Elizabeth’s father was determined to marry her off to one of his wealthy, handpicked suitors, but none of them felt right to her. Each man he paraded in front of her was a glaring reminder of the chasm between what her father valued and what she desired. Her frustration grew with each passing introduction. She felt trapped in a life she had never chosen, and her father’s relentless pressure only made matters worse.
One evening, at yet another lavish party, her father introduced her to Tom, a man nearly twice her age. The moment Tom kissed her hand, Elizabeth felt a deep sense of disgust. Tom was wealthy and powerful, exactly the kind of man her father approved of, but he lacked the warmth and authenticity she craved. When her father whispered that she needed to marry if she wanted her inheritance, Elizabeth snapped. “I’d rather marry the first man I meet on the street than one of your choices!” she declared.
Her father smirked, doubting her seriousness, but Elizabeth had had enough. In a fit of defiance, she stormed out of the party and into the night.
As she hurried away from the mansion, Elizabeth’s mind raced. Her impulsive words echoed in her ears, and she realized how reckless her declaration had been. Just then, as if by some cosmic coincidence, she bumped into a man walking down the street. He was rough around the edges, his clothes worn, his hands calloused. Definitely not the type her father would approve of, but that was exactly the point.
Without thinking, Elizabeth grabbed his arm and whispered urgently, “Just play along.” She marched him back toward the estate, her heart pounding. The man, whose name she quickly learned was Scott, was baffled but played along as she introduced him to her father as her “future husband.”
Her father looked amused, convinced this was some dramatic stunt that wouldn’t last. But Elizabeth was determined. She had made her choice, and now she was stuck with it, for better or worse.
Later that night, at a quiet bar down the road, Elizabeth explained her situation to Scott. To her surprise, he wasn’t just any random man—he was the son of the gardener who used to work for her family. Scott had left that world behind, but now, faced with financial troubles of his own, he found himself considering her outlandish proposal.
Elizabeth didn’t know what to expect from Scott. She wasn’t even sure if she could go through with marrying him. But as they spent more time together, a bond began to form. Scott’s warmth and genuine nature were everything the wealthy suitors her father had chosen lacked. Slowly, Elizabeth realized that what had started as an impulsive escape from her father’s control was turning into something more real.
As their wedding day approached, Elizabeth knew one thing for certain: she didn’t just want to marry Scott to secure her inheritance. She wanted to marry him because, somewhere along the way, she had fallen in love with the man she never saw coming.