If you were working at a fast-food chain and stumbled upon a large amount of money, what would you do?
One CHICK-FIL-A employee faced that exact dilemma after coming across $10,000 in the restaurant’s restroom—and his reaction wasn’t what most people might expect.
Jayden Cintron was on shift as normal on Good Friday morning when the 18-year-old took his scheduled break.
But when he headed into the restroom at the Kinston, North Carolina location, he noticed two white envelopes sitting by the toilet.
Each envelope appeared to be intended for a bank—one labeled First Citizens Bank and the other Truist Bank.
Inside was a substantial amount of cash: one envelope held $5,000 and the other contained $4,333. That left Cintron with a split-second decision: keep the $9,333, or turn it in.
What he chose to do surprised just about everyone.
Cintron said his initial reaction was suspicion, explaining to WITN that the scene didn’t feel right.
Cintron said: “My first thought was just like… okay, no, this isn’t happening. Something is wrong.”
After taking a moment to compose himself, he decided to report the discovery and turned the money over to CHICK-FIL-A’s human resources department.
He later explained that his faith played a major role in his decision, especially given the significance of Good Friday.
“That’s not what Jesus would’ve done. That’s not what God would’ve wanted,” the teenager revealed.
His actions drew widespread praise, including from his manager, John McPhaul.
“True leadership, you know, true integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching. Jayden did that in this case and he should be commended for it,” John McPhaul said to the news station.
And while Cintron wasn’t looking for recognition, a reward was offered after the owner was informed about the cash.
The person who came forward reportedly tried to give him $500 as a thank-you, but Cintron initially turned it down.
After being urged several times to accept it, he eventually agreed.
Although many people might not act the same way, cases like this do happen.
Back in 2022, employees at a Tennessee Home Depot tracked down a customer who had lost $700 meant for Christmas gifts after an envelope was found on the floor of an aisle.
“We wanted to do the right thing,” Alissa Rocchi, the operations assistant and store manager at Home Depot in Bellevue, said at the time, per the New York Post.
Stories like these are a reminder that sometimes people really do choose honesty, even when no one would have known otherwise.