“I have less than a year left to live. Marry me, have my child — and I will provide for your family forever,” the wealthy landowner told the poor farm worker 😢
The young woman agreed for the sake of her sick mother and younger brothers, but on their very first wedding night, she accidentally overheard her husband’s conversation and realized that something far more terrible was hidden behind this marriage 😱😲
The poor young woman was only twenty-two years old. Every day, she got up before dawn, put on her old rubber boots, and went to the farm, where she milked cows, cleaned the stalls, and helped feed the animals.
The work was hard and the pay was low, but there were almost no other opportunities to earn money in the small village.
Her father had died several years earlier, and since then, the young woman had practically supported the entire family. Her mother was often ill and could barely work, while her two younger brothers were still in school.
Sometimes there wasn’t even enough money for food. Whenever her mother needed medicine, the young woman borrowed money from the neighbors and then spent several months paying back the debt in small installments.
She had already grown accustomed to living this way and had almost stopped dreaming about having a family of her own or a different life.
One day, the owner of the farm unexpectedly asked her to stay after work.
He was a wealthy landowner who owned the farm, several large plots of land, and nearly half of the houses that were rented out in the neighboring town.
He was about forty-five years old. He rarely spoke to ordinary workers and always kept his distance from them, so the young woman was very surprised when he offered to walk her home.
He barely spoke along the way, but when they reached the old wooden house, he suddenly stopped and said:
— I have less than a year left to live. The doctors can’t do anything.
The young woman was confused and didn’t know how to respond.
But the man continued:
— I want to leave a child behind. If you become my wife, I’ll pay for your mother’s treatment, buy your family a new house, and leave enough money for your brothers to get an education.
At first, the young woman thought she had misheard him.
She refused and tried to avoid the owner for several days, but it was precisely then that her mother’s condition suddenly worsened. The doctor said she needed expensive treatment in the city. The family didn’t have the money.
A week later, the landowner returned and placed the money for the treatment on the table.
— Even if you refuse, I won’t take this money back — he said. — But think about my offer.
And the young woman agreed.
She convinced herself that she was doing it for her family. The man treated her calmly, never raised his voice, and truly kept every promise he had made. Her mother received treatment, her brothers’ education was paid for, and renovations began on the old house.
They had a small wedding with almost no guests.
But on their first wedding night, the young woman couldn’t fall asleep for a long time. Her new husband was sleeping beside her while she kept thinking that in just a few months, he might no longer be alive.
In the middle of the night, the man suddenly got up and left the bedroom. A few minutes later, the young woman heard voices behind the wall.
At first, she paid no attention to them, but then she heard the words:
— She mustn’t find out anything.
And only at that moment did the young woman realize that something far more terrible was hidden behind this marriage 😱😨 The rest of the story can be found in the first comment 👇👇
The young woman froze. Her husband and the farm manager were talking in the study. She quietly approached the door.
— What if she finds out the truth too soon? — the manager asked.
— Then everything will fall apart — the landowner replied. — I need her to decide for herself that she wants to stay here.
The young woman felt her hands begin to tremble. The next morning, she demanded an explanation.
At first, the man remained silent, but then he admitted that he didn’t have a terminal illness at all. However, the real reason behind what he had done turned out to be completely different from what the young woman had expected.
Several years earlier, the landowner had already been married. His wife had died during a difficult childbirth, along with their baby. After that, the man decided that he would never start a family again.
But recently, he had discovered that he really did have serious health problems. The illness wasn’t fatal, but the doctors warned him that if he wanted to have a biological child, he couldn’t postpone it for several more years.
He was afraid of falling in love with a woman again and losing her once more, so he invented the story about his approaching death. He thought it would make everything easier: no love, no promises for a lifetime, just an agreement.
The young woman was horrified not because of his illness, but because of how calmly he had decided to take control of her life.
— You could have simply told me the truth — she said. — But you decided that it was acceptable to lie to a poor girl as long as you paid her family.
That very morning, she packed her belongings and left.
The landowner didn’t try to stop her or demand that she return the money. He continued paying for her mother’s treatment because he understood that the young woman’s family shouldn’t have to pay for his deception.
