The icy wind cut against Richard’s skin as he pulled his ragged coat tighter around himself. His face was tired, his steps heavy. For the past month, he had been wandering from one office branch of his own company to another. At each stop, he looked for just one thing—not money, not praise, but kindness.
But everywhere he went, he found the opposite. Cold stares. Mocking words. Guards shoving him away. Every single branch had failed him.
Now, this was his last chance.
This office was managed by Tom—a young man Richard had personally mentored back in his university days. Richard had poured years of guidance into Tom, shaping him, teaching him about leadership, respect, and the values that built the company.
As he trudged toward the entrance, Richard thought about the old days. He used to visit offices in limousines. Employees would line up in suits and dresses, smiling brightly, holding champagne glasses just to impress the “great owner.”
But those days were gone. Today, he was just Richie—the homeless man no one cared about.
He was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice a man walking straight toward him until they collided.
The man glared. “Watch where you’re going, you bum!” he snapped before storming inside.
Richard didn’t react. By now, he was used to being called that.
Taking a deep breath, Richard entered the building. Immediately, the security guard stepped forward, blocking his path with a hard stare.
“What do you want, bum?” the guard asked, his voice filled with disgust.
Richard stayed calm. “I just need to warm up… maybe get something to eat.”
The guard snorted. “This isn’t a homeless shelter. Get out.”
Richard didn’t move. He kept his voice steady. “Please, I’m only asking for food. Could you call Tom? He’ll understand.”
The guard laughed coldly. “Tom? Ha! He’d throw you out faster than me.”
“Please,” Richard said again, softer this time, hoping.
The guard rolled his eyes as if he were being asked to do the hardest job in the world. Finally, with a grunt, he called Tom.
While waiting, Richard’s eyes drifted to the couch nearby. It looked soft and warm—he longed to sit. But before he could move, the guard barked, “Don’t even think about it. Stay where you are!”
Richard nodded and stepped back.
At that moment, the elevator dinged, and a young woman walked into the lobby. She gave the guard a polite smile, ready to head upstairs. But when her eyes fell on Richard, she stopped.
Her face softened. “Sir, are you alright? Do you need help?”
Richard hesitated. “I just… need to warm up. Maybe some food. Even just water.”
Without a second thought, she pulled out a bottle of water from her bag and handed it to him. “Here, take this. Actually—come with me. There’s food upstairs.”
Richard looked at her, surprised. “But… it’s your water.”
She shook her head firmly. “It’s nothing. Please, come.”
Before Richard could move, the guard cut in sharply. “Tom said no one comes in without his permission.”
The woman frowned. “This man just wants to eat. What’s your name, sir?”
“Richie,” he answered.
“Richie just wants to eat,” she repeated firmly.
The guard folded his arms. “Tom’s on his way down. Until then, this bum stays put.”
Her expression hardened. “This is shameful! He’s a person just like you and me. Why should he be treated like trash?”
Before the guard could reply, the elevator doors slid open. Tom stormed out, looking irritated. “What’s all this noise?”
Richard spoke first, his tone polite. “Good afternoon, sir. I only wanted to warm up and maybe have something to eat.”
Tom sneered. “Do I look like a soup kitchen volunteer? Get out! Now! You’re making us look bad. What if a client sees a bum hanging around here?”
The woman stepped forward. “Tom, he’s just hungry!”
Tom snapped at her, “And what’s it to you, Lindsay? You’re just my assistant. Get back to work!”
The woman’s jaw tightened. Richard noticed a flicker of pain in her eyes.
Tom turned to the guard. “Throw him out. Now. And you—” he jabbed a finger at her—“come with me.”
As she passed Richard, she leaned close and whispered quickly, “Go to the back entrance. I’ll take you to lunch.”
Richard barely had time to nod before the guard grabbed his arm and shoved him out onto the freezing street.
Shivering, Richard made his way to the back entrance. Minutes later, the woman came out, her smile warm despite the cold. “Let’s go. There’s a little restaurant nearby. It’s simple, but the food’s good.”
As they walked, Richard asked softly, “I don’t even know how to thank you. Lindsay, right?”
She laughed lightly. “Actually, my name’s Nancy. Tom never remembers. He calls me something different every day. But don’t thank me. Really—it’s nothing.”
They reached the restaurant. Inside, waiters shot Richard disapproving looks, but Nancy ignored them. She led him to a table and pushed a menu toward him. “Order anything you like. My treat.”
Richard blinked. “Do they pay you that well, that you can feed strangers so easily?”
Nancy’s smile faltered. “Not at all. When I interviewed, Tom promised me a higher salary. But later, he said it was too much for a fresh graduate. So… I just make do.”
Richard’s fists clenched under the table. This wasn’t the Tom he had trained.
Nancy quickly added, “But money doesn’t matter. My grandmother always told me, ‘Kindness is its own reward.’ She was right. Helping you—it feels good.”
Richard reached across the table gently. “Your grandmother was a wise woman. And you—you’re even wiser for listening to her.”
Nancy smiled and paid for everything, even packing extra food for him to take.
For the first time in weeks, Richard felt warmth—not from the food, but from genuine kindness.
The next morning, the office buzzed with whispers. Something had happened.
Nancy asked a colleague, “What’s going on?”
Her colleague looked pale. “The company owner… he’s dead. Since he had no family, no one knows who inherits.”
Nancy’s stomach dropped. “What does that mean?”
The colleague lowered their voice. “Tom thinks it’s him. He was the owner’s protégé, after all.”
As if on cue, the lawyer walked in. Tom rushed over eagerly. But the lawyer brushed past him. “I’m not here to chat. I need to see Nancy.”
The entire office froze. Everyone stared.
“M-me?” Nancy stammered.
“Yes,” the lawyer replied. “Are you Nancy?”
“Yes…” she said nervously.
“Then please, come with me.”
Inside the conference room, Nancy’s hands trembled. “I don’t understand. What’s going on?”
The lawyer calmly laid a folder on the table. “You’re the new owner of the company. Congratulations.”
Nancy’s mouth fell open. “WHAT?!”
He nodded. “Richard left it all to you. Here are the documents. And—this letter.”
Nancy tore it open and began reading.
“Dear Nancy,
Six months ago, I learned I was dying. It shocked me. But what troubled me most was this: who would inherit my company?
I had no wife. No children. No family to pass it on to.
So, I made a choice. I disguised myself as a homeless man and visited every branch of my company. I wanted to see the true hearts of my employees—not the masks they wear when the boss is watching.
I was disappointed. Most turned me away without a shred of kindness. I nearly gave up.
Then I met you.
Nancy, your kindness saved me. You treated me like a human being when no one else would. You gave without expecting anything in return. That is the heart I want leading my company.
Lead with compassion. Lead with honesty. Everything else, you will learn in time.
Yours truly,
Richard (or as you knew me, Richie)
P.S. Your first job as the new owner: fire Tom. And when you do, call him Timmy.”
Nancy sat frozen, the letter shaking in her hands. The weight of everything crashed down on her. She, the overlooked assistant, was now the owner.
And outside, Tom was pacing like a king waiting for his crown—unaware that his reign had already ended.