Write a story ending with the words: I wish I had listened to my father.

Model answer: short story

My father was a quiet, thoughtful man whose advice I too often ignored. As I grew older and thought myself wiser than he, I began to dismiss his counsel as the fears of an old-fashioned mind. One decision, above all, taught me how wrong I was.

When I finished secondary school, a smooth-talking friend invited me to join him in a business in the city, promising quick and easy wealth. My father warned me sternly. "Beware of money that comes too easily," he said. "Learn a trade first, and build slowly." But my ears were shut. Dreaming of fast riches, I gathered my little savings and travelled to the city against his wishes.

For a few weeks all seemed well. My friend introduced me to well-dressed men who spoke of huge profits, and I handed over my money to invest in their scheme. Then, one grey morning, I arrived at the office to find it empty. The men had vanished, the business was a fraud, and my savings were gone. I was left stranded, penniless and ashamed, in a city that suddenly felt cold and cruel.

With no money and nowhere to turn, I begged my way back home. My father received me without a word of reproach, only a sad, knowing look that hurt more than any scolding. As I sat that night counting all that I had lost, one bitter thought filled my heart: I wish I had listened to my father.

Key features expected: a coherent narrative with clear structure and a moral thread; the story must end with the exact words "I wish I had listened to my father."; good description, tenses and paragraphing.