For some people, money equals happiness. Unfortunately, life is a strict teacher, and
it often shows that there are things much more important than wealth. That’s the hard lesson Laura's friend Jessica
had to learn from her own experience… Both Laura and Jessica worked in a diner. Customers loved the funny and friendly waitresses
and usually left them pretty nice tips. After work, the two would often hang out,
and they got along pretty well. But birds of a feather don’t always flock
together because these two friends had totally different approaches to life. Laura had come to understand that you have
to work hard to become successful in life. Jessica, on the other hand, was just waiting
to marry rich so that she wouldn’t have to lift a finger for the rest of her life. And maybe our dear Jessie here wouldn’t
have a problem catching some millionaire’s eye. With her long dark hair, perfect skin, and
adorable dimples, she really was beautiful. And she definitely didn’t have a lack of
admirers. But perhaps that gorgeous face had gone to
her head because she was really picky when it came to finding the perfect man. She believed she deserved the very best, and
she had no problem turning down any guy that asked her out. If he couldn’t give her a luxury life in
a mansion with fast cars and a huge underground swimming pool with a built-in Jacuzzi, she
wasn’t interested. Cue Madonna’s “Material Girl” if you
want… Laura, however, was a bit shy, sorta mousy. She wasn’t confident in herself and her
looks. She figured her frizzy hair, plain clothes,
and dirty Chucks probably weren’t gonna attract anyone’s attention. Little did she know that she really was quite
pretty! But every time they went out, Jessica outshined
her. One day, Laura was standing behind the counter
when she saw a scruffy-looking guy lingering outside the window, looking in at all the
diners enjoying big plates of home-style cooking. He was really pale and thin, and he looked
famished. Laura, with her heart of gold, invited him
inside and offered him a cup of coffee and a warm meal. The man hesitated at first, almost embarrassed,
but he gratefully accepted the kind offer. As he was about to leave, he saw Jessica cleaning
the tables on the other side of the café. He froze at the door, almost paralyzed by
her beauty. He then blushed, muttered his good-bye's and
thank you's, and quietly left. Since that day, Laura often saw the poor man
near their diner. He’d sometimes be out there helping neighboring
businesses with their truck deliveries, other times he’d be washing store windows. But sometimes, it looked like there wasn’t
any work for him, so he’d just sit there, lost in thought. One cold winter day, Laura decided to bring
him some hot chocolate and a fresh-baked muffin. She found out that the man's name was James
and that he had it really bad for Jessica. From time to time, he asked Laura to pass
some little notes and gifts to his crush. Laura didn't have the heart to tell the man
that every time Jessica saw his “cheap” presents, she’d throw them away and scrub
her hands with soap and hot water. But shy Laura secretly kept James's things
in a box under the counter. She thought they were sweet… Spring came around, and James came into the
diner one day. He was cleanly shaven and dressed better than
usual. He bravely approached Jessica and asked her
out on a date. She took one look at him up and down, rolled
her eyes, and said she’d never agree to be seen anywhere with the likes of him. She bragged that she had an admirer who earned
more than 15,000 bucks a month, lived in a big spacious house, showered her in expensive
gifts like designer clothes and jewelry, and she was still on the fence about him! So what made him think she’d settle for
a bum! Laura couldn’t help but eavesdrop on their
conversation, and her heart broke when she saw how devastated James looked. When he left the diner, she shot a dirty look
at Jessica and ran after him. They sat on a bench in a nearby park and talked
for over an hour. Despite being heartbroken, James was surprisingly
a great conversationalist! He knew about every topic under the sun, and
his sense of humor was sharp and clever. Laura and James started becoming good friends. They met almost every day during her lunch
break. James and Jessica tried to avoid each other,
and Laura couldn't be happier about that. The surprising truth was that she was falling
for him…hard. A few months later, when James invited Laura
out for an evening stroll, he suddenly got really nervous when they got to their favorite
park. But he plucked up the courage to tell her
that he’d fallen in love with her. Laura was speechless…and ecstatic! The feeling was mutual! But first, James wanted Laura to know the
truth about him... He hadn’t had the easiest life. He came from a poor family, but perhaps that’s
why he was so determined to work hard and go on to do great things. He was a smart kid, got good grades, but never
did go to college. He had to start working young in order to
help his family pay the bills. As fate would have it, he met a guy who convinced
him that they should open a business together. It sounded like a great idea! And perhaps it was because their business
started flourishing almost from the get-go. It took off, started growing faster than either
of them could’ve ever imagined. Basically, 5 years later, they were running
a multi-million-dollar company! But James's problem was that he was too kind
and trusting. One day, he found out that his partner had
tricked him and forged the documents from the start. In the end, James had no legal ownership of
the company, and his partner pretty much fired him, told him to get lost. And, well, you know where it goes from there:
with no income, James lost everything. His house, his car, even his bank accounts
were blocked! He’d told the police, and apparently they
were looking into it, but you know how those kinds of things take time. But it was mostly the betrayal that made James
just give up. He’d live on the streets where nobody could
double-cross him ever again. After James finished his story, Laura didn't
know what to say. She couldn’t possibly believe all that! All she could do was just smile and hug him. A week later, James seemed to have disappeared
without a trace. Laura was worried sick. She couldn't sleep, she barely ate. She went to all the hospitals in the area,
but he was nowhere to be found. After about three weeks, she’d already lost
hope of ever seeing him again. But one day, a sleek black car pulled up in
front of the diner. A man in an impeccable suit got out. Of course, Jessica was the first to notice
him. This well-off stranger walked into the diner,
and Jessica immediately sent him a blazing smile. But he ignored her. He kept walking around, as if looking for
someone. At that very moment, Laura came out of the
storage room. Her eyes lit up, she ran toward the man, wrapped
her arms around him, and cried, “James, where have you been? I was so worried!” Jessica couldn't believe her eyes. How could this elegant rich stud be their
poor scruffy James? Finally, Laura let go of the man and looked
at him attentively for the first time. That was when she understood that James's
story had been true, the investigation must have gone well, and the business was back
in his hands. (As she’d find out later, that’s exactly
what happened.) “Is it your lunch break? Shall we go for a walk?” he asked, almost
as if they could pick up right where they left off! “Let me make you a hot chocolate,” Laura
replied, grinning. And if you never believed in happily-ever-afters,
well, Laura is definitely an exception. They did end up spending the rest of their
lives together. As for Jessica, things didn’t go so well
for her. She never did get over the fact that she’d
lost the millionaire of her dreams. Oh, and Oliver, that admirer of hers with
a “pitiful” 15k a month, he gave up chasing after her. She stayed single and bitter for a very long
time, still turning down any good guy that wasn’t gonna spoil her in riches. You may think that Jessica got what she deserved. For some people, money becomes so important
that love, loyalty, and kindness lose their value. This story serves as a reminder that greediness
often plays a cruel joke on the people who live by it. Do you think Jessica got what she deserved? Let everybody know down in the comments! Don’t forget to give this video a “thumbs
up,” share it with your friends, and click “subscribe” to always stay on the Bright
Side of life!
