How I Met My Father

Summary

Emma, once raised in wealth, experiences a drastic fall when her father divorces her mother and takes their fortune. Seeking revenge, she moves to the U.S. and works undercover at her estranged father’s restaurant. As she uncovers his corrupt activities, Emma grapples with her desire for retribution and the impact on his new family. Ultimately, she chooses to give the evidence of his wrongdoing to his wife, leading to his downfall, but with empathy for his children. The story explores themes of family, betrayal, and forgiveness.

Takeaways

• 💔 The protagonist Emma's parents divorced when she was 11, which led to a significant lifestyle change and the loss of financial support from her father.
• 🏆 Emma's father left a successful business empire behind and moved to the US, taking their wealth with him and leaving Emma and her mother in a difficult situation.
• 📚 Emma had to switch from a private to a public school, experiencing a harsh transition and realizing she had no real friends.
• 💼 Emma worked in her father's restaurant under a false identity to seek revenge, without a clear plan but with the intention to find dirt on him.
• 🤝 Emma formed a close bond with a coworker, Colin, who became a supportive figure in her life.
• 😱 Emma discovered her father had remarried and had a new family, which led to feelings of resentment and a sense of loss.
• 😤 Emma's plan for revenge involved stealing from her father's safe and gathering evidence of his illegal activities.
• 🤔 Emma faced a moral dilemma when considering the impact of her revenge on her father's new family, reflecting on her own childhood and the pain it would cause.
• 🔒 Emma was caught in the act of stealing but was defended by her stepmother, Katie, who had discovered Emma's true identity and chose to protect her.
• 📖 Emma decided to hand over the evidence of her father's wrongdoings to Katie, allowing her to decide the course of action, showing a change of heart and a desire to avoid causing harm to innocent family members.
• 🚨 The story concludes with Emma's father being imprisoned and losing his restaurant license due to his illegal activities, which were exposed by Katie.

Q & A

What was the initial reason Emma's father left her and her mother?

Emma's father left her and her mother to move to the US, taking their wealth and lifestyle with him without paying child support.

How did Emma's life change after her father left?

Emma's life changed drastically as she had to give up her expensive lifestyle, switch to a public school, and eventually realized she had no real friends.

What was Emma's plan when she decided to go to the US to find her father?

Emma's plan was to get close to her father, find some dirt on him that she could use, without having a clear plan on what she would do with the information.

How did Emma get a job at her father's restaurant?

Emma got a job at her father's restaurant by applying as Emily, a waitress, and underwent a makeover to avoid being recognized.

Who is Colin and what role does he play in Emma's life?

Colin is a coworker at the restaurant who becomes Emma's closest friend and eventually her boyfriend, providing support and companionship.

What did Emma discover about her father's business practices?

Emma discovered that her father was importing illegal seafood and planning to use it in his dishes without disclosing it to customers.

Why did Emma decide not to expose her father directly?

Emma decided not to expose her father directly because she didn't want to cause the same pain to his new family that she and her mother had experienced.

What did Katie reveal to Emma about her own motivations?

Katie revealed to Emma that she knew about Emma's true identity and had defended her because she didn't want her children to go through the same hardships Emma had.

How did Emma ultimately decide to handle the information about her father's illegal activities?

Emma decided to give the proof of her father's illegal activities to Katie, allowing her to decide whether to use it, with the intention of protecting Katie's children from immediate turmoil.

What was the outcome for Emma's father after she gave the information to Katie?

Emma's father ended up in prison, and his restaurant license was taken away due to importing illegal food.

Outlines

00:00

💔 Divorce and Transformation

The narrator, Emma, starts by humorously addressing the outdated statistic of divorce rates, then transitions into her personal story. Born in a poor country, she was raised in luxury due to her parents' entrepreneurial success. However, her father's unexpected decision to divorce and move to the US without providing child support drastically changed her life. The once-rich lifestyle vanished, forcing her to adapt to a much simpler existence. She experienced the harsh reality of losing material wealth and the superficiality of her so-called friends. Her father's departure also led to her attending a public school, which was a stark contrast to her previous privileged life. Despite the challenges, she developed street smarts and eventually saved enough to travel to the US with the intention of confronting her father.

