Grace sat quietly on the wooden bench outside her mother's small shop. Her eyes were tired, but her spirit wasn't broken.
She clutched a brown envelope tightly to her chest. Inside were her school bills - bold, final, and heavy. If she didn't pay by the end of the week, she would be dropped from the university.
Her mother coughed again inside the shop, and Grace turned her head sharply. The sound stabbed her heart. The drugs were finished, and the little money they had was used for food.
She looked up at the sky.
"Lord, I believe in You," she whispered. "But I don't know what to do anymore."
Her phone buzzed. It was a message from the school finance office.
She didn't open it.
Instead, she held the phone and closed her eyes. She had one last hope - a scholarship opportunity from a wealthy sponsor whose company helped poor students. They said he was young and rich, but very proud.
Damon.
She didn't know him personally, but today, she wrote a letter to his office.
Not just begging for money - she poured her heart out. She told the truth. Her background, her faith, and why her future mattered.
Now she waited... and prayed.
She would never sell her body. Not for money. Not for school. Not for survival.
If God didn't help her, then so be it.
But deep inside, something told her...
This was just the beginning of a strange journey.