While the city sleeps quietly, a mother is constantly stretching her bones. Every night, Jessica, thirty-four, sweeps floors, carries buckets, and receives harsh words from the supervisors of the Green Mart Super Centre. To others, she is just a janitor. But to her baby Lily, she is the whole world.
During each break, she will not eat. She will not rest. Instead, she will run to the basement stockroom, a cold, musty place, and almost no light. There, she will spread out the thin cloth and breastfeed Lily. Amidst the darkness and silence, that is the only moment when her world becomes real—a mother and her child.
But that night, there are secret eyes watching.
Liam Hayes, the billionaire CEO of Green Mart, decides to go down as an “internal inspector” to see the true state of his employees. As he walked down the hallway, he saw a sweaty and exhausted woman—Jessica. He noticed the cloth bag she was carrying, and from there, a soft baby cry emerged.
He followed quietly, and there he witnessed a scene he would never forget: a mother, sitting on the cold floor, breastfeeding her child, not thinking about her own hunger, only love coming first.
Liam stopped, fell silent, and felt a pang in his heart. It was as if he had returned to the past, when his own mother had struggled alone, sacrificed for him. At that moment, he knew he could not remain silent…
Liam stood on the edge of the hallway, unable to move. Every snore of the baby, every stroke of Jessica’s hair, was like an arrow striking his heart. He didn’t know why, but he felt like a stranger in his own company.
He had long built the Green Mart as a symbol of success, but tonight, he saw another reality: tired employees, suffering silently, and a mother willing to endure hunger just to have milk to give her child.
He took a step closer.
“Miss…” his voice was weak.
Jessica was surprised. She almost let go of Lily, immediately hiding the baby in the cloth bag and bowing. “P-sorry, Sir. I didn’t know it was forbidden… I’m sorry. I have nothing else to leave with her. If you want, I’ll just leave.”
Liam was depressed. The nervousness in the woman’s voice, the fear of losing her job, seemed stronger than the fatigue that was enveloping him.
“Don’t be afraid,” she replied calmly. “I won’t punish you. I just want to know… how long have you not eaten?”
Jessica didn’t look up, just pursed her lips. “Two days… I’m just making sure there’s enough milk for Lily.”
Liam’s world seemed to have come crashing down. Two days… A mother who worked all night, refusing to eat, just to give her child life.
The Change
That night, Liam sat on the cold floor, facing the janitor and the little baby. He uttered the words he never thought he would say:
“From now on, you won’t hide anymore. You won’t have to starve just to give your child something. I’ll take care of you.”
Jessica looked up, her eyes welling up with tears. “Sir… why? I’m just a janitor.”
Liam smiled, bitter but true. “Because once, I too was the child of a woman like you. And if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”
A New Beginning
The next day, the news spread throughout the company: Liam had issued a new policy for all employees — nursing rooms for mothers, an extra allowance for single parents, and free health check-ups for children.
And for Jessica, it was even better. She was offered a scholarship program for her son and a permanent position in the logistics department, along with a good salary and benefits.
“I don’t know how to thank you,” Jessica’s voice trembled as she held Lily in her arms.
“Don’t thank me,” Liam replied. “Thank you for your love for your son. That’s what taught me a lesson tonight.”
The Lesson Left Behind
A few weeks later, a local newspaper published a story about a janitor who was found by a billionaire, hungry but wholeheartedly breastfeeding her baby. A photo of the three of them — Liam, Jessica, and Lily — went viral on social media.
Many hearts broke. Some donated to single mothers, others began to ask: “If she, a janitor, can endure for her child, why can’t we give at least a little for others?”And in the end, Jessica remained a simple mother, but no longer alone. Behind it all, there was a powerful person who saw, listened, and decided: No mother will breastfeed in the dark, hungry, while the world sleeps.