05:00

👥 Discovery and Deception

Upon arriving in the US, Emma learns that her father owns a successful restaurant chain and decides to get close to him by securing a job at one of his establishments. She undergoes a makeover to avoid recognition. While working, she overhears a conversation that reveals her boss's wife, Katie, is unhappy due to her husband's behavior. Emma faints upon learning this, and is attended to by a coworker named Colin, who becomes a supportive figure. Their relationship develops, and Emma finds herself with a boyfriend who genuinely cares for her. However, she struggles with the timing of revealing her true identity and intentions, which are to find dirt on her father to exact revenge.

10:01

😢 Confrontation and Conscience

Emma gets an opportunity to work at her father's house during a party and is struck by the realization that her father's life continued unaffected by his departure from her life. She feels a sense of nostalgia and loss. During the party, she has an emotional breakdown upon learning about her father's new family and their achievements, which triggers memories of her own father's absence. She confesses her true identity and intentions to Colin, who reveals his own past and offers a different perspective on identity and choice. They discuss the nature of revenge and the impact it could have on her father's current family, leading Emma to reconsider her actions.

15:03

🔍 Evidence and Empathy

Emma discovers her father's illegal activities involving the import of illegal seafood and plans to expose him. However, she is conflicted by the potential harm it could cause to her father's current family, especially his children. She is further complicated by the kindness shown by Katie, her father's wife, who defends her against accusations of theft. Katie reveals that she knows Emma's true identity and has销毁了 incriminating tapes, showing her own empathy and consideration for Emma's past. Emma decides to hand over the evidence to Katie, allowing her to decide the future course of action, and later learns that her father has been imprisoned and his restaurant license revoked due to Katie's actions.

Keywords

💡Divorce

Divorce, the legal dissolution of a marriage, is central to the protagonist’s story, as her parents' separation marks a turning point in her life. The divorce leaves her emotionally scarred, especially since her father leaves without paying child support, taking their wealth with him. This event serves as the foundation for her subsequent actions and desire for revenge.

💡Revenge

Revenge is a driving force behind the protagonist's actions. After feeling abandoned and financially ruined by her father, she decides to track him down in the US and seek retribution. Throughout the video, her plan to harm her father's business unfolds as she works for him under an alias, with the ultimate goal of exposing his corrupt dealings.

💡Wealth

Wealth plays a significant role in the protagonist's early life, as she is raised in luxury due to her parents' business success. However, when her father leaves, he takes the wealth with him, causing the protagonist to lose her privileged lifestyle. This loss of wealth contrasts with her later life, as she navigates a more humble existence and resents her father's continued prosperity.

💡Identity

Identity is a recurring theme, with both the protagonist and other characters grappling with who they truly are. The protagonist adopts a fake name, 'Emily,' when working for her father, hiding her real identity to execute her revenge. Her coworker, Colin, also reveals that his real name is Samson, and that he changed it to distance himself from his past. This highlights how characters redefine themselves based on their choices and circumstances.

💡Childhood

The protagonist’s childhood is marked by luxury and privilege, but also emotional neglect from her father. This neglect becomes a source of bitterness, as she contrasts her experiences with the idyllic childhood of her father’s new children, who are showered with love and attention. Her unresolved issues from childhood drive much of her internal conflict and her quest for vengeance.

💡Friendship

Friendship, or the lack thereof, is a significant theme in the protagonist's journey. She realizes that her wealth once attracted superficial friends, who disappeared when she became poor. Over time, she forms a genuine friendship with Colin, a coworker who becomes her emotional support and eventually learns her true identity. This friendship contrasts with the shallow relationships from her past.

💡Family

Family dynamics are central to the video, particularly the fractured relationship between the protagonist and her father. While her father has built a new family, showing love and support to his new children, the protagonist is left feeling discarded. Her strained relationship with her father fuels her desire to seek revenge, while the warmth of his new family serves as a painful reminder of what she lost.

💡Betrayal

Betrayal is a key theme, as the protagonist feels betrayed by her father, who leaves her and her mother behind without financial support. This betrayal defines much of her motivation, as she seeks to ruin his life by infiltrating his business. The sense of betrayal is compounded when he fails to recognize her while she works for him, deepening her emotional scars.

💡Illegal Activity

Illegal activity is a critical plot point, as the protagonist discovers that her father is involved in importing illegal seafood for his restaurant. This discovery becomes her leverage to expose him, fitting into her larger plan of revenge. The revelation of his illegal dealings underscores his corrupt character and justifies her desire to bring him down.

