On a chilly winter night in Paris, Claudette was out selling matches on the streets. Born with a crippled left leg, Claudette's only source of love and support was her ill mother, bedridden at home. Desperate to buy medicine for her mother, Claudette took up the job of a match girl. Unfortunately, her disability made it difficult for her to sell any matches. As her mother’s condition worsened, Claudette's determination grew stronger.
One evening, on her way home, a hair merchant offered to buy her hair for a sum more than enough to purchase the needed medicine. Claudette agreed and followed him to a barbershop. Though she parted with her hair, she didn't cry, knowing she now had the money for the medicine. She rushed to the Doctor, handed him the money, and pleaded, “I have your money, please give me the medicine to cure my mother.” The Doctor sternly handed over the medicine and written instructions.
However, when Claudette returned home, she found her mother had already passed away. Heartbroken, Claudette confronted the Doctor, accusing him, “My mother died because you refused to give me the medicine when she had a chance to live!” Overwhelmed by grief and anger, she burst into tears. The Doctor callously replied, “Your mother would have died anyway.” This enraged Claudette, who demanded her money back. The Doctor coldly retorted, “All sales are final.”
In a fit of rage, Claudette threw the medicine bottle to the ground, smashing it and spilling the liquid. The Doctor, angered, tried to grab her, but Claudette struck him with her crutch, drawing blood from his jaw. She limped away as fast as she could, tears streaming down her face, and locked herself inside her home.
A few days later, the Doctor, perhaps feeling remorseful, visited Claudette’s house, hoping to apologize. Instead, he found Claudette had died, likely of a broken heart. Claudette and her mother were buried side by side in the cemetery. But no one knew how joyous Claudette was to be reunited with her mother in heaven.