Nancy is shocked when she runs into her high school sweetheart begging on the street. Despite her boyfriend’s protests, Nancy offers her ex a job at her father’s firm. However, her kind offer soon comes back to bite her.

Nancy had just left the office after a long workday at her father’s firm. Her boyfriend, Christian, was a few steps behind her. He’d bought tickets to a concert featuring a vocalist Nancy adored. She smiled broadly as she thought of the wonderful night ahead of her.

Christian and Nancy had been dating for almost a year and a half. They’d met at work, where Christian was a bigshot executive. Dad had introduced them on one of the rare days he’d come into the office before he got sick, and they’d hit it off immediately.

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“Excuse me, ma’am, could you spare some change?”

An oddly familiar voice interrupted Nancy’s thoughts. She spun around and noticed a homeless man seated against the side of the building nearby. He had a cardboard sign propped up in front of him asking for money to buy food. The handwriting on the sign was familiar, too.

Nancy stepped closer and peered at the beggar’s face. He wasn’t making eye contact with her; instead, his gaze was directed somewhere near her feet. Although he wore several layers of clothes and had a scruffy beard, she recognized her first love immediately. “Joe?” Her voice caught in her throat.

Startled, the man looked up, and for a fleeting moment, their eyes met before he glanced away. It was indeed Joe, her high school sweetheart, now unrecognizable beneath the layers of hardship etched on his face.

Before Nancy could react, Christian appeared at her side. “What’s going on here?” he asked, eyeing Joe with disdain.

Nancy stammered, “Christian, this is Joe. We went to high school together.”

Christian’s brows furrowed. “This… beggar?” He sneered at Joe.

“Joe, it’s me, Nancy,” she said, not caring about her boyfriend’s grumpy attitude. Nancy reached out tentatively, and Joe, recognizing her touch, met her halfway in an embrace.

Christian’s anger boiled over as he forcefully pushed Joe away from Nancy. “Stay away from her,” he spat.

Nancy’s heart sank at the confrontation. “Please, let me talk to him.”

Christian’s eyes blazed with fury. “Fine, but make it quick. We’ve got plans,” he snapped, crossing his arms.

Nancy swallowed her unease and turned back to Joe, concerned. ” I’m so sorry about that. What happened?”

Joe’s eyes were resigned. “Life, I guess,” he muttered, shrugging.

As Nancy delved deeper into their past, Christian seethed in silence, growing increasingly impatient. But Nancy’s empathy overshadowed Christian’s frustration. She wanted to understand what had led Joe to this moment.

Christian, tired of waiting, stepped forward abruptly. “We need to go, Nancy. This isn’t our problem,” he demanded, stepping in between Nancy and Joe, pushing him away while discreetly placing his wallet in the homeless man’s pocket.

He grabbed Nancy’s arm and guided her to his car while she protested. He got in the car and started patting his pockets. “My wallet! That thief stole my wallet!” Christian said. “I’m calling the police!”

But just as he was about to, Joe knocked on the glass of the passenger seat. “Hey, I found your wallet!” he said when Nancy rolled the window down. Christian’s lip curled dangerously.

“See? It was just a misunderstanding,” Nancy smiled happily.

“I bet took money!” Christian said, still trying to make his plan work. “See. I’m $200!”

“I didn’t take your money,” Joe shook his head.

“Yes, you did!”

“Christian, enough!” Nancy said, frowning, and she got out of the car. Christian followed.

“Joe, how about you come by the firm tomorrow? I bet there’s a job for you,” Nancy offered, making Christian’s jaw drop angrily, and Joe’s eyebrow fly into his hairline.

“Really?”

“Yes,” Nancy continued, reaching into her pockets for cash. “You’ll need this for a change of clothes and a good night’s rest somewhere. I’ll help you get back on your feet.”

“Thank you, Nancy. I won’t let you down,” Joe promised, his eyes glinting.

Christian seethed but returned to the car once Nancy retook her place.

***

The next day at the office, Joe, adorned in clothes paid for by Nancy, stepped in with a newfound determination.

Christian observed Joe’s rejuvenated demeanor with disdain. “Back from the streets, I see. Nancy’s little pet project,” he scoffed.

Joe held his composure, choosing not to engage in Christian’s provocation. Instead, he focused on the menial tasks Christian assigned him, a silent testament to his gratitude for the chance given by Nancy.

As the day progressed, Joe couldn’t help but notice the subtle yet undeniable camaraderie between Christian and a colleague, Lily. Their interactions seemed overly familiar, their laughter a little too intimate. Worry began to sprout in Joe’s mind.

While cleaning the cubicles of other employees, Joe saw Christian and Lily disappearing into his office; their conversation was hushed, but their body language was evident. They’re lovers or worse.

