My wealthy parents demanded I marry to inherit the family business, so I chose a “country girl” to spite them. But soon, I discovered she was hiding a powerful secret.

I’ll admit it. I’m not proud of how I started all this.

I wasn’t looking for love, not even close. I just wanted to get back at my parents.

You see, I’ve always lived the way I wanted, with no strings. Parties, fast cars, expensive vacations.

And why not? My family was wealthy, and I knew I’d inherit my father’s business one day.

But then my parents sat me down for “the talk.”

“Listen, Alex,” my father said, leaning forward like he was discussing a business deal. “Your mother and I feel it’s time you settle down.”

“Settle down?” I scoffed, leaning back with a smirk.

“You mean get married?”

“Precisely,” he said with a nod, not breaking eye contact. “You’re almost 30. If you want the company, we need to see some commitment.

That means a wife, a family. You can’t run a business like this alone.”

My mother chimed in, shaking her head. “Your father worked his entire life for this, Alex.

We can’t trust the future of the business to someone who treats life like a party.”

I was fuming. They wanted a marriage, so I’d give them one. If they thought they could push me around, I’d prove them wrong.

I’d find someone who’d make them question their own demands.

And that’s when I met Mary.

Mary wasn’t from the usual places where I met women. I found her volunteering at a quiet charity event. She looked modest, maybe even shy, with a simple dress and her hair tied back.

Nothing flashy, no designer clothes, just calm and… real.

When I introduced myself, she just nodded and said, “Nice to meet you, Alex.” She barely looked at me, like she wasn’t impressed at all.

“So, uh, where are you from, Mary?” I asked, trying to gauge her story.

“Oh, I’m just from a small town,” she replied with a polite smile. “Nothing fancy.” Her voice was soft, and her eyes seemed guarded.

Perfect.

Just perfect.

“So, Mary,” I began, cutting right to the chase. “How do you feel about marriage?”

She raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. “Excuse me?”

“I know it sounds strange,” I said, forcing a confident smile.

“But I’m looking for someone to marry. I… have my reasons.

But you will need to pass several ‘tests’ first.”

Mary looked at me, expression unreadable. Then she laughed, surprising me. “Well, isn’t that funny,” she said, her eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t place.