Spoiled Rich Girl Mocks Beggar, He Teaches Her a Lesson – Story of the Day

Aria is a rich and spoiled teenager who is used to disrespecting and looking down upon people from humble backgrounds. When a poor, older homeless man becomes her next victim, he takes drastic measures to teach an entitled Aria an unforgettable lesson.

Aria lived a life that many could only dream of.

With her designer wardrobe, luxurious penthouse apartment, and access to the best private schools, it was clear that her father, Mr. Langley, a successful businessman and doting father, had spared no expense in providing his daughter with the finest things life had to offer.

Growing up in the lap of luxury, 19-year-old Aria had come to expect nothing less than the best. And she never settled for the average!

Aria always got what she wanted because her loving, overindulgent father loved her to the moon and back.

Moreover, he was determined to ensure that his daughter never felt the absence of her mother. Aria had lost her mom to cancer when she was five, and since then, Mr. Langley stepped into the shoes of her mother, father, and everyone she needed him to be.

But as Aria grew older, she gradually developed a dismissive and judgmental attitude towards people from humble backgrounds. She felt entitled and superior and had no tolerance for the poor…

Aria's circle of friends were some of the coolest girls and guys from wealthy backgrounds. And she loved hanging out with them during her free time.

With just a week left before starting her new life in college, Aria decided to chill with her friends, go shopping, watch a movie, and make every moment count.

So, on that pleasant Saturday morning, Aria arrived at their usual meeting spot—a famous coin fountain, dubbed the 'wishing well,' in the town square.

When Aria got to the spot, none of her friends were there.

"Hey, it's me...where are you guys? We were supposed to meet at the town square, remember?" Aria called one of her friends.

"Hey, hey! I'm so sorry. My car broke down, so I'll not be able to make it on time...will catch up with you guys later, alright?"

"Fine!"

Aria was frustrated, and she called her other friends. "Hey, I'm waiting in the town square. How long until you're here?"

"Fifteen minutes, babe!" another friend replied. "Don't go anywhere. I'll be there in no time! See ya!"

"Alright! It's really hot, so make it fast. And pass the message on to the others. I'll wait for you guys. Hurry! We have to get the movie tickets before they sell out!"

Just as Aria hung up and turned around to sit on the fountain's edge and wait for her friends, she stopped abruptly and arched her brows in disgust.

"Ewwww, how disgusting!" she scowled at a homeless man already sitting there at the fountain and begging for alms from passers-by.

"Excuse me, young lady..." the man looked up at Aria. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I've fallen on hard times, and I'm struggling to buy a meal. Any spare change would be greatly appreciated."

Although Aria had wanted to sit, she changed her mind after seeing the homeless man occupying the spot.

How can I sit next to that stinky tramp? What will people think of me? she frowned.

Aria glanced at the older man from head to toe and grimaced. His appearance was anything but pleasant. His weathered face bore wrinkles of time, etched with the struggles of street life.

Tattered clothing hung loosely on his thin frame. His hair was unkempt, and he kept brushing his scruffy, white beard.

He smells awful! Aria thought with disgust.

A cup with sparse coins sat beside the older man. When Aria saw the coins, a strange idea struck her. Without further thought, she grabbed the cup of coins and turned to the fountain.

"Hey, hey, Miss, what are you doing? Please, stop...don't throw my coins..." the poor older man gasped in disbelief when Aria burst into a giddy chuckle and tossed the coins into the fountain.

The older man sprang to his feet, tears brimming in his eyes.

"God, what have you done? Why did you throw my coins in the water?" he cried.

"This is what happens when an old fool like you sits near a wishing well with alms!" Aria mocked.

"Oh, fountain, I wish I don't cross paths with such stinky folks again! Out of my way, oldie. You're spoiling my mood with your dirty appearance and smelly clothes. Go to some bus station or subway and set up camp there…outta here!"

"Young lady, kindly watch your words," the older man sniffled. "That money was for my bread and tea. I haven't eaten since last morning. How will I buy food now without that money?"

A sly smile sparkled on Aria's face when she saw the poor older man's desperation. She decided to tease him a little more and pass the time until her friends arrived.

"Oh, you're hungry and starving? That's so sad, old man! How about I give you one hundred bucks? Do you see this? Have you seen this kind of money in your life?!"

The older man's eyes lit up with hope at the mention of $100, which was a huge sum for him.

