Mean Girl Bullies School Janitor, Realizes Who He Really Is - Story of the Day

A mean girl constantly mocks the innocent school janitor and bullies him for his job. But when she finally realizes who he really is, she's taken aback.

Jessica was your typical 16-year-old rich brat. Her dad was a military veteran, and her mom was a top corporate executive, so she never missed out on anything. Besides, since she was an only child, her parents never went against her, not even when she disrespected someone.

As Jessica grew up to be a teenager, those habits were instilled in her, and she started disrespecting anyone who didn’t seem as wealthy as her. And soon, she also found the permanent target for ill-treatment: the innocent school janitor, David.

Jessica sneered at him every time she passed by, saying things like, “Hey, weirdo janitor. Did you have food today? Oh wait, can you even pay for the food?”

But she wouldn’t stop at just the mean comments. Sometimes, she’d spill something on the ground on purpose and ask him to clean it in front of her friends and then look at him and laugh.

On the other hand, David never responded to Jessica because he believed she was still a child who would improve over time. But that didn't happen, and Jessica eventually did something that compelled the janitor to speak up.

Rehearsals were going on for the Father's Day function. Jessica was aware that David was in charge of cleaning the main stage, which he would do between the events and following each rehearsal session.

So, before the first practice session ended, she walked to the stage and splashed oil all over the stairwell. As soon as David climbed the stairs, he slipped on the oil and fell flat on his stomach. All the students started laughing at him.

When David looked up, he noticed Jessica smirking at him and quickly understood it was her doing. Still, he didn’t lash out at her. But before he left, he told Jessica politely, “I know it was you who did it, but I won’t scold you. I was once in the military, and I have seen people become better, and I hope the same for you. So, promise you won’t do this to anyone.”

Jessica laughed. “Huh? Military? And you? Have you looked at your face, you pathetic loser? You were born to mop the floors, and that’s exactly what you’ll do till the day you die.”

“Jessica, I’m not lying. I did serve in the military. In fact, I was one of the best soldiers, and I even saved a life.”

“Oh, really? Do they hire liars in the army too? Well, in that case, you should try again,” Jessica said coldly.

David gave her a pleasant smile. “Well, I can give you proof that I really worked there. How about that? Will you believe me then?”

“Absolutely not! You’re a loser, and that’s what you’ll remain. Now get out of my way!” Jessica screamed and stormed out of the room.

Two weeks later, Father’s Day came and Jessica’s father, Chris, was invited as a chief guest to her school. He gave a magnificent speech about how kids can contribute to the nation’s growth, and the instructors and other parents praised him greatly.

After the speech, Jessica and her father were heading down the corridor when she observed David mopping the floor. The moment David noticed they were heading out of the hall, he immediately began moving all of the cleaning supplies out of the path.

Unfortunately, some water spilled from the bucket and fell on Chris’ shoes. Within no time, Jessica lost her cool. “You idiot! Are you blind? Do you even know how expensive those shoes are?”

Chris intervened, “Jess, calm down.”

“Dad, you don’t know him. He’s such a weirdo. I can’t explain! I hate him!” Jess yelled at the top of her voice.

“Jess, please, my shoes are fine. Let’s not ruin our mood, okay?” Chris calmly told her and then turned to David.

“I apologize for what my daughter said...” Chris was about to finish his sentence when he abruptly stopped. 'Wait, I think I know who he is. But where have I seen him?' he wondered, pausing for a moment. Suddenly, it hit him. “David, is that you? Cadet 101 from batch 6?”

David was shocked. "How did you recognize me, Sir? It's been a long time."

"How can a soldier forget another soldier," Chris told David and hugged him.

"Eww, dad, why are you hugging him? He's so dirty!" Jessica cried.

"Jess, you shouldn't talk like that. Do you even know who this man is?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, dad. He's a soldier. So? There are a lot of soldiers, but it doesn't mean they're all great," Jessica replied in a disinterested tone.

“Oh God, Jess. He’s not just any soldier. Remember I told you a soldier saved my life during the fierce battle in Iraq? He’s the one.”

Jessica was stunned. “Wait, what? Are you serious?”

“Yes, Jess. David is someone I’ll never forget. It’s because of him that I am alive today,” Chris explained and then turned to David. “Why didn’t you react to my calls or messages, David? I was waiting to hear from you!”

“Thank you for the compliment, Sir. But it was my duty,” David responded with a smile. “How could I let someone die in front of my eyes, especially another soldier. And as far as the messages are concerned, I didn’t reply because I was too embarrassed to contact anyone after living such a poor life.”

“Oh, David, you should never say that. If you need any help, I am just one call away, okay?” Chris replied with a warm smile. “Also, please keep an eye on Jess. I know she’s a tough one, but I’m confident that if she sticks with you, she’ll grow into a better person.”

“But dad...”

Jessica was about to finish her sentence when Chris interrupted her. “No, I won’t listen to you this time, Jess. You embarrassed me today. David is a hero who saved your father’s life. And you behaved so disrespectfully towards him? You shouldn’t judge people based on their looks or their job, Jess.”

That day, Jessica realized that she shouldn’t have disrespected David like that. She apologized to him and promised her dad that she would never maltreat anyone.

What can we learn from this story?

• Don’t judge a book by its cover. Jessica judged David and disrespected him simply because he worked as a janitor.
• Treat everyone with respect. Despite Jessica's rudeness, David never retaliated and instead patiently explained things to her.

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