💡Forgiveness

Forgiveness is explored toward the end of the video, as the protagonist faces a moral dilemma: should she expose her father and ruin his life, or spare his new family from suffering the way she and her mother did? Ultimately, she chooses a path that avoids direct confrontation, showing that her character has evolved beyond seeking revenge, and perhaps hinting at a form of forgiveness or acceptance.

Highlights

The narrator declares an outdated 50% divorce rate, correcting it to 80%.

The narrator's parents are entrepreneurial geniuses who built a business empire.

The father leaves the family without child support, causing a drastic lifestyle change for the narrator.

The narrator realizes the lack of real friends after her lifestyle change.

The narrator experiences a hard reality check when switching to a public school.

The narrator's journey to the US to confront her father.

The father is the owner of a huge restaurant chain, making him an easy target for revenge.

The narrator starts working at her father's restaurant under a false identity.

Colin becomes a supportive figure and potential love interest for the narrator.

The narrator discovers her father remarried and has a new family.

The narrator's internal conflict about revealing her true identity to her new friends.

The narrator feels nostalgia and a sense of loss upon seeing her father's new life.

The narrator's realization that her father did not lose anything after leaving her and her mother.

Colin reveals his own past and how he chose to redefine himself.

The narrator's decision to steal from her father's safe as an act of revenge.

The narrator's plan to expose her father's illegal activities is complicated by her growing affection for his new family.

The narrator's dilemma about whether to go public with her father's illegal activities.

Katie, the stepmother, defends the narrator against her father's accusations.

The narrator's decision to hand over the evidence of her father's wrongdoings to Katie.

The narrator's father ends up in prison, and his restaurant license is revoked.

Katie sends a text message of gratitude to the narrator.

