Rich Man Defends Little Girl Begging near Shop, Realizes He Had Seen Her Emerald Eyes Before — Story of the Day

A rich man rescues a poor little girl begging outside a city mall when a guard threatens to kick her out. However, when he gets a better look at her, he's bewildered by her huge, innocent emerald eyes, which he recognizes from somewhere else.

Businessman Tyler Fisher couldn't believe his eyes when he saw a little girl begging passers-by for money in front of a downtown shop. The guards threatened her, but she refused to leave and remained seated on the stairwell.

A guard eventually grabbed her arm and began dragging her down the steps. The poor girl started crying, and Tyler just couldn't stop himself from helping her.

"Excuse me, sir!" he called out to the guard. "Please calm down! And leave that little girl alone."

"Oh man!" grumbled the guard as he turned around. "You haven't met this little brat! She comes here every day and annoys everyone who visits the shop. Take my advice and just leave. Don't waste your time on her!"

"It's fine, sir," Tyler assured him patiently. "I'll take care of her."

"Ugh, man! Really? Why are you....ugh, okay, do whatever you want! But I don't want to see her bothering anyone else again. If I do, I'll kick her out!" he muttered as he walked away.

Tyler knelt to face the little girl, who was standing with her head bowed, sobbing, her long hair strewn across her face, and her skin as pale as if all the blood had been sucked from her body.

"Hello there! My name is Tyler. And you are?"

"My name is Sophie," the little girl said, brushing away her tears.

"So, Sophie, what are you doing here by yourself? Where are your mom and dad?"

"I'm begging for money. My baby brother is hungry, and mommy is sick. Daddy went to the angel..."

"Ah, I see. Don't worry, Sophie. I will help you." Tyler smiled brightly at her. "How about I help you buy some food for your younger brother and new clothes for yourself? Your clothes appear to be soiled. There's a mall right here. Would you like to come with me?" he asked, extending his hand for her to hold.

Sophie glanced up at him with her large innocent eyes, wiped her tears, and moved the hair strewn across her face, showing her deep emerald eyes.

You don't meet people by chance.

When Tyler saw her eyes, he almost froze in place and couldn't take his gaze away from her. He realized he had seen those eyes long ago when he was a fresh grad.

"Really?" Sophie asked, cutting his thoughts in between. "Will you really help me?"

"Uh, what...yeah...yeah, I will."

"Thank you. You are sweet, just like my mommy!" Sophie responded as she held his hand and walked with him to the mall. Tyler got her new clothes and shoes, and baby food for her brother.

As he was paying at the cashier, he noticed Sophie staring at a little boy who was eating ice cream with his parents. The way she was looking at him made Tyler realize she may not have eaten in days, if not weeks.

So, after shopping, he took her to a restaurant and ordered her a huge cheeseburger and a chocolate shake. Sophie pounced on the food as soon as it arrived, and Tyler couldn't take his gaze away from her - particularly her eyes.

"Where do you live, Sophie?" he gently asked as she finished her meal. "Is it close to the shop where you were sitting earlier?"

"Yes," the girl nodded, slurping the last drop of the chocolate shake.

"If you're done, shall we head to your home now? Your mommy must be worried."

"Okay!" she said cheerfully as he got on her foot.

Tyler drove her home, and when he saw the dilapidated structure Sophie's family lived in, he couldn't help but feel bad for her.

"Please wait here while I call mommy," she chirped and dashed inside. "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Come out!"

Tyler could hear her voice getting fainter. It took two minutes before Sophie's mother emerged from inside, carrying a small baby in her arms.

Tyler dropped the shopping bags from his hands when he saw her. She appeared fragile and destitute, but she wasn't a stranger to him. She was his first love, Anne, who had the same emerald eyes as Sophie.

"Oh - oh my gosh, Anne, is that really you?" he cried, his eyes widening with shock. "I thought you'd moved abroad with your husband... That's what your landlord told me..."

"Tyler! I can't believe you're here. How - how did you find my house?" she asked, a little embarrassed by her circumstances.

"What happened to you, Anne? And why is Sophie begging on the streets? Do you have any idea where I found her? She was sitting outside a shop, begging for money!"

"What?" Anne's eyes welled up with tears. "I didn't know that. She told me she was going outside to play."

"Clearly, that isn't the case. Sophie shouldn't have to do all of that. What happened? Please don't feel bad about anything and just let me know! Please!"

"Well...umm...would you mind coming in? I'm not feeling well, so I can't stand for very long."

"Oh, all right."

Stepping inside, Tyler could see Anne's home was in desperate need of repair. The entire house had only one room, with a small space in the corner shared equally by the kitchen and a small table piled with dirty plates. There was a filthy mattress in the middle of the room where he assumed they slept and a worn-out couch in another corner.

"It's a long story, Taylor," Anne remarked, her eyes welling up. "My husband and I had moved abroad, but we came back after a few years. We moved in with my in-laws, but after he died of a heart attack 6 months ago, my in-laws kicked me out, leaving me with nowhere to go. I worked really hard for my children, which took a toll on my health. But I didn't care. I kept working to the point I was bedridden….Anyways, how about you? I thought you'd left town for higher studies."

"I had, then I returned to find you. However, it was too late... You'd already been married!"

"Ah, I see. So you…um…have a wife and kids too?"

"Of course not, Anne! Remember I had promised you I would marry you? I haven't broken it. I was waiting for you... To be honest, I'm ready to look after you and your kids. I've met Sophie, and I'd love to have a daughter like her."

"Slow down, Tyler. I need some time to consider this. You know, everything just happened so quickly, and..."

"Take your time, Anne," he said. "But, please, you're not staying here any longer. You guys are coming with me. Sophie deserves to go to school and study rather than beg, and you deserve a better life. I'm not asking you to rush into anything; you have plenty of time to consider what you want."

Anne didn't want to agree to Tyler's request to move in with him, but he insisted, so she had no choice but to comply. The next day, he helped her move her belongings from her previous house to his, and Anne observed that he hadn't changed a bit in years. Tyler was still the same kind, caring man who would do everything for her. He accompanied her to doctor's visits and cared for her, attended Sophie's school functions as a parent, and even took care of baby Kevin.

After seeing his love and dedication, Anne couldn't help but fall in love with him again. Six months down the line, she proposed to him, and Tyler, of course, nodded a yes. They decided to tie the knot in an intimate ceremony in a small church. Little Sophie was more than happy to have Tyler as her new dad, and Tyler and Anne were glad they were finally together.

What can we learn from this story?

• You don't meet people by chance. Tyler and Anne were fated to reunite, which is why he ran into Sophie outside the mall.
• Love knows no boundaries. Tyler loved Anne so much that he never married and waited for her.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who captured pictures of homeless people for 30 years and found his long-lost mother in one of them.

This account is inspired by our reader's story 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.