Life isn't always fair. That was the core lesson I'd learned, and it was one I passed down to my son—and later, to my granddaughter. My journey had been far from easy.

My ex-husband hadn't been a good person, so I left him, taking our three-year-old child with me.

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

I worked tirelessly, often going without sleep, and there was a time when we even lived in our car because I couldn’t afford food, let alone a home.

But that was behind me now. I had worked hard to give my child a better life, and I had finally achieved something.

I became the owner of a restaurant and was proud of what I had accomplished, especially considering I started out as a waitress. It had been a long road, but I had given my son a future.

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

Now, at seventy-five years old, though many people told me it was time to relax and retire, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I still had plenty of energy, and I wasn't about to waste it sitting idle with a group 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 hardship. She was born into comfort and had everything she could possibly want.

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

Still, something bothered me about her fiancé, Paul. I couldn’t quite figure out what kind of man he really was.

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

Paul didn’t come from money; he worked as a cook in one of our restaurants. That was how they had met. I worried he might break her heart or, worse, take advantage of her.

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

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

“Yes, of course!” Abby responded brightly.

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

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

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

“That’s ridiculous. Paul doesn’t care about our money,” Abby insisted.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” I murmured, and she smiled warmly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abby nodded, and they walked out. I left the door slightly ajar—I couldn’t help but be curious about how they spoke to each other.

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

“I don’t think they’re really necessary,” Paul replied.

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

“Abby, you have more money than I do. If you want them, buy them yourself,” Paul answered.

I shut the door all the way. I didn’t 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 see the real character of Paul.

Days passed, and my plan slowly took shape. I found out when Abby and Paul planned to visit the restaurant, and I positioned myself nearby to meet them.

But I wasn’t going as myself. I transformed. I wore ragged clothes, pulled a large hat over my face to conceal my features, and smeared dirt on my hands. I looked like a beggar. That was the plan.

I wanted to see if Paul would give anything to a stranger in need, or if he was really as self-serving as I feared.

I held a simple paper cup in my hands. A few kind people tossed in spare change, though I hadn’t asked them to. I just waited patiently for Abby and Paul to appear.

Finally, they did. Hand in hand, they walked toward the restaurant, talking about their upcoming wedding.

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

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 drop it in my cup, but Abby grabbed his arm and snatched the money away.

“What are you doing?” Abby demanded.

Paul tried to take the money back, but she held on tightly. “Abby, not everyone is as lucky as we are. We should help when we can,” he explained.

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

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

“No, it’s her fault she’s in that situation. Don’t encourage people like her,” Abby snapped.

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

“This is all an act for Grandma—to make sure she leaves me her restaurants. She thinks everyone should value every penny and make the world a better place. But I didn’t grow up like that. The world’s already mine—I’m not giving my money to some beggar,” Abby said coldly.

She grabbed Paul’s hand and pulled him toward the restaurant.

I stood there, frozen in shock. Everything I thought I knew about my granddaughter had been a lie. It wasn’t Paul I should have doubted—it was her.

But a minute later, Paul ran back outside. He dropped a fifty-dollar bill into my cup.

“I’m sorry you had to hear all that. She was wrong,” he said quietly before heading back inside.

I couldn’t believe it. Abby had never been the person I thought she was. I had been blind all along. I rushed to my car, changed clothes, and drove straight to see my son.

He was at one of the restaurants, going over the monthly expenses. I walked in and sat at the table.

“Did you know Abby’s completely spoiled?!” I burst out, upset.

“Mom, maybe she’s not like you or me, but she’s not a bad person. She just grew up differently,” Jonathan replied.

“No, son, she’s a bad person! How did you raise her like this?!” I cried.

“I did the best I could. But she never heard the word ‘no,’ so this is what we’ve got,” Jonathan admitted.

“This is what we’ve got?! She’s pretending to be an angel just to get my restaurants!” I snapped.

“What? Mom, what are you talking about?” Jonathan looked bewildered.

“I always believed Abby was kind and compassionate—because that’s how she acted around me. But it was all a lie, an act,” I said bitterly.

“Mom, I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Jonathan frowned.

“She admitted it herself. She didn’t know I was listening, so she told the truth,” I explained.

“Just leave her alone. I’m sure you misunderstood something,” Jonathan insisted.

“Oh no, sweetheart. I’m not letting this go,” I vowed.

I was going to teach Abby a lesson—that nothing in life comes for free. I would do it on her wedding day.

I spent a whole month pretending everything was fine, pretending I still believed in her little game of being a good person.

Then the day arrived. The wedding was beautiful. Abby looked radiant, Paul seemed genuinely happy—but it was all about to end.

When the reception started, and it was my turn to give a toast, I walked to the center of the hall, feeling everyone’s eyes on me.

Abby watched me, her smile wide. I saw it in her eyes—she was waiting for the big moment when I would announce I was giving her a restaurant. But my toast was about something else entirely.

“Abby, sweetheart, I’ve been with you from the very first day of your life. I’ve watched you grow from a little girl into a young woman. I believed you had become a good person, and that’s why I wanted to do everything for you. But it turns out that wasn’t true,” I began, and Abby’s smile faltered.

“You showed your true colors when you thought I wasn’t around. Do you remember the homeless woman outside the restaurant? That was me.”

Her face went pale. “Grandma, you misunderstood, I—”

“Shush, I’m not finished,” I cut in. “I want you to understand how hard I worked for everything I have. I never wanted my son or my grandchildren to go through what I did. But you opened my eyes. I won’t be giving you a restaurant. However, you’re welcome to start as a waitress and work your way up to owning one.”

“Are you kidding me?!” Abby shouted, jumping to her feet.

“I’m completely serious,” I replied calmly.

“You can’t take the restaurant away from me!” she yelled.

“It was never yours,” I said firmly.

“Do you realize this entire wedding was just about getting that restaurant?!” she yelled, causing gasps from the guests.

“Abby, what are you talking about?” Paul asked, his face darkening.

“Oh, please. Do you really think I would marry a broke guy like you out of love? You were just part of the act for Grandma,” she sneered. Then she turned to me. “So I could get that restaurant!”

“Abby, I love you,” Paul whispered.

“Oh, shut up,” she snapped.

“You’ve truly disappointed me,” I said coldly. “You don’t deserve a restaurant.” I turned and walked away.

Abby ran after me. “Grandma, stop! I’m still your granddaughter—your Abby!” she cried.

“The Abby I knew never existed. It was all fake,” I said as I left.

Leaving Abby behind was painful, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Someone had to teach that spoiled girl a lesson.

And all I could hope for was that she would finally change and start acting with kindness and respect.