He could buy breakfast, lunch, and a thrifty blanket to beat the cold winter nights and set aside some money to buy breakfast the next day.

"So, old man. See this $100...it can be all yours! What's your name, by the way?" Aria waved the crumpled $100 bill at the older man.

"Johnny!"

"Okay, Johnny, what would you prefer? Those meager coins in the fountain or one hundred bucks? Think again…ONE HUNDRED BUCKS! Hurry up...I don't have all day!"

"I'll forever be grateful to you, young lady. Thank you so much for helping me. I'll gladly take the hundred dollars. Thank you…thank you so much! This means a lot!" Johnny teared up joyfully.

"Oh, you want the hundred bucks, do you? But I'm not ready to give it to you for free, old man. You gotta earn it," Aria teased as Johnny's smile shrunk.

He was so desperate that he was ready to do anything to earn that money.

"Alright, what do you want me to do?" Johnny asked Aria, guessing little about what Aria would ask him to do.

"It's simple. Bring me a coin from that fountain, and these hundred bucks are all yours!"

A sigh of relief washed over poor Johnny.

All she wants in exchange for $100 is a coin from the fountain. I can easily get it for her, Johnny thought as he rolled up his pant sleeves.

"I get a hundred dollars if I get you the coin, right? No changes?" Johnny asked Aria delightfully. He just wanted to be sure it was not a prank.

"You aren't deaf, are you? Go bring me the coin, old man!" Aria scowled. "Go, get deep into the fountain. I want the best coin you can get. Not some rusty one. Hurry up! I don't have all day. Go!"

A wave of joy swept over Johnny as he plunged into the fountain, searching for a glistening coin beneath the shimmery water's surface.

As Johnny wobbled his way across the fountain and picked a coin up, Aria pulled out her phone and started recording the moment on her phone. It made her laugh.

"Go, old man! That's my boy...go!"

Old Johnny's desperation to get the $100 was a source of great amusement for Aria, and she laughed heartily.

"I found it! I found the coin you wanted, Miss!" Johnny ran to Aria with a coin.

"Here you go, young lady!" Johnny handed the coin to Aria. He wiped his wet hands on his pants, eagerly waiting to get the hundred-dollar bill from Aria.

"What the hell is this?" Aria yelled at Johnny. "That's a damn quarter, you fool. I asked you to bring a dime, you idiot!"

Johnny's face fell. "I'm...I'm so sorry, Miss. But you just told me you needed a coin. So I thought…never mind, I'll bring the dime. Please, give me another chance."

"NO!" Aria hissed. "Do you think I'm some jobless beggar like you? Your bad luck, you lost this game! No second chances!"

Johnny gasped in disbelief as Aria tore the crumpled hundred-dollar bill into two halves and hurled it on his face.

"Oh my God! Why did you do that? I needed that money. It could've helped me buy food...and something warm for the night. Why did you tear it?"

"To see the look on your stupid face! Oh, look at you! God, I can't stop laughing... look at you, old man! You haven't seen a hundred dollars all your life, have you?!"

"You want that money? You want it? Oh no, it's fluttering away...run, old man. Get it before the wind carries it away!"

The desperation in the older man's eyes amused Aria. Johnny let out a sigh and took a deep breath before glancing down at the coin he was holding.

Just as Aria laughed and turned around, he uttered:

"I wish you regret your mistake and learn the true value of money and humility, young lady!"

With a heavy sigh, Johnny dropped the coin into the water.

"Jesus Christ! Did you just curse me, old man?" Aria turned around and asked Johnny, still chuckling. "Did you wish for me to be doomed? Should I get scared and cry...boo-hoo?!

"Do you think tearing and throwing away this hundred-dollar bill would bring me bad luck? What a fool! Do you even know how wealthy my father is?

"My manicure costs more than this cheap hundred dollars you needed to buy your meal for the rest of the week. It's nothing more than a tissue to wipe away my lipstick stains!"

Johnny swallowed hard and stood still, clearly disliking Aria's very presence and her entitled attitude.

"A hundred bucks for me is NOTHING! Do you hear me, oldie?" Aria laughed before noticing Johnny's last coin glistening on the fountain rim.

She swiftly picked up the coin. "I wish for a brand new car!" she declared and tossed the coin into the fountain.

"Well, I'm running late. You know what? Have fun begging under the hot sun for the rest of the day! Good luck!" Aria taunted and stormed away as Johnny watched her disappear into the bustling town square.

