Elderly Woman Left Alone for Christmas After Her Children Learn Her Shocking Job

Victoria’s children rarely had time to call her, except on Christmas. But this year, her son found out she was working as a cleaner in a store and stopped talking to her completely. Victoria thought she’d be spending the holidays alone until an unexpected knock at her door changed everything.

Victoria tightly held a broom in her hands, standing still in the furniture store where she worked. Her son, Matthew, had just walked in and was staring at her with wide, shocked eyes. She smiled and started walking toward him, but he turned around and quickly left the store.

She didn’t understand his reaction. Matthew had always been close to her, but children often change as they grow up. Victoria decided she’d talk to him later and went back to her cleaning.

When her husband passed away ten years ago, her children, Matthew and Marina, suggested selling their big house and getting a smaller apartment for her. They wanted to use the leftover money to start their own businesses.

Their businesses eventually became successful, and they got so busy that they rarely contacted her. However, they always called her during the holidays. This year, Victoria realized her retirement money wasn’t enough to cover her expenses, let alone buy gifts for her family.

So, at 65 years old, she took a job as a cleaner in a furniture store at the mall. The work wasn’t too difficult, and she could still handle it. With her new income, she managed to pay her bills and even bought gifts for her children and grandchildren. But she hadn’t told her kids about her job, worried about how they might react.

After seeing Matthew’s embarrassed reaction at the store, she felt even more unsure about telling him. Still, she called him that night to explain.

“Mom, I’m really busy right now. Can I call you later?” Matthew said.

“But, honey. About today—” she started.

“Bye, Mom,” he said firmly, cutting her off before hanging up.

Victoria was confused by his behavior. His reaction felt like an overreaction. Being a cleaner was honest work, so why would he be upset? Hoping for answers, she decided to call her daughter Marina.

“Mom, I’m busy. I’ll call you later,” Marina said, not giving Victoria a chance to say much.

“It’s fine. I’ll just explain everything when I see them at Christmas,” Victoria thought and carried on with her evening.

But as the holiday approached, neither Matthew nor Marina reached out to her. They usually decided together where to celebrate Christmas, but this year, no one had contacted her, and she was starting to worry.

Two days before Christmas, Victoria confided in her neighbor, Lorena Atkinson. “I don’t know what’s going on. They’re not returning my calls. What if they don’t invite me for Christmas? What will I do?” she asked anxiously.

“I’m sure they’ll call soon, Vickie,” Lorena reassured her. “And if they don’t, you’ll spend Christmas with me and my family.”

Lorena lived in the penthouse of their apartment building, and her large home was perfect for hosting family gatherings. But Victoria wanted to spend Christmas with her own children. She couldn’t understand why they were acting this way.

Christmas morning arrived, and Victoria still hadn’t heard from her kids. She spent the morning crying as she looked at the presents under her tree and started making breakfast. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

It must be Lorena, Victoria thought sadly as she walked to the door.

“Surprise!” her kids and grandkids shouted as she opened the door. Victoria clutched her chest in shock but quickly smiled.

“What? What are you all doing here?” she asked.

“We’re spending the whole day with you this year, Grandma!” Marina’s daughter, Elizabeth, said excitedly, carrying a big gift box inside. The other grandchildren rushed to the Christmas tree to look at the presents.

“Calm down, everyone! Grandma will give you the gifts soon,” Marina said, walking in behind the kids. She turned to her mother. “Sorry we didn’t call earlier, Mom. This wasn’t planned.”

“Oh, don’t worry. Come in, come in!” Victoria said, waving everyone inside. Marina’s husband followed, and Matthew’s wife gave Victoria a warm hug before stepping in.

Matthew entered last. He made eye contact with his mother, walked toward her, and gave her a long hug.

“I’m so sorry, Mom. I… I don’t know what came over me when I saw you at the store,” he said, holding her tightly.

Victoria held her son just as tightly. “Were you ashamed of me?” she asked softly.

“At first, I thought I was. I couldn’t believe my mom was working as a cleaner. But after I got a call from your neighbor, I realized I was actually ashamed of myself,” Matthew admitted.

“Lorena called you?” Victoria asked, surprised.

“Yes. She told me off for ignoring you and not inviting you to Christmas. She reminded me that you gave us the money from selling the house and never asked for anything in return. She said you were working hard just to live while we were living comfortably. That’s when it hit me,” Matthew explained.

“What hit you?” Victoria asked.

“I realized I felt guilty. I never thought about paying you back. We used your money to build successful lives, but you were struggling. I was embarrassed about how I’d treated you, and I didn’t know how to face you,” he admitted.

Just then, Marina joined them. “I felt the same, Mom. I was upset you didn’t tell us about your job or that you needed money. But I was really mad at myself for not helping you sooner. After Lorena’s call, I realized how wrong we’ve been.”

“You don’t need to pay me back. It’s really fine,” Victoria said, but Marina interrupted gently.

“We do, Mom. You worked so hard to give us gifts for Christmas and to take care of yourself. That’s not right,” Marina said.

Victoria smiled and decided to thank Lorena later for speaking to her children. “Let’s forget about all that for now, ok? It’s time for the kids to open their presents!” she said happily.

That Christmas turned out to be one of the best Victoria ever had. Later, her children started depositing money into her account regularly, ensuring she never had to worry about money again.

Victoria kept her job for a while because she enjoyed it, and she officially retired at 70 with a nice amount of savings. From then on, her children never forgot to invite her to family gatherings or answer her calls.