Then, as if out of nowhere, the mayor himself approached us, his face spread into a wide grin.
‘Mary! I’m glad to see you here!’ – he exclaimed, extending his hand for a handshake.
My parents’ jaws nearly dropped to the floor. I blinked, trying to comprehend what was happening. Did the mayor know Mary?
Mary’s smile was polite, but I noticed she felt awkward. ‘It’s good to see you too, Mayor,’ she replied a little stiffly.
‘You know, everyone is still talking about that children’s hospital project you funded,’ the mayor continued. ‘Your family’s contribution is still making a difference.’
Mary nodded. ‘I’m glad to hear that. We just want to help where we can.’
Finally, the mayor left, leaving us in stunned silence. My mother was the first to break it, looking at me with widened eyes. ‘Alex… what was that?’
Before I could answer, Jack, an old family friend, came over to us with an astonished look on his face. ‘Mary! It’s been ages since I last saw you. I didn’t realise you were back in town.’
Mary forced herself to laugh. ‘I, um, didn’t exactly announce it. I came back for my…wedding,’ she said.
Jack turned to me, his face half surprised, half incredulous. ‘Alex, you’re marrying Mary, the princess of mercy? Her family is one of the biggest philanthropists in the state!’
My mouth went dry. Princess of Charity. I’d heard the name, of course. Everyone had heard it. But I’d never tried to meet her or even learn about her.
As soon as we could slip away from my parents’ gaze, I pulled Mary to a quiet corner. ‘So… Princess of Mercy?’ I asked, crossing my arms.
She sighed, averting her gaze. ‘Yes. My family owns the largest charity. They revolve in those circles, but I don’t. I’ve avoided it all for years.’
I ran a hand through my hair, still trying to make sense of the situation. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘Because,‘ she said slowly, “for the same reason you didn’t tell me you wanted a ”sham’ marriage to mess with your parents. I have my reasons, Alex.’
‘You knew it was a sham the whole time?’ I asked, trying to sound calm, but my voice gave me away.
She took a deep breath. ‘I was tired of my parents forcing me to marry someone for status. I wanted to live my own life, without all those expectations. When you came along, I decided I could help you and solve my own problem at the same time.’
‘Let me get this straight,’ I said, still surprised. ‘You agreed to all this because you’re trying to avoid your family’s expectations, just like me?’
Mary nodded. ‘I suppose that’s one thing we have in common.’
I stared at her, realising for the first time how much I didn’t know about her. This wasn’t some naive ‘country girl’ who had come here to inconvenience my parents. She was smart, strong, and as independent as I was. Or maybe even more so.
My original plan suddenly seemed childish. While I was playing games to annoy my parents, Mary was quietly navigating a world she didn’t want to be a part of, giving up her family’s wealth and influence to get back on her feet. She had agreed to my ridiculous scheme only to win her freedom. I couldn’t help but respect her for that.
One evening, as we were discussing plans for the charity events my mother insisted on, I caught myself watching her. She looked up, catching my gaze. ‘What?’
‘I just… I guess I didn’t realise how strong you are,’ I admitted, feeling surprisingly nervous. ‘You put up with all this and never once complained. You did more than I would have done if I were you.’
Mary smiled, a little softer than I’d ever seen her smile. ‘I don’t do it for them,’ she replied. ‘I’m doing it for me.’
And in that moment I realised that my feelings had changed. What started out as a plan to shock my parents had turned into something completely different. I respected and admired her, and yes, I wanted to be with her for real.
‘Mary,’ I said slowly, ’maybe it’s time to tell them the truth?’
She nodded, knowing exactly what I meant. We weren’t just a game anymore.
The next day we asked our parents to meet with us. As we got ready to tell them everything, I felt a strange calmness. I wasn’t worried about what they would say. I just knew that for once I was ready to do everything honestly and with Mary by my side.