"You Are My Dad": Lonely Rich Man Finds a Child on His Doorstep — Story of the Day

Max, a selfish businessman who leads a reckless lifestyle, wakes up after another party to the doorbell ringing. On his doorstep stands a little girl claiming he is her father.

Max, a young, self-absorbed businessman draped in the remnants of last night's indulgence, sprawls across his couch, clutching a whiskey bottle that's only a few sips shy of empty.

The jarring echo of the doorbell slices through the haze of his hangover, sending a surge of irritation through his veins. He places the bottle on the ground and staggers to his feet, the world tilting slightly with every step.

As he swings the door open, his gaze lands on an unexpected visitor—a girl no older than ten. She's weighed down by an oversized backpack, looking every bit the unlikely guest on Max's doorstep.

"Max Jones, right?" The girl's voice cuts through the air, clear and surprisingly strong.

"Yeah that's me," Max says, his voice tinged with annoyance.

"You're my dad," Maya announces.

"Congratulations," he says, his sarcasm failing to mask the absurdity. He shuts the door without another word.

The doorbell rings again, and Max opens the door with annoyance. "What exactly do you want from me?" he asks.

Maya replies firmly, "I already told you. I'm your daughter."

Skeptical, Max challenges her, "Well, you've met me. Happy now?" but Maya’s determination forces him to reconsider.

When Maya reminds Max that her presence at his doorstep might ruin his neighbors' impression of him, he calls her inside his apartment. Then, he asks her who she is.

Maya explains, "I’m Maya. I came from the next town over," revealing her mother recently passed and she found out about Max.

"Any other kids I should know about?"

"Just me," Maya responds, suggesting a stay with him.

"Look at us. We're nothing alike. Your blonde hair," he tugs gently at her hair, "and my dark curls. Your blue eyes, my green. Ever seen my nose?"

Maya, observant and cheeky, replies, "Lucky you. It would be tough for a girl to have your looks."

Max, caught off guard by the encounter and her comments, concludes, "Right, I should be getting to work."

"Okay, I'll come with you," Maya says.

"Not happening," Max firmly states.

"Then leave the keys for me," Maya smiles.

Max, overwhelmed by the morning's chaos, hastily prepares to leave with Maya. As they step outside, Maya tries to lighten the mood, threatening playfully, "I'll embarrass you in front of the neighbors."

Max responds skeptically, "Is that a threat?" to which Maya cheekily replies, "It's genetics."

Upon reaching his car, Maya inquires, "So, do you have a child's seat in there?" Max, baffled, questions why he would have one. Maya insists on safety, leading Max to reluctantly fetch a bicycle helmet for her.

Once in the car, Max vents to his fiancée, Claire, over the phone about the unexpected situation with Maya, humorously referring to her as a "little scam artist."

He outlines his plan to resolve this by handing Maya over to child services after his crucial meeting with an investor, emphasizing the importance of the meeting for his struggling company.

Maya, overhearing, questions Max's intentions, asking, "You're planning to hand me over to child services?"

Max admits he sees no alternative, doubting his capability as a parent and her legitimacy as his daughter.

Maya offers a photograph as proof of their connection, but Max dismisses it, saying, "This proves nothing. I don't even remember who she is." Maya's hope falters, expressing disappointment in Max's character.

Arriving at the airport, Max sternly instructs Maya on the importance of the upcoming meeting.

"Listen," he starts, his voice firm, "The person we're picking up is very important to me. He's going to give money to my company because it's about to go bankrupt. And if you mess this up in any way, I'll make your life a nightmare. Got it?"

Maya nods silently, affected by Max's harsh words but trying to maintain a brave face.

At the airport, Max anxiously looks for Tom, the investor. Upon spotting Tom in a blue sweater and khaki pants, Max mutters to Maya, "Things aren't looking good."

"Why's that?" Maya asks curiously.

"Because only very family-oriented people dress like that," Max explains, worried.

"What's wrong with that?" Maya inquires.

Before Max can respond, Tom approaches and greets them, "Max Jones?"

"Yes, pleased to finally meet you," Max replies, introducing Maya as they handle the luggage and exchange pleasantries.

As they start walking together, Tom mentions his dislike of being far from his kids, highlighting his family-centric nature. Curious about Tom's support system, Max asks, "Do you have any assistants?"

"Assistants? Why would I need assistants? My wife is my main helper. We've been together for thirty years and raised five kids," Tom answers proudly.

Max nods, pretending to embrace similar values, "For me, my family is my life."

