I Went Undercover as a Bum to Test My Granddaughter’s Fiancé, but Nothing Could Have Prepared Me for the Truth — Story of the Day

Life is unfair. That was the main lesson I had learned, and it was what I had taught my son—and later, my granddaughter. My path had not been an easy one.

My ex-husband had not been a good man, to say the least, so I had left him and walked away with a three-year-old child in my arms.

I had nothing—no education, no job—but I knew I had to keep going for the sake of my son.

I had worked myself to the bone, barely slept, and there was even a time when we lived in a car because I could not afford food, let alone a place to live.

But all of that was in the past. I had worked like a mule to give my child a better life, and eventually, I had made it.

I had become the owner of a restaurant and was proud of what I had achieved, especially knowing I had started out as just a waitress. It had been a long road, but I had given my son a future.

When my son grew up, he turned my restaurant into a franchise, and the business thrived.

Now I was seventy-five years old, and even though many people told me it was time to relax and retire, I just could not do it.

I still had strength and energy, and I was not about to waste it sitting on a cruise ship with a bunch of retirees.

I also wanted to set an example for my granddaughter, Abby. She was already an adult—engaged, in fact.

Abby had never known poverty. She had been born into comfort and had everything she could ever want.

But I trusted that my son had raised her to be a good person, someone who cared. As a grandmother, my greatest joy was watching my little girl become a woman.

Still, something continued to nag at me—her fiancé, Paul. I just could not figure out what kind of man he truly was.

When I looked at him and Abby together, I sensed a chill between them. I started to doubt his intentions.

Paul did not come from money; he was a cook in one of our restaurants. That was how they had met. I was worried he might break her heart or worse—use her.

So one evening, I invited Abby over for tea. I tried to start the conversation as casually as possible.

“Are you excited about the wedding?” I inquired, smiling.

“Yes, of course I am,” Abby replied brightly.

“And what about Paul? Do you think he truly loves you?” I probed gently.

“Grandma, what kind of question is that? Of course Paul loves me—he proposed, didn’t he?” she responded with a chuckle.

“I know, sweetheart, I just worry. I’m afraid Paul might be marrying you for the money,” I confessed.

“That’s nonsense. Paul does not care that my family has money,” Abby insisted.

“All right then, I’m glad to hear it,” I murmured, and she smiled warmly.

When Abby got ready to leave, she helped me tidy up. She had always been so kind and thoughtful.

“Is Paul picking you up?” I asked as she put on her coat.

“Yes, he should be here any minute,” she answered, though I noticed a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. “Grandma, do you remember when I was little and you told me you’d gift me one of the restaurants for my wedding? Is that still true?” she asked tentatively.

“Yes, of course. You know I always keep my promises,” I reassured her.

“I just wanted to make sure,” Abby said softly. Right then, the doorbell rang. “Oh, that must be Paul,” she added and opened the door.

Paul stood at the entrance, smiling. “Good evening,” he greeted me politely, then turned to Abby. “Ready to go?”

Abby nodded, and the two of them walked out. I left the door slightly ajar—I could not help but be curious about how they spoke to each other.

“Can you give me money for those shoes I sent you?” Abby asked.

“I do not think they’re exactly a necessity,” Paul replied.

“No, but I really want them,” she pressed.

“Abby, you have more money than I do. If you want to buy pointless stuff, go ahead and do it yourself,” Paul answered.

I shut the door all the way. I did not want to hear any more. Greed. I had never liked greedy people, and at that moment, a plan began forming in my mind—a way to truly see what kind of man Paul was.

Several days passed since the idea had taken root in my head. I had found out when Abby and Paul planned to visit the restaurant and positioned myself nearby to meet them.

But I was not plain old Megan. No—I had transformed. I dressed in filthy, oversized clothes, pulled a large hat over my face to hide my features, and smeared dirt on my hands. I looked like a bum. That was the plan.

I wanted to test Paul—to see if he would give even a little something to a stranger in need, or if he really was as stingy as I feared.

I held a plain paper cup in my hands. A few kind people even tossed in spare change, though I had not asked them to. I just waited patiently for Abby and Paul to appear.

And at last, they did. Hand in hand, they strolled toward the restaurant, talking about the upcoming wedding.

As they passed me, I extended the cup and pleaded in a pitiful voice, “Please help, anything you can spare, kind souls.”

They stopped. I braced myself for what might happen. I was ready for anything—except what actually occurred.

Paul reached into his wallet and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. He leaned forward to place it in my cup, but Abby grabbed his arm and snatched the money away.

“What are you doing?” Abby demanded.

Paul tried to retrieve the cash, but she held on tightly. “Abby, not everyone’s as lucky as we are. We should help when we can,” he explained.

“You always say you do not have money, and now you’re giving it to some bum?!” she exclaimed, clearly annoyed.

“I will survive without twenty dollars, but for someone else, it could mean everything,” Paul answered calmly.

“No, it’s her fault she’s in that situation. You should not encourage people like her,” Abby snapped.

“I thought you were raised to be kind,” Paul replied, visibly disappointed.