"Yeah, right, I'll be waiting for you guys at the mall, okay?" Aria called her friend.

Fifteen minutes later, Aria's friends arrived, and they chilled at a restaurant.

But half an hour later, Aria woke up in an entirely different spot away from the mall. She adjusted her blurry vision and found herself lying alone on a bench in the local park.

"Where am I? Jose? Annie? Where are my friends? I was at the café in the mall...how did I get here?"

Aria's head hurt as she tried to jog her memory. The last thing she remembered was drinking orange juice at the restaurant. She had started feeling dizzy and had asked her friends to drop her home.

But Aria could not figure out how she ended up all alone in the park.

She tried calling her friends, but her calls went unanswered. "What the hell? What am I doing here? I was supposed to be with my friends."

Aria decided to hail a cab home, but when she searched her pocket for the wallet, it was missing.

"What in the world? Where is my wallet? God, did someone steal it? My bank cards are in it...How will I get home now?"

Aria decided to pay after getting home and waved at an approaching taxi. But to her shock, the driver sped past her while giving her an insulting glance.

"Out of my way, you stinky tramp!" he scowled.

"TRAMP? Did he just call me a—" Aria's brows arched.

She suddenly felt people were looking at her differently and pulled her denim jacket closer to her body. She started feeling anxious. Aria did not understand why she was drawing all that negative attention all of a sudden.

"Why's everyone looking at me like that? What's wrong with me?"

Aria approached a café nearby and requested the waiter to bring her some water. "Can you make it fast? I'm thirsty."

"Alright, stay right there. Don't come inside, lady," the waiter rudely said as Aria glanced at him in disbelief.

"Why not? I want to sit inside for a while. It's so hot out here."

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. But according to our café policies, we're not allowed to let people like you inside. Wait here while I fetch the water."

"What do you mean by people like me?"

The waiter refused to stick around and stormed away.

"Why is everyone acting so weird today?" Aria shrugged her shoulders and walked home, only to freeze in shock upon entering the gate.

"Oh my God! Daddy, you can't be serious! Holy moly! Woohoo!" Aria bolted in joy toward the brand-new yellow car adorned with a bright red ribbon parked outside the house.

Aria was thrilled. This was her dream car, and it was finally hers.

"This is unbelievable! I got a new car! Thanks, Daddy...thank you so much! I love you…love you…love you! Thank you so, so, so much!"

"Who's got a new car? I've got a new car!" Aria sang and danced around the car when Mr. Langley hurried outside to see what was happening.

"What's going on over here?" he approached Aria, who screamed in delight at seeing her father.

"DADDY!! I'm so happy today. You're the BEST Dad ever. I love you so much. Thank you for this car!" Aria ran to Mr. Langley and jumped into his arms.

"Wait, STOP!" He pushed Aria away, much to her shock.

"What Daddy? Wh-Who are you, lady? I don't think I know you...What are you doing on my property?"

Aria's face paled. "Daddy, it's not funny, okay!" she said while trying to believe her father was joking.

"It's me, Aria, your pumpkin! Stop joking, Daddy!" Aria looked at Mr. Langley, who stood still, his brows furrowing with growing unease.

"Alright, cut it! I know you're pulling this stupid prank on me, Daddy. I lose...and you win, okay? I'm starving...let's eat something. And then I'll go for a drive in my brand-new car!"

"Back off, lady! I don't know you. Out of my property before I call the cops," Mr. Langley said, sounding stern and angry.

A chill ran through Aria, and she froze.

"Okay, it's not funny. Daddy, please stop! You're freaking me out...Let's go inside," Aria turned to her father.

"No, no, no, wait. You must be kidding me right now, lady, coz I don't know you. Who the hell are you? I see a homeless girl in my yard claiming to be my daughter…

"My daughter looks like a princess...not like some beggar from the streets! So leave before I call the guards and have you thrown out."

"Dad, wh-what are you talking about?" Aria stuttered. "It's me, Aria. Don't you recognize me?"

Aria then opened her phone gallery, hoping to show Mr. Langley pictures of them together. But when Aria checked her phone, she found all the photos deleted.

"No, wait, it can't be. What's happening? Please, you have to believe me. Daddy, it's me...Aria."

"Look, quit wasting my time. I don't know you," Mr. Langley dismissed Aria's pleas. Her heart sank further when she glanced at her reflection in the car window and stood back in shock.

