The story of Derek Ryder is a heart-wrenching one. Derek was a boy who grew up deeply embarrassed by his mother, Gail. With only one eye and scars covering one side of her face, she was not the kind of mother he felt proud to show off. As a young boy in school, he noticed how the world, especially his friends and their mothers, reacted to her appearance with discomfort and aversion.

Derek made it his mission to hide his mother away from the world. He crafted elaborate stories about why his mother couldn’t meet his friends or attend events. To him, she was a secret he’d rather not reveal. He sought refuge in lies, telling his girlfriends over the years that his mother was overly religious to avoid introducing them.

The turning point came as Derek approached a milestone—his high school graduation. As the valedictorian, Derek faced immense pressure to introduce his mother to the world. His school’s headmaster, eager to congratulate Derek’s parents, inadvertently cornered him.

Torn between maintaining the façade he’d built and the inevitable truth that would unfold if his real mother attended his graduation, Derek chose the former. A plan was concocted, involving a hired actress to stand in place of his mother. Beautiful and unscarred, she was everything Gail wasn’t in Derek’s eyes.

The day of graduation was just as heartbreaking as it was significant. Gail, upon seeing her son in his regalia, was filled with pride and naturally wished to attend. But Derek, cold and distant, crushed her hopes. He refused to let her come, deriding her appearance with hurtful words. Gail, heartbroken, was left behind as Derek walked away with a hired stranger by his side to fulfill his social expectations.

After graduation, Derek left for college and severed all contact with his mother. Ten years of silence followed before news reached him that his mother had passed away. He returned home for her funeral, overwhelmed by mixed emotions and regret.

Meeting with her lawyer, Derek discovered his mother had left behind a sizable estate and their family home. Confused and taken aback, he learned the truth through her lawyer. The scars Derek had been so ashamed of were a result of her sacrificing herself to save him from a vicious dog attack when he was merely a toddler. The funds left behind were a result of compensations and settlements from that tragic incident.

Overcome with guilt and sadness, Derek finally realized the depth of his mother’s love and bravery. She had been a hero, shielding him from harm at a great personal cost. His shame had blinded him to the nobility of her actions.

In a poignant moment of clarity and regret, Derek visited his mother’s grave and embraced the memories he had tried so hard to push away. He vowed to never hide his past or the truth about his mother ever again. A picture of Gail, glasses concealing her scars, found a place on Derek’s desk, serving as a constant reminder of love, sacrifice, and the regret birthed by his youthful vanity.

Ultimately, Derek’s journey teaches us the profound impact of our actions and attitudes towards the ones we love. His story is a testament to the enduring power of a mother’s love and the peril of succumbing to societal pressures. It’s a reminder to embrace and cherish our loved ones, flaws and all, before it’s too late. Life, after all, is too short to live with regret.