She

Nicole was a little girl; maybe was of 4 or 5. She lived with her mom and dad. And also one thing was living with them. Poverty!! In fact extreme poverty.

Her father was the head of the family who was always angry and did not earn a single cent. He asked that little girl to go on the street and beg. He strictly forbade her to come without money. Nicole could not protest him as she didn't know how.

So, she always stood near the street with a sign "Help me, I am hungry!" She saw little girls at her age. They were not as sad as she and always went by with their mom. She also saw them going to school, man like her dad who rushed back home from works and woman like her mom who went on shopping. But they never saw her back. She hardly got money to feed herself and to give her dad.

While Nicole begged for money, her mom worked very hard. She worked as a cleaning lady in many apartments and so she didn't have time to show love for her daughter. But Nicole knew how much her mom loved her. Due to over working and not having treatment of her disease, she was getting older faster.

In the meantime, her father was having fun in bars with his lovers. He was the only person who had no urge of earning. Because he knew his daughter and wife were doing that instead of him. So, he did the opposite thing. He spent all of the money for his slummed living lover.

Nicole hated her father for it. But she started to hate him even more after God took her mom. She was 16 years old then. In the graveyard, she turned towards her dad and said everything she wanted to say all over her life.

She pointed at her father and said boldly that that was his fault. Her mom worked so hard because of him. And so he was the person for him she died. Her father seemed to be hurt at this but that was true. And he had no grief for his wife passing away.

Nicole took her decision and she packed all her stuffs at the same night. In the morning after having breakfast, she left home and swore to herself that she would never trust men. Her father could not say a good thing. To prove that he said that Nicole was going to crawl back to him. But she didn't stop.

She moved in another city where the luxurious people lived. She was a pretty girl and quickly she learned how to use her looks. She knew men stares at her when she passes and so tried to use them.

She went to the bars with strangers and decided to use them to achieve her goals. In the bar one day, she found a man sitting at a corner alone. She went to him, smiled and asked if he could buy her a cocktail. He smiled and replied that of course he could do that for the pretty girl.

Another day, with another man she went in shopping. She demanded the luxurious and expensive things from everyone. She asked the man if he could buy those shoes for her. And he had no reason to buy that for the beauty.

And like this with different men she went shopping and demanded different things. And for this all she had to spend a night with them. She did take it as a game. Waking up with each new guy, she only thought she had swindled another fool and laughed inside. She even took the money for rent a taxi to her home.

When she was alone, she smiled for her success. She thought she had jewelry, expensive clothes, shoes and handbags and what not. But she thought that was not enough for her.

One day she saw a poster on the street. They advertised for a luxury journey in a ship. And Nicole got what she dreamed of. She smiled and thought to get a man who was appropriate for that going.

And the day, she got on the cruise. It was a alone guy, Mortimer who was 80, when she set her sights on him. A lady on the ship became closer to her and one day Nicole said to her that Mortimer was just what she needed. She smiled and asked if he was not too old for her.

Nicole laughed bit louder and asked her if she was kidding her. She enjoyed the lady's shocked face. She told her that he would load her with money and that's all she wanted.

By the time, the cruise ended, Mortimer invited her to live with him. He told her that with her he felt young again. And she agreed because the old man was a billionaire.

And after that a few months later they had a luxurious wedding. Everything was fine until Nicole went to the room. She had never expected what would happen on their wedding night.

When she entered, she saw Mortimer on the room. She wanted to go to him, but he requested her to get dressed well. He added that he was old enough to be her grandpa. Nicole was surprised because he was looking sad. But she did hardly care.

After that day, he treated her differently. She meant not like other men. They played chess though she didn't know how to. Then he taught her and inspired her saying that she was going great. Nicole was also enjoying that.

They talked for nights on end. They spoke on many things and also told each other about their lives. They also shared about their favorite things. They together had a great time and they laughed a lot.

Six months later Mortimer passed away. Again Nicole was in the black dress to his departure. She knew that she had got all of his money. And on the graveyard, Mortimer's lawyer confirmed that.

She returned home and about a week was passed. That day she found a note among his belongings. It was written:

Dear Nicole,

I knew why you were with me, now all my money is yours.

Thank you for making my final days a little brighter.

You are better than you think you are.

Those few words were enough to get back Nicole in sense. She had everything she dreamed of, but she was ready to trade it all for just one more day with her husband.

The simple truth that we often learn too late is that no amount of money can buy happiness.