Aria looked completely different and nothing like how she was when she left her home that morning.

Her face bore dirty, patchy stains instead of the expensive Coral Crush blush she usually wore. Her branded dress was filthy. Her shoes were soiled, and Aria looked nothing more than a homeless girl.

"What, no, this can't be. H-How did this happen to me?" she cried. "This can't be happening...no, this can't be happening. God....no, no, no..."

Mr. Langley anxiously looked around. "Look, lady, just get out of my property, or I'll have to call the cops. LEAVE!"

"No, no, Daddy. Please, listen to me. Something's terribly wrong. I don't know what's happening. I was with my friends at the café...and woke up at a park...I don't know what's—"

Aria dropped to her knees and tugged at Mr. Langley's leg.

"I ran into a homeless man at the fountain. He threw a coin into the water and made a wish...and then...I...God, he cursed me! He cursed me...that's why I've changed into a homeless person."

But Mr. Langley was not in the mood to listen any further.

"Listen, lady, don't touch me with your dirty hands. Back off and stop wasting my time. Out of here before someone sees me with a disgusting person like you. OUT!"

"No, Daddy, please..."

"Get out of my property!" Mr. Langley beckoned Aria to leave.

She nervously backed off before glancing at her disheveled appearance in the car window again.

It's all his fault. That old beggar…he did this to me, she murmured.

"GET OUT OF HERE, LADY!" Mr. Langley's voice boomed as Aria bolted out of the main gate.

"Homeless people these days think they can get away with anything. How gross!" she heard her father's voice fade.

Aria was back on the streets. She decided to meet her friends to find out what might have happened to her after she fell unconscious.

"Who are you?" a friend answered the door.

"Annie, it's me, Aria. Stop pulling my leg like my Dad. It's not funny..."

"Wait a minute. I don't have a friend who is a tramp. I don't know you, lady. You're dirtying my doormat. Out of here before I call the guards."

"Annie, please, Annie..." But the door slammed shut in her face as Aria walked to another friend's home.

Everyone treated her like a homeless person and didn't recognize her.

With her hopes dwindling, Aria hurried back to the fountain in the town square to confront the homeless older man and reverse his curse.

God, where did he go? He can't just do this to me and disappear into thin air. What will I do now? Nobody is believing me, Aria cried, staring intensely at the fountain.

Suddenly, an idea brewed in her mind. She decided to make a wish but did not have any money. So, Aria approached two strangers nearby and interrupted them.

"Hey, guys, do you have a coin to spare?"

The men looked at Aria from top to toe and frowned with disgust. "Don't come near us, you stinky tramp. Back off!"

"Tramp? Wait, you can't talk to me like that. You don't know who my father is. He's a rich businessman. I'm not a tramp," Aria teared up.

"Yeah, yeah, go on! Do you think we're fools?!!" the guys chuckled. "So why don't you ask your RICH DADDY for a coin, you beggar?!"

The guys burst into laughter as Aria stood in disbelief. Then, one of them whispered a plan in another's ear. "Cool, let's do it," the guy agreed before tossing a coin on the ground.

"Here, take that coin, you stinky piece of rotting garbage!"

Frustrated and angry, Aria picked up the coin and stormed back to the fountain to wish for her old life back.

"I wish my old life back..." Aria closed her eyes and declared before tossing the coin into the fountain.

She leaned and looked at her reflection in the water, waiting for a miraculous change in her appearance.

Unable to wait any longer, Aria jumped around in joy, screaming, "I won't be homeless anymore! I won't look like a tramp!"

As she shouted excitedly and danced, the guys burst into laughter and mocked her. "Are you out of your mind, lady? You need serious help."

Aria stood still, unable to believe her eyes. She glanced at the reflection in the fountain another time and noticed she hadn't changed a bit. Her hair was still messy.

Her face bore dirty, greasy stains. And her clothes were smeared in dirt. She started looking more miserable.

"Hey, do not laugh at me like that, alright? What's so funny? This is not who I am, okay? I'm cursed. Why are you laughing at me?" Aria lashed out at the guys.

"This is why!" One of the guys showed a video recording of Aria dancing and screaming near the fountain. "It's evident...you need help! The asylum is not far from here, right Zack?!"

"Yeah, pal!" another chuckled.

Aria swore under her breath and raced back to the fountain, where she cried her heart out.

"Why, why, you freaking fountain? Why did you do this to me? I want my life back. I hate you...I freaking hate you for doing this to me..."