Christian and Lily emerged from his office sometime later, looking rather pleased with themselves. The woman was carrying a thick envelope that could only contain one thing—money. Too much money.

Taking a chance, Joe discreetly entered Christian’s office, determined to discover what was happening.

Rifling through the papers scattered on Christian’s desk, Joe stumbled upon a locked drawer. Instinctively, he sensed that unlocking it might reveal the truth behind Christian’s strange behavior. After a brief search, he found a key hidden under a liquor bottle on a nearby shelf.

Just as the key turned in the lock, Christian barged in. “What the hell do you think you’re doing in my office?” he barked.

Caught off guard but undeterred, Joe tried to maintain his composure. “I… I was just looking for—”

Christian cut him off. “Get out! You’re fired!” he bellowed, his eyes narrowing.

As Joe hesitated, Nancy’s voice echoed from the doorway. “Christian, what’s going on here?” she inquired, concern etched on her face.

Christian quickly composed himself, masking his agitation. “I just fired Joe for snooping in my desk drawers,” he replied, crossing his arms.

Joe tried to explain what he had seen with Lily, making Nancy frown.

“He’s lying,” Christian snapped. “Covering up for the fact that he wanted to steal more from me!”

Nancy’s intuition kicked in. “I want to search your desk, Christian,” she asserted firmly.

Christian’s façade faltered slightly, but he reluctantly relented, his eyes darting between Nancy and Joe. As Nancy meticulously searched the desk, her expectations of finding incriminating evidence heightened, only to discover a small velvet box nestled among the papers.

Puzzled, Nancy opened the box, revealing a glittering ring. Confusion swept over her face, her eyes shifting from the ring to Christian. “What’s this, Christian?” she asked.

Christian chuckled. “Oh, that’s… was a surprise for you, babe. I was planning something special for us,” he said. “Joe just ruined it.”

Nancy rubbed her forehead and sighed heavily before speaking. “Joe, please, I think it’s best if you leave,” she uttered with a heavy heart.

Joe nodded solemnly. “I understand. I’ll go,” he replied, his eyes downcast.

As Joe left the office, Nancy closed her and felt an overwhelming need to escape the mounting tension. “I’m going home, Christian. I need time to think,” she announced wearily. Her boyfriend nodded.

***

At the office building’s parking lot, Joe waited. Christian came out carrying a bag and didn’t see when Joe stepped in front of him. “We need to talk,” he stated firmly, his eyes holding a steely resolve.

“What do you want, bum? You’ve caused enough trouble already,” he retorted mockingly.

“I know what you’re hiding, Christian. The truth will come out sooner or later,” he asserted.

Christian’s mask slipped momentarily, replaced by a flash of unease, but he quickly regained his composure. “You have no proof. Stay out of this,” he warned.

Joe produced a set of documents and challenged Christian. “I know what you’ve been doing. These documents speak for themselves,” Joe declared. He had sneaked into the office again after Nancy started gathering her things to leave and retrieved them. He had caught her in the parking lot and shown them to her.

To Joe’s surprise, Christian smirked. “Those papers mean nothing, Joe. The real evidence is safe and sound—on my external hard drive. I’ll take it home and make sure it stays hidden,” he boasted.

“Really? What’s in there that isn’t here?” Joe goaded.

“As if I’m going to tell you,” Christian chuckled, confident. “It’s mostly…some creative accounting. You wouldn’t understand.”

“But I would,” a female voice joined. Nancy had been hiding behind a column, and as she walked closer, Christina’s eyes widened at the phone in her hands. She had also been recording everything. “Your deception ends here, Christian. I have your confession. Hand over the hard drive.”

“Nancy, it’s not what you think,” Christian tried to reason, panicking as his hands tightened on his bag. But security appeared behind him, and a few minutes later, the police arrived.

The documents Joe had grabbed weren’t enough to incriminate anyone, but they gave Nancy enough reason to suspect her boyfriend of doing something strange. The police also went upstairs and discovered the thick envelope of cash on Lily’s desk, solidifying the truth.

When the dust settled, Nancy turned to Joe. “I’m so sorry for not believing you earlier. Thank you for opening my eyes,” she expressed, her eyes glinting.

Joe offered a reassuring smile, understanding, and forgiveness in his gaze. “It’s alright, Nancy. We all make mistakes, and you treated me better than even my own family when I was at my worst. I wouldn’t let someone like that hurt your father’s firm or you.”

Nancy nodded and hugged him, so grateful she had not dismissed him just for his appearance. He was still the same loyal man she had loved before. She didn’t know if they would ever be more than friends again. But this moment of comfort was enough.

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