Mike worked at a luxury bridal shop and prided himself on all things extravagant. He was materialistic, which often made him judgmental.

One quiet afternoon, an elderly woman named Betty walked in. The store was unusually calm — only Mike and his colleague, Cassey, were working.

Betty was far from the type of customer the shop usually catered to. Her clothes were outdated, her hair unkempt — not what anyone would call “classy.” But Betty didn’t care for appearances. She valued inner beauty and had never been materialistic. Her modest job rarely gave her reason to step into stores like this one.

Yet for her upcoming summer wedding, Betty wanted to go all out. As she entered, Mike glanced up, frowned, and returned to texting.

“Oh, wow! I think someone got lost on their way to bingo night. I mean, look at that hair. Just awful,” he muttered to Cassey. “Look, grandma, let me make things easier for you, okay?”

“That’s not fair, Mike,” Cassey said sharply. “She’s a customer and deserves the same treatment as anyone else. Now, please help her. I need to grab the new stock from the back.”

Mike rolled his eyes, ignoring her as he kept texting. Betty approached with a polite smile, hoping for assistance, but he didn’t look up.

“Sorry, young man, could you please help me?” she asked kindly.

“What do you want?” he snapped, eyes glued to his phone.

“There’s no need to be rude,” Betty replied gently. “I just need help finding a wedding dress. I’m getting married this—”

“Look, grandma,” he cut her off, sighing impatiently. “Let me save us both time. Judging by your outfit, I can already tell you can’t afford anything here. There’s a thrift store a few blocks away — they’ll have what you’re looking for.”

“Oh, really? You can tell all that just from a glance, huh?” Betty said, disappointment in her voice.

“Don’t take it personally, darling,” Mike replied. “I’m doing us both a favor. No point wasting each other’s time.”

“Well,” Betty said calmly, “if you won’t respect me as a customer, at least respect me as your elder.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Mike muttered, barely acknowledging her.

Just then, another woman entered — young, stylish, exuding wealth. Mike instantly sprang into action, plastering a wide grin.

“Hi there! Oh, you look absolutely stunning, darling! What can we help you with today?” he said enthusiastically.

Cassey returned from the backroom and noticed Betty’s disheartened expression. She set down the boxes and immediately approached her.

“Hi, ma’am! Have you been helped yet?” Cassey asked warmly.

“No, your colleague seems to think I’m not worth his time. Could you help me?” Betty said, glancing at Mike, who was laughing with the new customer.

“Oh, don’t mind him,” Cassey replied. “Now, what are you looking for?”

“I’m getting married this summer,” Betty said cheerfully. “And I want to go all out.”

“Congratulations! A summer wedding sounds lovely. I think I might have just the thing for you. Follow me,” Cassey said, leading her toward the gowns.

Cassey pulled a few dresses for Betty to try on. To her delight, Betty fell in love with one of the most expensive gowns in the store. Meanwhile, the young “influencer” customer tried on nearly eight dresses, snapping photos in each before moving on.

“Sorry, ma’am,” Mike said through gritted teeth. “You’ve tried almost eight dresses and taken pictures in all of them. Which one do you plan on getting?”

“Uhm… actually, I don’t think I’ll be buying anything,” she said casually, taking another selfie.

“What!? Did you even plan on buying anything?” Mike blurted out.

“Relax,” she said with a wink. “Between you and me, I just needed a few shots for social media.”

“Are you serious?” Mike said, stunned.

“Sorry, dude!” she chirped, handing him the gown and walking out.

Frustrated, Mike turned — and froze. At the register, Betty was pulling out a bag full of cash. She paid for the most expensive dress in full and left Cassey a $5,000 tip.

“Uhm… that’s quite the tip, ma’am,” Mike stammered, suddenly nervous.

“Ma’am? I was ‘grandma’ not too long ago,” Betty replied coolly.

“Oh, no, that was just—just a bit of friendly banter. I—if I’d known that—”

“If you’d known what?” Betty interrupted. “That I don’t need to shop at a thrift store? You’ve heard what they say about assumptions, right?”

Betty turned to Cassey with a warm smile.

“Thank you, Cassey. You’ve been wonderful. I’ll see you at the wedding, yes?”

“Of course, Betty. It’s been a pleasure. And thank you for the invitation,” Cassey replied.

Betty waved goodbye and left, while Mike stood speechless.

“I—I—I don’t understand,” he muttered.

Cassey laughed. “Betty’s a nurse,” she explained. “She’s marrying a widowed millionaire she met while caring for him after an accident. She didn’t even know he was rich until he was discharged.”

Mike was dumbfounded — and deeply ashamed. Cassey patted his shoulder.

“Take it as a lesson, Mike,” she said. “Next time, think twice before making assumptions about people.”

That summer, Cassey celebrated with Betty and her new husband at their wedding. It was truly a night to remember.

What can we learn from this story?

• Don’t judge a book by its cover. Mike’s prejudice toward Betty blinded him and led to his own embarrassment.

• Treat everyone with respect, regardless of appearance. A little kindness can go a long way.

Share this story — it might brighten someone’s day and inspire them.

Note: This piece is inspired by stories from readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only.