Impressed, Tom comments, "Beautiful words."

Needing to adjust his strategy based on Tom's preferences, Max excuses himself to make a call and dials Claire's number. "Claire, listen closely. Cancel the drinks and girls in the hotel room, cancel everything," he instructs urgently.

Back with Maya, Max sees an opportunity and proposes, "Now, scam artist, listen closely. $500, and you pretend to be my daughter for a week. You need the money."

Maya counters firmly, "A thousand dollars."

Max chuckles and catches up with Tom, while Maya follows behind. He leads Tom to his car and drops him off at his hotel.

Then, he calls Claire and updates her on their new "family" narrative for the investor's sake, "We are living in a happy marriage. We have a daughter, Maya, she's ten years old."

Confused, Claire questions Max's sanity, but he reassures her, planning to meet at the amusement park to solidify their fabricated family image.

At the park, Claire is visibly upset, but Maya eagerly engages, asking, "Are you my new mom?"

"God forbid," Claire responds sharply.

Max tries to keep things light, focusing on the amusement park activities to convince Tom. A few minutes later, Claire pulls Max aside, expressing her discomfort with the fake family setup.

"I really don't like this idea of a fake family," she admits.

"But we need to win over the investor," Max argues.

"And where did this girl come from?" Claire asks.

"I don't know and don't want to know."

"Is she really your daughter?"

Max takes out the photo Maya gave him and says, "She found this photo and concluded I'm her father. But I don't even remember her mother."

"I don't want to be a part of your plan!" Claire says.

"You don't have a choice," Max says and returns to Maya to enjoy the rides with her.

As Maya feels scared on the rides, she clings to Max, who feels a warm, unfamiliar sensation in his chest. After visiting all the attractions, they returned to Claire, who was visibly upset.

"Why did it take you so long?" Claire asks, clearly displeased.

"We were having fun," Maya replies. "Oh! Ice cream!" she shouts and runs to the ice cream stand.

Max watches her and smiles.

"Why are you smiling? Are your parental instincts waking up?" Claire asks mockingly.

Max immediately changes his expression to serious. "Don't be silly. I'm doing this for work."

"Alright, troublemaker. What's the plan next?" Max asks Maya.

"The quad bikes," Maya smiles.

"No," Max states firmly.

"Aww! Are you scared?" Maya teases him.

"No, I'm not. Quad bikes are dangerous," Max replies.

"You're scared! Max is a chicken! Max is a chicken!" Maya teases him.

"I'm not!" Max grabs her hand and takes her to the ticket counter.

Max suggests Maya ride with an instructor, but she refuses. They were supposed to ride around the attractions area; the road was uneven and had many bumps.

Max was worried about Maya's safety, but she seemed to handle it fine. Finally, Max catches up with her.

"How does it feel to be a loser?" he asks Maya and overtakes her.

"Hey!" Maya yells after him.

In a minute, Maya overtakes Max but soon hits a small bump that flips her bike. She falls to the ground and Max rushes toward her.

"What hurts? The arm? Let me see," Max asks her, unsure how to help.

"My arm," Maya cries in pain.

"Maybe you have a fracture; we need to go to the hospital."

They walk to the car and Max tells Claire they need to go to the hospital. "What? I've already booked a table for us! This girl is ruining everything!" Claire yells.

Feeling terrible for Maya, Max ignores Claire and drives the girl to the hospital, asking Claire to call a taxi for herself.

At the hospital, they find out that Maya has a fractured arm. Max thinks it is his fault, but Maya says she should have been more careful.

At the hospital, Max struggles with Maya's revelation about her uncaring foster family. "My foster family, they're not very good people. They only took me in for the payments," Maya confesses. "Promise me you won't let me go back to them even if you give me to child services."

"I promise," he says.

Living together, Max learns Maya's simple joys: pancakes for breakfast and her love for drawing. Soon, Tom suggests they go on a hike, and Max agrees because he wants Tom to invest in the company.

Together with Claire, Max and Maya walk towards the car. As Max loads their backpacks into the trunk, he hears Claire argue with Maya over sitting in the car's front seat.

"Max, say something to her," Claire insists when Maya refuses to move from the front seat, citing motion sickness.

Max sides with Maya, "She might feel sick. Sit in the back and don't make a scene."

Max drives to Tom's hotel, picks him up and they reach the hiking spot. The hike itself is challenging; Claire struggles with a heavy backpack while Maya, with her broken arm, finds the terrain tough.

