A homeless woman was sitting outside my office on a very cold day. I walked past her, planning to give some money, but I had nothing in my pockets. She quietly asked for spare change. I apologized and started to leave, but I noticed how cold she was—no coat, no gloves, just a thin sweater.
Without thinking much, I took off my jacket and gave it to her so she could stay warm. She was surprised but accepted it. Before I left, she placed an old coin in my hand and told me to keep it and use it when the time was right.
At that moment, my boss saw what I did. He was angry and said helping homeless people looked bad for the company. He fired me on the spot.
Two weeks later, I had almost no money left and still no job. One morning, I found a small velvet box outside my apartment door. There was no note. Inside the box was a slot that fit the coin perfectly. When I placed the coin inside, the box opened.
There was a card saying the woman was not homeless—she was actually a CEO who tested people’s kindness. Because I helped her without expecting anything in return, she offered me a high-paying job.
The following Monday, I went to a new office building. The woman from the street was there, dressed professionally. She told me I passed her test.
That day, I realized that a small act of kindness had completely changed my life—and how I see other people.