{"id":8168,"date":"2026-01-22T15:33:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T15:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=8168"},"modified":"2026-01-22T15:33:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T15:33:37","slug":"my-life-changed-forever-after-i-spilled-coffee-on-a-millionaire-at-the-mall-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=8168","title":{"rendered":"My Life Changed Forever After I Spilled Coffee on a Millionaire at the Mall"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It was a regular day at work. I was mopping the floor near the food court in the mall when I accidentally bumped into a man, knocking his coffee straight from his hands. When he stared at me with wide eyes, I thought he\u2019d scream at me. What happened next changed the course of my life.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve been alive for over 62 years now, and let me tell you, life never stays the same. The one thing about time is that it passes. If you\u2019re going through a bad time, know that this too shall pass. And if you\u2019re having the best time of your life, know that this won\u2019t last forever.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I\u2019ve seen my fair share of good and bad days. Let me first tell you about the good days.<\/p>\n

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A woman looking outside a window | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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When I was 28, I fell in love with a man I\u2019d met at a metro station. He was a kind man and loved me so much. We dated for years and did some of the craziest things together. We\u2019d take weekend trips to the beach, dance in his tiny apartment kitchen, and stay up all night talking about our dreams. I thought we were building something real together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But when the time for a real commitment came, his hands started trembling, and he started stuttering like I\u2019d asked him to do something impossible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A man | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMarriage?\u201d he said, looking at me like I\u2019d suggested we move to Mars. \u201cLana, I\u2026 I don\u2019t know if I\u2019m ready for that kind of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhat kind of thing? Love? A future together?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s just\u2026 it\u2019s so permanent. What if we change? What if this feeling goes away?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The truth was that he wasn\u2019t ready for marriage. He just wanted a fling, but I was looking for something real.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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As a result, I had to end our relationship.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What\u2019s worse is that he didn\u2019t once ask me to stay back. He didn\u2019t even ask me for time to think about getting serious in life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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An upset man | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI think we want different things,\u201d I told him that night, my heart breaking with every word.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He just stared at me with wide eyes when I told him I was breaking up with him. \u201cGood luck, Lana. I hope you find what you\u2019re looking for in life,\u201d is all that he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But what luck was he talking about? I was 35 by the time I left him, and I didn\u2019t have a decent job or my own place to live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A bed | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The heartbreak had taken a toll on me. I wasn\u2019t ready to face the world. I\u2019d spent seven years thinking I was building a life with someone, only to discover I was just filling time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Those were the dark days. Days when I wondered if I\u2019d made the right choice. Days when I questioned if anyone would ever really want to build something lasting with me. I was starting over at 35 with nothing but a broken heart and a small savings account that wouldn\u2019t last long.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman counting money | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But you know what I learned during those difficult months?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sometimes life breaks you down just to build you back up stronger. Sometimes the worst thing that happens to you leads you exactly where you need to be.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I just didn\u2019t know it yet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Not having any work experience or motivation, I found work as a cleaner at a local school.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A school building | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The hours were long, the pay modest, but the children filled a space in me that had remained hollow for too long. I became close with some of them, especially those who needed more than just a clean classroom. Those who needed kindness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The school became my second home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Every morning, I\u2019d arrive before the kids and make sure their classrooms sparkled. But the real magic happened when they walked through those doors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Children<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Children in a school | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cGood morning, Miss Lana!\u201d they\u2019d call out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What made me happy was that I wasn\u2019t just the cleaning lady to them. I was someone who cared.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I remember how their eyes would widen whenever I\u2019d slip them a homemade cookie from my lunch bag.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cDon\u2019t tell the teachers,\u201d I\u2019d whisper with a wink.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Some of these kids came to school hungry, and a simple chocolate chip cookie could turn their whole day around.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Chocolate<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Chocolate chip cookies | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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There was little Sarah, whose mom worked three jobs and never had time to help with homework. I\u2019d sit with her after school, helping her sound out words until reading clicked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMiss Lana, I did it! I read the whole page!\u201d she\u2019d squeal, and my heart would nearly burst with pride.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Then there was Marcus, who got picked on for his old clothes and worn-out shoes. I\u2019d save the nicest art supplies for him, telling him he was the most creative artist I\u2019d ever met.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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His drawings covered my bedroom wall like a personal gallery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A boy drawing on a paper | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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And Jordan. Sweet, quiet Jordan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He was a foster kid who was moved from home to home more times than any child should. He\u2019d linger after everyone left, helping me stack chairs and sweep floors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou don\u2019t have to stay, honey,\u201d I\u2019d tell him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But he\u2019d shrug and say, \u201cI like helping you, Miss Lana.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I\u2019d pack extra apples and crackers from the staff room, making sure he had something to eat at home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We\u2019d sit together doing his math homework, me explaining fractions while he trusted me with stories about his different foster families.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A boy looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhy do they always send me away?\u201d he asked one afternoon, his small voice breaking my heart.