Girl Is Waiting for Her Boyfriend in the Cold When a Stranger Approaches Her

I had been involved with Max, a wealthy man who was extremely self-absorbed and saw me as more of a housekeeper. But my life took a turn when I encountered a stranger.

I was in my late twenties, attractive, intelligent, and above all else, flexible. It was this adaptability that led me to fall for Max. Speaking of him, he was running late… again.

I had been standing outside in the freezing weather for close to an hour, wondering why Max was always tardy.

My irritation was growing, but showing my frustration could have consequences, so I continued to rub my frozen hands together to keep warm.

My legs were feeling the chill even more, and yet Max was nowhere to be seen. My phone had died a few minutes prior, so contacting him was not an option.

Not that he had called when the phone was still— oof! Snow fell from the roof above.

The sudden cold shock brought me back to reality, and I noticed another couple nearby.

I recognized the man; he had bought the bouquet he now presented to a girl who must have arrived after I did. I wanted to give them space, but I was too cold and tired to move, so I watched discreetly.

The romantic man offered the flowers, but the girl did not take them. They talked for a while before she walked away. It was clear he had been rejected, and I felt sympathy for him.

Feeling guilty for intruding on such a personal moment, I resolved to leave and head home. I was done waiting.

As I turned, the man saw me and came towards me purposefully—I felt frozen in place, like a deer in the headlights.

Upon reaching me, he smiled and handed me the bouquet, saying he picked it himself.

“Look how beautiful!” he said with enthusiasm.

I accepted the flowers hesitantly, touched by this unanticipated kindness from a stranger.

“You should head home; it’s freezing out here,” he advised.

Realizing he must have seen me earlier, he asked, “How long have you been waiting?”

I replied, “Probably forty minutes…”

He suddenly grew angry—should I run? I wondered.

Before I could decide, he began an impassioned speech. He was outraged that I had waited so long. “You’re not dressed for this weather. Respect yourself!” he nearly shouted.

The wind was loud, so his raised voice was necessary; it left a strong impression on me.

“… you’ll catch a cold.”

His words triggered thoughts I’d been suppressing, but his next statement snapped me out of it.

“The guy you’re waiting for isn’t worth standing in the cold for hours…”

Back at home, it took me nearly 30 minutes to warm up my frozen limbs. I traded my jacket for warm sweaters and woolen socks, then brewed some coffee.

Afterward, I called Max to ask why he hadn’t appeared.

“Is that today? No, we didn’t plan for today. No baby, it’s tomorrow,” he said.

“Tomorrow?” This was news to me.

“Of course,” he insisted in that voice I adored. “Yes, tomorrow. You must have been mistaken.”

I hung up, collapsed into a chair, and wept…

I’d been with Max for about five years. He was handsome and could have had any girl, but he chose me. I tried endlessly to prove I deserved him.

Max wanted me to be stylish and well-dressed at all times, a demand that was exhausting to meet.

We met mainly on weekends and occasionally on Tuesdays. He would sometimes have me do his laundry, claiming, “No one else can do it as well as you.”

I even made his lunches, cooking exactly what he liked without any help from him in buying the ingredients.

Max was often late, though there were times he arrived on time. Years passed without any hint of marriage.

“What could I possibly gain from him?” I thought, wiping my tears. The TV weatherman predicted even colder weather for tomorrow.

I glanced at the bouquet from the heartbroken stranger and began thinking about Max again.

I still hadn’t done his laundry or cooked for him… He needed lunches for the week, and the fridge was empty…

I dreaded going out into the cold, so I wrapped myself tighter in a blanket.

The stranger’s words echoed in my mind: “Value yourself… You should value yourself.” Looking at the flowers, I made my decision. I was done.

I washed my face, put on comfortable pajamas, did Max’s laundry, and settled down on the couch to watch my favorite series. I stayed awake late into the night, binge-watching the captivating show.

I awoke to the doorbell at noon. I answered it to find Max, furious.

“Why are you here?” he demanded. “We agreed to meet, but you weren’t there! I thought you left because I was late, but you’re not even dressed!”

“And what’s this?” He gestured to the flowers.

“It’s a bouquet, Max. Lovely, right?” I replied.

He scoffed, having never given me flowers or gifts of any kind. “You’re not with me for money or presents,” he’d always say.

“So why didn’t you come?” he asked.

“I just woke up,” I said. “Last night, I stayed up watching a series.”

“A series?! You skipped our meeting for a series?” he exclaimed. “And where are my lunches, my clothes? I have to work tomorrow, and nothing’s prepared.”

“We can cook together,” I suggested. “And I’ll iron the clothes—I already washed them.”

Max was livid at the thought of helping in the kitchen. He saw himself as the sole breadwinner. I was ready for this.

“You make money. Where is it? You never give me any!” I countered.

“Let’s get married, and then I’ll give you money,” he said irritably.

I asked when that would be, but he grew more annoyed.

“When I decide. Is money all you care about? Are you with me just for this?”

I left the room, returned with his clothes, and told him to have his mother do his laundry if he couldn’t do it himself.

“But mom can’t…” he started.

“Max!” I yelled. “Goodbye! Find someone else to be your personal assistant….”

Ten years later, I was walking in the park with my husband and daughter when I saw Max. He was walking ahead of a woman struggling to keep up. He noticed me.

We exchanged stiff pleasantries and introductions. He introduced the woman as a friend named Anastasia.

I really looked at her and saw the signs I used to ignore. Anastasia looked very sad, the way I did in the past. I smiled and said, “Well, we have to go now. We were heading to the movies.”

“Goodbye,” Max said, moving on without looking back.

Watching them walk away, I felt immense gratitude for the stranger’s words that cold day. They truly changed my life for the better.