SHE MARRIED MY GROOM

SHE MARRIED MY GROOM EPISODE 1 My name is Leah, and if I could turn back time, there is one day I would change without thinking twice. Three years ago, I was the most admired young woman in our town. People often told me I was beautiful, and slowly those compliments began to fill my head with pride. I believed I deserved nothing less than a rich, handsome, and famous husband. My mother encouraged those dreams. "Leah," she would often say, "you are too beautiful to suffer with a poor man. Wait for a wealthy husband." I believed every word. One Saturday morning, while helping my mother at our vegetable stall in the market, a man stopped in front of us. He was carrying a small bag and wore a faded shirt. His shoes were dusty, and his motorcycle looked old enough to belong in a museum. I immediately lost interest. The man bought a few tomatoes and then looked directly at me. His eyes were calm and kind. "My name is Daniel," he said softly. "I have admired you for a long time. I would like to get to know you better." I almost laughed. This man wanted me? Before I could respond, my mother stepped closer and looked him up and down. "What do you do for a living?" she asked. Daniel smiled politely. "I own a few businesses." My mother exchanged a glance with me. We both struggled to hide our amusement. Looking at his clothes, there was no way we believed him. After he left, my mother burst into laughter. "Businesses? Did you see his shoes?" she said. I laughed so hard that tears rolled down my cheeks. The following week, Daniel returned. This time he carried a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The market women immediately began teasing me. "Leah, your husband has arrived!" Everyone laughed. I felt embarrassed. Without even thinking, I pushed the flowers back into his hands. "I'm sorry," I said loudly enough for everyone to hear. "You are not the type of man I can marry." The laughter around us became louder. Daniel stood silently. For a brief moment, I noticed the pain in his eyes. But he didn't argue. He didn't beg. He simply nodded. "If that is your decision, I respect it," he said quietly. Then he walked away. I watched him leave and felt proud of myself. I believed I had escaped a lifetime of poverty. My best friend Maya, however, was not laughing. When everyone else returned to their work, she pulled me aside. "Leah, what you did was wrong," she said. I rolled my eyes. "Wrong? Look at him." Maya shook her head. "You judged him without knowing him." I ignored her warning. Weeks passed. Then months. Soon, I completely forgot about Daniel. Life continued as usual until one afternoon when Maya rushed into my house looking shocked. "Leah!" she shouted. "What happened?" I asked. She sat down, struggling to catch her breath. Then she said words that made no sense to me. "I met Daniel again." I laughed. "The poor man?" Maya stared at me. "No, Leah." "He is not poor." My smile disappeared. For the first time, a strange feeling crept into my heart. What did Maya mean? And why did she suddenly look so serious? Little did I know that my life was about to change forever. I couldn't stop thinking about Maya's words. "He is not poor." I stared at her, waiting for her to laugh and admit it was all a joke. But Maya looked serious. "What do you mean Daniel isn't poor?" I asked. Maya took a deep breath. "After what happened at the market, I couldn't stop thinking about the way everyone treated him," she said softly. "I felt bad, Leah. He didn't deserve that." I folded my arms. "So you decided to become his lawyer?" "No," she replied. "I decided to apologize." I almost choked on my tea. "You apologized to that man?" Maya nodded. A few days after Daniel's humiliation at the market, Maya had gone to the city to deliver supplies for her aunt's catering business. As she entered one of the most luxurious hotels she had ever seen, she accidentally bumped into a man coming out of the VIP section. "I'm so sorry," she said quickly. Then she looked up. It was Daniel. According to Maya, she stood there frozen. Daniel was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit. Several employees greeted him respectfully while others hurried to open doors for him. "Good morning, Mr. Daniel," they said. Maya couldn't believe her eyes. One of the managers walked up to Daniel. "Sir, the board members are waiting for you," he said. Sir? Board members? Maya thought she was dreaming. Gathering courage, she approached him. "Daniel?" she asked cautiously. He turned around and smiled. "Maya. It's nice to see you again." She immediately apologized for the way I had treated him. "I'm really sorry about what happened at the market," she said. "You didn't deserve to be embarrassed like that." Daniel smiled sadly. "Please don't blame Leah," he replied. "Everyone has the right to choose who they want to marry." "But why didn't you tell people who you really are?" Maya asked. Daniel looked thoughtful. "My father taught me never to choose a wife based on how she treats my money," he said. "I wanted someone who could see me for who I am." As Maya narrated everything, my heart began pounding. "You're lying," I whispered. "I'm not." "No," I insisted. "That man came to our market with an old motorcycle and faded clothes." Maya nodded. "And yet he owns hotels, farms, and several businesses." I suddenly remembered Daniel's calm expression when I rejected him. He hadn't begged. He hadn't defended himself. He had simply walked away. For the first time, guilt crept into my heart. "Do you know where he lives?" I asked quickly. Maya hesitated. "Why?" I looked away. "I just want to apologize." Maya studied my face. "Are you sure that's all you want?" I didn't answer. The truth was, I didn't know anymore. That evening, I sat outside our house replaying every moment I had spent with Daniel. The flowers I had returned. The laughter. The humiliation. My mother's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Leah," she said, walking toward me. "Maybe we judged that man too quickly." Before I could respond, my phone rang. It was Maya. I answered immediately. "Leah..." Maya's voice trembled. "What happened?" There was a long silence. Then she finally spoke. "Daniel asked me to have dinner with him tomorrow." My heart stopped. "What?" "I think..." Maya whispered, "...I think he wants to get to know me better." I tightened my grip on the phone as jealousy, regret, and fear crashed over me all at once. Had I just handed my future to my best friend? "Leah... Daniel asked me to have dinner with him tomorrow evening." For a moment, I couldn't breathe. "What?" I whispered. "I didn't know what to say," Maya replied nervously. "I think he just wants to thank me for apologizing." I forced a laugh. "Of course. It's just dinner." But even as I said those words, a painful feeling twisted inside me. Jealousy. After ending the call, I sat in my room staring at the ceiling. I kept remembering Daniel's gentle smile and the bouquet of flowers I had pushed back into his hands. What if I had said yes? What if I hadn't listened to my mother? The next day, I couldn't focus on anything. Every few minutes, I found myself checking my phone. By evening, curiosity got the better of me. I called Maya. "How was the dinner?" I asked casually. There was silence. "Maya?" When she finally spoke, her voice sounded strange. "Leah... I don't know what to do." Fear gripped me. "Did something happen?" "He told me about his life," Maya said softly. "He said he grew up poor and promised himself that if he ever became successful, he would find someone who loved him for who he was, not for what he owned." I swallowed hard. "And?" "And he asked me something." My hands began to tremble. "What did he ask?" Before Maya could answer, the call suddenly disconnected. I tried calling her back. No answer. Again. Nothing. Minutes turned into hours. I couldn't sleep that night. Early the next morning, I rushed to Maya's house. Her mother opened the door. "Is Maya home?" I asked anxiously. She looked surprised. "You don't know?" My stomach tightened. "Know what?" "Maya left very early this morning," her mother replied. "She said she had somewhere important to be." "Where?" I asked desperately. But before her mother could answer, I noticed something lying on the table behind her. A bouquet of red roses. Attached to it was a small white envelope. I recognized the handwriting immediately. It belonged to Daniel. My heart sank. Without thinking, I picked up the envelope. "Leah!" Maya's mother called after me. But I was already unfolding the letter with shaking hands. The words inside made my knees weak. 'Thank you for seeing the person behind the appearance. Meet me at noon. There is something important I need to ask you.' I stared at the note. The room suddenly felt too small. Noon. There was only one hour left. Was Daniel about to ask Maya to marry him? TBC