We all like to think we'd do whatever we could to help out someone in need, and almost all of us will have done at least one charitable act in our lifetimes.
But one woman on Reddit has been left baffled after she decided to reach out and pay £460 to cover the vet bill of a stranger whose cat was in need of surgery - as her boyfriend later started an argument with her for being "too nice".
The woman, who is from the US, said she and her partner had found a kitten on the side of the road and had taken it to their local vet, where they saw another woman who was "extremely upset" because she couldn't afford her $600 (£460) vet bill and was at risk of having her cat put down as a result.
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Instead of leaving the woman to suffer, the Reddit poster did what her heart told her to do and stepped up to pay the bill for the stranger - which for some reason left her boyfriend furious.
She wrote in her post : "This weekend, [my boyfriend and I] actually rescued a cat together. We found a poor kitty on the side of the road and proceeded to come up with a quick plan to rescue it.
"Everything worked out, we got it in a box and immediately called the only vet that was open near us, in the next town over. They were able to see her, we got everything she needed, and everything worked out perfectly.
"We finished up with the vet, and when we walked out of our room so I could pay for the vet visit, there was a woman crying at the front desk. She was extremely upset that she wouldn’t be able to pay for the surgery her cat needed, which would cost $600.
"I have a very well-paying job, and I already have a decent amount of money saved up. I’m not extremely well-off or anything, but I’m doing alright. I had the money to help her, and my heart told me I should help this lady out, so I did."
The woman's boyfriend then accused her of having a "hero complex" and told her she was "too nice" for her own good - just for making someone's day.
She added: "My boyfriend stayed very quiet while I was talking to the lady, and he ended up taking my new kitty to the car while I was still inside of the office. He was pretty quiet most of the way home, and then he looked over at me and basically just told me I shouldn’t have done what I did.
"He says it was a waste of money, and I 'must have some kind of hero-complex or something'. He then basically just laid into me, saying I’m too nice for my own good, and people are going to take advantage of that if I keep it up.
"I’m still feeling pretty upset about what he said. Initially, I felt great about helping the lady. I was happy to be able to help her keep her fur baby.
"I’m not really sure how to proceed with my boyfriend. Maybe he was right, I don’t know. We haven’t really talked much today at all, and I feel like he’s kind of giving me the silent treatment now."
Commenters on the Reddit post were quick to tell the woman she did the right thing by footing the stranger's vet bill - as many of them reassured her that there's nothing wrong with being nice.
One person said: "You did a wonderful thing for a person in need. That lady will remember you and what you did forever. For your boyfriend to criticise you and make you feel like crap is really sh***y."
While another added: "That was one of the kindest things you could possibly do. She was shedding tears for a family member. You could afford it. You did it. You are an ANGEL.
"It was a random act of kindness. If we had more people who practised this, the world would be a much better place.
"There are men who think and behave the way you do. I bet you'd be much much happier with one of them."
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