Homeless Man Offers Rich Woman His Last $7 Because She Was in Need — Story of the Day

Richard fell in love with a wealthy woman and donated his last $7 to help her. But what future would they have when he was merely a homeless man?

Angela and her husband Edward ran a business together in Orlando, Florida. Angela used to be the head of the marketing team, and their business was booming.

However, everything fell apart one fateful day when she discovered he was cheating on her. Angela confronted Edward directly, but the man wasn't ashamed of it and instead kicked her out of the company, leaving her bankrupt.

Having lost everything except a home which thankfully was registered on her name, Angela was wandering the streets one day, pondering where life would take her when she crossed paths with a homeless man named Richard.

He was a poor artist who aspired to become a famous painter even though up until now, the only places where his art had been displayed were either little eateries that couldn't afford a grandiose display or the streets, where he sat every day seeking someone ready to pay a fair price for his work.

Clearly, luck had never been on his side all these years, and he'd been barely getting by on the money he'd made from his job.

Richard was arranging his paintings for a sale one evening when his attention was pulled to a woman crossing the street. She seemed to be in her thirties, and by her appearance, she appeared to be quite wealthy.

So Richard, who was shivering in the cold and looking for someone to buy one of his paintings so he could afford a meal, decided to approach her. "Excuse ma'am, Can you please buy something from my stall? I haven't had food in a while, and it would be really kind of you if you could help me."

He noticed the woman's bright red eyes as she looked up. She appeared upset, and the puffiness under her eyes suggested that she'd cried a lot. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you. Everything's over..." She burst out crying.

Richard reasoned that perhaps something terrible had happened to her. So he gently inquired, "Could I please sit here, if you don't mind? I know it's none of my business, but maybe talking about it will make you feel better?"

The woman, teary-eyed, looked up at him and finally nodded. They sat there for a while, but the woman continued sobbing uncontrollably. Finally, Richard broke the silence. "Well, it's fine if you don't want to talk about it, but if you don't mind, may I give you a hug?

The woman stared at him for a moment, perplexed by his reaction, before warmly hugging him.

"I don't know how to express how terrible this day has been for me. Today is my 30th birthday, and I feel as if my entire life has come crashing down around me," she sobbed. "My husband is having an affair with my best friend, and I've lost my job. Thanks to him, I'm technically bankrupt, and all I have now is a house to live in with no one."

"It's going to be okay," Richard assured her. "I'm sure you'll figure something out. Actually, just wait here," he said as he dashed over to his stall, where he'd set up his paintings. He took out his last $7 savings and handed it to her. "I know it's not a lot of money, but I'm hoping it helps." At this point, she couldn't fight her tears.

"I can't take this from you," she said she wiped her tears. "However, thanks for being so generous and listening to me, I feel better already. I will make sure I get back on my feet and start working again. By the way, I'm Angela—Angela Matthews."

"Nice to meet you, Angela," Richard said. "I'm Richard Smith. Would you like to look at my paintings?"

This was Angela and Richard's first encounter, but soon after, it became commonplace. Angela frequently traversed the streets where Richard set up his painting kiosks, and sometimes, they would meet at a coffee shop in the evenings and speak about anything and everything that came to mind: their days, his paintings, and, of course, themselves.

Soon, Angela got a job in a publishing company, and through her help, Richard met a contact who gave him a huge order for his paintings. To say the least, Richard was over the moon until the owners closed the place where he used to paint and threw his belongings on the streets.

That night when Angela was returning from work, she found Richard sitting devastated at his stall. "What's wrong, Richard? Aren't you supposed to be working for your contract," she inquired anxiously.

"I don't have a place to live any longer, Angela," Richard sobbed. "I used to keep all of my painting supplies and artwork in an old, abandoned warehouse. But when I went there today, it was all on the streets. Everything had been ruined."

"If that's the issue, why don't you just stay at my home?" Angela suggested. "Anyway, I live alone so it won't be a problem."

"But are you sure? I mean, you have a job, and it'd be a hassle—"

"Nothing like that, Richard. You can use the place comfortably as long as you wish," Angela said.

That night, Richard slept soundly at Angela's place. And the next day, before she got up, he took a nice shower, shaved properly, and cooked a delicious breakfast for the two of them. When Angela saw him, she didn't recognize him. "Is that really you, Richard? Oh god, you look different, and when did you prepare all of this?" She was stunned to see Richard had cooked everything alone.

Richard grinned. "Won't you take a bite and tell me what you think?"

"Oh yes, I will," Angela exclaimed cheerfully.

From that day on, it became like a ritual for Richard to prepare breakfast every morning for her. He did it so that he could see the smile on her. After Angela left for work, he'd continue with his painting, and when she returned, they'd spend the evening together.

Richard was already in love with her, but he wasn't sure if Angela felt the same. So, for a very long time, he never confessed it to her. But to his surprise, one day, Angela told him that she liked him and wanted to have a family with him.

Richard confessed his feelings too, but he decided to take time until he was on his feet. Thankfully, it didn't take long because he was hired as an artist at a publishing company shortly after completing his first project.

A year later, Richard was in a stable position to open his own publishing company. And it was around the same time that he and Angela also decided to get married.

A few months later, they had a lovely wedding with close friends in Connecticut, and as Richard took the stage, he knelt and boldly declared in front of everyone that he would be grateful to Angela for the rest of her life. He claimed that if he hadn't met her and she hadn't supported him throughout his life, he would never have accomplished so much.

What can we learn from this story?

• A person can be really generous and helpful even with little means. Richard's generosity in assisting Angela and offering her his last $7 is an excellent illustration of this.
• Matches are made in heaven. Richard and Angela were fated to end up together, and that's why Angela's first marriage didn't work out.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a homeless woman who found $1 million in a trash can.

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