My parents, determined to forge me into something unbreakable, had set my life to nightmare mode. Unless I was in mortal danger, they refused to lift a finger.
His parents, furious that he'd severed ties with the family for some "nobody from the middle of nowhere," wouldn't help him either—even if his life depended on it. They wanted reality to crush him until he crawled back, begging for forgiveness.
He never did. Not once.
For five years, we poured everything into one goal: taking this company public. Proving ourselves.
He wanted to prove he could make it without his family. That he could give me a better life.
I wanted to prove myself worthy—so my parents would finally reveal my identity, and his family would accept our marriage.
We clawed through every obstacle together, teeth gritted, backs against the wall.
He'd promised me countless times: the day the company went public, he would propose to me in front of everyone.
He would give me the grandest wedding imaginable.
And I had made up my mind to finally tell him who I really was.
"Yes!"
Valerie shot me a look of pure triumph before accepting the flowers with tearful grace. She extended her left hand to Elwin.