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To be honest, I had no intention of falling in love.
To be honest, love was the last thing on my mind when it all began.
My parents thought they could control every aspect of my life, so I just wanted to make a statement to retaliate.
My family is exceedingly affluent—very much so. We’re talking about fancy cars, country club memberships, and a mansion so big that my childhood friends thought it was a hotel.
I had every benefit growing up, and I always imagined that I would ultimately take over my father’s company. He had built it from the ground up, and everyone knew I was the logical heir.
Yes, I may have embraced life a bit too much for my parents’ taste, and I wasn’t exactly the most disciplined person in the world.
The carefree lifestyle that only seems feasible when you have a solid financial safety net to fall back on is embodied by impromptu gatherings and trips that started without a plan and ended with unanticipated adventures.
My dad gave us some startling news one evening at a lavishly prepared family meal. “Alex, your mother and I have decided it’s time you settle down,” my father stated casually, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the spotless linen tablecloth, as though discussing a new investment.
I raised an eyebrow, a little perplexed. “Come on in?” I repeated it.
With her diamond earrings gleaming in the chandelier light, my mother nodded. “Yes, my dear.” Please relax. Getting married, starting a family, and all of that. Your father is ready to step aside from the business, but we need to see that you are committed to something bigger than your next party before we can trust you with it.
I experienced a sinking sensation in my abdomen. I took a deep breath, trying to maintain a collected and serene expression on my face.
I should have known this would happen. They had never approved of my carefree outlook on life. In order to calm board members and investors, they now wanted me to get married and change into a respectable businessman with a decent family.
In essence, they wanted to have authority over my private life before granting me full access.
I felt stuck, and that’s when my more vicious side came out. Yes, I would grant them a marriage if that was their desire. Not the type they had hoped for, though.
I would pick a partner who would force them to reconsider all of their plans if they were insistent that I bring someone into the family. I would choose someone who wouldn’t quite fit in based on their own standards.
I decided to attend a small charity event to kill time and ended up running into her. Mary was standing calmly at a folding table, helping to distribute pamphlets amid the bustle of networking and the showcasing of fashionable attire.
She had on a basic cotton dress and some flat shoes. She kept her hair out of her face by wearing it in a sensible ponytail. She seemed wonderfully indifferent to the magnificence and luxury all around her.
I smiled as I walked over and said, “Hey there.” “Hello, my name is Alex.”
She gave me a short glance, looked up at me, and nodded. “Mary,” she answered. Just Mary, with no last name or fanfare.
After some conversation, I learned that she was from a rural town and wasn’t a high-society or trust-fund kid. She was polite, but she didn’t appear to care about me or my life. I thought, “That’s just perfect.” It was just what I needed to make my parents unable to talk.
Getting right to the subject, I said, “Mary, I know this sounds a little crazy, but I’m looking for someone to marry.”
She looked surprised and raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
I tried to maintain a calm, confident demeanor as I shrugged. “Well, it’s quite a tale.” My parents won’t let me take over the family business until I’ve settled down. I’m trying to find a companion who can help me. Maybe we can figure out a solution that benefits us both.”
Although this may seem a little unusual, would you be interested?”
I was surprised when she softly laughed. “That’s a really interesting proposal, Alex. You truly don’t know anything about me.”
She had a point, but I persisted in moving forward. “We should treat this like a commercial deal. That’s fair, but I’d like to try things out first—let’s get to know each other in a certain way.”
Mary’s eyes offered me no clue what she was thinking. She then said, “All right. But I do have one request: don’t question me about my history. You know, I’m just an ordinary girl from a little town.”
Her request seemed a little odd to me, but I didn’t give it much thought because I was so happy that my plan was finally coming together. “Agree,” I smiled in response. This was going to work out perfectly.
The day I introduced Mary to my parents was absolutely amazing. I was smiling confidently as I imagined their reaction.
Always well-groomed and poised, my mother tried to smile politely at Mary’s modest attire. My father’s frown intensified and more creases appeared on his face as he observed Mary’s modest upbringing and unassuming manners.
I could just hear them asking themselves, “Is this the person he has selected? She is completely out of place in our world!” That’s exactly what I wanted to find.
For a few weeks, things proceeded as planned. My parents were even more perplexed each time Mary attended a family dinner.
They would inquire about her interests, her childhood, and try to learn more about her family history, but she would remain courteously vague in her answers.
I caught Mary giving me a kind of cheeky look after one of those dinners. “Do you find this enjoyable?” she arched one eyebrow and asked quietly.
I simply shrugged. “Observing them squirm? A little. You’re doing an outstanding job.”
Mary nodded and continued, “Just remember that you wanted this.” I didn’t understand what she was saying, but I decided to disregard it. I was preoccupied with letting my folks down.
My parents made sure we attended a posh charity ball, where we were in for a true surprise. With politicians, business magnates, and well-established families mingling under the glistening chandeliers, the evening exuded elegance.
Mary accompanied me, wearing another understated outfit that stood out among the ostentatious designer gowns. Perfect, perfect, perfect. Please allow my parents to defend the new fiancée’s lack of interest in high fashion.
While Mary played the part of the modest fiancé with ease, I couldn’t help but relish my parents’ barely disguised shock as we made our way through the crowd.
The mayor, however, saw us. The mayor was smiling broadly as he made his way straight to Mary, even though I didn’t know him personally.
“Mary, it’s so great to see you!” he exclaimed as he enthusiastically shook her hand. “Your family’s donation to the children’s hospital was absolutely amazing. How are things doing at home?”
My mom and I exchanged shocked glances. Mary simply nodded while maintaining a warm grin. “It’s all right, Mr. Mayor,” she answered. “Seeing the impact the hospital project is having on so many kids is amazing.”
