When I offered to marry a homeless stranger, I thought I had it all figured out. It seemed like the perfect arrangement to please my parents with no strings attached. Little did I know I\u2019d be shocked to walk into my house a month later.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m Miley, 34 years old, and this is the story of how I went from being a happily single career woman to marrying a homeless man, only to have my world turned upside down in the most unexpected way.<\/p>\n
My parents have been on my case about getting married for as long as I can remember. I feel like they have a timer ticking away in their heads, counting down the seconds until my hair starts turning white.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiley, honey,\u201d my mom, Martha, would start. \u201cYou remember the Johnsons\u2019 son? He just got promoted to regional manager at his firm. Maybe you two should grab coffee sometime?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, I\u2019m not interested in dating right now,\u201d I\u2019d say. \u201cI\u2019m focused on my career.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut sweetheart,\u201d my dad, Stephen, would chime in, \u201cyour career won\u2019t keep you warm at night. Don\u2019t you want someone to share your life with?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI share my life with you guys and my friends,\u201d I\u2019d counter. \u201cThat\u2019s enough for me right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
But they wouldn\u2019t let up. It was a constant barrage of \u201cWhat about so-and-so?\u201d and \u201cDid you hear about this nice young man?\u201d<\/p>\n
One night, things took a turn for the worse.<\/p>\n
We were having our usual Sunday dinner when my parents dropped a bombshell.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiley,\u201d my dad said in a serious tone. \u201cYour mother and I have been thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh boy, here we go,\u201d I mumbled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve decided,\u201d he continued, ignoring my sarcasm, \u201cthat unless you\u2019re married by your 35th birthday, you won\u2019t see a cent of our inheritance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d I blurted out. \u201cYou can\u2019t be serious!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are,\u201d my mom chimed in. \u201cWe\u2019re not getting any younger, honey. We want to see you settled and happy. And we want grandchildren while we\u2019re still young enough to enjoy them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is insane,\u201d I sputtered. \u201cYou can\u2019t blackmail me into getting married!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not blackmail,\u201d my dad insisted. \u201cIt\u2019s, uh, it\u2019s incentive.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stormed out of their house that night, unable to believe what just happened. They\u2019d given me an ultimatum, implying that I needed to find a husband in a few months or kiss my inheritance goodbye.<\/p>\n
I was angry, but not because I wanted the money. It was more about the principle of the thing. How dare they try to control my life like this?<\/p>\n
For weeks, I didn\u2019t answer their calls or visit them. Then, one evening, I got an excellent idea.<\/p>\n
I was walking home from work, thinking about spreadsheets and deadlines, when I spotted him. A man, probably in his late 30s, sat on the sidewalk with a cardboard sign asking for change.<\/p>\n
He looked rough, had an unkempt beard, and wore dirty clothes, but there was something in his eyes. A kindness and a sadness that made me pause.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when an idea struck me. It was crazy, but it felt like the perfect solution to all my problems.<\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me,\u201d I said to the man. \u201cThis might sound crazy, but, um, would you like to get married?\u201d<\/p>\n
The man\u2019s eyes widened in shock. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, I know this is weird, but hear me out,\u201d I said, taking a deep breath. \u201cI need to get married ASAP. It would be a marriage of convenience. I\u2019d provide you with a place to live, clean clothes, food, and some money. In return, you\u2019d just have to pretend to be my husband. What do you say?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at me for what felt like an eternity. I was sure he thought I was kidding.<\/p>\n
\u201cLady, are you for real?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cCompletely,\u201d I assured him. \u201cI\u2019m Miley, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStan,\u201d he replied, still looking bewildered. \u201cAnd you\u2019re seriously offering to marry a homeless guy you just met?\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know it sounds insane, but I promise I\u2019m not a serial killer or anything. Just a desperate woman with meddling parents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, Miley, I gotta say, this is the strangest thing that\u2019s ever happened to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, is that a yes?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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