In spite of my parents, I married a homeless man. I was stunned by what I saw when I returned home a month later.
I thought that when I proposed to a destitute stranger, I had everything worked out perfectly. It seemed like the perfect way to please my parents unconditionally. I had no idea how surprised I would be when I came home a month later.
This is the story of how I, Miley, a 34-year-old single professional woman, went from being a happy single lady to marrying a homeless man, only to have my life abruptly turned upside down in the most unexpected way.
My parents have pushed for my marriage for as long as I can remember. They seem to have a timer running in their heads, and I can feel them constantly counting down the seconds till my hair starts to turn white.
As a result, every family meal started to function as a casual dating event.
Martha, my mother, would start, “Miley, honey.” Are you familiar with the Johnsons’ son? Recently, he was elevated to the role of regional manager at his company. “Maybe you two could get together for coffee sometime.”
“I’m not interested in dating right now, Mom,” I would say. “I am concentrating on my career.”
“But your occupation won’t keep you warm at night,” my father, Stephen, would interrupt. Would you not rather have someone to live your life with?
“I share my life with you and my friends,” I would reply. “I think that’s sufficient for now.”
But they would not give up. Continually hearing “What about so-and-so?” as well as “Have you heard about this good young man?” wasn’t giving up.
One night things took a sharp turn for the worst.
My parents surprised us with an announcement over our usual Sunday meal.
My dad said, “Miley,” in a grave tone. “Your mum and I have been considering.”
I mumbled, “Oh boy, here we go.”
Ignoring my pessimism, he went on, “that unless you are married by the time you turn 35, you will not receive a penny of our inheritance.”
“What?” Suddenly I spoke my viewpoint. “You can’t be sincere!”
My mother said, “We are.” “My love, we are not getting any younger.” We want to see how happy and satisfied you are. Additionally, we want children while we are still young so we can enjoy them.
I yelled, “This is absolutely insane.” “You can’t use blackmail to force me into marriage!”
“It isn’t blackmail,” my dad emphasised. “Well, it’s an incentive.”
I hurried out of their house that night, furious, unable to believe what had happened. The ultimatum they had given me was to either find a husband in the coming months or to give up my inheritance.
It wasn’t because I wanted the money that I was angry. The idea behind it was more significant. How could they want to control my life like this?
I made no effort to visit them or answer their calls for weeks. Later, one evening I had a great idea.
On my way home from work, I was thinking about spreadsheets and deadlines when I ran into him. Sitting on the pavement with a cardboard sign asking for change was a man who was probably in his late 30s.
Despite his gruff appearance, scruffy beard, and filthy clothes, there was something in his irises. a compassion and a melancholy that made me stop.
Something came to me at that very time. As ridiculous as it was, it seemed to be the perfect solution to every problem I had.
I apologised to the person. I know this seems weird, but would you be interested in getting married?
The man was shocked, and his pupils expanded. “I apologise, what?”
“I realise this is not the norm, but I beg you to take my side,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I need to get married as soon as possible.” A union of convenience would result. I would provide you a place to live, sanitised clothes, food, and some cash. You would have to fill the position of my spouse in return. How do you respond?
For a long time he kept his eyes on me. I had no doubt that he thought I was kidding.
“Are you serious, lady?” he said.
I assured him, “Yes.” “My name is Miley, by the way.”
“Stan,” he answered, his face still dumbfounded. “And you really want to marry a homeless man you met recently?”
I gave a nod.
“Although it might seem illogical, I can assure you that I am not a serial killer or anything.” A woman in distress whose parents meddle
This is the most bizarre thing that has ever happened to me, Miley, I must admit.
“Is that a yes, then?” “What?” I asked.
He looked at me for a long moment, and I saw the light in his eyes again. “Are you aware of what?” There’s no excuse not to. “You’ve landed a deal, future spouse.”
As a result, my life experienced a change that I could not have predicted.
After I went Stan shopping for new clothes, he got cleaned up at a salon, and to my wonderful surprise, he was a pretty gorgeous man underneath all that filth.
I told my parents I was secretly engaged to him three days later. To describe them as surprised would be an understatement.
And my mom said, “Miley! “Why didn’t you inform us?”
“Oh, you know,” I responded falsely, “I wanted to make sure it was serious before I said anything.” “But, honey, don’t you think that Stan and I are really in love?”
Stan gave a fantastic performance. He entertained my folks with made-up stories about our wild love affair.
A month later, we were married.
