A single mom with four kids buys a used car, and the owner tells her to check the trunk when she gets home — this is the story of the day.

A single mother of four decided to buy a used car to help her get to work. The previous owner told her to open the trunk when she got home. What she discovered inside would change her life.

Jennifer became a single mom after her husband, Adam, left when he learned she was pregnant with their fourth child. “Another mouth to feed? No way! I’m done!” he said before leaving their trailer and filing for divorce. Jennifer was heartbroken. Although they didn’t plan the pregnancy, she expected Adam to support her during such a difficult time, especially since they were already struggling financially. After they separated, Adam stopped providing any money for their children.

He said he couldn’t get a job because he didn’t finish college and no one would hire him. Soon after giving birth, Jennifer had no choice but to start looking for a job because she was running out of money for food, diapers, and milk. Jennifer walked through different restaurants and shops, but owners kept turning her down because she had four small children.

One employer even told her, “It’s hard to hire moms with young kids because something always comes up. Your child gets sick, or you have no one to watch them, so you miss work. I’m sorry, it’s just too much for us.” Since no one in her neighborhood would hire her, Jennifer began looking for work in a nearby city, using the little money she had left.

She took a cab and asked her neighbors to watch her kids for the afternoon. When she arrived, she noticed a housekeeping job opening at a local hotel. She went in, applied, and was hired on the spot. “We really need staff, especially with the summer season coming up. We’ll be fully booked in a couple of weeks,” the HR manager told her.

Desperate for work, Jennifer accepted the job even though it meant traveling to a different city every day. She thanked the HR manager and headed home, where she told her kids she had finally found a job. After spending almost $30 on the cab ride, Jennifer realized she couldn’t afford to commute like that every day. It would be better to have her own car, but she didn’t have the money to buy one. She decided her best option was to buy a used car. She found one but wondered if the owner would agree to sell it for a lower price. “Would you be able to sell this car for $5,000? I’m a single mom with four kids,” she asked.

She explained that it had been hard for her to make money as a single mom of four, and she needed a car to take a job in a nearby city. When the owner heard about her situation, he agreed to sell the car for $5,000. “If you can buy the car by tomorrow, I’ll sell it to you for $5,000,” he said. Jennifer was very grateful for the lower price. She tried to get a loan from the bank to buy the car the next day, but her bad credit caused the loan to be rejected immediately.

Running out of options, Jennifer thought hard about what to do next. She couldn’t move to a new city because her oldest child, Ethan, had just started school near their trailer park. Also, rent in the nearby city was much higher, and she couldn’t take the trailer with her. She really needed a car to get to work and pick up her children from school and daycare. Then she remembered the gold chain necklace her late mother had left her, which had been in the family for generations. Even though it made her sad, Jennifer knew she had to sell it to buy the car and provide for her children.

She took the necklace to a pawnshop and said, “I’m sorry, Mom. I really need to do this right now.” The necklace was valued at $5,500, which made Jennifer happy because it was enough to buy the car and have some money left for daily needs. The next day, she went back to the car dealership and gave the owner, Jeff, an envelope with $5,000. “Thank you for agreeing to sell this to me. You have no idea how much this will help me and my children,” she said.

Jeff smiled and said, “Congratulations on your car. This is a great purchase.” While Jennifer was signing the paperwork, Jeff quietly put something in the trunk of the car. As she was about to drive home, he called out, “By the way, check the trunk when you get home. I left something for your children inside.” Jennifer was so busy commuting to work and taking care of her children that she forgot to check the trunk until she found a note in the glove compartment. The note said, “I hope you and your children like the gift I left in the trunk. May it be of great help to you.”

Curious, Jennifer opened the trunk and was confused at first when she saw only a white envelope. Then she realized it was the same envelope she had used to pay for the car. Inside, she found the $5,000 untouched. Overwhelmed by the man’s kindness, Jennifer drove back to the dealership after work to thank Jeff. He told her, “Life throws challenges at you, and it’s up to you to either overcome them or give in. I’m proud of you for staying strong for your children, and I thought you could use the money more than I could. Just remember to pay it forward.”