A Shocking Anniversary Surprise
Fast forward to our first anniversary. I was expecting a quiet, cozy evening—maybe a home-cooked meal, a movie, and Jack’s continued loyalty to his beloved couch.
What I wasn’t expecting? Jack standing next to a sleek, luxury car that looked like it belonged in a Hollywood film.
I stopped in my tracks. “Whose car is that?”
He grinned, holding out a bouquet of roses. “Mine.”
I laughed. “No, seriously.”
He didn’t laugh back.
And then he dropped the bombshell.
For the past year, Jack had been testing me. He wasn’t a logistics worker just getting by—he was the heir to a multi-million-dollar family business. The apartment? Fake. The struggling lifestyle? An elaborate act. He had wanted to make sure I loved him for who he was, not for his wealth.
I stared at him, stunned. “I’m sorry… what?”
“I know it sounds crazy,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “But people treat me differently when they know. I needed to be sure.”
I crossed my arms. “So you thought pretending to be broke for a year was the best way to do that?”
“When you say it like that, it sounds kinda—”
“Manipulative? Something straight out of a badly written romance novel?”
He sighed. “I needed to know you loved me. And now I do.”
Then, as if this moment wasn’t shocking enough, he pulled out a small velvet box and got down on one knee.
“Giselle,” he said, looking up at me with those ridiculously charming blue eyes. “Will you marry me?”
Now, most people might have screamed yes and jumped into his arms.
But I had a secret of my own.
The Twist He Never Saw Coming
I plucked the car keys from his hand. “Let me drive. If what I show you next doesn’t scare you off, then my answer is yes.”
Jack looked confused but handed me the keys. “Okay…?”
“Trust me,” I grinned. “You’re not the only one with secrets.”
I drove us past city lights, through quiet suburbs, and straight toward a massive estate that looked like it belonged in a fairytale. Towering fountains, pristine gardens, a hedge maze—yes, a hedge maze.
Jack’s jaw dropped.
“Giselle… what is this?”
I parked and smirked. “Welcome to my childhood home.”
He turned to me, completely stunned. “YOU’RE rich?!”
“Very.”
He blinked. Then blinked again. “So… you were testing me while I was testing you?”
“Looks like it.”
A long pause. Then, out of nowhere, Jack burst into laughter.
“We are ridiculous,” he said, shaking his head. “I was out here trying to see if you were after my money, and you—” he gestured wildly at the mansion “—you had all this the whole time?!”
“Basically.”
He leaned against the car, still laughing. “So… does this mean your answer is yes?”
I tapped my chin. “Hmm. I suppose I’ll marry you.”
The Happily Ever After (and That Infamous Couch)
Six months later, we got married in a stunning, intimate ceremony. Our families wouldn’t stop teasing us about our mutual deception.
“I still can’t believe you ate instant ramen for a year,” my mom whispered during the reception. “You don’t even like ramen.”
“The things we do for love, Mom,” I said, while Jack tried (and failed) to explain his fake apartment to his dad.
A few months later, while looking for our first home together, Jack sighed nostalgically.
“You know what I miss?”
“If you say Martha—”
“Martha would be heartbroken to hear that.”
“Martha tried to injure me, Jack.”
He chuckled, pulling me close. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
And that, my friends, is how a ridiculous, utterly unexpected love story came to be. Turns out, the best relationships aren’t about wealth or status. They’re about laughter, trust, and maybe—just maybe—falling in love over a very suspicious couch named Martha.