A mistrustful millionaire poses as a limo driver in order to learn the truth about his stunning young wife’s afternoon activities. He is shocked by what he discovers.
Eric Montpelier made the decision to wed Rachel Harrington on his eighteenth birthday. To Eric’s luck, Rachel was vibrant, handsome, and humorous, and she felt the same way about him.
Their families had been friends for a very long time, and their relationship between these two powerful and wealthy families was well accepted. Everything about Eric and Rachel seemed flawless. Who could have predicted a different outcome than a “happily ever after”?
However, Rachel went to Las Vegas with her three closest friends on a “girls-only” excursion three days prior to the wedding. Four families lost their lives when an 18-wheeler’s brakes failed on the way back.
Eric’s first year was spent in a fog. He thought that everything was just a bad dream that he would soon wake up from. Any time now, he expected Rachel to come in and start laughing and everything would be back to normal.
Naturally, though, that didn’t work out, and Eric was forced to face the fact that, at just 23, his stunning wife was lost. From the rubble of his dreams, he had to reconstruct his life.
How to support their bereaved son was beyond Eric’s parents’ comprehension. To take his mind off his grief, his father recommended that he work alongside him in the firm.
Eric committed himself to his father’s gas station network, and his laser-like focus soon helped the already prosperous company soar even higher. The problem was that Eric was still living alone ten years later.
His father became worried, particularly after becoming unwell. At that point, Eric took over total command of the business. His father told his mother, “Look, I wanted him to distract himself from his grief, not live solely for business!”
They encouraged him to go on dates, even introducing him to their affluent friends’ suitable daughters, but Eric didn’t find any of these ladies attractive.
After that, Eric made the decision to go door-to-door and anonymously assess how each of their farther-flung gas stations handled its patrons.
Eric was on his way home from a week of seeing isolated parts of the Midwest when he developed a flat tire. He looked in the trunk and discovered nothing extra.
Reception for cellphones was also nonexistent. With hopes of arriving at a service station soon, Eric locked up the car and set off on foot. An hour’s walk later, he came upon an abandoned petrol station. Help was finally in sight!
He stepped inside the door and up to the counter. “Pardon me, I don’t have a spare,” he remarked. The man behind the desk, wearing a baseball cap and coveralls smeared with grease, turned to show a beautiful girl.
He started flushing and stammering, but Marla, the female, thought he was funny and endearing. She persisted on replacing the tire as she drove him to his car in her pickup.
Eric experienced love. His years of suffering and loneliness vanished in an instant. He will stop at nothing to get Marla. When he revealed Marla was an auto mechanic, his father thought it funny, but his mother was shocked.
Eric’s father, however, wasn’t fond of Marla’s lack of relatives and her poor upbringing. His father said, “She’s not our kind of people, Eric!”
“Dad, what kind of people are they?” Eric snapped back. “Do we only think of our kind of people as the rich?”
His father said, “No.” “Obviously not, but…” You have no idea who this girl is or where she is from. She could be after your money and is too young for you.
Eric called out, “Come on, Dad.” “I feel alive for the first time since Rachel’s death because of her kindness and sweetness.” His parents stopped opposing the marriage after that.
At his parents’ magnificent country home on Martha’s Vineyard, Marla and Eric were married in a lavish ceremony that drew hundreds of guests—all of whom were on Eric’s side.
Marla’s bridesmaids were Eric’s sisters, giving the impression that she had no close friends or relatives. Eric’s mother informed him, “She’s hiding something.” “No one in the world is truly that alone.”
Eric, nevertheless, disregarded any critique of Marla. He cherished her and saw her for who she truly was. Marla settled fairly easily to the new lifestyle that included a driver, two maids, and a housekeeper when they purchased a beautiful new house.
Their longtime family driver, Farrow, delivered unexpected news after two years of marriage. He appeared at Eric’s door, his hat twisted anxiously.
He hesitated before saying, “Sir, I need to talk to you about something.”
“Farrow, go ahead,” Eric said. “What is it?” Would you like a raise?
Farrow shook his head, blushing. “No, sir. Mrs. Montpelier is the issue, sir.”
“How about my spouse?” Confused, Eric enquired.
“Well, sir, she’s been acting strangely for the last six months,” Farrow remarked. She requests to go shopping every afternoon, but she insists on being dropped off in a very sketchy area of town. She then phones for collection two hours later without bringing any shopping bags, sir.
Eric said, “I see.”
“Sir, I never would have mentioned it, but I’ve known you since you were a boy, and I’ve known you all my life.” Farrow went on.
Eric remarked, “Well, Farrow, maybe you can help me solve this mystery.” “Tell Mrs. Montpelier tomorrow that your nephew will be taking her to her doctor’s appointment.
Eric made plans, saying, “I’ll wear your uniform, cap, and dark glasses, keeping the limo’s smoked divider up.” I’ll find the truth, and she won’t notice me.”
Eric asked Marla in passing that evening what she had planned for the next day. Oh, not much at all! Just a little shopping and perhaps a hair appointment,” she answered.
Don’t jump to judgments before you have all the information.
All of this was a lie, Eric knew! That evening, he couldn’t sleep next to his stunning spouse and questioned whether his marriage was a fraud. He thought he would find out soon enough.
The following day, Eric dressed into the outfit and concealed himself in Farrow’s apartment over the garage while feigning to depart for work.
He waited in the car, his hair gelled back and his black glasses on. When the moment came, Marla came out, opened the door, and said, “Please take me to 25 Camden Street.”
Eric took a car to the location, which was in a seedy part of town where inexpensive flats sometimes housed individuals facing homelessness.
When Marla arrived, she told him not to come back until she called. She was truly focused, not even looking at Eric once.
After parking the limousine two streets away, he returned to the run-down structure that Marla had previously visited. Why was his wife staying in a place like this? Her voice was heard then. “You know I love you, so I’m sorry I can’t stay long.”
Eric stormed through the door, his wrath and envy overwhelming him. The place was considerably worse inside, where Marla was sitting on a sofa and grasping the hands of an elderly guy.
Pale, she got to her feet. “Eric, what are you doing here?” she said.
“You should be the one asking!” Eric made a demand. “Who is this man and where is this place?”
Marla said, drawing in a long breath, “This is Eric, my father. I visit him whenever I can to help because he suffered a stroke.
However, why didn’t you inform me? You claimed to be an orphan. Confused, Eric enquired.
Marla said, “I was so ashamed; my father was in prison.” “I was afraid you wouldn’t want to be with me—a girl who appeared out of nowhere and whose father is a convict.”
Eric took Marla’s hands in his. “Marla, nothing can make me stop loving you.” Marla broke down in tears and gave Eric a hug.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Eric. I detest lying to you. Marla cried. She then presented Eric to her father, who was speechless and badly damaged by the stroke.
Marla no longer needed to break in to visit her father since Eric transferred him to an assisted living facility where he received the attention he needed. A few weeks later, Marla broke the amazing news that Eric would soon become a father!
What lessons can you draw from this tale?
People will respect you for who you really are if you are honest about who you are. Marla was wrong to think that if Eric learned about her father, he wouldn’t still love her.
Avoid drawing judgments too quickly without all the information. Although Marla was giving her ailing father loving care, Eric accused her of adultery.