"You're lying."
Jake told him everything.
Marcus stared at him.
"You gave away six hundred dollars?"
"Yeah."
"Jake, that's insane."
"I know."
"Your mom needs that money."
"I know."
"You can't save everybody."
Jake looked down.
"I wasn't trying to save everybody."
"Then what were you doing?"
Jake thought for a moment.
"I just couldn't watch him lose his home when I could help."
Marcus sighed.
"I hope he was worth it."
Jake didn't answer.
Two days later, Jake was fired.
The restaurant owner accused him of giving away food without permission and spending too much time talking to customers.
Jake packed his things quietly.
As he walked outside, he found an envelope on the ground.
His name was written on it.
Inside was a note.
Keep helping people. But don't forget to help yourself.
There was no signature.
And there was something else.
A bank receipt.
For $5,000.
Jake stared at it in disbelief.
The money had been deposited into his mother's account.
Chapter 5 — Who Was Walter?
Jake immediately called the bank.
"Can you tell me who made the deposit?"
The employee checked the record.
"It's from a private foundation."
"What foundation?"
"Whitmore Community Trust."
Jake froze.
"Whitmore?"
"Yes."
He searched the name online.
His mouth fell open.
The Whitmore Community Trust had funded schools, shelters, food banks, and vocational programs across the state.
Its founder was a man named Walter Whitmore.
Jake stared at the photograph.
The gray hair.
The familiar eyes.
The same crooked smile.
It was him.
Walter wasn't simply an old carpenter struggling to survive.
He had once been the owner of a major construction company.
But years earlier, Walter's son had died from an overdose.
After that, Walter had sold his company and donated most of his wealth.
He had spent years quietly helping people without wanting recognition.
Jake sat back.
The five-dollar bill.