Max, prioritizing Maya, carries her on his shoulders to ease her discomfort, despite Claire's protests. "Seriously? You couldn't take the backpack, but her, immediately!" Claire complains.

Tom enjoys the lighter moments with Maya during the hike, focusing less on business and more on family stories, prompting Max to reconsider his priorities and the kind of father he could be.

After hiking for some time, they take a break to have snacks. Max gets occupied with Claire talking to her about her concerns. He assures her he will send Maya back to child services after Tom signs the deal.

Soon, Max realizes Maya has disappeared. He feels guilty and starts looking for her, while Claire suggests pragmatically, "Maybe she just went off for a walk."

Max insists on searching, "Claire, she's not here. We need to find her."

Tom suggests splitting up to cover more ground. Max's worry deepens as the search continues into the evening with no sign of Maya.

Claire urges him to come home, "Max, let's go home. It's getting dark, and we won't be able to return," but Max is determined to continue, "I won't go anywhere until I find her! I won't leave my daughter here alone!"

Soon, Claire and Tom leave and Max continues searching for Maya, his worry growing as darkness falls. "Maya!" he calls repeatedly into the silence.

Suddenly, he hears her faintly calling back, "Max! I'm here!" He finds her in a pit, visibly shaken.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Max asks, concerned.

"No," Maya replies coldly, her warmth replaced by distance.

"How did you end up there?"

"I fell," Maya responds tersely, her tone hints at deeper issues.

"Maya, what happened?" Max asks.

Maya accuses him, "You lied to me. You promised you wouldn't send me back to my foster family, but that's exactly what you're planning to do!"

Max denies it, "Maya, that's not true."

"Don't lie! I heard everything! You told Claire you'd send me back to the foster family! You said the company was your priority!"

Realizing her distress, Max does something unexpected—he jumped into the pit with her.

"Why did you do that? How are we going to get out now?" Maya asks, confused yet less hostile.

"Because I care. Because I'm your dad, and I'll get you out of this pit!" Max declares, his voice filled with newfound resolve.

"You're lying again," Maya counters skeptically.

"No, Maya," Max reassures, kneeling to be on her level. "I was an idiot. You're the first person who needed nothing from me but me. And now I see it. I promise I won't leave you. Do you believe me?"

Max carries Maya out of the pit and they soon reach his apartment. However, they are shocked to see a police car and a child services van parked outside.

"Don't worry, we'll sort this out," Max reassures her, though his heart raced with uncertainty.

Claire, near the police, quickly wraps Max in a hug, which he finds intrusive. "Max! Are you okay?" she asks, concerned. Max pushes her away, asking, "Why are the police and child services here?"

"I thought it would be better for everyone," Claire responds vaguely.

A child services worker steps forward, asking coldly, "Is this the girl we have to take?"

"Yes, that's her," Claire confirms, revealing she informed them after discovering Maya's foster family was looking for her.

"She's not going anywhere," Max interjects firmly, refusing to let Maya be taken.

"We have to return her to her guardians," the worker insists.

"I'm her father," Max declares, ready to fight for Maya. Sensing his resolve, the worker backs off, "Sort it out yourselves."

Claire, frustrated, presents Max with an ultimatum, "Choose her or me."

"Her," Max chooses Maya without hesitation, dismissing Claire's threat to expose their fabricated family to Tom.

Max explains the truth to Tom, admitting Claire is not his wife, that Maya's existence was a recent discovery, and that their stories were fabrications.

"Max, I'm glad you told the truth. But I can't deal with someone who lied to me from our first meeting," Tom's decision was final.

"I understand. Thank you for your time," Max expressed his gratitude for Tom's understanding despite the circumstances.

After Tom's departure, Claire attempts to reconcile, but Max asks her to leave and breaks up with her. Watching Max yell at Claire, Maya apologizes to him. "It's all my fault," she says with tears in her eyes.

Max assures Maya she isn't at fault. When she asks what will happen to his company, he says, "I don't know, but we'll handle it. Together, as a family."

"Does that mean you'll pay me $1,000 weekly to pretend to be your daughter?" Maya smiles.

Max laughs and hugs her. In that moment, they find a semblance of peace, a family forged not by lies but by a shared resolve to face the future together, whatever it may bring.

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If you enjoyed this story, here's another one: Angelina meets a new student in class, who says, "My father has your photo." To find out who her father is, Angelina watches the girl after school and almost faints when she sees him. Read the full story here.

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