Monica had a handsome boyfriend, a successful career, and a beautiful home, yet none of these things filled the aching hole in her heart. She was just sleepwalking through life until a chance encounter with a homeless man in an elevator changed everything.
In their building’s elevator, Monica and her boyfriend, Damian, bumped into a homeless man, causing Damian to grimace. “Ugh, his stink’s gonna stick around. How’d he even get in?” Damian complained loudly.
The homeless man mumbled a sorry and hurried out, but Damian was still furious. “Let’s take the stairs. That elevator’s filthy now,” he insisted.
Damian walked away, but Monica shook her head and got into the elevator.
Back at their place, Damian was fuming about his job. “Why didn’t you put in a good word for me, Monica?” he grumbled. “How long do I have to wait for a promotion? I’ve been waiting for months now!”
“I told you to be patient, Damian. Things—” Their conversation was cut short by a neighbor knocking on their door, annoyed about the homeless man asking for Monica. When the poor man showed up at their door, Damian was rude yet again. “Get the hell out! How dare you come here?”
The homeless man revealed he was looking for his backpack, and Monica quickly went inside and fetched it for him. She’d found it in the elevator and brought it along. “Thank you, miss. Everything I need is in here,” the man said, relieved as he got the bag. “All, uh, my food’s in here.”
Monica sensed something was wrong. The bag seemed too light, and she was sure it was empty. “Umm, just wait here for a few minutes, please. I’ll be right back,” she said and went to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Damian rolled his eyes. “You’re not giving our dinner to that guy, are you? And you touched his bag! Jesus! The germs are still on your hand!”
“Why do you have to be so mean?” she snapped, packing some food. “Stop it, Damian, okay?”
Ignoring Damian, she handed the food to the homeless man.
“It’s been a long time since anyone has been so kind to me. Thank you,” the man said. Their eyes locked for a moment too long, and Monica felt an inexplicable tug at her heart.
Why don’t I want him to leave? Why do I want him to stay around? What’s happening to me? she wondered, her mind racing with thoughts she couldn’t quite understand.
“It’s the least I can do,” she finally said.
The man thanked her again and turned to leave. Monica watched him go, a strange sense of loss washing over her as she shut the door.
I wanted to hug him and not let him go. I didn’t want him to be sad. The urge to comfort him, to offer him a safe harbor from his storm of grief, was overwhelming.
The next day, she surprisingly bumped into the homeless man in the hallway. He apologized for startling her and expressed his gratitude for her kindness. “What you did… it truly meant a lot.”
“I just wanted to help,” Monica shrugged and was about to leave, but the man stopped her.
“I need to tell you something important. I saw…” he paused. ” I saw your boyfriend with another woman, saying he’s planning to leave you and get you fired after getting a promotion through your recommendation,” he revealed.
Monica felt a jolt. “Why are you doing this to me?” she asked.
Monica started crying, feeling all too familiar with being let down. “I’m so tired of this,” she barely whispered, looking right at him. “In school, a boy dated me just to copy my homework. In college, another one needed me to cover for him being absent. And Damian… it’s the same old story. But I don’t want to be alone, okay? I don’t!”
“I thought you should know,” the man replied, his expression somber. “I didn’t want you to be blindsided. I’m sorry,” he apologized and offered to leave, but Monica, recognizing his genuine kindness and his intention to genuinely help her, stopped him.
“Wait!” she called. “Please, come inside. You can have a shower and do some laundry.”
Monica felt awkward as she cooked a meal for the homeless man. She still didn’t know why she offered a stranger entry into her home.
Suddenly, he came out of the bathroom in just a towel, looking lost. “Um, got anything I could wear?” he asked, looking around.
Monica couldn’t help noticing he was quite good-looking. Now that he was clean shaved and washed, he… was too attractive to resist.
Caught off guard, she quickly said, “Yea-yeah, there’s a robe you can use,” pointing to where it hung.
He came back wearing the robe, chuckling, “Feels a bit snug, doesn’t it?” His joke made them both laugh, and the air felt lighter.
Then, they introduced themselves — she was Monica, and he was Harry. They sat down to eat, mostly in silence, but it was a nice kind of quiet. Then Monica got curious about the big backpack he had. Harry’s face got serious. “It belonged to my daughter… I couldn’t save her from drowning.” Hearing his tragic story, Monica felt a strong urge to comfort him.
After dinner, Harry stood up, wanting to help clean up. “Let me take care of the dishes,” he said, heading to the sink. Monica went after him, planning to stop him, but when they both reached for a plate, their hands touched. It was like a spark flew between them, but then the doorbell rang, killing the moment.
Damian stormed in, all worked up. “Why’d you fire me?” he demanded.
“What did you expect after all the sneaky stuff you’ve been doing, Damian?” Monica shot back.
