“People were gathered at a funeral to pay their final respects to a sweet young woman gone too soon. But during the funeral, lightning suddenly struck the coffin. What happened next is unbelievable.
Andrea, 26, couldn’t believe what she just heard. She brought the phone away from her ear and slammed it on the table. Overcome with emotion, tears streamed down her face. Unaware of the people around her, she sat in a cafe sobbing uncontrollably. That’s when Nolan, a patron of the cafe, noticed her and approached her to offer his support and ask what was wrong.
“Can I sit?” he said and handed a handkerchief over to her. She said nothing but took the napkin from him, and Nolan took that as a sign that she didn’t mind his presence. So, he sat next to her.
Nolan looked at Andrea with a reassuring smile and said, “If you need someone to talk to, I’m here for you. Tell me anything. Your secrets are safe with me.”
Andrea was unsure of how to begin her story. Should she start by recounting the traumatic experience of her parents’ divorce and their subsequent callous treatment toward her? The dissolution of their marriage wasn’t the issue; rather, it was what happened afterwards that had a lasting impact on Andrea’s life. Neither of them wanted to take her to live with them. They saw her as an obstacle to the new lives that they desired. The only person who was willing to accept her and raise her was her father’s mother, Grandma Renee, who lived in a small village.
After Andrea moved in with her grandma, she had to change schools, which only made things worse for her. The other students would often pick on her because of her clothes and hair—they weren’t pretty. The only time they were friendly to her was when they needed something from her. Andrea was an exemplary student, consistently earning straight A’s in her classes. Hence, her peers would only approach her when they needed a project partner or help with studying. They would treat her kindly, then revert to taunting her and making life almost unbearable for her.
Whenever Andrea felt overwhelmed by her struggles, she’d go to Grandma Renee for comfort. Her grandmother would take her face in her hands and wipe away the tears, saying softly, “There’s a reason for everything. You just have to keep going. Not everyone in this world will like you. You’re brave, and the light within you is so bright.”
But was Grandma Renee right? It had been 10 years since Andrea had heard those words, yet it seemed nothing had changed. Even at 26, Andrea, who now lived in a city, still kept getting rejected, lied to, and looked down on.
Andrea was brought back to reality when Nolan repeated his question, “Is everything all right?” She nodded, confirming that there was no problem. Nolan looked at her intently to ensure he didn’t miss any details of what she was about to say. He was ready and willing to help in whatever capacity necessary.
There was something about the young man that made Andrea feel safe. It wasn’t his looks, but trust me, he was drop-dead gorgeous. Perhaps it was a sincere smile and calm demeanor. Opening up to him, Andrea sobbed and said, “My life is so hard. Nobody wants me. On the phone earlier, that was someone who claimed he loved me. You wouldn’t believe what he did. My heart aches so much,” she said and clenched her fists.
A few months ago, Andrea met Mark, and she thought her life was finally shaping up. Mark was a typical bad boy—he wore leather jackets and chains, had tattoos, attended wild parties, smoked and drank a lot, and swore frequently. Andrea wasn’t into guys like Mark, but she got carried away by the attention and care he showered on her. He would take her to clubs and other social gatherings. At parties, he would dance with her while holding tightly onto her waist. He made her feel desirable and beautiful—feelings that were foreign to her.
“I want you,” he would moan into her ears on many nights while they were outdoors. Until she finally gave in to his fleshly desires. After the first time, it happened repeatedly, and Andrea thought that Mark truly loved her. But when she asked him about his plans for the future together, he started to put some distance between them. It continued for weeks until Andrea could no longer take it. So, she went to the bar he frequented to confront him.
She found him kissing another girl, and she was filled with rage. She shoved the other girl away from him and raised her voice at him. “For weeks, you’ve been ignoring me. You’re even cheating on me now. Why don’t you take my calls or go out with me like you used to?” she demanded. Mark sighed and looked at her with annoyance, as if he was dealing with an unruly child.
