She took in a distressed mother and her daughter, unaware of the consequences her kindness would bring…

About Kristina’s Kind Heart

Everyone in the neighborhood knew Kristina’s kind heart. The grandmothers sitting on the benches admired her, saying, “You don’t find people like that anymore,” or shook their heads: “This simple girl is going to perish; she won’t survive in our cruel world.” Her coworkers took advantage of her willingness to help, knowing that Kristina never refused a favor. The beggars, seeing her, were encouraged—Kristina truly never left anyone without help, even if it meant surviving on only bread and buckwheat until payday. Deep down, she knew that such boundless generosity hurt her, but she quickly justified herself: “If people forget kindness, the world will become empty and hard.”

The Chance Encounter That Changed Everything

One day, walking home from work through the park, Kristina involuntarily witnessed an argument. The man was shouting so loudly the leaves were shaking, his fists clenched, and his eyes filled with rage. Kristina slowed her pace, feeling her heart pounding.

—“What do I care where you go?!” he shouted. “Go back to the guy who got you pregnant! Don’t come near my apartment! I don’t care about you and your daughter! It’s your problem, sort it out!”

He roughly pushed the woman away and headed toward the parking lot. Kristina noticed a little girl peeking fearfully from behind her mother’s dress.

Decision Guided by the Heart

Kristina’s inner voice drowned out all rational thought. She turned around and walked back. The stranger was still sitting on the bench, hugging her daughter and crying silently.

—”Excuse me…” Kristina began timidly, but the woman didn’t even look up. “Do you need help?” she repeated more insistently.

The stranger looked at her slowly. She had a fresh bruise under her left eye.

— «Thanks, but you probably can’t help me…»

Kristina shuddered. “Did he hit her?” The idea of violence always repulsed her. “Why didn’t I become a police officer?” she thought.

— «I heard that man yelling at you… If you don’t have anywhere else to go, you can stay with me.»

Her mind began to fill with warnings: What if they’re scammers? They’re pretending to be helpless and then stealing my apartment? But what did she have of value? No jewelry, no expensive technology—just a modest home. And how could those two know Kristina would offer help?

“Where am I going to go?” the woman asked softly, hugging her daughter tighter.

— «Come with me… I have a small two-bedroom apartment. It’s a bit cramped, but you can spend the night.»

The silence stretched. The stranger bit her lip, and the rain began to fall harder. Kristina felt uneasy—her offer seemed to hang in the air. But then the girl shivered from the cold and sneezed.

“Come on,” Kristina said firmly, taking off her light jacket and covering the woman’s shoulders. “The girl’s going to freeze.”

The woman looked at her, and for the first time, there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

An awkward situation and an unexpected decision

— “Well, if you don’t want to… I’ll leave. It’s getting cold,” Kristina said, feeling the discomfort paralyzing her.

She had already taken a step when the woman suddenly called her:

— “Wait!” Her voice sounded hopeful. “I don’t know if this is right… but my daughter and I really don’t have anywhere else to go. Thank you.”

On the way, the woman—Olga—introduced herself, her little daughter named Mashenka. She immediately began to unburden herself, telling Kristina how her husband had become a tyrant: he shouted, humiliated her, and lately, even beat her.

Kristina truly felt sorry for Olga and hoped she’d soon find a job and move out. After all, Kristina hadn’t thought about having them in her life for long. Already, she began to wonder: “Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten involved?” But her conscience reminded her: “How can you turn your back on other people’s suffering?”

A Long Night and Unexpected Revelations

After dinner, Mashenka fell asleep quickly, and Olga, as if gathering her courage, continued to vent about her fate. It seemed she just needed someone to listen.

— «Petka used to be different… We lived in harmony in the village. But after we moved to the city, everything changed. He started drinking, shouting… Someone whispered to him that Mashenka wasn’t his daughter, and now every time we argue, he brings it up…»

Kristina nodded silently, though her eyes were closing with fatigue. She had to go to work early, and here she was, hearing confessions at midnight. Olga cried, got angry, and then returned to her memories of the village.

It wasn’t until the guest finally went to sleep that Kristina was able to breathe. She fell asleep quickly, despite the troubling thoughts: “A stranger in my house… What if something happens?” But tiredness won.

The days that changed everything

A few days passed, and Kristina unexpectedly realized she had gained a friend. She shared her work problems with Olga:

— «I haven’t been promoted in a year, although new people are moving up faster.»

Olga nodded understandingly, and then went back to telling stories about how wonderful it was to live with Petka in the village.

Mashenka hardly spoke. When Kristina asked her something, Olga just gestured:

— “At his age, it’s normal! He’ll talk later.”