At that moment, Harry walked in, confused. Suddenly, Damian turned his anger towards him, yelling at Monica, “You cheated with him? That’s why you made an urgent call in the evening and got me fired?”
Monica stood strong, with Harry by her side. “Harry just showed me your true colors,” she said calmly. “You are the one who cheated on me!”
Damian mocked her. “You let him into our home? You’re foolish.”
Harry stepped forward, defending Monica. “Back off, and don’t speak to her that way!”
Damian just laughed and stormed out, and Monica hoped he’d stay out of her life.
After Damian left, Monica and Harry relaxed on the couch and enjoyed some wine. Harry raised his glass, “Cheers to your bright future.”
Monica smiled, clinking her glass with his, “And to this lovely moment we’re in.”
As they talked, they got closer, and a small kiss turned into something more. Before they knew it, they were in Monica’s bedroom, sharing a night filled with intimacy.
The next morning, Harry sat in her bed, regretting everything. “Last night… we might have rushed things. With our worlds being so different, I don’t see how we could work out,” he said, feeling guilty.
“I don’t care about our differences. It’s you I care about,” Monica responded, but Harry shook his head.
As he tried to leave, Monica stood in his way. “You can’t just walk away after last night. Please stay,” she pleaded. Harry couldn’t resist her. He finally nodded. “Alright, I’ll stay a bit longer, at least until I figure out my next steps,” he agreed, and they sealed the decision with a kiss.
Monica walked into the office feeling a bit lighter, thanks to Harry’s words. But the office vibe was off, filled with hushed talks and giggles.
“Monica, is it true you’re sleeping with a homeless man?” Cara, her colleague, blurted out.
Then Mike from Sales came over with a smirk. “Monica, I heard you’ve taken in a homeless man and are keeping him, half-naked, in your apartment to cater to your every whim. Good for you, but isn’t that a bit… unhygienic?”
Lisa, Monica’s secretary, also seemed worried. “Monica, are you alright? Is there any truth to these rumors?” she asked gently.
Monica opened up to Lisa, explaining her real bond with Harry. But Lisa cautioned her, remembering Monica’s quick dives into past relationships. Monica knew Damian had spread the rumors. But she didn’t care.
She was confident Harry loved her. However, coming back home one day, she found her apartment empty. Everything was gone — her savings, heirlooms, jewelry from the safe. Harry had disappeared, taking with him Monica’s trust.
I decided then that I would never allow myself to be so vulnerable again and never place my heart in someone else’s hands. The cost of love, it seemed, was too high a price to pay, and I was done with being used and tossed aside like trash.
Four years later…
Monica sat on the bench in the serene city park. She had transformed her fortunes dramatically with her astute business decisions. Now, she enjoyed the luxury of working part-time as a consultant for an esteemed company.
Suddenly, she heard a voice she knew too well. “Monica!” It was Harry, but he looked different, all dressed up in a fancy suit.
“I’m so glad I’ve found you,” Harry said, his eyes full of feelings Monica couldn’t quite figure out. He seemed sincere as he added, “I’ve been looking for you for three years.”
Monica’s surprise turned to anger fast. “I’ve been looking for you too,” she snapped, “but only to have you arrested for stealing from me!”
Harry’s smile faded. “I didn’t take anything from you,” he said quickly, trying to clear up the big misunderstanding. “I was at your place when Damian and some others showed up. They took everything… I tried to stop them, but they knocked me out. When I woke up, I was in the hospital and couldn’t remember anything. It took me a long time to get better. As soon as I could, I started looking for you, but you had already moved out of the apartment.”
Monica started to calm down, beginning to understand the whole story. “I had to move,” she said softly. “That place wasn’t good for kids.”
Harry looked confused, but before he could ask more, a little girl with blonde hair and bright blue eyes ran over. She hugged Monica tightly and called her “Mommy.”
“Harry, this is Jasmine,” Monica said. “And… she’s yours.”
Overwhelmed, Harry sank to his knees, tears in his eyes. “I… I can’t believe it. I tried to find you, Monica,” he stammered, his hand reaching out to Jasmine, then stopping as if he was afraid she might disappear.
Monica watched him, her heart torn. She called the nanny to take Jasmine away, then turned back to Harry. “Things have changed, Harry. I had to become strong for Jasmine,” she explained. “But I won’t keep you from meeting her. Here’s my number,” she said, giving him a card, and then started to walk away.
Harry hurried to her, gently grabbing her hand. “Thank you,” he said, “for giving me the chance to be a part of Jasmine’s life. It means everything to me. And I want you to know I never gave up on you. Not once. I’ve loved you every single day, even when I thought I’d never see you again,” he said.
Monica turned to him, her eyes softening as she saw his honesty.
“I won’t give up on you even now, Monica. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to warm your heart again.”
As the evening light wrapped around them, Monica felt a spark of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could find a way back to each other.
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