Transcripts

I now declare you divorced

no I know what you're thinking Emma 50%

of marriages and in divorce don't be so

dramatic wrong this percentage is so

outdated it's 80% now also I'm not upset

because my parents are getting a divorce

but because wait wait I'm getting ahead

of myself let me start from the

beginning and make sure you like this

video And subscribe to MSA I was born in

a very poor country but luckily my

parents were entrepreneurial geniuses

they built a business Empire early on so

I Never Had A Taste of real poverty like

others here and was practically raised

with a Golden Spoon in my mouth mom doed

on me and was super attentive but Dad

wasn't around much so we'd never grown

close and when I was 11 he just

announced out of the blue that he wanted

a divorce and was moving to the US he

left just like that without even paying

child support the most traumatic part

was that he took our wealth and my

lifestyle with him and I had to

eventually give up all the expensive

stuff that had made me who I was what do

you mean let's go eat hot dogs in the

park we're not hobos should we be

sleeping on park benches next and using

newspapers for

blankets I'm just saying we can hang out

and not spend money all the time but

apparently we couldn't and that's the

first time I noticed I had no real

friends around me I switched to a public

school which was so stinky and

embarrassing can I have one lcal Lobster

please oh yes of course my lady 1 second

oops guess we ran out of those mashed

potatoes and greasy chicken on Mondays

remember it it was a hard reality check

but over time I learned a lot and got

really Street Smart do you have seafood

today meshed potatoes and greasy chicken

on Monday's Sweet Pea remember it by the

time I graduated from high school I was

a strong Savage girl who would not let

anyone cross her I had saved up for a

flight to the US and I was ready for

Revenge daddy here I come

dad was the owner of a huge restaurant

chain here so he was easy to locate

wasn't sure exactly what I was going to

do yet but I wanted to get close and

find some dirt on him that I could use

and even though I was

99.9% sure he wouldn't recognize me I'd

still gotten a serious makeover to avoid

the risk hi I'm Emily are you looking

for waitresses yes we are hiring we'd be

happy to try you out then so I began

working there with no clear plan in

sight I just knew a salary didn't

qualify for revenge or even child

support one day as I was polishing the

cutlery in the kitchen I heard Katie

crying while she was on the phone with

someone who was clearly yelling at her

poor Katie her husband is a nut job this

happens often why is he yelling at her

it's probably something to do with work

he is the boss after all the boss as in

yep that's his wife wife he remarried I

must have fainted cuz the next thing I

knew I was lying on the floor and Colin

was checking my pulse gee you scared me

what happened I said Katie was the

boss's wife and you went pale and

fainted so you tell me what happened oh

I think I just didn't drink enough water

today that's all um sure okay Colin and

I became the closest co-workers he sort

of became like a guardian angel to me

your lunch today has all the nutrition

you need can't have you faint in my

kitchen again although although what

well I haven't performed CPR in ages I

might need a refreshment course you know

that doesn't count as a kiss right it

only makes you a creep Emily you pervert

how dare you go there I was merely

suggesting you help me practice a life

saving

technique ha haa Colin you know if you

want you can ask me out like a normal

human being as I was walking back home

that evening grinning from ear to ear

that I finally had a boyfriend who

seemed to like me for me I remember that

he actually didn't know the real me he

didn't know my name was Emma or that our

boss was my dad over the next few weeks

I kept looking for an opportunity to

tell them but there never seemed to be a

right time one day Katie told us there

was an extra shift available for a

waitress at their house because they

were hosting a party and I jumped at the

opportunity Bingo as I entered their

mansion that evening I felt a sense of

nostalgia and the realization dawned on

me Dad's life hadn't stopped or changed

like mine after he'd moved on he didn't

actually lose anything for him mom and I

were just a pit stop magnificent isn't

it oh hey yeah it really is when we went

inside Katie welcomed us warmly she was

always kind but in her home she seemed

more warm and maternal it felt like we

were guests not employees kids come show

Emily around and put her bag in the

locker rooms hey Emily nice to meet you

hi as they showed me around I felt like

they were living the life that was

stolen from me what a lovely house oh

you've won so many math and art

competitions I see did your mom take you

to all of these both Mom and Dad they

never miss a competition oh Dad too

that's nice my dad never took me to

anything oh I'm sorry Emily I'm sure he

was just busy dad is busy sometimes but

he always makes it up to us so he did

know how to be a real dad what did these

kids have that I didn't why couldn't he

love me like he loved them I sat in the

locker room alone staring at the wall

and just overthinking every memory I had

of us when Colin came in and suddenly I

just burst into tears Emily what's wrong

Colin I have to tell you something and I

found myself spilling my whole story and

the reason I came to work for Dad I

spared no detail Colin's mouth had

dropped to the floor he was silent for a

few seconds after I finished then looked

up at me honestly good for you what

you're not upset that I lied to you no

one knows this but my real name is

Samson I hated it and hated my parents

too so I changed it and I left home at

18 I wouldn't say the real me is Samson

who was an angry teen at home Colin is

who I choose to be every day so that's

who I really am he was so right the

decisions I made daily were What defined

me you know what he deserves anything

bad that comes his way I want in

[Music]

silent Moon

let

heart peace whisper

flow

night a

blanket so

still stop

are

Bing to

will in the

shadows we

fall

Sparks the light of the

[Music]

PO in the

shadows we find

[Music]

whisper

secrets and

TW cross the

weakness lost in this

Str mystery calls through the night

hearts that take flight motion so tight

[Music]

o

[Music]

call through the night hearts that

take motion so tight

[Music]

[Music]

[Laughter]

