A rich father puts his two sons to the test before deciding on their inheritance, then leaves his older son $2.8 million and his spendthrift younger son gets $1.
Being a parent is the hardest job in the world, and you never really know how youâve done until your children grow up. Clark Hanson was a successful businessman, but he felt that as a parent, heâd failed miserably.
His oldest son Court was a quiet, sober, hard-working man, but his youngest, Gerald, was a spendthrift, thoughtless, and selfish. Clark often asked himself where heâd gone wrong with Gerald, and what he could do at this late date to make it right.
Geraldâs inheritance wasnât what he expected. | Source: Shutterstock.com
As his first step in his campaign to make Gerald hardworking and responsible, Clark got his 26-year-old son his first job in his companyâs mailroom. Gerald looked around at the mailroom then stared at his father in astonishment.
âYou want me to do WHAT?â he asked.
âYou will be separating the mail and delivering it to the people itâs been sent to,â Clark said. âAnd youâll be starting at 9:00 on the dot.â
Be careful, a second chance may well be your last chance.
Gerald looked confused. âAt 9:00? But thatâs impossible! My personal trainer comes in at 10:00 then I have tennis after lunchâŚâ he commented. âThat just wonât work for me, dad!â
Clark raised his two sons the best he could. | Source: Unsplash
âYes it will,â Clark said firmly. âBecause you see, Iâm the one paying for the personal trainer and the lunches and the tennis pro, and I wonât be paying any longer. Youâll have a lot of free time from now on.â
Gerald was furious, but Clark wouldnât yield an inch. After a week in the mailroom, Gerald burst into his fatherâs office, pushing past his secretary and not even knocking on the door.
âIâve had enough!â he cried, waving his weekly paycheck. âThis whole week I worked like a slave and this is what Iâve earned?â
Clark calmly took his paycheck and looked at it. âThat looks about right!â he said.
At 25, all Gerald wanted to do was party. | Source: Unsplash
âWhy canât I have a job like Courtâs?â Gerald demanded. âHe earns a fortune!â
âCourt has a degree in economics, Gerald,â Clark said. âWhat did you major in? Oh! Thatâs right! You dropped outâŚâ
Gerald squirmed. âWell, maybe I havenât been very diligent, dad, but I do have skills!â
Clark asked, âWhat skills, exactly?â
Clark got Gerald a job at the office mail room. | Source: Pixabay
âIâm good with people, and I know a lot of celebrities,â Gerald said. âI know how to handle the press⌠Maybe public relations?â
Clark was thoughtful. âYou have a point there, Gerald. There may be something you can do. Iâve agreed to sponsor a fundraiser for UNICEF,â he said. âI want to organize a celebrity auctionâŚIn fact, I want YOU to organize a celebrity auction, and how successful you are at it will show me your potential â or not. But please note, Gerald, this is your last opportunity. Donât fail yourself.â
âYou mean âdonât fail me,â right?â asked Gerald.
âNo, I mean that your future is at stake, so think before you mess up,â said Clark and escorted his son out of his office.
Gerald was very upset when he saw how much he was earning. | Source: Unsplash
Over the next two months, Clark watched with some interest as Gerald poured his energy into the organization of the fundraiser. Soon the objects donated by celebrities started arriving.
It looked as if the auction would be a success, and Clark felt a secret relief. Maybe all Gerald really needed was to focus on something he was good at and understood!
Gerald hired a prestigious venue and ordered a luxurious buffet and the very best champagne â all of which Clarkâs company would be paying for. He also contracted a famous singer to perform before the auction.
The truth was that the event was packed with the rich and the famous, all vying to acquire the celebrity memorabilia, and the auction was a huge success and raised a lot more money than Clark had expected.
Clark challenged Gerald to organize an event for a childrenâs charity. | Source: Unsplash
However, the event was hugely expensive, at least $170,000 more than heâd budgeted for. âThatâs a lot of moneyâŚâ Clark thought. âI think this merits a closer look.â
Clark ordered his secretary to gather all the receipts for the UNICEF event, and it all added up â but something felt off. He looked at the receipt for the singerâs fee which was endorsed to a company called Talent Incorporated.
âDiane,â Clark said to his secretary. âGet me in touch with the girl who sang at the auction would you, and ask her how much she charged.â
An hour later, Diane walked into Clarkâs office and she looked very pale. âMr. Hanson,â she said. âShe didnât charge us a cent. It was her contribution to the causeâŚâ
Gerald organized the gala at the most prestigious venue. | Source: Unsplash
Clark felt as if the bottom had been cut out of his world. âShe didnât charge anything?â he asked in a whisper.
âNo, sir,â said Diane, and she had tears in her eyes. Over the next few days, Clark contacted all the vendors, suppliers, and caterers and discovered that Gerald had demanded 20% of their fees in cash kickbacks. Gerald really had made the most of his second chance!
Clark didnât say a word to Gerald, but when the family got together that Sunday for lunch, he had an announcement to make. After they finished eating, Clark got up with his wine glass in hand.
He looked at his sons and smiled. âCourt, Gerald, as you know Iâm now sixty-two, and one of these days I will be handing the baton over. But retirement isnât my only worry. When I die, I want my legacy in good hands, and I want to make sure that my money is distributed fairly among my sons.â
Gerald hired a famous singer to perform. | Source: Unsplash
Gerald smiled, but Court looked upset. âCome on, dad, you know I hate that kind of talk!â
âI know, son,â Clark said gently. âBut I want you and Gerald to know what to expect. Yesterday I had my lawyers draft a new will. Court, you will, of course, receive the shares for the company, but as for the moneyâŚI mean my personal fortune, you as the eldest will receive $2.8 million, and you, Gerald, will receive one dollar.â
Gerald frowned. âIâm sorry, dad, what did you say?â
Clark smiled. âI said that your inheritance will amount to exactly one dollar.â
Clark discovered that Gerald had embezzled money. | Source: Pexels
Gerald jumped up. âWhat is this?â he screamed. âWhat have you done?â
âCalm down, my dear Gerald,â Clark said calmly. âIf you will recall, I warned you when you took on the charity event that it was your last chanceâŚâ
âI did a great job!â Gerald protested. âWe raised millions for the children!â
âYes you did do a great job,â Clark said. âEspecially when it came to filling your own pockets. I trusted you, and you stole from me. Consider it your inheritance.â
Clark changed his will and left Gerald one dollar. | Source: Unsplash
No matter how much Gerald cried and protested that heâd change and be a better man, Clark refused to change his mind or his will.
What can we learn from this story?
- Be careful, a second chance may well be your last chance. Gerald violated his fatherâs trust and embezzled money and was shocked when his father wouldnât forgive him.
- Good character is bred in the bone. You may raise a child with love, give them good examples, but at the end of the day, they decide who they want to be.
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