A Wedding Wish and a Secret Millionaire
My grandmother was dying. She had spent every penny of her life savings to make my dream wedding happen—her last wish was to see me walk down the aisle. But when my fiancé betrayed me just days before the ceremony, I was left with no choice. I had to marry a homeless man to make her happy.
But as I stood there, staring at him in his borrowed suit, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding something. Who was this man? And why did he look at me like he knew more than he was saying?
The Day Everything Fell Apart
Life has a funny way of ruining things just when they seem perfect. That morning started like any other—I rushed into the restaurant where I worked as head chef, whipped up a quick meal, and packed it into a to-go box.
Then I stepped outside to the alley where he always waited.
“Here you go, Sam,” I said, handing him the container. “Avocado toast with poached egg and bacon—your favorite.”
Sam grinned, his scruffy face lighting up. “You’re too good to me, Renee.”
Sam was homeless, though he couldn’t have been older than thirty. I never asked how he ended up on the streets—it felt rude. But he was kind, always polite, and never begged.
That day, though, he looked serious. “Renee, I need to tell you something—”
Ring! Ring!
My phone cut him off. It was Grandma.
I held up a finger. “Sorry, I have to take this.”
Grandma had been sick for months. The doctors said she didn’t have long.
“Hi, Grandma,” I answered, forcing cheer into my voice. “Everything okay?”
Her voice was weak. “I’m scared, Renee. What if I don’t make it to your wedding?”
My chest tightened. “Don’t say that! It’s next week—you’ll be there.”
Michael and I had only gotten engaged two weeks ago. We’d planned to wait, but when Grandma’s health took a turn, we rushed everything. She had poured her entire savings into this wedding—I couldn’t let her down.
After hanging up, I turned back to Sam. “What were you saying?”
He shook his head. “Forget it. I didn’t know you were getting married.”
“Yeah, well… life’s full of surprises,” I muttered.
Sam nodded and dug into his food while I headed back inside.
The Betrayal
At lunch, I stepped outside for air—and froze.
Michael.
My fiancé was pressed against some woman, kissing her like I didn’t exist.
The plate in my hands crashed to the ground.
“WHAT THE HELL?!” I screamed.
Michael jerked away, his face pale. “Renee?! I thought you were off today!”
“We’re getting married in a week!” I shrieked.
He had the nerve to shrug. “It was just one last fling.”
“WE’RE DONE!” I ripped off my ring and hurled it at his feet.
The other woman gasped. “You said you loved me!” She slapped him hard and stormed off.
Michael rubbed his cheek, looking at me like I was the unreasonable one. “Come on, Renee, don’t cancel the wedding over this!”
“Over this?! You’re disgusting!” I turned and ran before he could see me cry.
A Crazy Idea
I collapsed behind the restaurant, kicking a trash can in fury.
“Bad day?”
Sam stood there, watching me with concern.
I burst into tears. “Michael cheated on me!”
Sam sat beside me, laying his torn jacket on the ground so I wouldn’t get dirty. “That’s rough.”
I wiped my face. “Grandma spent everything on this wedding. If I cancel it, she’ll die heartbroken.”
Sam frowned. “Can’t you just… postpone?”
I shook my head. “She might not have that long.” Then it hit me. I grabbed his arm. “Sam… marry me.”
He choked. “What?!”
“It’ll be fake! Just for Grandma. You’re a good guy—I trust you.”
Sam stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “Renee, I’m a bum.”
“I don’t care. Please, Sam. I need this.”
He hesitated, then sighed. “…Okay. Let’s do it.”
I threw my arms around him. “Thank you!”
The Truth Comes Out
That night, Sam showered at my place while I called my mom.
“Wait—you’re not marrying Michael?!” Mom shrieked.
“Nope. New guy.”
“You’re going to give me a heart attack one day,” she groaned.
Then the bathroom door opened.
I turned—and my jaw dropped.
Sam stood there, clean-shaven, hair styled, wearing Michael’s too-tight clothes because holy cow, he was ripped.
“Renee? Hello?!” Mom yelled through the phone.
“I’ll call you back,” I mumbled, hanging up.
Sam smirked. “What?”
“Uh… nothing.” I cleared my throat. “You clean up nice.”
Over the next few days, I learned two things:
- Sam was insanely smart.
- He could cook better than me.
How did a guy like this end up homeless?
But I didn’t ask.
The Wedding Disaster
The big day arrived.
As we walked into the fancy hotel, whispers followed us.
“She’s marrying a homeless guy?”
“He’s just using her!”
Sam tensed. I squeezed his hand. “Ignore them.”
But then something weird happened.
Hotel staff swarmed us.
“Mr. Sam! You’re back!”
“Should we prepare the penthouse?”
I blinked. “Sam… what’s going on?”
The manager beamed. “You didn’t know? He’s the owner’s son!”
My stomach dropped. “WHAT?!”
Sam winced. “I tried to tell you—”
“You lied to me?!” I screamed.
“It’s just money—it doesn’t matter!”
“IT MATTERS TO ME!” I turned and ran.
The Confession
I ended up on the hotel roof, tears blurring my vision.
Then Sam’s voice came from behind.
“You.”
I spun around. “What?”
He stepped closer. “You matter. More than any of this.”
I crossed my arms. “Stop lying.”
“I’m not. I fell for you the first time you handed me food without pity. You treated me like a person.”
My anger wavered. “Then why lie?”
Sam sighed. “My dad wanted me to take over the hotels. I wanted freedom. So I left—no money, no plan. Ended up on the streets. And honestly? I was happy. Until I met you.”
I swallowed. “You really love me?”
“More than anything.”
I took a shaky breath. “Then let’s get married.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Fake wedding. Real feelings. Deal?”
He grinned. “Deal.”
And right there, under the open sky, I kissed him—really kissed him.
Turns out, Grandma’s last wish led me to the love of my life.
And he just happened to be a millionaire.