during the party I managed to slip for a

couple of minutes into dad's office I

wanted to find something I could use

against him so I scanned the room well

to make myself familiar with it then

left since it was the holiday season I'd

have plenty of waitressing opportunities

at his house to sneak in again I noticed

that he had a safe in his office and

every time I snuck in I tried every

possible four-digit combination I could

think of his kid's birthdays his wife's

his own but nothing worked until one day

I randomly tried my birthday and the

lock clicked open wow now that's a

surprise did he still think about me

maybe he did love me for a minute I felt

guilty and didn't want to go on with my

plan but then I remembered if he

actually loved me he would have

recognized me by now now so no he

probably used my birthday because it was

the last thing anyone would ever know or

think of thanks again Daddy inside I saw

piles and piles of money I wanted to

snatch it all and run back home but I

knew that only works in movies instead I

started stealing small portions I did

not feel any guilt dad was plain awful

to everyone around him including his own

wife then one day he surprised us with a

visit at the restaurant what are you

doing here dear

well it's my restaurant isn't it I'm

here to check if everything is running

smoothly that's what I'm here for why

can't you let me run the restaurant

without constantly trying to control

everything listen here pretty face I

know you got bored as a housewife and

you want to play manager but I have real

work to do here so why don't you go for

a stroll as I check everything out no

this is UN I wasn't asking Katie stormed

out of the restaurant on the verge of

tears as he continued to check

everything up close everyone was

terrified of him especially me you over

there me this was the first time he had

spoken to me directly in years yes

what's your name I felt sweaty and

tongue tied but then I felt Colin moving

and standing behind me he put his hand

on my shoulder to let me know he had my

back em Emily sir Emily are you new here

been here a few months now sir I just

then two Shady looking men walked into

the restaurant and saved me from the

investigation dad left me alone and

followed them into a small room at the

back of the restaurant sometime later

the head cook was called in two and when

he walked out he looked flustered an

hour later dad and the Shady men came

out of the room shook hands and then all

of them left what's that all about I'll

try to find out later that night I just

couldn't fall asleep my dad had looked

me in the eye talked to me and he didn't

recognize me at all how do you recover

from that the next day Colin came

rushing to to me looking ready to burst

Emma we got it really what did you find

out yesterday he made a deal to import

illegal Seafood he wants to use that in

dishes without disclosing it to

customers the head chef and Sue Chef are

in on it I overheard them talking bingo

I knew he'd be up to something crooked

now we have to think of a plan to expose

him I wanted to teach him a lesson and

also see if he would flee and leave his

new family when things got rough for him

but later that day his kids came in for

lunch and they had prepared holiday

gifts for the staff my gift had a

special drawing of Me no one else had

one oh that's thank you it's lovely the

kids love you Emily they keep saying how

you treat them like normal kids not the

boss's kids when she said this I had a

flashback to my own childhood a lonely

spoiled kid with no real friends no one

treated me like a normal kid when he was

around just a few days later when I was

working at his house again Dad came

barging into the kitchen furiously he

had discovered that someone had been

stealing from his safe count your days

whoever you are did you think that a

house this big doesn't have security

cameras once I get the tapes it's over

for you omg security cameras my face

turned green and I felt nauseous what's

wrong with you don't you dare puke in my

kitchen I'm kind of sick sir how often

do you come to my house I've come a few

times maybe you stumbled into my study

found something you liked answer me

excuse me sir stop stop grilling this

poor girl she would never do it how can

you be so sure because I've asked her to

grab me things from my room a million

times and she never touched any jewelry

or clothes so if she wanted to steal she

would have stolen a hundred different

things by now everyone was staring at

the three of us confused but not as

confused as I was nothing that Katie

said was true why was she defending me

Katie these kinds of people don't

deserve your kindness well wait for the

tapes in the meantime these kind of

people it echoed over and over in my

head how I wanted to say your daughter

Flesh and Blood dad but I held my tongue

I suffered that humiliation but I never

showed up to the restaurant again I

texted Katie that I just couldn't work

there anymore I had stolen enough money

but I wasn't done with my revenge yet

Colin had managed to take photos of

receipts in The Cook's office and it was

all the proof I needed about Dad's

illegal Seafood purchases I go public

and destroy him and I would enjoy it but

at the same time whenever I imagined his

downfall I only saw his kids being upset

or hurt and every time they popped up in

my head an image of my broken younger

self also popped up Colin I want him to

suffer badly but I feel if I go through

with this I'll be putting his family

through what Mom and I went through and

I would feel guilty forever I don't know

what to do baby just by considering

their feelings in future you are already

a 100 times better than your dad it's

your decision do what feels most right

to you and after much consideration I

decided to put the matter into someone

else's hands I asked Katie to meet me at

a diner that night hello Emma uh-oh

that's a bad start I figured out your

identity shortly after hiring you and I

wondered why you had chose to work for

us now I know you stole that money from

us to get back at your dad but don't

worry I destroyed the tapes but then why

did you defend me Emma Once I figured

out who you were I dug into his history

and found out everything about you and

your mom your dad is a jerk he deserves

this why are you with him then for the

money you deserve so much better the

kids deserve so much better I don't care

about the money but I don't want my

children to go through what you guys

went through I want to wait until

they're older before getting a divorce

he is a mean husband and partner but I

can't deny that he is a great dad to the

kids I understand but in case you change

your mind take this do as you please

with this information Katie's eyes grew

wide as she realized I'd handed her

proof against dad I didn't know about

this thanks Emma a few months later I

saw on the news that dad was in prison

and his restaurant license had been

taken away because he was importing

illegal food and the same day I got a

text message from Katie thanks again

Emma I needed it

[Music]