From Box to Mansion: How a One-Armed Homeless Boy Became the Richest Man in Town – Story of the Day

He lived in a box and grew up in poverty. Even he had never imagined he would become the wealthiest man in town and live in a mansion someday. But there was more to his story. His bio mother reappeared in his life right after he became successful.

As Adam momentarily took his eyes off the report he was reading and remembered the previous deal, he still found it hard to believe he had cracked a million-dollar contract. A year ago, he could only dream about it. Adam returned to work when his secretary, Emily, entered his office.

“Someone wants to meet you, Adam,” she said.

Adam looked up from his computer. “Yes?”

“A woman,” said Emily. “She says her name is Carissa, and she only wants to talk to you.”

“Send her in,” Adam replied calmly and returned to the report. But when the woman entered Adam’s office, a shiver ran down his spine. He rose to his feet in shock, his heart racing in his chest. He couldn’t believe his birth mother, Carissa, was standing before his eyes…

Adam’s life had never been easy. The boy was born with one arm, and when he was only six, he lost the only family he had—his mother.

Adam could never forget the day Carissa abandoned him. They were wandering the streets that afternoon in search of shelter. Adam’s father, Harrison, was a handyman, and Carissa was a homemaker, so money was always tight in their family.

After Harrison’s demise, things deteriorated. Carissa wasn’t educated enough to get a decent job, so for some time, she and Adam survived by selling their home furniture and kitchen appliances. When that money ran out, the landlord kicked them out, forcing them to live on the streets.

Carissa would rummage through the dumpsters for food, and they slept in an alley from where nobody would shoo them away. But one day, the cops patrolling the locality kicked out all the beggars, and Carissa and Adam had to leave.

From that day on, Carissa would put her little boy in a cardboard box and carry him when his legs gave way. Sometimes, she would shelter Adam under that box from the rain and heat. In a way, the box was Adam’s mini movable home. It went with him wherever he went.

That afternoon, Carissa was tired from walking and sank onto a random sidewalk.

“Adam,” she said, putting him inside the box and placing it in an alley. “Don’t go anywhere, okay? Mommy will be right back. I will get us some food and water.”

Adam was only six and nodded like a good boy. But afternoon turned into evening, and there was no sign of Carissa.

“Mommy…” he rose to his feet and peered outside the box. “Mommy…where are you?”

When Adam didn’t see Carissa anywhere, he hugged his knees and began crying. Suddenly, he heard a gentle voice calling out to him.

“Oh! Why would a sweet boy like you cry?” asked the voice. “And what are you doing here, little one?”

Adam looked up with red, puffy eyes and saw a woman with a kind face looking down at him. “I can’t find Mommy…” he told her in tears. “And I am scared.”

“Well, how about I help you?” said the woman gently. “I’m Mary. Would you like me to help you…Oh, I didn’t even ask your name.”

“Adam…” Adam replied softly. “But Mommy says not to trust strangers. You can hurt me.”

Mary crouched down to face Adam and smiled. “Yes, your Mommy is right,” she said. “But I am not offering you to go anywhere with me, and I’m not giving you anything to eat. I am just asking you if you need help. How about you tell me what exactly happened, and we ask the cops to help us?”

Mary seemed like a sweet woman to Adam, so he trusted her. They called the cops, and Adam described how Carissa looked so the police could find her. Meanwhile, Mary told the CPS she could take Adam in until his mother was found because she had grown up in the shelter system and hated it.

Little Adam was holding Mary’s hand with such love that the social worker realized he trusted Mary, and he agreed. The search for Carissa, meanwhile, went on for months and weeks, but unfortunately, the cops couldn’t find her.

Mary and her husband, Josh, didn’t have any children. One night, after they learned the police would stop looking for Carissa, Mary proposed to Josh that they could adopt little Adam and give him a good life.

“He’s had a hard life, honey,” Mary said. “That poor thing was in a box when I found him. I still don’t know why his mother did what she did. But it looks like she left him on purpose.”

“Are you sure you’ll be able to give him the life you want?” Josh asked her. “You know that we can’t really afford a kid right now. That’s why we decided to push the adoption.”

“Honey, please,” Mary pleaded with him. “Look, it’s not me who brought him into our lives. It was all a part of God’s plan. We wanted to give our love to a child, and he sent us a child who needed that love. Please think it over, honey.”

And Josh did agree. He and Mary decided to adopt Adam, but they were scared Adam would not accept them. To their surprise, the little boy was over the moon and began crying when Mary told him she and Josh would adopt him.

“Will I have a new Mommy and Daddy?” he asked her in tears.

“Yes, honey. Yes,” Mary said, holding him close. “You will have everything and anything you’d like to have. We want you to be our son, Adam. We love you.”

