'I Owed Him' Stranger Gives Bag with $1M to Poor Girl Who Just Lost Her Dad – Story of the Day

A girl was sitting alone in her house after her father's death when someone knocked on the door. Who could it be? she wondered before opening the door to see an unknown man standing on her doorstep holding a bag. What he told her was completely unexpected.

Alice was only 18 when she lost her father to a life-threatening disease. When the doctors first told him about the condition, Alice thought her father would recover, but fate had other plans.

Years ago, she lost her mother in a car accident, and losing her father made her an orphan. She always felt bad for kids at orphanages, but now she was one of them. Alice was not ready to live alone. The thought of not having her father around scared her the most.

Alice had lived with her father in the house he had inherited from her grandfather. After the doctors said his condition was deteriorating, Alice tried her best to make her father feel at ease. She took care of him, hoping he would recover soon.

A day after his death, Alice realized she had to pay off a huge debt. She had taken loans for her father's treatment and thought she would repay them by working multiple jobs. That seems impossible, she thought to herself after calculating the total amount she needed to pay back.

Her father only left her his house, which needed repairs in every room. Alice had no idea how she would pay the debt, and thinking about it made her realize how much she missed her father.

"I wish you were here, dad!" Alice said while wiping tears off her cheeks. She always relied on her father to solve her problems, but now she had to think of a solution herself.

"I'm so sorry, I'm late," the man said and extended his hand to give the bag to Alice.

Later that evening, Alice was sitting on the couch in the living room, thinking about her late father, when she heard a knock on the door. Who could it be? she thought as she rose to her feet.

While walking towards the door, Alice couldn't think of anyone who would visit her at this time. All her friends and family had already offered their condolences at the funeral a day ago.

When she opened the door, she saw a man standing on the doorstep with a bag in his hand. Alice had no idea who he was.

"I'm so sorry, I'm late," the man said and extended his hand to give the bag to Alice.

"I owed him."

Alice couldn't understand why the man was giving the bag to her. She held the bag and gave him a confused look. "Open it, please," the man requested.

Once Alice unzipped the bag, she couldn't move her gaze away from its contents. The bag was full of money, but Alice had no idea why the man handed it to her.

"What's this for?" she asked him with a surprised expression.

"Well, I owed it to your father," the man explained. "My name is Stephen. I was―"

"I'm sorry, Stephen," Alice apologized. "I forgot to invite you inside. Please come in."

She asked Stephen to sit on the couch in the living room. "Should I make a cup of coffee for you?" Alice asked politely.

"Thank you," Stephen replied. "But I'm only here to give you the money I owe your father. He was the kindest man I have ever met."

Alice sat on a chair across the couch where Stephen was seated and asked him how he knew her father. "I met your father 19 years ago when I was nine," Stephen explained.

"Really? Where did you meet him?" Alice asked.

"After my parents passed away, I lived with a foster family who didn't treat me so well," Stephen lowered his gaze and fiddled with his fingers. "Living with them would have been a nightmare if it wasn't for your father."

Alice was surprised to learn that an unknown man greatly respected her late father.

"You can give me your first million."

"He was my next-door neighbor," Stephen recalled. "He was the only man who helped me when I had no one around. Because of the negligence of my foster family, I couldn't concentrate on my studies."

"Oh, I'm so sorry you had such a horrible experience," Alice said.

"Yeah, but your father saved me," Stephen replied. "When he learned about my low grades and why I couldn't score better, he instantly offered to help me with my studies for free."

Then, Stephen explained that Alice's father helped him with homework every day after school and taught him every subject from scratch.

"He was like a second father to me," Stephen said. "I can never thank him enough for helping me when I was at my lowest."

Stephen scored the highest marks in his class after Alice's father helped him with his academics. "When I asked him how I could thank him, he jokingly replied: 'You can give me your first million,'" Stephen recalled.

"I just smiled when he said that, but I had set a goal to pay him," Stephen added.

"I brought him my first million, but I'm too late."

Alice was shocked after learning that Stephen valued her father so much. She knew her father never wanted a million dollars. "But you know he didn't mean what he said, Stephen," Alice said. "He only wanted you to succeed."

"I know," Stephen replied. "I am the CEO of my IT company because of him. I earn a good amount every month, and I think your father played a huge role in my career development."

Alice was shocked and happy at the same time, but she wished her father was still alive to see how he had influenced Stephen's life positively.

"My dad once told me about an orphan boy, and I think it was you," Alice said. "He would have been so proud of you!"

The following day, Alice took Stephen to her father's grave, and they prayed for him together. Soon, they became friends, and months later, they decided to tie the knot to spend the rest of their lives together.

What can we learn from this story?

• There's always light at the end of the tunnel. After her father's death, Alice didn't know how she would repay her debts until she met Stephen and received a million dollars. She had no idea that fate's plans were better than hers.
• Always be kind to others. Although Alice's father did not know Stephen, he still helped the kid because he knew no one else would help him. He had no idea that his kindness would pay off years later.

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Click here to read another story about a poor girl who was deprived of her house, not knowing it had a hidden cellar inside.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.