Once upon a time, in a grand and opulent mansion, lived a wealthy man named Charles and his wife Lillith. He had built the foundation of his fortune through determination and hard work. He believes that in order to succeed in life, he must be honest, and remain humble; even in the darkest times. They have a newborn son named Matthew whom they love and cherish. They were one big happy family. One day, while the couple was happily on their way to a charity event, their carriage accidentally ran into another one. The father and son survived. However, the mother is severely injured. After desperate attempts to save her, Lillith tragically passed away leaving her grieving husband and motherless son behind.
As time flew by, Matthew became an energetic and happy child. While his father, sad and alone, became depressed. Ever since his wife's passing, he grew to become the opposite of his well-being. In his grief, Charles found solace in the company of a woman named Isabella whom he met at a ball. They share the same similarities as the other. Just like Charles, Isabella is also a widow with only one son named Sebastian. Isabella was stunningly beautiful as his old wife. Her son Sebastian, although handsome as Charles' son, Matthew, possessed a cruel and envious nature. Soon they were married with Isabella and her son moving into the mansion. At first everything was smooth sailing for Matthew and his new family. As the months pass, Sebastian starts showing his true colors in front of Matthew. It didn't take long for tensions to arise between Matthew and Sebastian, as they grew to despise each other.
Years later, Matthew and Sebastain turn eighteen years old. Matthew grew up as a well-respected and kind gentleman with good moral values. Compared to him, Sebastian was a charismatic and charming young man, unfortunately, his envious demeanor didn't subside. As Matthew's good name became known throughout the land inside and outside the mansion, Sebastian's envy began to sprout like poisonous weed. He didn't like how much attention his brother got from everyone around him; especially from his own mother.
Sebastian, fueled by jealousy and spite, was determined to make Matthew's life miserable. He played wicked pranks on him, spread malicious rumors, and even went far to turn their father against Matthew through his poisonous lies. The family, blinded by Sebastian's deceitful charms, mistreated Matthew by ostracizing him from social gatherings and family dinners, causing him immense pain and suffering.
Unable to bear the constant torment and feelings of isolation within his own family, Matthew made the painful decision to run away from home. One night while the family slept, Matthew silently sneaked out the mansion toward the gated door. Matthew hated to leave the family home he grew up in, but thinking about how much he suffered through the ordeal of being the black sheep within his own family, by his own father, he opened and closed the door behind him; walked to an unknown road; without looking back. With a heavy heart, he embarked on a journey of self-discovery, hoping to find solace and a purpose that had been missing from his life.
He traveled across the land for three days with little bread, fruit, and water until he found a village. He walked to the village with a sense of relief that he could finally find a place to stay and eat. He asked one of the villagers a place to rest for the night. The villager kindly guided the directions to the nearest inn of the village. Matthew thanked him and went to the inn. Once he made it to the inn, he saw that there was no one at the entrance. The moment he called out to anyone who works there, an old man walked to the front entrance to greet him. The first thing the old man noticed was a young man in distinguished clothing. Suspicious of the well-dressed man, he asked him why someone with such a high status would want to stay at the inn.
Matthew told the innkeeper of his misfortune and begged him for a place to sleep and eat, even if it's just for one night. The innkeeper pitied the young man and offered him a room to rest for as long as he wanted. In exchange, he must work for him as an innkeeper's apprentice. Matthew nodded in agreement. Throughout a few days into weeks, Matthew ate and slept at the inn while maintaining his job diligently without complaint. Because of Matthew's hard work and diligence, many people come from far away to stay at an inn to be in the presence of Matthew. The old innkeeper was very impressed by his service to the people of the inn.
Despite the unfortunate events that had happened in his life, Matthew was grateful to the villagers that accepted him as their own and feel like he can call this place home. From then on, he continued to help others and support the community as much as possible. Whenever the farmer needs help farming the fields, Matthew will be there to help with the crops and animals. If there's sick and disabled people that needed help at the nursing home, he would come and support the nurses in caring for them. When there are conflicts between villagers regarding the town and its necessities, Matthew would jump at the opportunity to contribute his ideas to the townspeople in making the village better.
