"You're Ugly!" Rich Guy Mocks Disabled Girl, Sees 6 Cadets Head Towards Him — Story of the Day

The excitement of prom turns into a nightmare for a disabled girl when a rich boy she asks to be her date mocks her. Just as he is about to get away with his bullying, a group of cadets from a nearby military academy step in to deliver him a rude awakening...

17-year-old Lori was the kind of person who lit up any room she entered. Her bright smile, infectious laughter, and big, grey eyes sparkling with confidence—something about her drew people in.

A fatal car crash when Lori was five had snatched more than her happiness. She had lost her mother and her ability to walk and was raised by her dad, who was her true support every step of the way.

Lori has been a wheelchair user since then, but she never let her physical challenges get in the way of living her life to the fullest. There was only one thing the teenager kept hidden deep inside her heart—a longtime secret crush on Roger, the most popular, charming, and wealthy guy in her school...

Lori was Roger's secret admirer since day one of their meeting in eighth grade. The moment she saw him walk into the classroom, her heart fluttered like a butterfly, and she fell head over heels for him.

For years, up until grade 12, her fondness for Roger had grown deeper. Lori would daydream about what it would be like to talk to him, to be near him, to make him laugh at her silly jokes...and to dance with him, although Roger never attached any importance to her.

Lori went home smiling that night, guessing little that Roger had something else brewing in his mind.

As the bell rang at the end of the last period, Lori gathered her things, took a deep breath, and mustered the courage to ask Roger to be her prom date. She wheeled behind him all the way to the beach near her school, and when she was convinced nobody was around, she called out to him.

"Hey, Roger," Lori shouted, smiling at him as she wheeled closer. "I was wondering if you'd like to go to prom with me?"

An eerie silence washed over Roger as he stared at Lori with disgust.

"Are you kidding me?" Roger sneered.

"You want to go to prom with me? You're in a wheelchair...and gosh...You're ugly! Who would want to go to prom with you?"

Lori's heart shattered into a million pieces, and Roger's words hit her like a ton of bricks. She couldn't believe the boy she'd secretly admired and loved, who she thought would make her smile, would mock her.

"Roger-I...I thought we were friends," she whispered. "I thought you were different and that...and that you liked me."

Roger burst into giddy laughter, enjoying the dominance he held over poor Lori at that time.

"Friends? And you thought I liked you? Whoa! What a joke. How stupid of you to even think I'd fall for someone like you!"

"Roger, stop...you're hurting me," Lori cried, but Roger wouldn't stop taunting her.

"You had the nerve to come and ask me on a prom date? How dare you! Have you seen the hot chicks that hang out with me in school? What makes you think I would take you to prom? Do I look like a fool...to dance around your wheelchair?"

As Roger continued to mock Lori, the sound of heavy footsteps approaching startled him. A group of six young cadets from a nearby military academy were marching in their direction, and Roger's face turned pale as he realized he was in deep trouble.

"Hey, leave her alone," one of the cadets yelled, approaching Lori. "No one talks to a girl like that."

Roger's eyes widened in fear, and he almost broke into a cold sweat when the cadets surrounded him, their faces stern and demanding an explanation. He grinned at Lori and fled the spot like a coward.

As Lori watched Roger flee, she could not hold back her tears. His cruel words kept ringing in her head as she looked over at the cadets with kind faces staring at her.

"Hey, are you okay?" one of the men said. "We were just passing this way and saw the boy yelling at you. Is everything alright?"

Lori tried to fight back her tears. She could feel the weight of Roger's cruel words and the humiliation of rejection burning deep in her chest.

"The biggest disability is not about a missing arm or leg...it's about not having the heart to appreciate someone for who they are and not for how they look."

Lori hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to share her pain with the strangers. But their genuine concern made her feel safe, so she opened up to them.

"I—I asked Roger to prom," revealed Lori. "But he turned me down and laughed, saying I look ugly. I feel so hurt. But that's okay. Maybe it's my fault for liking him in the first place..."

The cadets exchanged worried glances and decided they would not let Roger's cruel behavior go unpunished.

"No, that's not okay. You don't deserve to be treated that way," one of them said. "You're beautiful and amazing...just the way you are."

"Yes, you are," added another. "Where can we find this boy, 'Roger'? I think we need to have a small man-to-man talk with him."

"He must be in the gym,' she said. "But please...please don't do anything to him. I don't want him to get hurt coz of me."

"Don't worry, Lori. We'll take care of it!" the cadets nodded as they made their way toward the gym.

As the men entered the gym, they looked around for Roger and were distracted by the boy's loud laughter. They noticed Roger narrating his encounter with Lori to his friends, and they all shared a hearty laugh.

"...And she asked me to be her prom date. Is she out of her mind? That ugly—" Roger's laughter slowed down, and his face turned pale when he saw the cadets approaching him again.

"Hey, champ! Do you mind stopping your laughter for a second? Coz we've got some business to settle."

"Wha—What are you doing? Hey, wait...stop...stop...let me go."

"Look here, boy. Your behavior towards Lori was unacceptable. You better apologize to her, or we'll have to deal with this our way."

Roger realized he was in deep trouble and began to back away, but the cadets were too quick for him.

