“Stan?” I managed to squeak out. “What’s going on?”
He smiled, and I swear my heart skipped a beat.
“Miley,” he said. “I wanted to thank you for accepting me. You’ve made me incredibly happy. I would be even happier if you truly loved me and became my wife, not just in name but in real life. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you, and this past month we’ve spent together has been the happiest of my life. Will you marry me? For real this time?”
I stood there with eyes wide open, struggling to process what was happening. A thousand questions raced through my mind, but one pushed its way to the front.
“Stan,” I said slowly, “where did you get the money for all this? The tuxedo, the flowers, and that ring?”
“I guess it’s time I told you the truth,” he said before taking a deep breath. “You see, I never told you how I became homeless because it was too complicated, and it could have put you in a difficult position. And I loved our life together so much.”
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“I became homeless because my brothers decided to get rid of me and take over my company,” he continued. “They forged documents, faked my signatures, and even stole my identity. One day, they dropped me off in this town, miles away from home. When I tried going to the police, they pulled strings, and I never got any help. They even bribed my lawyer.”
I quietly listened as Stan poured out his story.
How he’d lost everything, how he’d spent months just trying to survive on the streets. And then, how meeting me had given him the push he needed to fight back.
“When you gave me a home, clean clothes, and a little money, I decided to fight back,” he explained. “I contacted the best law firm in the country, one that my brothers couldn’t influence because it works for their competitors.”
“I told them my story and promised them a substantial payout,” he revealed. “At first, they didn’t want to take the case without an advance, but when they realized they could finally outsmart their rivals, they agreed. Thanks to them, a court case is set for next month, and my documents and bank accounts have been restored.”
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He paused, looking at me with those kind eyes that had first caught my attention.
