Cleo had been driving taxis for two years, and by now, she’d seen it all. She’d heard countless stories, dried her fair share of tears, and learned to read people before they even stepped into her cab.
Her mind drifted back to the heartbreak she’d endured only five months ago. She had excitedly shared the news of her pregnancy with her husband, Mark. But he left and drained their bank account, leaving Cleo to work endless shifts to provide for the baby alone.
Only three weeks before her due date, her attention was caught by a lone figure struggling along the highway’s shoulder in the rainny day. He staggered in tattered clothes, one arm held to his chest as he dragged himself forward.
Cleo knew she should keep driving, especially at eight months pregnant, but her instincts overruled caution. Rolling down her window, she called out, “Are you okay? Need help?” The stranger, visibly shaken and bloody, pleaded, “I just need to get somewhere safe.”
Without hesitation, Cleo unlocked her doors, and he collapsed into the backseat. She quickly realized they were being followed as headlights flooded her mirror. With the skill of a seasoned driver, she helped homeless man escape the bad people. Finally, she lost the trailing car and brought her passenger to the hospital. As he thanked her, she thought little of her good action, returning home exhausted and ready for a quiet morning.
But that morning changed everything.
Men in suits formed a perimeter around her home, and Cleo’s heart raced, wondering if she’d unwittingly helped a criminal the night before.
“Last night, you helped their son, Archie,” he explained. The name Atkinson meant little to Cleo until she realized they were the Atkinsons – the billionaire family with a tech empire. Their son had been kidnapped three days earlier and she had saved Archie on the side of the road without knowing it.
Archie said, “They moved me last night, and I saw my chance to escape. But I wouldn’t have made it without you. I owe you everything.”
“Please, sir, this is too much,” she stammered, but Mr. Atkinson insisted, “It’s a small thank you for saving our son.”
Archie leaned forward, proposing that she lead a new community safety initiative for their family’s foundation—an effort to foster more people like her, who aren’t afraid to help.
As Cleo accepted their offer and watched the convoy leave, she felt an unfamiliar lightness, the burdens of the past few months finally lifting.