Just as Aria sobbed bitterly, a familiar voice interrupted her.

"How does it feel when people treat you the way you treat them, young lady?" said Johnny, the homeless man Aria had ridiculed and mocked earlier that day.

"YOU??" Aria yelled. "It's all your fault, you ridiculous old man. You did this to me! You cursed me. Give me my life back. Give me my goddamn life back!"

"I didn't do anything, young lady," Johnny shrugged. "Whatever happened to you is because of the wishing fountain. So if you want your life back, ask the fountain...not me!"

"I did...I did..." Aria cried. "But it didn't work. Look at me...this is not me. I feel so disgusted. What should I do? I'm ready to do anything to get my life back."

"Anything?" Johnny asked Aria.

"Yes, anything. Tell me, what should I do to reverse this damn curse?"

Johnny brushed his scruffy white beard and looked up at Aria. He saw desperation brimming in her eyes.

"Alright. You have only one chance…until sunset. Give me the hundred dollar bill you tore up and threw away this morning...and then you'll get back to your old, sweet, and cozy life," said Johnny as Aria's face drained of color.

She sighed deeply and looked around. But there was no sign of the two torn halves of the $100 she threw away that morning.

It deepened her worry, and she had already started feeling defeated.

"How? The torn pieces of that money could've gone anywhere...gotten carried by the wind. Or swept away...maybe someone took it...how will I find that $100?"

"I'm not sure about that, young lady. You threw the money...so you must find it," Johnny replied.

"God, fine. I want nothing else...I just want my father to recognize me...wait a minute..." Aria muttered and paused. An idea struck her.

"Alright, just wait here, old man. I'll bring a hundred bucks...the same hundred bucks. Don't go anywhere. Stay right here."

Without further ado, Aria ran down the street and crept into her house. To her relief, Mr. Langley was nowhere around, so she silently tip-toed to the drawer where her dad stored some dollar bills.

"Gotcha! Now, nothing can stop me from getting my old life back!" Aria triumphantly whispered as she took a hundred-dollar bill from the box.

She slightly crushed the $100 to make it appear like the original hundred-dollar bill and tore it into two halves.

Aria grabbed duct tape from another drawer and fixed the torn pieces together.

"Great! That old fool will never be able to tell this is not the original hundred dollar bill," Aria thought and stole her way out of the house, only to stop dead in her tracks.

"You? What are you doing outside my house? Were you stalking me?" Aria hissed at Johnny.

"I was just making sure you were not trying to trick me by using your father's money," Johnny replied.

"No, this is the same hundred-dollar bill I tore up today, okay? I just came here to find duct tape to fix it up."

Johnny stared intently into Aria's eyes. He knew she was lying.

"Damn, it's the same hundred bucks, old man. Why don't you just take it…throw it into that goddamn fountain and reverse the curse?"

"It's your father's hundred bucks, and I can't take it. I want the hundred bucks you tore and threw away...is that clear? I WANT YOUR HUNDRED BUCKS."

Before Aria could explain, Johnny shouted out to Mr. Langley, "Sir, there's a thief who just broke into your house and stole your money!"

"Wait, shut up...shut up! What the hell are you doing? I'll get caught...He will call the cops. Stop shouting..."

Aria's heart pounded when the front door burst open. "Hey, is that you again? What are you doing outside my house? Should I call the cops, lady?" Mr. Langley came yelling.

"No, no, he told me to..." Aria turned around, but Johnny was gone.

"He was right here..."

"Listen, lady, if you don't leave my property, you'll have to deal with the cops. Do you hear me?"

Aria turned around and fled the spot before stopping to look at the yellow car parked outside. How she yearned for it to be hers. How her heart ached to get her cozy life back.

"What are you doing? Back off from my car, you dirty beggar. GET OUT!" Mr. Langley's grim voice boomed as Aria raced back to the street.

She felt defeated and back on square one. She aimlessly wandered along the road, condemning herself for crossing paths with the homeless older man and messing up with him.

"What do I do now? Where will I go?" she cried when a strange sensation crawled up her gut, followed by cranky rumbling noises. Aria was hungry and hadn't eaten a crumb since afternoon. So she decided to ask for alms at the park nearby.

"Excuse me, sir, could you help me buy some food? I'm hungry. Any little help you can provide would be greatly appreciated," Aria extended her hand to a passerby.

