to sign the deal if you agree,” the man suggested.
“ Sure! I will fly to Los Angeles to meet with you,” Andre agreed.
When he flew the next day, his ex-wife Mia called her daughter Megan.
“ Hey honey, how are you? I hope your crazy dad treats you well,” she said.
“ Oh, Mom, you won’t believe it !” Megan replied with excitement.
“ What !” the mother said, curious.
“ Dad doesn’t drink alcohol anymore !” Megan announced.
“ Are you kidding? Since when ?”
“ Remember my friend Cathy?”
“ Of course, I remember. Dad and I went to her house for her birthday. Dad listened to a testimony on TV of someone who got delivered by the Lord from alcohol. To make a long story short, Dad also got delivered the same day! Isn’t that amazing !”
“ Woouuu!!!!Where is your dad? Is it around ?”
“ No. He flew to Los Angeles this morning,” Megan said.
“ He went to Los Angeles? For what ?” the mother asked.
“ He went to cash a five million check,” Megan said excitedly.
“ He is getting five million? For what ?” the mother asked skeptically.
“ He signed a deal with a movie company for his screenplay. Dad will be paid five million dollars for that.”
The mother went silent for a while.
“ Mom, are you there ?” Megan asked.
“ Yes.”
“ Are you coming back, Mom?” Megan questioned.
“Does your dad has a girlfriend ?” the mother asked.
“ What do you mean?” Megan replied, confused.
“ Since I left, did your dad bring a girl or woman to sleep at home?” the mother insisted.
“ Of course not. Why would he do that ?”
“ Megan, I’m just asking, that’s all.”
“ But Mom, you didn’t answer my question. When are you coming back?” Megan questioned.
“ I got to talk to your dad. Do you miss me?”
“ You know I miss you. Wait, Mom, I put you on hold. Dad is calling,” Megan said.
Talking to her dad, she said, “ I’m on the phone with Mom. Do you want to talk to her?”
“ No !” the dad answered without remorse.
Megan didn’t say anything. She just hung up the phone.
When Andre returned from his trip to Los Angeles, he took his daughter Megan to a restaurant to celebrate.
While they were sitting at the restaurant waiting for the waitress to bring the food, the father said, “ Megan, I’m very grateful to the Lord. He has delivered me from alcohol and blessed me with a five million check.”
“ Your life has changed; I can see that,” Megan noticed.
“ You see, when I was addicted to alcohol; I have tried any therapy: rehab center, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ( CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy ( DBT), 12 – Step Facilitation, detoxing. I even tried Yoga. None of them worked. Only Jesus set me free.”
I know that all the programs you went through cost you money. How much did you pay for your deliverance?
The father smiled and answered, “ Nothing. Not even a dime. Isn’t that weird? Men charge you a lot of money for something they cannot heal. But Jesus delivered me for free. ”
“ That’s cool,” Megan said, looking at her father with pride.
When the waitress brought the food, Megan took a bite and asked her father, “ What about Mom? Are you going to forgive her? I mean, will you allow her to come back?” Megan asked intentionally.
“ Tell her to call me,” the father said.
The next day his ex-wife Mia called.
When Andre picked up the phone, he heard, “ Congratulation Andre !!! ” Mia said.
“ For what ?” Andre replied.
“ For your deliverance from alcohol, Megan told me,” she added.
“ You don’t have to congratulate me. I didn’t do anything, and I don’t deserve anything. I’m just grateful to Jesus. He is the one who needs to receive the glory, not me,” Andre said.
“Anyway, how do you feel about your new life ?” Mia asked.
“ I’m happy and fulfilled. How about you? Tell me about your life,” Andre inquired.
Mia was embarrassed. She remained silent for a while and finally replied, “ I’m fine.”
“ Well, take care, Mia. I have things to do,” Andre said.
“ Wait! Can I call you back tomorrow ?” she demanded.
“ To talk about what ?”
With the five million dollars Andre received from the movie company, he bought a new home and two brand-new cars—one for him and the second for Mia, the wife who left him.
The new home was adorned with expensive Iran furniture and rugs.
“ We are moving this weekend. Get your stuff ready,” Andre announced to his daughter Megan.
“ Where are we going? ” she asked.
“ To our new home,” the father replied.
“ You bought a new home ?” Megan asked excitedly.
“ Yes! I hope you will like it. The new house is on the north side of the town,” the father replied.
“ I can’t wait to see it,” Megan said.
The following Saturday, Andre went with his daughter to the new home.
“ Waouhh, this is a gorgeous neighborhood, ” Megan exclaimed.
Andre pressed the remote control, and the gate slide opened.
“ Do you bought two new cars ?” Megan exclaimed again when she saw two cars in the garage.
“ Yes. This car is for me, and the second one for your mother,” the father answered.
“ You mean Mom is coming back?” Megan asked and hugged him with joy.
“ Yes, your Mom is coming back this Tuesday. We will pick her up at the airport,” the dad said.
“ I’m glad that she is coming back . We will all live together as a family,” Megan replied.
“ Megan, let me reveal you this. If I hadn’t been transformed by the Lord Jesus, I wouldn’t have been able to forgive your mother for what she did. Your mother left me when I needed her the most. She didn’t even stay to raise you. She chose to leave us. That hurt me. But when I gave my life to the Lord, He took away the hatred and resentment from my heart. That is why I was able not only to forgive your Mom, but also to love her again. The past is behind us, ” the father said with emotion.
“ Since you met the Lord, I can tell your life has completely changed. I’m sure Mom won’t do that again. Thank you for being able to forgive her,” Megan replied.
On Tuesday, Andre and Megan went to the airport to pick up Mia. When she saw her husband and daughter, she was embarrassed that she wanted to apologize for her bad behavior. But the husband hugged her and whispered in her ears, “ Don’t say anything. No one is perfect. Only His grace makes us a better person. I love you.”
“ I love you too,” Mia replied.