Once upon a time, in a little corner of the world, there was a boy named Derek Ryder who had a curious secret. His mother, Gail, was not just any mother; she was a living testament to love and sacrifice.

Growing up, Derek was like any other kid, enamored with the world and its wonders. Yet, unbeknownst to all, Derek harbored a cloud of shame over his dear mother’s appearance. Gail had only one eye, and her face bore scars that told countless stories of resilience.

Derek skillfully concocted tales to keep his friends at bay. “My mother is very religious,” he’d claim, weaving his fabrications with a delicate hand to hide the truth he couldn’t bear to face.

Young Derek feared the whispered words and side glances from others. To him, those scars were not marks of courage but a constant reminder of his shame. As he grew, the invisible wall between Derek and his mother thickened into a fortress.

On the first day of school, Derek’s world cracked a little more when the other mothers recoiled at the sight of Gail. That night, the innocence of youth fled as he hurled angry words: “You’re a FREAK!”

Gail, with a heart brimming with love, stepped back into the shadows, letting her son build his life untainted by her disfigurement, unaware of the burden his blindness placed upon her shoulders.

Graduation loomed, and Derek’s secrets were put to the ultimate test. Brimming with a misguided resolve, he recruited a charming actress to pose as his mother, enamored by her perceived perfection.

On graduation day, as Derek donned his cap and gown, Gail’s heart swelled with pride. “Derek! Is it today?” she exclaimed, only to have her joy dashed against the harsh reality of Derek’s words.

As Gail stepped aside, a reflection of love unreturned, Derek basked in his concocted narrative, leaving behind a legacy he was unwilling to face.

Years passed in the blink of an eye, and Derek’s life took him far from home, to places where memories of his mother were buried under layers of neglect.

A decade later, a phone call turned his world inside out. His mother had left this realm, her final wishes leading Derek back to the place he once fled.

In a poignant revelation, Derek sat before his mother’s lawyer. The tale of his life and his mother’s sacrifices were laid bare. Gail had amassed a modest fortune through pain and perseverance, overshadowing Derek’s guilt with her silent testament of love.

The lawyer’s words pierced deeper than the sharpest needle. Gail had saved her child from harm, sacrificing her beauty for his safety when Derek was merely a toddler. Her disfigurement was not a mark of shame but a medallion of honor.

The streets he walked back to his mother’s grave bore witness to the storm of emotions within him. Kneeling before the resting place of the woman he discarded, Derek sought forgiveness from the depths of his soul.

With a newfound sense of humility, he embraced his past, honoring Gail’s memory by placing her picture proudly on his desk, a silent reminder of her undying love.

The sack of shame Derek carried for years melted away, leaving behind a heart filled with gratitude. Oh, how fickle the sight of youth is, Derek mused, as he promised to carry his mother’s legacy forward without fear, her love his guiding light.