Lori was watching everything from outside the glass door and was startled when she heard Roger crying, followed by what sounded like fists hitting flesh.

But as she looked closer, she saw the cadets were not hitting the boy but were taking turns boxing the punching bag to show Roger what they were capable of.

"You see that punching bag? If you don't apologize to Lori, you're going to take its place. What say, champ? Are you in on this man-to-man deal?"

"Listen, man," one of them said, his voice firm yet calm.

"You can't treat people like that. You have to learn to show some respect, especially to those who are different from you. You are nobody to judge them. You're not perfect just coz you are not disabled, alright?

"The biggest disability is not about a missing arm or leg...it's about not having the heart to appreciate someone for who they are and not for how they look," added another.

Roger's face flushed red with humiliation, and he just nodded. The cadets let him go and were astonished when they turned to face Lori, who was watching everything.

"We took care of it. He won't bother you again," one of them said. "And hey...when did you say your prom was?"

The prom was in full swing two weeks later. Students were swaying to jazz on the dance floor. The ballroom was filled with the sound of laughter and chatter, and the colorful lights of the disco ball lit the hall in a dazzling display.

Everyone was dressed to the nines, and the students were enjoying themselves with their dance partners. Even Roger was having a great time with his prom date.

Suddenly, the crowd fell silent, and all eyes were fixed on the door as Lori slowly entered the dance hall, escorted by the six young cadets.

Lori looked gorgeous, like a princess straight out of a fairytale in the Cinderella prom gown. The ruffled dress flowed out around her in layers. Her hair was styled in loose waves, with a sparkling tiara crowning her head.

"Wow!" gasped Roger, unable to take his eyes off Lori.

As the music filled the air, the crowd on the dance floor cleared up, and the cadets in roller skates made their way to the center with Lori.

The men surrounded her and danced in sync, their skates gliding effortlessly across the floor with Lori in the wheelchair. They lifted her off the wheelchair and danced, Lori's face dazzling up with joy as she twirled around, laughing.

As they continued to dance, more people joined in, clapping and cheering as they watched the display of compassion on the dance floor. All eyes were on Lori as she danced and swayed, and she was no longer just a bystander at the prom, thanks to the six young cadets!

Roger's heart started pounding as he looked at the beautiful sight unfolding before his eyes. He felt guilty for humiliating Lori and calling her names. He was ashamed of himself for judging her by her looks and realized Lori was not someone to be defined by her disability.

The crowd was awed in surprise when Roger approached Lori with a bouquet of roses.

"Will you dance with me, Lori?" he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry...I am really ashamed of making fun of you, Lori. I had no idea you were really cool and so beautiful," he added as Lori sat back in her wheelchair and danced along in circles.

"I forgive you, Roger...I know you didn't mean to hurt me. It was my bad...I thought you liked me. But it's okay. And you were right. I'm not like those 'hot chicks' who hang out with you. I'm different and special, and I'm perfect the way I am!"

The music stopped suddenly as the announcement for the prom queen was being made. All the boys and girls crossed their fingers and exchanged excited glances when the chaperone took the mic.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The moment we've all been waiting for is finally here!" the chaperone began as he opened the envelope.

"Our prom queen is someone who has made a lasting impression on all of us tonight...with her kind heart, infectious energy, incredible swag, and immaculate beauty. So without further ado, the 2021 prom queen is...Lori!"

The night ended with a massive surprise for Lori. She was crowned prom queen, and the cadets circled her in skates, cheering for her.

"Hey, congratulations!" Roger said.

Lori smiled, finding herself at a loss for words because she hadn't expected her confidence would help her triumph over what some people thought was her flaw. Deep inside, the girl was glad she had shown everyone that disabilities do not define people. Lori went home smiling that night, guessing little that Roger had something else brewing in his mind.

After the prom, he decided to visit the six cadets.

Roger was nervous when he arrived at the cadet campus the next day. He looked around and was astonished by the discipline that was taught. He had never been in such an environment before and knew this was where he wanted to be.

He made his way to the group of six cadets and thanked them for what they had done for Lori. The men welcomed him warmly and were impressed by his willingness to change and appreciate others.

"Hey, and how about becoming a cadet here?" Roger expressed his interest in joining the academy. "I know it's not going to be easy...but I want to do this for myself and for someone I like."

As time passed, Roger threw himself into rigorous training. Over the coming weeks and months, he found he had become more disciplined and focused and started seeing the world differently.

Roger's hard work paid off in the end. He became a cadet and earned the respect and love of his peers. Surprisingly enough, he also won Lori's attention again. He realized that physical appearance and flaws do not define a person. He no longer saw Lori as the girl in a wheelchair but as someone truly special who deserved every sense of happiness and love.

What can we learn from this story?

• Look beyond a person's physical limitations. Respect and regard them as people with unique strengths and abilities instead of judging them. Roger mocked Lori when she asked him to be her prom date. However, he regretted his mistake and was guilty when she garnered everyone's attention at the prom.
• Flaws and disabilities do not define a person. Despite being a wheelchair user since she was five, Lori never let her disability define her. She was always chirpy and confident and lit up every room she went to.

Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.

When a disabled girl falls behind without a prom date, her dad surprises her by stepping up for her. The reward he gets in recognition of his love for his child transforms their lives. Click here to read the full story.

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.