Think about the worries every single parent goes through, and you'll sympathize with the following stories. We've got a dad on a detective quest, a mom’s spooky night of no-kids-at-home, and a plane ride that goes from noisy to nice. Clearly, raising a child alone isn't easy.
Anything can happen when you start a family, and trying to parent even grown kids can become a huge pain. In these tales, a father has to find his missing daughter and can't believe what he encountered on his quest, a mother returns home to an empty place after trusting a neighbor, and another father learns that humanity is much better than he imagined, even on a plane. Let's find out more!
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1. My Daughter Vanished So I Had to Track Her Phone, I Went Speechless at What I Discovered
I sat at my grand dining table, eating mechanically while glancing at my phone frequently. I was waiting for a response from Catherine, my daughter, who hadn't answered my calls for three days. Sighing, I redialed her number, only to be met with silence.
Gazing at a photo of my late wife, Caroline, I mused, "My dear Caroline. If only you were around, you could help Catherine and me find a common language."
The loss of Caroline had deepened the rift between Catherine and me, especially since I had immersed myself in work to cope with the grief. I remembered my recent call with her, though. I had excitedly offered her a job opportunity through a businessman friend after she finished university.
However, Catherine wasn't happy. "You're deciding my fate for me again!" she'd exclaimed. "I never wanted to go to that university. You know I always wanted to dance, to follow my passion. But you made me give it up, forced me into a life I never chose!"
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With that, she hung up, leaving me to grapple with the reality of our strained relationship.
Feeling a deep sense of loss and realizing how little I knew about Catherine's life and dreams, I now called my business partner, Alan, for any information.
"I'm a bit worried about Catherine," I said on the phone. "She hasn't been answering my calls. Have you seen her? You're overseeing operations in the same town where she's studying, so I'm assuming you might have crossed paths."
"I haven't seen Catherine for a while, Peter," Alan responded. "She's pretty independent, you know. If I hear anything, I'll let you know."
"Thanks, Alan. I appreciate it."
I ended the call, feeling more helpless than before.
Eventually, I called her university. "I'm calling about my daughter, Catherine G—" I said, tired and worried.
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"I'm sorry, Mr. Greenwood, but there's no student by that name enrolled at our university," the university official replied, leaving me in shock. I somehow thanked her and ended the call. I didn't understand what was happening. How could Catherine not be enrolled at the university? I was sending her tuition money every semester.
Confused and worried, I decided to visit the police station. I met Officer Mount and explained everything. "My daughter, Catherine, is missing. She hasn't responded to my calls, and she's not registered at the university..." I also told him I'd been sending her funds, thinking she was busy building her career.
"Do you know her friends or anyone she might spend time with?" Officer Mount asked.
"I... I don't know," I admitted.
"Mr. Greenwood, it sounds like your daughter might just need some space. You know how kids are these days," the officer suggested. And I believed him for a moment. After all, I knew Catherine was upset with me.
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But if she was ignoring me simply due to a heated conversation and not caring about how stressed I was because I could not get in touch with her, I would make her realize how wrong she was!
Determined, I returned home and called Simon, a programmer in my company known for his hacking abilities. "Simon, it's Peter. I need your help to track my daughter's phone," I urgently requested.
"Mr. Greenwood, you know that's not exactly... legal, right?"
"I'm aware, Simon. But I'm desperate," I insisted. "There's a good reward if you just help me!"
Agreeing to help, Simon soon arrived at my house and started tracking Catherine's phone. After intense focus and rapid keystrokes, he finally located her. "I managed to trace her phone. She's at a nightclub called the Red Moon," he informed me.
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I gazed at the computer screen. "This nightclub isn't far from the university you sent her to," I murmured, scanning the address.
"Can you track her night activities?" I asked urgently.
"It's complex; I'd need to track her movement patterns. But I can access her phone camera for real-time insights," Simon replied hesitantly.
"Do it," I urged.
Minutes later, a live feed showed Catherine dancing provocatively on stage in a nightclub surrounded by strip poles. "It can't be," I whispered, shocked.
The sound of a woman's voice filled the room, encouraging Catherine. My heart sank, as I closed my eyes. When Simon left, I decided to go to my daughter's college town.
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***
Driving through the night to the town where I'd sent my daughter to study, I was haunted by the thoughts of the video and my daughter's secret life. I couldn't help but think about the money, about $200,000 in total, that I had sent over four years, believing it was for her education.
As dawn broke, I arrived in the city, tired but determined. When I reached the club, I found it closed, but the club's manager was just arriving to start the day. I approached the woman.
"Hi, I'm Peter. I'm looking for my daughter, Catherine, a dancer here," I explained.
The woman shook her head. "We don't employ dancers like that. This is a regular nightclub."
I insisted, "I saw her in a video. She was dancing here, on stage."
The woman thought for a moment. "You must mean 'Dancing Queen.' They were here for a private event. They're not part of our regular staff."
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My eyes widened. "Dancing Queen? Can you give me their contact?"
The woman smiled slightly. "They're well-known around here. Just search 'Dancing Queen' online. You'll find all you need."