The woman assured Kristina that she was looking for a job and promised to leave as soon as she found one.

An unexpected visit and an explosion of emotions

One night, there was a knock at the door. Kristina wasn’t expecting a visitor and was surprised, but Olga quickly ran to open it.

— “It’s for me!” he said with a strange pride.

Kristina’s stomach sank. “Did he invite someone over to my apartment?”

She was even more surprised to see the same man who had yelled at Olga in the park standing in the doorway. They were talking quietly in the hallway, and Kristina, sitting in the kitchen, caught a glimpse of Olga hugging her husband.

“Well, that’s fine,” Kristina thought. “If they made up, he’ll be gone soon, and everything will be fine.”

But the peaceful conversation suddenly turned into an argument. A loud slap sounded—Kristina realized Olga had been hit.

Without thinking, he ran into the hallway:

— «How dare you raise your hand to a woman?!»

The man looked at her in surprise:

— «And who the hell are you?»

— “I’m the owner of this apartment! And if you don’t leave right now, I’ll call the police!” Kristina said firmly.

Petka sneered:

— “The circus left but the clowns stayed?” He waved his hands and stormed off.

Olga ran after him, but returned minutes later—angry, her hands shaking. She began stuffing the things Kristina had given her into a bag.

—“You idiot! You don’t have a brain!” she yelled at Kristina. “He came to reconcile! And you with your sermons! Who asked you to interfere?! You should have kept quiet!”

Kristina froze. The only thought running through her mind was, “And this is how they thank me…?”

Kristina was in shock. She couldn’t speak; she’d never expected such gratitude for the help she’d given.

Grabbing the girl and the bag of belongings, Olga hurried out, shooting a furious glare at Kristina before leaving.

“I didn’t expect that from you!” she cried. “I can’t even call you a friend—you’re a real villain! Since you don’t have a life of your own, you’re trying to ruin mine out of jealousy!”

Kristina would never have imagined such an ending. When the door slammed shut behind Olga, Kristina returned to the kitchen, sat down, and covered her face with her hands.

For the first time, she thought about how overly helpful she was to others, and how they only took advantage of her. No one had ever shown her genuine gratitude. And she gave her all, just to help those in difficult situations.

That night, a locksmith arrived, called by Kristina. She feared that Olga, along with her husband, would try to return to the apartment and steal whatever was inside…

“They could even steal my underwear without blushing,” Kristina thought bitterly.

This incident left an unpleasant mark on her soul. She felt sorry for the girl, as the parents clearly didn’t care about little Mashenka. They were so caught up in their arguments, thinking only of themselves, without considering how it affected their daughter. Kristina reproached herself for not having requested Olga’s ID or notifying the authorities about the unhealthy family situation. But how many such reports end up ignored?

Just seven days later, Kristina managed to calm down a bit. But she kept thinking that she needed to change something in her life. But what exactly? Where to start? She knew she had to do something about her overly soft nature. How could she stop helping everyone? Not everyone, of course. But Kristina couldn’t completely harden herself, though she had to learn to recognize people. It was obvious when someone was manipulating you, when they really needed help, and when they were just taking advantage of you.

“Chris, look, the boss is rushing us with the reports… He wants them on his desk in an hour, and I have a meeting. Can you go through the papers and sort them?” Denis, his colleague, approached with a folder.

He often asked Kristina to do his work, and she could never refuse. He left the folder on his desk and left without waiting for a reply.

Kristina looked at the folder, then slowly turned her gaze to her partner’s retreating back. She was tired of always helping everyone, while she herself, as they say, was left behind. Those she helped quickly rose in the career ladder, and she was left empty-handed. And she’d had enough. It was time to start changing right now, so she wouldn’t be stuck forever.

She got up from her seat and, taking the folder Denis had just left her, headed to the smoking area. She knew Denis didn’t have any meetings; he just liked to pass her work so he could rest. And she was tired of always being the one to do everything.

As I expected, Denis was in the smoking area, telling some vulgar joke while the others laughed. Kristina approached him, threw the folder on the windowsill, and said indignantly:

«Make your own reports!»

Kristina turned around and went straight to her boss’s office. She decided that if she was going to change her life, she would do it completely. She wrote her resignation letter without notice, left the office, and called the real estate agent, telling him she wanted to sell her apartment. Kristina decided to move out and start over. The lesson Olga had taught her paid off. She was no longer willing to offer help to others, which only backfired. Only acts of kindness toward those truly in need can bring satisfaction. Now Kristina was convinced of that, and she promised herself she would never live like Mother Teresa again. If she helped others, she would do it consciously.