I’m fine, Miho. I’m just tired. She didn’t finish the sentence. She collapsed. Noah caught her; her small body tensed under his weight.
Mom, someone help her. She can’t breathe. Gregory and his team rushed forward. Gloria’s lips had a blue tint.
His breathing was shallow and labored. Amanda, who was trained in first aid, checked his pulse. He’s very weak.
She needs a hospital now. While they were calling the paramedics, while Gloria was being rushed to the emergency room, while Noah traveled in the ambulance, holding his mother’s hand and crying,
Gregory Thompson, in his conference room, understood something profound.
He had spent his entire life believing that money and power were what mattered.
He thought success meant having more than everyone else. But today, the poorest person in his building had given him everything.
And now his mother was dying because they couldn’t afford basic medical care. The injustice hit Gregory like a physical blow.
And she made a decision that would change several lives forever. The hospital waiting room was cold and sterile, filled with an antiseptic smell that made her stomach churn.
He sat down on a plastic chair that was too big for him, his worn-out shoes barely touching the floor, staring at the door through which his mother had been taken half an hour ago.
Gregory Thompson was sitting next to him, still in his expensive suit, looking completely out of place, but refusing to leave.
Several Gregory executives had followed them to the hospital, including Amanda, who kept checking her phone to find out about the company’s recovery.
Finally, a doctor appeared, with a serious face.
Noah jumped up. « Is my mom okay? » The doctor knelt down to Noah’s eye level.
Your mother has severe pneumonia in both lungs. It has progressed to a dangerous stage because she did not seek treatment sooner.
He told us he couldn’t afford to miss work or pay for doctor’s visits. »
The doctor’s voice was soft but firm. « Noah, your mother is very ill. She needs to stay in the hospital for at least a week, maybe longer. »
He needs strong antibiotics and respiratory support.
« But we don’t have insurance, » Noah said, his voice breaking. « We can’t afford that. »
Gregory stepped forward. « I’ll cover all the medical expenses. Whatever you need, money is no problem. » The doctor seemed relieved.
In that case, we can begin treatment immediately. For now, he’s stable. But the next 48 hours are crucial.
After the doctor left, Noah turned to Gregory with tears in his eyes. « Why are you helping us? »
You don’t even know us. Gregory sat back down, and Noah sat beside him. Today you saved my company. You saved everything I’ve built in my life.
That’s worth much more than the hospital bills.
He paused, choosing his words carefully. But more than that, today I realized something. And 100 and one, 100 and one, and 100 and one, and 100 and 100 and 100 and 100.
I’ve been so focused on making money and building my empire that I stopped seeing people. Your mother has cleaned my office every day for five years, and I never even asked her name.
I never saw her as a person with her own struggles and family. That was wrong of me. I always said you were a good boss, Noah said quietly.
He said you were fair and paid on time. That’s more than at some of his other jobs. Being fair and paying on time is the bare minimum.
Gregory said it wasn’t enough. Noah, what you did today was extraordinary.
You have a gift that most people don’t have.
But you’re stuck working with old laptops and learning from the library because your mother is too busy with three jobs to make ends meet. That’s not right. That’s not how things should be.
During the next two days, while Gloria remained in the hospital battling her infection, Gregory learned more about Noah and his life. He discovered that Noah had never attended a formal school.
Gloria had chosen online homeschooling because it was free and allowed Noah to work at his own pace.
But that meant Noah had no friends, no social life, and no childhood beyond computers and helping his mother.
Gregory also learned about Noah’s dreams. The boy wanted to create technology that would help sick people like his mother.
He had ideas about artificial intelligence systems that could diagnose diseases early, before they became dangerous.
I wanted to develop programs that would make healthcare affordable and accessible to everyone.
But those were just dreams for a poor 10-year-old boy who could barely afford food. On the third day, Gregory made Noah an offer:
« I want to help you develop your talents. I will pay for your studies at the best private school in New York. »
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