"Back off, lady. Look at you! You're young...not like you're missing an arm or leg or something. Even people with such challenges find work instead of trying to live off easy money. So why don't you get going and find work instead, you lazy fool."

Aria was disheartened, and after a string of more rejections and verbal abuse from passers-by, she gave up on begging for alms. She felt miserable and realized this was how all those less fortunate people she had mocked would have felt.

"God, what will I do? I shouldn't have torn up and thrown that hundred-dollar bill...I shouldn't have lived off my father's money...I shouldn't have looked down upon poor people...

"I get it. I get it! Money is hard to earn. I'm cursed to live like this on the streets for the rest of my life. It's my punishment for being so judgmental and rude to those less fortunate people."

"I lost. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Aria looked up at the skies and cried. "I give up. I'll live on the streets if that's what you want."

Aria stormed to a nearby wooden bench and slumped onto it. She had never felt so defeated and emotional before. She allowed her tears to flow freely and buried her face in her palms.

"Please, all I ask for is one chance for forgiveness. I'll mend my ways. I'll change for...good. Please, God, please..."

Just then, something tucked in the wooden crevice drew Aria's attention. Her heart pounded, and she could not believe her eyes.

"Oh my God! Is this the hundred-dollar bill that I...?" she gasped and pulled out one-half of the same crumpled hundred-dollar bill that she had torn and discarded earlier that day.

A small smile lit up Aria's face as she flipped the crumpled half over and over again. Warm beads of tears rolled down her cheeks when she realized she possessed only one-half of the bill.

"Who's got the other half? I need the other half to give it to that old man and reverse my curse," Aria cried.

Just as she looked around, hoping to find the other half of the bill, the dry maple leaves crunched, and the sounds of heavy footsteps drew closer.

A homeless woman approached Aria, holding the other half of the crumpled hundred-dollar bill.

"Oh my God! You...you have the other half!" Aria cried in joy and sprang to her feet. The woman walked up to her and sat on the bench.

Aria's eyes were desperately fixed on the other half of the $100 the woman held.

"I'm so grateful to you, Miss. Thanks for finding the other half of the money for me!" Aria chirped and extended her hand. "Can I have it?"

But the woman hesitated and looked up at Aria.

"Actually, I found it first, and it belongs to me now...I can't give it to you," the lady replied, jolting Aria like an electric shock.

Aria's brows furrowed. Anxiety and fear gushed into her veins as she frowned and sat beside the woman before politely saying, "Look, I want it back. This is my money."

"I don't trust you, young lady. How can you claim it as yours? Not like your name is written on the money!" the woman argued.

"Besides, you look like a street-dweller yourself. How can this one hundred dollars be yours? It's so much money for homeless folks like us?"

The lady's reply struck Aria like a thunderbolt.

"Listen, it's my hundred bucks. It's a long story, okay? I don't have time to explain everything to you now. I tore this bill and threw it off this morning at the wishing fountain. I don't know how it ended up here...but it's my money. I just know it. So give it to me."

The lady stared at Aria and was clearly not moved by anything she said.

"Listen, give it back, please," Aria demanded. "I urgently need it for something I can't tell you about. It would sound ridiculous, and you may not believe me. Please, this is really important. I need the other half back. It's my only chance...so please give it to me."

"I'm Grace," the woman introduced herself.

"Aria."

"Nice to meet you, Aria. Look, this could be your money. But I'm in a very tough spot, and I was going to ask you to give the other half of the money to me so I can exchange it at the bank."

"No, no, no...look, you don't understand..."

"Aria, please, help me. I need this money for my son. He's sick, and I don't have money to buy his medicines. We're living on the streets. If I don't get him treated on time, he may not survive. Please help me..."

Aria's eyes glistened with tears, and her heart pounded.

Torn between getting her old, cozy life back and helping the desperate mother save her son's life, Aria had to make a difficult choice.

"I understand. I feel your pain, Grace. But I'm not homeless like you think," Aria said, smiling through her tears. "I need this money."

"I get it, Aria. But is your need more important than saving someone's life? This hundred dollars is the price of saving my little Joe...

"Do you still want this money despite knowing it can save someone's life?"

A deep crimson rushed into Aria's cheeks. She straightened the crumpled half of the hundred-dollar bill and handed it to Grace without saying anything more.

"Thank you so much, Aria. I'll never forget your help," Grace thanked Aria and walked away with the money.

