Ashamed of His Mother’s Face, He Hid Her—Until the Truth Broke Him
Most people at school didn’t even know Derek Ryder had a mother.
When his friends talked about their parents, Derek would stay quiet. He never invited anyone to his house—not even to play video games or hang out. All through elementary school to his final year in high school, no one ever saw inside Derek’s home.
Even when he started dating, he lied. “Look, babe,” he’d tell his girlfriends, “my mom’s super religious. She doesn’t let me date.” It was a total lie. He just didn’t want them to meet her.
The truth? Derek was deeply ashamed of his mom.
He thought she looked like a monster from a scary movie. His mother, Gail Ryder, had only one eye, and the left side of her face was covered in scars. She had been that way for as long as Derek could remember. When he was little, it didn’t matter—she was just Mom. But as he got older, he noticed the way people stared.
His mom wasn’t like the other moms. She was… different. Ugly, he thought.
On his first day of school, he saw how the other moms pulled their kids closer when Gail walked by—even though she wore dark sunglasses and a wide hat to cover her face.
That night, Derek said sharply, “I don’t want you to take me to school anymore!”
Gail looked surprised. “But honey, all the other moms walk their kids to class. You’re still little!”
“You’re a FREAK!” Derek yelled. “I heard Bobby’s mom say it! Now they’ll all think I’m a freak too!”
From that day on, Gail stopped walking him in. She would just drop him off and drive away, tears sliding down her unscarred cheek. Her own son was ashamed of her—and it crushed her.
But Derek didn’t care, not as long as she stayed out of sight. He told people she was a recluse, or too religious to leave the house—anything to hide the truth.
Then came graduation.
Derek had been chosen as valedictorian. The principal clapped him on the back and smiled. “Well, Derek, I hope we finally get to meet your mother! I’d love to congratulate her.”
Derek froze. His mother? There was no way he’d let her come and ruin his perfect day.
So that night, he called a talent agency. He hired an actress. She looked exactly like the mom he wished he had—pretty, friendly, with two perfect eyes. He coached her carefully: what to wear, what to say, when to smile.
On graduation day, Derek was putting on his cap and gown when Gail walked in, smiling.
“Derek! Is it today?” she said softly. “Oh honey, give me a minute to get dressed! I’ll come with you.”
“Dressed? For what?” Derek said flatly.
“Your graduation,” Gail replied. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“You’re not going,” Derek snapped. His voice was ice. “I’ve spent my whole life hiding you. Why would I let you show up on the most important day of my life and ruin everything with your ugly face?”
Gail’s one eye filled with tears. “Derek,” she whispered, “how can you say something so cruel?”
“Face it, Mom! You’re a freak! I’ve been ashamed of you since I was a kid! I hired someone to take your place. Don’t you get it now?”
Gail turned pale. She nodded slowly. “Oh, my son,” she said, voice shaking, “I’m so sorry…”
But Derek didn’t care. He turned away and left. Two weeks later, he moved to California for college. He never called, never visited, never wrote. Gail kept sending money for his college bills along with letters he threw away without reading.
Ten years passed.
Then one day, Derek got a call. His mother had died.
She hadn’t listed him as a contact. Her friends had arranged the funeral. But Gail left Derek her house and… something else.
Derek was confused. He went to meet her lawyer, a kind man named Terry Arlington.
“Well, Mr. Ryder,” Terry said, “your mother left you her house—worth about $1.5 million—and almost $700,000 in savings.”
“What?” Derek gasped. “How? My father left us, and she always lived so modestly. Where did the money come from?”
“The insurance money and compensation,” Terry said gently. “You didn’t know?”
“No,” Derek said, shaking his head. “What do you mean?”
Terry took a deep breath. “When you were three years old, you walked up to a strange dog in the park. Your mother saw what was about to happen and threw herself between you and the animal. She was badly mauled, scarred, and lost her eye. But she saved your life.”
Derek’s eyes filled with tears. “It would have been me…”
“I always thought your mother was a hero,” the lawyer said quietly. “You must have been very proud of her.”
Derek didn’t answer. He stood up and left with those words echoing in his mind.
He walked to the cemetery and found her grave. He knelt down, and the tears finally fell.
“Oh Mom,” he cried. “You saved me… and I treated you like nothing. I was so cruel. Please forgive me…”
From that day on, Derek changed.
He stopped hiding who he was. He found one of the few pictures of his mom—with her big glasses and wide hat—and placed it on his desk at work.
Every time he looked at it, he remembered her love, her pain… and her sacrifice.
He remembered what he had done. And what he had lost.
What can we learn from this story?
Be proud of your parents, no matter what they look like. Derek judged his mother for her scars and forgot the love behind them. She gave up everything for him—even her face.
But he repaid her with shame and silence. When he finally learned the truth, it was too late.
Remorse is the burden the unkind carry forever.