The real test
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“Why did you do this?” I asked, my voice trembling.
“Because everyone I met only wanted me because of my money,” Ethan replied. “So I decided to pretend to be a fat old man — to see if anyone would still love me even if I had no shine, even if I had no form.”
I burst into tears.
“And I… I was really the one you chose to try?”
“Yes,” Ethan said. “Because the first time I saw you, you didn’t reject a life that others didn’t want. I wanted to see how far you could go — and I saw it. You have a beautiful heart.”
But I couldn’t bear to stay.
I ran away — not out of anger, but out of shame.
“The only reason I agreed was for money,” I thought. “But now, I feel like… I’m the poorest person in the world.”