Within months the people of the village decided to repay Matthew for his kindness by building him a house with nice furnishing. Matthew with tears in his eyes expressed his gratitude toward the people. Finally, Matthew had found peace, acceptance and love among the villagers who welcomed him in open arms. Thanks to the villagers that supported him, he was able to heal his heart of the troubled past he endured and decided to let go of all the pain and suffering he had inside. He had learned the true meaning of family and forgiveness. However, deep down, he still longed for the love of his father, whose absence in his life had left a gaping void.
Meanwhile at the mansion, everything seemed to be going great for Sebastian now that his brother had disappeared. He enjoyed the luxuries of being in the center of attention. While he indulged in the advantage of being the only child, Charles grew weary at the thought of his son's disappearance. It had been many years since Matthew disappeared. Comforting in his new wife's embrace, Charles continues to pray that his son will come home. One fateful day, he heard a loud voice coming from Sebastian's room. He pressed his ear against the door cracked slightly open and listened. Sebastian, unaware of his father's presence, boasted about all of his malicious deeds to himself feeling puffed up proud of his achievements as if he's receiving an award.
Charles backed away in shock. There's no way he did all of this. If it's true, then… NO! It cannot be. Before jumping into conclusions, Charles immediately investigated the whole mansion including the people of town. One by one, the maids, the servants, and the people of town who knew the true nature of Matthew, didn't believe anything Charles was told to believe. In fact, one of the townspeople who overheard Sebastian's talk the other day about sabotaging Matthew's reputation immediately confirmed Charles' suspicions of his stepson.
Little by little, Charles slowly began to realize the truth about Sebastian's malevolence. He discovered the web of lies spun by his stepson and the extent of harm inflicted upon Matthew. Overwhelmed by guilt and remorse, Charles could no longer tolerate Sebastian's presence in his life or the pain he caused his own flesh and blood. Charles confronted Sebastian, exposing his wickedness through the testimonies of the people. Cornered by his father's pressingness for the truth, he immediately exposed himself in front of his parents, reaching the truth to everyone's ears.
Out of disgust, Charles kicked Sebastian out of the mansion while his mother, with a heavy heart as her husband's, sighed in disappointment. Now that Sebastian is cast out the family, the once harmonious mansion now seemed empty without his deceitful presence. Charles immediately regretted everything he put his son, Matthew, through all the pain and suffering. Desperate to make amends and bring his family back together, he set off on a quest to find his long-lost son.
One day as Matthew was tending to the fields, he saw a familiar figure approaching. It was Charles, his father, looking older and wearier than Matthew remembered. Looking pale and ready to pass out, Matthew luckily caught his father's fall and brought him to his house to rest. Matthew made his father a hearty meal to recover his strength. Once his father was well enough to walk and stand, he asked what brought him to the village. With tears streaming down his face, Charles dropped to knees, begging for forgiveness. He confessed his blindness to Sebastian's true nature and the pain he had caused his son.
At first, Matthew hesitated, his heart still heavy with the scars of betrayal. But as he looked into his father's eyes, he saw the genuine remorse and unconditional love that had always been there. With a forgiving heart, Matthew embraced his father. They both wept, their tears washing away the years of pain and regret. After making amends, Matthew took the time to introduce the villagers to his father. The villagers already knew about Charles' treatment of Matthew through his stories, but seeing that the father and son made up, the father was gladly accepted by the people. Matthew thanked everyone for their years of kindness and left the village. This time, with his father now by his side.
The moment they returned to their residence, the people rejoiced for Matthew's return with Isabella excitedly embracing in her husband and Matthew's presence. Now that the family is whole again; Charles hosted a banquet to celebrate Matthew's homecoming with joy and laughter. From that day forward, Charles and Matthew vowed to rebuild their relationship. They reside in the mansion, their love and forgiveness mending the pieces of their once broken family. Together, they found joy and contentment, cherishing the bond they had rediscovered.
The mansion once again echoed with the sounds of laughter and love, as Charles and Matthew lived out their days in harmony. And though scars of their past remained, their shared forgiveness and newfound appreciation for family taught them the invaluable lesson that love could conquer even the deepest of wounds.
THE END