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOh, sweetheart,\u201d I said, pulling him close. \u201cIt\u2019s not about you. You\u2019re perfect just the way you are. Sometimes grown-ups just don\u2019t know how lucky they are.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I stayed at that school for 15 wonderful years. When budget cuts forced the school to close down, I cried for weeks. Those kids had given my life purpose when I thought I\u2019d lost everything.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I found work at the nearby mall after that.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A mall | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The transition was harder than I expected. Working at the mall wasn\u2019t like working at the school. At the mall, people stared at me, giving me looks like I was doing some dirty work or like I was unclean and contaminated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There weren\u2019t bright-eyed children giving me smiles and hugs. These were busy adults who barely saw me as human.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Shoppers would walk past me while I mopped, sometimes stepping right over my wet floor signs without a word.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A wet floor sign | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Teenagers would drop their trash right next to garbage cans I\u2019d just emptied, laughing as they walked away. Security guards would nod politely, but most everyone else treated me like I was invisible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Some days, I\u2019d go hours without anyone speaking to me except to complain about something.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cExcuse me, this bathroom is disgusting,\u201d they\u2019d say, even though I\u2019d cleaned it an hour earlier. \u201cCan\u2019t you mop somewhere else? You\u2019re in my way.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It was lonely work. Every day, I missed those sweet voices calling out \u201cGood morning, Miss Lana!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I missed feeling needed, valued, and loved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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An older woman standing in a mall | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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One day, I was mopping the marble floor near the food court, lost in thought as always.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I didn\u2019t notice the man walking around the corner, talking loudly on his phone in a crisp designer suit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cDude, I\u2019m not selling this business, not even for two million!\u201d he barked into his phone, gesturing wildly with his free hand.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And that\u2019s when it happened. I was backing up with my mop bucket when I bumped straight into him, knocking the coffee cup right from his hand. The hot liquid splashed all over his expensive suit, staining the front of his jacket and dripping down his pants.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He looked down at the mess, then up at me with fire in his eyes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A man standing in a mall | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I braced myself for the screaming that was sure to come. I\u2019d seen it before. There were angry customers who treated me like dirt over much smaller accidents.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m so sorry, sir! I\u2019m so sorry!\u201d I stammered, grabbing paper towels from my cart. \u201cLet me help you clean that up. I\u2019ll pay for dry cleaning, I promise!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But then something strange happened. His face completely changed. The anger melted away, replaced by something I couldn\u2019t quite identify.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He stared at me with wide, confused eyes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMiss Lana?\u201d he said slowly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A close-up shot of a man | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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My heart nearly stopped. Nobody had called me that in years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cNo way\u2026 Miss Lana! It\u2019s you! It\u2019s me, Jordan! Remember?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Suddenly, I could see past the expensive haircut, the tailored suit, and the confident posture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I saw the shy, lonely boy who used to help me stack chairs after school. The foster kid who\u2019d light up when I saved him an extra apple.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cJordan?\u201d I whispered. \u201cLittle Jordan?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"An<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

An older woman | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cNot so little anymore,\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Tears started streaming down my face. \u201cLook at you! You\u2019re all grown up and\u2026 and you look so successful!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou helped raise me,\u201d he said in a trembling voice. \u201cYou were more of a mom to me than anyone I ever had. You made me feel safe when nowhere else did. You believed in me when no one else would.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I was crying openly now, not caring that people were staring. This beautiful, successful man was once the scared little boy I\u2019d loved like my own son.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Tears<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Tears in a woman\u2019s eyes | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019ve been looking for you for years,\u201d he continued. \u201cWhen the school closed, I tried to find you, but you\u2019d moved. I wanted to thank you for everything you did for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jordan told me he\u2019d finally been adopted by a wonderful family who saw his potential. He\u2019d gone to college, started his own business, and now owned several companies. He was married to a lovely woman named Rebecca and had three children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Three<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Three kids standing together | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAnd guess what?\u201d he said. \u201cRebecca and I have been looking for someone special to help with the kids. Someone who knows how to love children the way you loved me. Would you consider being their nanny? Their grandma, even?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It\u2019s been a year since that day at the mall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I live with Jordan\u2019s family now in their beautiful home. I help with homework, bake cookies, and tell bedtime stories to three amazing children who call me Grandma Lana.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Jordan\u2019s wife Rebecca treats me like family, and Jordan still looks at me with the same grateful eyes he had as a child.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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My life has become something I never thought I\u2019d have. At 62, I\u2019m blessed to have a real family who loves me for who I am. Not because of money or status, but because someone remembered the small acts of kindness I gave when the world barely noticed me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And for the first time in my life, I truly feel like I\u2019m home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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If you enjoyed reading this story, here\u2019s\u00a0another one<\/u><\/a>\u00a0you might like: Four days before my wedding, I crept downstairs for water and overheard my dad and stepmother laughing about lies that had shaped my entire childhood. What they said next turned my world upside down, and I knew I couldn\u2019t let him walk me down the aisle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was a regular day at work. I was mopping the floor near the food court in the mall when I accidentally bumped into a man, knocking his coffee straight … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8162,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8168"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8173,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8168\/revisions\/8173"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}