“Have you taken a look at yourself in the mirror? You dress like a grandma, and you’re so clingy. Is it because you have no one else in your life? It was so easy to get down with you. It was fun. You were a good sport, but I’m now bored and tired of you. So, get lost.”
Overcome with rage and humiliation, Andrea slapped him before storming out of the bar. She stumbled into an alleyway where she found a secluded corner to sit in and wept uncontrollably. She couldn’t help but feel cursed. Maybe she would never find happiness. Maybe she was just meant to die without getting her heart’s desires, Andrea thought.
But soon, life would teach her an unforgettable lesson. Only a few days later, Andrea was seated in the cafe when she received the call that Mark was getting married. She struggled to accept the news because Mark was a cheat and a bad person. But here he was, about to tie the knot with someone else. She felt so bad and cried uncontrollably, and that’s when Nolan came to ask what was wrong.
“You have to learn to accept yourself as you are, or no one will accept you,” Nolan said to her after learning her story. “I don’t know how to do that,” Andrea confessed, and Nolan offered to help her. In the months that followed, Nolan taught Andrea about confidence, self-love, and acceptance. He taught her to cherish herself and recognize her worth. He also took her shopping for new clothes and highlighted her best features, as well as getting a stylish hairdo that suited her perfectly.
Andrea soon noticed that people started to smile at her and compliment her. Indeed, she learned, just like Nolan had told her, that the way you love and treat yourself is how others will treat you. Andrea was overjoyed when Nolan professed his love for her and asked to be in a relationship with her. He went to meet her grandma and ask for her blessing. Their relationship was everything that Andrea hoped for and more. Nolan was loving, attentive, and caring. They were happy together.
The day he proposed, Andrea was certain that she had arrived at her happy ending. But unbeknownst to her, a tragedy was brewing—one that would leave her feeling completely hopeless. On a beautiful summer day, Nolan took Andrea for a drive out to the countryside. The wind blew through her hair as
the sweet scent of nature filled the air. It was truly dreamy, and the couple had lots of fun. However, on their way back, something devastating happened. A deer suddenly darted out of the bush and across the road. In an attempt to avoid hitting it, Nolan swerved his car to the side but unfortunately lost control, causing the car to roll over. Nolan died on the spot, while Andrea sustained some injuries. She also developed a cardiovascular problem as a result of the accident. The doctors operated on her and installed a defibrillator in her heart to manage her condition.
Andrea moved back with Grandma Renee after the accident. Her grandma cared for her and watched over her while she recovered. Grandma Renee’s home was surrounded by nature on the edge of the forest, so the women would often go there to collect berries. Unfortunately, one evening while they were in the forest, Andrea suddenly slumped on the ground. Quickly, Grandma Renee called for help, but by the time help came, the medical practitioners couldn’t detect a pulse, and Andrea was pronounced dead.
Grandma Renee was inconsolable. “It’s not fair. My daughter has known nothing but pain all her life. She hasn’t gotten any of her heart’s desires. Life is so cruel,” the elderly woman cried.
People gathered for Andrea’s funeral the next day. It was a windy day, and a storm was predicted. Andrea was lying in repose when lightning suddenly struck the coffin. What happened next is unbelievable. Andrea suddenly gasped and opened her eyes. Everyone was stunned. She was immediately rushed to the hospital where it was determined that the metallic pieces of the coffin conducted current from the lightning and activated the defibrillator implanted inside her heart. Turns out, she hadn’t been dead at all but rather in a coma with an almost imperceptible pulse.
After this incident, Andrea felt as if nature had given her a second chance at life and that she wasn’t cursed or unlucky after all. But even more astonishingly, six months later, something else happened. When Andrea went to the bathroom, she felt an intense urge to push. And when she looked into the toilet bowl afterward, there was a tiny baby who bore a perfect resemblance to Nolan. It turned out that Andrea had been pregnant all along. Miraculously, this baby managed to survive despite everything that had occurred.
The little girl brought so much joy into Andrea’s life, and someday, maybe just maybe, she would find true love again.”
