I was driving home when I saw a little girl on a school bus, banging on the back window in terror. My world stopped. Something was terribly wrong. But what danger could a little child possibly be in on a seemingly safe school bus? I chased the bus to find out, only for my heart to skip a beat.
The rain pelted against my windshield as I drove home, each drop echoing the heaviness in my heart. Today had to be the worst day of my life. First, my fiancé called off our wedding last week, and now, Id just lost my job. My mind was a tangled mess of thoughts and emotions…
A frustrated young woman driving a car | Source: Freepik
“Stay calm, Mollie,” I whispered to myself, knuckles white on the steering wheel. “Theres got to be another way. If one door closes, another opens, right?”
But the words felt hollow. How could I go home and tell Mom Id been laid off?
Shed worry herself sick. Ever since Dad died, shed been my rock, and the last thing I wanted was to let her down.
A distressed woman driving a car | Source: Freepik
My phone buzzed for the fifth time. Mom again. I pulled over to the curb and answered.
“Yeah, Mom, Ill be there in ten minutes. Im driving…”
“Mollie, honey, have you seen the weather forecast? Theres a big storm coming. Please be careful.”
I swallowed hard. This storm was nothing compared to the one brewing inside me.
“Yeah, yeah, dont worry. Ill be there soon.”
A woman sitting in her car and talking on the phone | Source: Freepik
“Is everything okay? You sound off.”
“Im fine, Mom. Just… tired. I gotta drive, okay? Love you,” I hung up, my throat tight.
How could I tell her Id lost my job just for speaking up to the higher-ups? Theyd used the excuse of “not meeting quarterly targets,” but I knew the real reason.
A worried senior woman talking on the phone | Source: Pexels
“Whats the worst that could happen now?” I muttered, putting the car back in gear.
Little did I know, I was about to find out.
As I merged back into traffic, a yellow school bus rumbled past me. Something caught my eye in the back window: a little girl, her face pressed against the glass, her tiny fists pounding frantically. She was crying for help.
A school bus on the street | Source: Unsplash
“What the…? Oh my God… is she alright?” I gasped.
Without thinking, I gunned the engine, racing after the bus. The child was clearly in distress, but why? What kind of danger could she be in on a seemingly safe school bus?
“Im coming, hold on, sweetie,” I mumbled, honking my horn repeatedly.
The bus driver seemed oblivious, continuing down the road as if nothing was wrong. Panic rising in my chest, I made a split-second decision. I swerved around the bus and cut in front, forcing it to a stop in the middle of the busy road.
A shocked woman sitting in a car | Source: Freepik
The driver, a burly man with a thick black mustache, stormed out. “What kinda stunt are you pulling, lady? You coulda caused an accident!”
I ignored him, pushing past and rushing onto the bus. The noise hit me like a wall. The kids flocked around the girl, shouting and laughing.
I raced to the back, where the little girl sat alone, her face now red and tear-streaked. As I reached her, I froze. This wasnt what I expected at all.
Grayscale of a teary-eyed little girl | Source: Pexels
“Oh my God! Are you having an asthma attack?”
The little girl nodded frantically, her chest heaving as she struggled for air. I knelt beside her seat, my heart racing.
“Whats your name, sweetie?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.
She pointed to the ID card hanging around her neck. Her name was Chelsea.
“Okay, Chelsea, were gonna get you help. Wheres your inhaler?”
A startled woman in a school bus | Source: Midjourney
Chelsea shook her head, unable to speak. I looked up to see the driver had followed me, his face pale.
“Do you know where her inhaler is?”
He shook his head. “I… I didnt even know she was having trouble. Its so noisy back here, I couldnt hear anything.”
I bit back an angry retort and started searching Chelseas backpack. Nothing. Panic clawed at my insides as I watched the little girls lips start to turn blue.
A woman holding a backpack | Source: Freepik
“Help me look!” I shouted at the driver.
We searched under the seats, in the aisle, everywhere we could think of. To my horror, I realized the other kids were laughing, some even pointing at Chelsea.
“This isnt funny!” I snapped at them. “She needs help!”
Thats when it hit me. I started grabbing all their backpacks, ignoring their protests.
“Hey, you cant do that!” a freckle-faced boy yelled.
Close-up shot of a boy with freckles | Source: Midjourney
I found it in the third bag I checked: a blue inhaler with Chelseas name on it. I rounded on the boy who owned the backpack.
“Why do you have this?”
He looked away, muttering, “It was just a joke.”
“A joke? She could have died!”
Partial view of an asthma inhaler in a bag | Source: Midjourney
I rushed back to Chelsea, helping her use the inhaler. Gradually, her breathing steadied and the color returned to her face. I held her hand, murmuring soothing words as she recovered.
The driver stood there, wringing his hands. “Im so sorry. I had no idea…”
I turned to him, my anger flaring. “These kids are your responsibility! You shouldve checked what was going on when you heard a commotion!”
