'The guy I did homework for in high school reached out and wants to buy me a house.' UPDATED 2X

What would you do if you were offered something so generous it almost seems suspicious?

In a popular post on the True Off My Chest subreddit, a woman shared her firsthand experience with this quandary. She wrote:

"The guy I did homework for in high school reached out and now wants to buy me a house."

I’ve (29F) always been good with numbers and responsible, it was more noticeable in school cause no one gave a f**k. But given that I have CP (cerebral palsy) and walk with crutches + being a nerd you can imagine I was an extremely easy target for bullying. One year they mixed us so I had new classmates. The bullying was worse but then one of the popular guys would defend me.

At first I was confused but when I saw that he would leave me his notebooks I understood. And so began our symbiotic (?) relationship. The bullying stopped and I would make his homework everyday. We never talked about it, and whenever he spoke to me he sounded angry. It was like that for almost 3 years, and his grades went up. I was just grateful I could be at peace in school.

We graduated and never spoke again nor did I see him again. But then a week ago he reached out in Instagram. He told me how good life had been for him, he offered to buy me a house and a car. At first I thought it was a scam but we made video calls, he showed me things and it’s legit. Long story short, he is a successful businessman worth millions living abroad.

He said he always remembered me cause I helped him get where is now (?). He said he wanted to repay me, cause he knew how hard it is to be disabled and a woman in my country specifically. He’s not wrong , but I’m actually doing okay rn so I declined all his offers.

But then I received a call from a medical center (the most expensive where I live mind you) saying I had 3 years of physical therapy paid for (how he knew I did physical therapy idk) I still thought it was a joke so I went there and it was true. I already did my first two sessions and my body feels so much better.

I’m still ??????? cause I saw our relationship as purely transactional and now he comes and says he owes me????? I'm so confused.

People had a lot to say in response.

KalayaMdsn wrote:

You did his homework for three years, and he paid for three years of therapy. It sounds like he knows exactly what he’s doing, and he wants to say thank you now. Remember that for the really wealthy, something that seems crazy generous to us is the monetary equivalent of buying you lunch. Enjoy your therapy, and may it continue to bring you relief!

eternalstarlet wrote:

Take that offer. Remember the story about Bill Gates offering a reporter a blank check and when the reporter refused, Gates said you just missed an opportunity of a lifetime? You’re the reporter. Take it.

-myBigD wrote:

If this happens to be real, take the house and car. Thank him, and move on with life. If he asks you to pay taxes or prepay for any kind of tariff, it’s a scam.

Not longer after posting, OP shared a small update/edit.

Edit 1: Damn I wasn’t expecting this many replies. Thank you all for your kind words, it made me understand a little how he may feel. I already texted him so we can talk a little bit more about his offers (cause even tho I turned them down, he said they’d still be up) and hopefully I can have a hand on the wheel to choose some less crazy expensive options. Thank you again, I feel less guilty now.

And the comments kept coming in.

Fewstoriesocto wrote:

That’s a nice gesture you should take it and be thankful, don’t turn down on somebody who is trying to be kind. Seemingly with not ill intend.

OP wrote:

It’s an amazing gesture but I don’t really feel like I did something worthy of such gratitude.

datame206b wrote:

Only he knows how impactful your homework was on his life, even beyond grades. Glad the PT is helping already! I hope he extends it.

OP responded:

I mean I guess you could say we both impacted each other? It was thanks to him that the bullying stopped and school was nice again. But I never stopped to think how that impacted my life for the better.

It’s only now I realize how grateful I am for what he did. I’m so embarrassed it took this long to register

NateQuarry wrote:

I had a friend offer to do something nice for me and I declined. His response changed my POV forever. He said, “You don’t get to decide whether or not I get to do things for people that make me happy.” And I realized, it wasn’t just for me. It made him happy and feel like he’s making the world a better place.

OP responded:

Thanks for the quote, it’s very much true I guess I just have a hard time accepting gifts.

A little over a week later, OP shared another update.

Given all the support and kindness I received on the other post I’d like to let you guys know the resolution. We did another video call where I explained to him why I was hesitant to accept and told him all my doubts and fears about the whole ordeal. I was completely honest which surprised me to be honest.

He also opened up to me and told me some sensitive stuff, which I would’ve never imagined. At the end we agreed that he would finish paying the car I had just started paying through a credit. And also we found a little nice apartment in a good zone where I could be more comfortable. (I have my own lawyer doing all the paperwork, thanks all kind people for the suggestion).

I tried to express all my gratitude and I hope he really understood how big this was for me. Also I got to thank him for protecting me in school and tried to make him see how big of an impact it had on my life. I feel like this closed a chapter in my life and I think it’s the same for him. I don’t think we’ll ever talk again, nor do I think we are friends. He truly lives in another world and our realities are not compatible.

He did say tho, if I ever go to his country (not the US lol) I should call him to meet. I don’t know if I would. At the end I’m just happy to see him so accomplished after all that happened in high school. And I’m happy I could express all my feelings and thoughts. Thank you for all your supportive words! They meant a lot to me and helped me make a decision.

Commenters were fully invested in this arc.

Tarekis wrote:

It sounds like this is a nice conclusion for both of you. He got to express his gratitude by extending is financial fortune to you as he wanted and you also got to thank him for what he did for you. Best of luck to both of you!

juliaskig wrote:

I don't think this will be the end of their friendship. OP if he visits you, and you become friends, I think you should update. He may have the wealth, but he also understands how rare someone with your character and intellect is.

BamaInvestor wrote:

You may not realize it, but you are helping him again! You are allowing him the opportunity to be generous by helping you. It really is one of the best feelings in the world to give generously.

joeltheconnor wrote:

I have learned an important lesson from people of other cultures than my own. If they offer a gift, it's important for both of us to accept. There's this weird thing where I'm from in the Midwest where we decline accepting small kindnesses, even if we do actually want it. It is seen as putting the other person out even though they are freely offering...even small things like some food or a drink.

When really, it's the opposite. When I would say no, it was shutting down a part of them that wanted to bless someone else. I don't want to let my reluctance stop someone who wants to offer me a blessing.

Once I learned that accepting others' kindness was a blessing for both of us, it changed so much for me. You are not me, so you make your own decisions. But, if he reached out to you like this, you obviously made a massive impact on his life. Blessing you will bring him great joy and you a great benefit. There is nothing wrong with accepting (as long as you have all the legal things clear).

Corfiz74 wrote:

This is such a good update! I'm glad for you, and I'm glad to see he became such a great human being, despite his success! If you do visit his country, ring him up - you can never have enough friends!

It's refreshing to see such a wholesome arc.