Ben sat in his **palatial office**, the soft hum of the fluorescent lights the only sound as he stared at the financial statements in front of him. His company’s revenue had grown by **several tens of millions of dollars** in the last year. Everything was looking perfect — the kind of success he’d worked so hard for, and the rewards were finally coming in.

But then, Jane, his assistant, stormed in with an urgency he hadn’t seen before.

“Sir, she… She was seen under a bridge not too far from our offices,” Jane explained hesitantly, her voice quivering with both fear and concern.

Ben frowned. “What?” He couldn’t quite understand what she was saying.

“One of our security guards recognized her from a few days back. She was in a pretty bad state, sir. I think she’s been living there for a while now,” Jane added, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ben’s mind started to race. He didn’t need to ask who she was; he already knew. His **mother.** The woman he had turned his back on years ago. The woman who had once tried to **tear down everything he built** with her presence. The woman he had left in his past like a bad dream.

Still, seeing her in such a state, even after all the resentment, hit him harder than he expected.

Without saying a word, he grabbed his coat and stormed out of his office, Jane following close behind.

They reached the bridge just as the sun began to set, casting an eerie golden glow across the abandoned stretch of street.

Ben’s driver slowed down as they approached. There, under the bridge, was a figure huddled in rags, asking for **pennies** from anyone who would spare them. Her hair was matted, and her face was gaunt, pale with a coldness that made Ben shudder.

The woman looked so different, yet so familiar.

“Who is she, sir?” his driver asked, his voice soft with hesitation.

Ben stared at the woman for a long moment, trying to reconcile the image in front of him with the memories of the cold, judgmental woman who had once **ruined his life**. The woman who demanded he succeed, or else she’d call him a failure. The woman who had pushed him away so violently that he had sworn never to look back.

“She’s my mother,” Ben replied, his voice hoarse, as the weight of his past came crashing down on him.