And finally, Adam found a loving home. Josh and Mary gave him the best of everything—sent him to a good school, saved up for his prosthetic arm and gifted it on his birthday, and Mary sold her jewelry to send Adam to college.

Adam respected his adoptive parents’ efforts and worked very hard. But a few weeks before his graduation, Josh passed away. Adam had to stay by Mary’s side and look after her. She was heartbroken after Josh left, and Adam knew he couldn’t leave her alone.

It was during that time Adam decided to start a business, and he became so successful that he bought a mansion for himself and Mary. But none of it came easy to him. He worked odd jobs to support himself, and it was only after several failed ideas that he finally launched a startup that made inexpensive equipment for people with disabilities.

In his small town, not every specially-abled could afford the equipment they needed, so Adam’s business came as a boon to them. Soon, his company started growing, and one day, a Japanese client offered Adam a million-dollar deal.

Even he couldn’t believe it, but his success quickly reached the local media outlets, and Adam grew to become the wealthiest man in town.

He called Mary and told her about his first-ever interview, and she was delighted about her son’s success. “I wish Dad was here to see this, Mom,” he had said in tears.

Adam was happy with his life. He was happy with the love and care Mary and Josh had given him. He never remembered Carissa after he was adopted, and as he grew up, Adam came to realize she had abandoned him. She must’ve been tired of looking after him, so she left him to his fate.

So when Adam saw her again after all these years, he knew why she was there—for his money. She looked pale, weak, and needy, but he was determined not to fall for her tears.

“Adam…” Carissa said in tears, trying to hug him, but Adam stepped back.

“What are you doing here?” he snapped. “Get out!”

“Adam, please,” Carissa begged. “I just wanted to see you…”

“See me?” he fumed. “You’ve come to see me only after I’ve become a successful businessman. Where were you when I was crying and waiting for your return? Where were you when—just leave! I don’t think I can stand your face.”

“Honey,” she said. “I—”

“Ma’am,” Adam said stiffly. “Please leave my office, or I’ll be forced to call security. The exit is right behind you.”

Carissa was hurt. But could she blame Adam? With tears in her eyes, she turned around and walked out of his office.

Adam returned to work, unbothered. He had no sympathy for the woman who had abandoned him years ago. In fact, Adam was glad he kicked her out. She was out of his life now, and he would never come across her again.

But a week later, Adam was leaving work when he got a call from a woman named Angela, who introduced herself as Carissa’s friend.

“So what if she died?” Adam snapped. “She didn’t mean anything to me. Maybe you should contact her family. She’ll have one, won’t she? After all, she just left me to die!”

“Adam,” said Angela solemnly. “Your mother didn’t have anyone. In fact, you were the only family she had. She left you something, and her last wish was to ensure you received it. Do you even know she was getting treated for—”

“Well, if you’re trying to sell me her sob story, it won’t work. Don’t contact me ever again,” Adam snapped and hung up.

But two days later, when he arrived at work, he found Carissa’s letter on his table along with other mail. He was about to toss it in the bin, but curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to check it.

As Adam began reading the letter, he realized the intensity of what he had done. The letter said:

“Dear Adam,

I know you hate me for what I did, honey. But trust me, Adam, it’s not like what you think. I did leave you in that alley, but not because I would never come back for you. I was going to come back for you. And I did.

I met with an accident that day, honey, and I went into a coma. When I awoke months later, I didn’t even remember who I was. A kind couple looked after me, and they took me to therapy. I remembered you, and I tried to find you.

God was testing my love for you, wasn’t he? I tried to find you for years, and one day, I gave up. I just didn’t know what to do. I had tried everything I could, and there was no sign of you. Then one day, I saw your photo. In a magazine. My little boy…you looked so beautiful, Adam. I couldn’t stop crying.

I was diagnosed with cancer a few months before that, Adam. I decided that before God called me home, I would find my boy and hold him close for one last time. I know our last meeting wasn’t how I thought it would be, but I will always love you, Adam. More than you know and more than what I could ever give you.

With love,

Your mother, Carissa.”

Adam’s tears didn’t stop. As he closed the letter, he realized its envelope wasn’t empty. There was a pendant inside—the one Carissa never sold, not even during their worst times. It had their family photo—a photo of him, Harrison, and Carissa smiling.

What can we learn from this story?

• A mother never gives up on her children, not even when her children give up on her. Carissa never gave up on Adam and decided to find him and reconcile with him. Unfortunately, fate was not on her side.
• Don’t be too quick to jump to conclusions. Adam dismissed Carissa, thinking she had returned to his life for his money. He could’ve never guessed it was the last time he would see her.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who runs into a beggar during a business trip and almost faints upon realizing the man looks exactly like his missing father.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.