A startled man | Source: Freepik
He nodded, shame-faced. “Youre right. Im sorry.”
Chelsea tugged at my sleeve, her voice barely a whisper. “Thank you.”
Those two words hit me harder than anything else that had happened that day. I couldnt leave her alone after this.
“Im staying with you until we get you home, okay?”
Chelsea nodded, a small smile on her tear-stained face.
I turned to the driver. “Im going to move my car and ride with her. Is that okay?”
An anxious woman turning to her side | Source: Midjourney
He nodded quickly. “Of course. Its the least we can do after… well, everything.”
As I stepped off the bus to move my car to the parking lot nearby, I realized my hands were shaking. What a day this had turned out to be.
Back on the bus, I sat beside Chelsea, my comforting arm around her shoulders. The other kids were unusually quiet now, the severity of what had happened finally sinking in.
“Why didnt the other kids help you?” I asked gently.
Close up of a worried woman | Source: Midjourney
Chelseas lower lip trembled. “They think its funny when I cant breathe. They hide my inhaler sometimes.”
My heart broke for her. “Thats not okay, Chelsea. You know that, right?”
She nodded, looking down at her hands. “I try to be brave, but sometimes I get so scared.”
A teary-eyed little girl | Source: Midjourney
I squeezed her shoulder. “You were incredibly brave today. You got my attention when you needed help. That takes a lot of courage.”
A small smile played on her lips. “Really?”
“Really. Youre one of the bravest people Ive ever met.”
Two stops later, Chelsea pointed out the window. “Thats my mommy and daddy!”
A school bus on a rainy evening | Source: Unsplash
As we got off the bus, Chelseas parents rushed over, confusion etched on their faces.
“Chelsea, whos this?” her mother asked, eyeing me warily.
Chelseas voice was stronger now as she said, “This is Mollie. She saved my life.”
After Chelsea explained what happened, her parents expressions morphed from confusion to gratitude to anger at the bus driver, at the other kids, and at the whole situation.
Portrait of an angry woman | Source: Midjourney
“I dont know how to thank you,” Chelseas father said, tearing up.
“Im just glad I was there to help.”
Chelseas mother, Mrs. Stewart, insisted on driving me back to my car. As we arrived at the mall parking lot, the skies opened up, rain coming down in sheets.
“So, Mollie,” Mrs. Stewart said, peering at me through the rain-streaked windshield, “what do you do?”
A woman driving a car | Source: Unsplash
I let out a bitter laugh. “Funny you should ask. I actually lost my job today.”
Mrs. Stewarts eyebrows shot up. “Oh, Im so sorry to hear that. May I ask what happened?”
I sighed, the events of the day washing over me again. “I spoke up about some unethical practices. They didnt like that, so they found an excuse to let me go.”
Mrs. Stewart was quiet for a moment. Then she said, “You know, my husband and I run a small business. We might have an opening. Would you be interested in coming in for an interview?”
Read also
An Entitled Man Took My Seat on the Bus, but Karma Struck Him Three Times during the Trip
Strange Woman Lived in My House While I Was on Business Trip – I Took the First Flight Home to Confront Her and My Husband
Old Lady Living Next Door Demanded to See My Grandmas Will – After I Said No, She Refused to Leave My Porch
I blinked, not sure Id heard her correctly. “Are you serious?”
A stunned young woman | Source: Midjourney
She smiled. “Absolutely. Anyone whod go to such lengths to help a child in need is someone Id like to have on my team.”
As we pulled up to my car, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. Mrs. Stewart handed me her business card.
“Call me tomorrow,” she said. “Well set something up.”
I clutched the card, a spark of hope igniting in my chest. “Thank you. I will.”
A woman holding a business card | Source: Freepik
The next morning, I woke up feeling lighter than I had in weeks. Id told Mom everything that had happened. About losing my job, saving Chelsea, the potential new opportunity… everything.
Shed hugged me tight, pride shining in her eyes.
“I always knew you were meant for great things, darling!”
Now, as I dialed the number on Mrs. Stewarts card, my heart was racing again, but this time with excitement rather than fear.
A woman holding a smartphone | Source: Unsplash
“Hello, Mollie,” Mrs. Stewarts warm voice came through the phone. “Im so glad you called. How would you feel about coming in for an interview this afternoon?”
I couldnt help the grin that spread across my face. “Id love to. Thank you so much for this opportunity.”
“No, Mollie,” she said, and I could practically hear the smile in her voice. “Thank you. You saved our daughter. This is the least we can do.”
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
As I hung up the phone, I felt tears prick my eyes. But for the first time in a long while, they were tears of joy, not sorrow.
I was so happy and realized that its indeed true: When God shuts one door, He always opens another. And sometimes, that new door leads to places you never could have imagined.
A cheerful woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
Heres another story: An entitled mother thought she could get away with breaking my little daughters iPad on the flight. But karma worked fast… real fast.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
