Wealthy Man Poses as Poor to Meet His Son’s Fiancée’s Parents
A girl’s parents oppose her marrying a kind young man they believe to be poor, prompting his millionaire father to disguise his wealth and teach them a lesson. When Sam Sutton invented an indestructible sealant for engines that became widely sought after, he never anticipated it would one day impact his infant son Will’s romantic future. Sam’s discovery brought immediate benefits to the family. The royalties from the sealant’s patent led to a significant improvement in their lives. Sam, his wife, and their baby son moved into a beautiful home and upgraded to a new car.
Over time, the wealth grew far beyond Sam’s expectations. The family lived comfortably, which was all Sam cared about, as the mounting millions reported by his lawyer felt almost surreal. However, tragedy struck, and the vast fortune accumulated in the bank couldn’t make a difference.
Sam’s wife, Rain, fell gravely ill. Despite Sam assuring doctors that cost wasn’t an issue, they could do nothing to save her. Sam learned the hard way that two things money cannot buy are love and health. He realized the first truth painfully when Rain passed away and experienced the second as Will grew older.
Being a single father to a growing boy was challenging, and Sam likely made mistakes along the way. Yet Will turned out to be kindhearted, loving, and unspoiled. In response, Sam spared no expense on him—though he could afford anything. By the time Will reached high school, his peers quickly noticed his father’s wealth and generosity, making Will immensely popular—not for his good looks or kindness, but for the privileges his father’s money provided.
Girls were especially drawn to Will, much like bees to a flower in full bloom. At first, he enjoyed the attention, but over time, he realized they weren’t interested in him as a person but rather in the luxury his father’s wealth afforded. Heartbroken, Will confided in Sam, revealing that the girl he loved cared more about their private plane trips to Aspen and the Bahamas than about him. Sam comforted his son and advised him to end the relationship. The rest of Will’s senior year was lonely, but he had a plan.
“Dad,” he announced one day, “I’ve got a strategy.”
“What is it?” Sam asked, curious.
“I’m starting at Yale this fall, but I want people to think I’m attending on a scholarship,” Will explained.
Sam blinked in surprise. “A scholarship? You? Why would you do that?”
“Well,” Will said, “if people think I’m poor and see me in shabby clothes, they’ll only become my friends if they genuinely like me. The same goes for girls.”
“That makes sense, Will,” Sam agreed. “It’s a brilliant idea.”
The two set the plan in motion, outfitting Will in second-hand clothes and gear, transforming him into the scruffiest, most unassuming student imaginable. True to their expectations, Will quickly gained genuine friends and even met a girl named Eddy—short for Edwina—who captured his heart. She felt the same way about him. By his third year, Will was deeply in love with Eddy and wanted to marry her.
Sam initially worried Will might be too young, but he had married young himself and been happy. Will proposed to Eddy, and she said yes. That Thanksgiving, Eddy brought Will home to meet her parents, Marta and Farlow, which turned into a nightmare.
Marta and Farlow were affluent and prided themselves on their social standing. They wanted Eddy to marry a wealthy man, not a scruffy science major, no matter how smart, charming, or handsome. Their treatment of Will was subtly dismissive, just enough to escape Eddy’s complaints. Proudly wearing the modest diamond Will had given her, Eddy invited Sam and Will to join her family for Christmas. Reluctantly, her parents agreed while secretly scheming against the young couple.
Sam and Will took a Greyhound bus from their mansion in New Hampshire to Eddy’s family’s beach house in Narragansett. Sam, dressed in exaggerated thrift-store attire, looked not just poor but nearly destitute. Farlow smugly flaunted his wealth, talking endlessly about his properties and luxury cars. He made it clear that he doubted Sam and Will would fit into their high-class Christmas celebration.
For the next few days, Farlow and Marta took every opportunity to belittle Sam and highlight the differences in lifestyle. “Eddy deserves the best,” Marta declared. “And her husband should give her the life she’s accustomed to. Clearly, you haven’t done as well for Will.”
Eddy, increasingly aware of her parents’ attempts to humiliate Sam, was furious. “I’m marrying Will,” she declared to her parents. “And Sam is part of the family now, so you’d better get used to it.”
“Darling,” Marta protested, “the man looks homeless! His appearance is an embarrassment!”
“Mom, you’re the real embarrassment!” Eddy retorted angrily, unaware that Sam had overheard. Her words brought a smile to Sam’s face—Eddy truly loved Will.
On Christmas Eve, as the family gathered around the tree to exchange gifts, Marta smugly handed Will a box containing a car key. “It’s an early wedding present,” she announced. “We thought you needed an upgrade from that old rust bucket you drive.”
Will thanked them politely as everyone admired the shiny Porsche in the garage. Farlow smirked, confident that Sam couldn’t outdo them. Then Sam pulled an envelope from his pocket.
“Eddy,” he began, “I know you and Will are planning to move to New York after graduation. This might help.”
Farlow sneered, expecting little, but Eddy gasped upon opening the envelope. Inside were documents for a brownstone in Tribeca.
Sam smiled. “I wanted Will to be valued for himself, not for the $570 million he’ll inherit someday.”
The astonished Marta and Farlow quickly became Will’s biggest supporters. The following summer, Will and Eddy married and moved into their new home. When their daughter Rain was born three years later, Sam bought a house nearby to stay close.
This story reminds us that wealth cannot buy love or health, and judging others by appearances can lead to regretful misjudgments.