In case my plan didn’t work, I made sure to have a solid prenuptial agreement. I was pleasantly surprised, though, to find that living with Stan was not as bad as I had expected.
Intelligent and funny, he was always happy to help out around the house. Like renters who sometimes had to pretend to be in love, we formed a modest friendship.
But there was only one problem that I found bothersome.
I would ask Stan about his history, how he got into homelessness, and he would never answer. When his eyes clouded, he would suddenly change the topic. The mystery attracted me and frustrated me at the same time.
The day that changed everything then came.
That day was like any other when I got home from work. When I first entered the house, I noticed a trail of rose petals. I followed the directions to the living room.
I was stunned by what I saw when I walked into the living room. Roses were used to decorate the entire space, and a huge flower-shaped heart was placed on the floor.
Stan was in the middle of it all.
Still, this was not the Stan I knew. There were no longer the cosy trousers and T-shirts I had given him.
He was wearing a sleek black tux instead, which looked like it cost more than my rent each month. In his palm he grasped a little velvet purse.
“Stan?” I managed to get out of it. “What is happening?”
I swear, when he smiled, my heart skipped a beat.
“Miley,” he said. “I want to say thank you for accepting me back.” I am really happy because of you. Even more satisfying would be for you to truly love me and become my wife—not just in name, but in actuality. I have loved you since I first saw you, and the last month we have spent together has been the happiest month of my life. Are you open to being married to me? For real, this time?
Trying to make sense of what was happening, I stood there with my eyes wide open. One question stood out among the thousand that were racing through my head.
With caution, I questioned, “Stan, where did you get the money for all of this?” That ring, the roses, the tuxedo?
He said, “I guess it’s time for me to reveal the truth,” and then he let out a long sigh. “You see, the story of how I ended up homeless was too complicated and could have put you in danger, so I never told you about it.” Besides, I loved that we were together.
“My brothers decided to get rid of me and take over my company, which led to my homelessness,” he added. “They created fake documents, faked my signatures, and stole my identity.” It was hundreds of kilometres from my home when they left me off at this town one day. I tried to get in touch with the authorities, but they pulled strings and I never got any help. They even offered to bribe my lawyer.
I watched Stan closely as he narrated his story in a hushed voice.
He described how he had lost everything and had been trying to live on the streets for months. That’s when he described how meeting me had given him the will to resist.
“I chose to fight back when you gave me a place to live, clean clothes, and some cash,” he said. “Because it represents their rivals, I reached out to the top law firm in the nation, which my brothers were unable to influence.”
“I told them my story and assured them of a large payout,” the person stated. “They were reluctant to take the case without an advance at first, but they finally agreed when they saw that they could outsmart their rivals.” Because of their efforts, I was able to get my bank accounts and documents back, and a court hearing has been set for next month.
He stopped, staring into the same warm eyes that had first captured my interest.
With a smile, he said, “I will be honest with you.” “I am not a poor person.” I have devoted my life to finding love, yet every woman I met was only concerned with my financial situation. However, when you thought I had nothing, you were kind to me. I fell in love with you for this reason. I’m sorry I kept this knowledge from you for such a long time.
Unable to follow his story, I fell back on the couch. The fact that the man I had impulsively married was actually rich and had real feelings for me shocked me.
“You have really caught me off guard, Stan,” I finally managed to remark. Though the amount of fresh information is overwhelming, I am also feeling feelings of fondness for you.
After giving me a nod of approval, he led me to the dining table. He had prepared a supper, which we ate.
When Stan and I finished our supper, we talked about how I was feeling.
“I appreciate your romantic gesture, Stan. I have never in my life had anyone do anything like this for me. I felt a tear slip out of my eye as I spoke.
“I will marry you.” I’m making that choice right now. Still, would you mind getting in touch with me again in six months? If I don’t change my mind, we will have a real wedding. We should start by noticing how this new knowledge impacts our life. It is going to be a difficult legal battle for you, and I will give you the help you need.
The smile spread across Stan’s face. “I’m incredibly happy.” Yes, I will make another inquiry in six months. Nevertheless, are you open to accepting my ring now?
Upon my nod, he put the ring on my finger. We gave each other hugs and had our first kiss. Despite the lack of pyrotechnics and soaring music, the kiss felt natural. I felt like I was back at home.
I’m still having trouble understanding what has happened as I write this. I married a destitute man just to get even with my parents, but I later discovered that he is a compassionate and wealthy businessman. Life functions in a way that is genuinely mysterious.