The mayor zoned out, leaving us perplexed. My mother was the first to find her voice. “Alex,” she said sharply in a whisper, “did he just mention that Mary’s family gave to a children’s hospital?”
I was ready to reply when a longtime family acquaintance arrived, obviously surprised to see Mary beside me. “Mary!” he yelled. “It’s been a long time since you left the city. People wanted to know where the Charity Princess was!”
Princess of Charity? The name had a familiar sound. I had heard rumors of a reclusive family heir who was well-liked for their subtlety and kindness, and who backed many philanthropic initiatives.
Mary was definitely more than just a typical “country girl” if that was indeed her.
I located Mary by the dessert table after we were able to elude the crowd. “Could you tell me more about that?” With my arms folded, I asked, trying to maintain a steady tone of voice despite my gut churning with confusion.
She sighed and looked about as though carefully choosing what to say. “My family is well-known in the charitable community,” she quietly admitted. “They are wealthy, and I was raised in their social and philanthropic circles.” However, I became tired of it—tired of the incessant advice on who to marry, how to behave, and what causes to support.
I stared at her in shock. “You’re a socialite who chose to live away from home, then?”
Mary shrugged slightly in response, saying, “Something like that. I’ve been adopting a simpler lifestyle, removing myself from the spotlight.”
“Your outlandish proposition drew my attention, and I saw it as the ideal way to avoid my controlling parents’ attention. I believed that we could help each other.”
That’s when I realized Mary had known about my strategy from day one. She was aware that I was attempting to get revenge on my parents, and she had done her part well.
The catch was that she was playing a game of her own, seeming to be an ordinary outsider while concealing a strong history that eclipsed even mine.
Still struggling to process the realization, I said, “You must think I’m a fool.” “You’re far more accomplished than any of the heiresses they would have chosen for me, but I was trying to surprise my parents with someone I thought they’d consider ‘unworthy.’”
Mary smiled a little. “I don’t think you’re stupid, Alex. I think we have more in common than we may think. We both didn’t want to be in charge. You were considering sending your folks a message. I yearned to escape the cage of high society that had encircled me since I was a young child.”
I breathed out slowly. “What comes next?”
“It depends,” she said, meeting my eyes directly. “We can keep acting, or we can decide to tell the truth. Maybe we can find something real here, something more than retaliation or an escape route.”
I experienced a change in myself as I observed Mary standing there in her simple dress—an ensemble designed to deceive, but ironically demonstrating her true strength.
I was genuinely amazed by her bravery and wit. The plan I had devised out of malice suddenly seems naive. I was looking for something real, something more profound than a façade.
I took her hand. I suggested, “I think we should be honest with our families. If we are going to build a life together, let’s make sure it is on our terms and free of secrets. Tell them that we both decided not to be pawns in their games.”
Mary nodded, and a warm, sincere smile appeared on her face for the first time that evening. She nodded and said, “All right, Alex. No more concealing things.”
When we invited our parents into the drawing room the next morning, hers was called over with a few quiet phone calls, while mine was still in shock over the ball’s discoveries.
It was time for a final clarification. It’s our time to take charge and demonstrate that we have the power to direct our own lives rather than having them dictated by our families.
I wasn’t sure what would happen next—maybe rage, incredulity, or even a confrontation—but I knew I wasn’t afraid of the result anymore.
I had a partner in Mary who really understood what it meant to let go of expectations. Together, we were unstoppable and ready to change the course of our story from the start.
In summary:
Alex, a man of significant fortune, is at the heart of the story. He is determined to prove his parents wrong and get revenge. His family owns a large home, expensive automobiles, and memberships in country clubs.
Alex believed he would inherit his father’s business, but his parents believed he should settle down before they could entrust him with that duty. In order to please board members and investors, Alex’s parents hoped he would get married, start a family, and succeed as a businessman.
Alex meets Mary, a modest girl from a small town, during a charity function. She is polite, yet she is not impressed by the luxury and beauty around her.
Mary agrees to try it out first when Alex decides to pop the question. They could treat it like a business deal, with Mary providing her help in return. Mary’s only rule is to avoid discussing her background. They barely give it a second thought because Alex is so thrilled about the concept coming to fruition.
When Alex brings Mary home to meet his parents, they are perplexed by her humble upbringing and unassuming manner.
Given that she is from an entirely different world, they think she is the one he has chosen! That’s exactly what Alex wants.
Everything proceeds as planned for a few weeks, with Mary attending family dinners and further perplexing his parents. Her responses are courteously evasive despite their many inquiries about her interests, upbringing, and family history.
Mary asks Alex whether he’s having one of those dinners, but he simply shrugs. “Just keep in mind, this was your choice,” she says.
Alex was too preoccupied with arguing and questioning his parents’ demands.
Alex’s resolve to prove his parents wrong and exact revenge is at the heart of the narrative. He is forced to choose a companion who will challenge his parents’ expectations and force them to reconsider their entire approach.
The story examines the challenges faced by those attempting to change their lives and make a significant difference after Mary, a regular girl from a small town, is chosen as a potential companion.
At a charity ball, the mayor reveals that Mary’s family made a major donation to a children’s hospital. Shocked, Alex’s parents begin to realize she’s not who she seems.
Mary later admits that she comes from a wealthy philanthropic family but escaped that world to live freely. She reveals she joined Alex’s plan because it also gave her freedom from her parents’ control.
Both realize they were rebelling against the same pressures. They decide to stop pretending, face their families, and build something genuine together.
With Mary at his side, Alex finally understands what it means to live freely and honestly. Together, they begin a new chapter—one built not on revenge, but on truth and love.
