After a moment, he said, “Since you’re leaving… could you throw this out at the corner?”
He lifted it slightly. “Just trash.”
It caught me off guard, but I nodded.
“Of course.”
I took the bag.
It was strangely light.
Too light.
I gave him a small nod and walked away.
The gate shut behind me with a sharp clang.
It sounded final.
I walked down the cobblestone street, past quiet houses and a dog sleeping in the shade. Somewhere, music drifted from a nearby bar.
Life went on.
The only one who had just lost everything… was me.
I told myself I wouldn’t look back. Wouldn’t think about the cold dinners, the silence, the words that cut deeper than they should.
But after a few steps, something felt off.
I stopped.
Looked at the bag in my hand.
Too light.
A breeze passed, rustling dry leaves at my feet.
I don’t know why… but I opened it.
And froze.
There was no trash.
Instead, there was an old brown envelope, carefully sealed inside a plastic covering.
My hands started shaking.
I pulled it out.
Opened it slowly.
Inside… stacks of money.
Carefully folded bills, bundled with rubber bands.
More money than I had ever seen in my life.
My breath caught.