NUSWhispers, an anonymous confessions platform that also serves as a breeding ground for trolls and people who may or may not be university students to emote for an audience, occasionally surfaces heartbreaking stories from time to time.

On Oct. 25, a contributor, who claims to be a student, shared an experience where he or she felt his or her heart "properly break for the first time".

There was no indication of the gender of the confessor.

A visit from their father

According to the writer, their father is close to 70 but not retired.

The elderly man holds two jobs as a cleaner, working at a country club in the day and at a community centre at night.

Parent and child have busy schedules, and the writer has not been home for three weeks due to a "heavy workload".

On Oct. 25, however, the father had half a day off, and visited the writer to tour their school hall.

Took someone's chilli by mistake

After the tour, the duo went to get dinner at the food court at Kent Ridge MRT.

Knowing about his financial situation, the writer offered to pay for dinner.

The elderly man apparently ordered the cheapest item he could find, which was fishball noodles.

While buying the noodles, the father took another customer's chilli by mistake.

When the customer return to claim it, she made sarcastic remarks at the older man while eyeing him.

The father apologised, explained the situation, and offered her the chilli, but the customer was not satisfied.

She allegedly replied in Chinese, "I don't want it cause you've touched it. So dirty."

That was when the writer realised that his/her father is still wearing his cleaner's uniform.

Instead of getting angry, the father simply apologised again, and even stopped his child from retaliating.

The post said:

"He said that he’s used to it and it suddenly hit me that this is what he does all on a day to day basis. He apologises and lets people walk over him. He is invisible. I always knew my dad worked hard and is always at the mercy of others but seeing it with my own two eyes was an entirely different experience."

The writer was so distraught that he or she started crying during the meal.

At the end of the post, the writer hopes that they will soon be financially stable enough for their father to stop working.

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