After sobbing a few minutes in silence, Aria rose and walked to the wishing fountain where old Johnny was feeding the pigeons.

"What took you so long, young lady? I was waiting for you. You have just until sunset to reverse the curse. Your time is almost up. Did you find the money?"

A grave silence engulfed Aria. "No, I didn't find the money. I guess it's over. Guess this is going to be my life from now onward..."

Johnny nodded. "Okay, so you give up? What have you decided? What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll have to get used to street life for the rest of my days...to cope with hunger...and ignorance...and humiliation."

"I wish I could go back in time and be a little kind to all those less fortunate people I mocked and looked down upon...

"I regret being so rude and entitled all my life..."

"Ah, c'mon. You're a strong lady. Don't cry. Come here," Johnny pulled Aria into a warm embrace. "Now that you've realized your mistake, consider you got your old life back, girl!"

"What?? But I didn't give you the hundred-dollar bill? The fountain did not grant my wish...How can the curse be reversed? How is it possible?" Aria gasped.

"Who said it's the fountain that does all the magic? Look over there…behind you!" Johnny said as a startled Aria turned around.

"DAD??" she exclaimed.

Her father, Mr. Langley, approached her with a warm smile and arms spread for a hug. Her friends accompanied him, and Aria was baffled.

"Wha-what's going on?" she exchanged skeptical glances with Johnny, who sat still, smiling.

"I'll explain everything!" Mr. Langley approached Aria.

"I happened to be here this morning when I saw you mocking this poor old man, Aria," Mr. Langley revealed.

"Although I wanted to stop you, I knew you would throw a tantrum. As soon as you left the fountain, I approached this kind old man who, without knowing that I was your father, told me how he wished he could teach 'spoiled brats' like you to respect people and learn the value of money...

"I agreed with Johnny. I even apologized to him and revealed I was your father. I called all your friends and learned you'd meet them at the café. According to Johnny's plan, we spiked your orange juice with a sleeping pill to prepare you for some enlightenment.

"Okay, wait, I can't process this. You guys staged this whole thing with Johnny to teach me a lesson?" Aria gasped.

"Yes, Aria! We were so not okay with how poorly you treated people from less fortunate backgrounds," one of Aria's friends stepped in. "But there was probably nothing we could do to nail it into your head and get you to respect them and treat everyone kindly."

"So when your father reached out to us, we agreed to help him. As soon as you fell unconscious after drinking the juice spiked with a minor dose of sleeping pill, we gave you a little makeover with a disheveled appearance…to make you look like a homeless person."

"And we left you at the park while closely monitoring your every move," added another.

"We staged everything to help you change, Aria," Mr. Langley cupped Aria's face. "I should've taught you to respect people and not get overshadowed by wealth. I know you probably felt miserable…but…"

"...that's how people you looked down upon would've felt when you mocked them, young lady," Johnny finished Mr. Langley's sentence.

"I'm glad you realized that money is valuable not for something you can buy with it...but for how it can change someone's life...

"For some people, a hundred bucks is nothing more than the cost of a manicure...or a movie ticket. But for many, it could be life-saving money. So don't treat money like an ordinary piece of paper! And don't judge people by their appearance, for diamonds often hide in the most unassuming places!"

Aria wiped her tears and smiled at Johnny. "The old me would have been angry as hell right now. But thanks for teaching me such a valuable lesson, Johnny!"

"My pleasure, young lady!"

"Aria, I'm glad you finally realized the importance of respecting people and the value of money. Here's to some fresh beginnings!" Mr. Langley handed Aria the keys to her brand-new car.

But Aria was hesitant.

"Thanks, Dad!" she said. "I'm blessed to have the best Daddy in the world. But I don't want this car. Maybe we can return it...you know, there are people in need out there…Maybe we can donate this money to help them. I realized how every little help can make a huge difference in a person's life!"

Mr. Langley sighed under his breath and exchanged a confident grin with Johnny before hugging his daughter.

"Dad, can I have a hundred bucks?" Aria said. She handed over the money to Johnny and apologized to him before parting ways.

That day, Aria learned some unforgettable life lessons that she promised to cherish. It has been over a year since the incident, and Aria has stopped looking down upon people from humble backgrounds. She now does her best to help them whenever she can.

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Rich teen Andrew, who is used to treating people poorly, mocks a flight attendant, unaware his father has been watching him. Things turn awry for Andrew when his dad decides to teach him an unforgettable lesson. Here's the full story.

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