Every Woman Rejected the Poor Crippled Hawker…Until He Met Melissa 

Every Woman Rejected the Poor Crippled Hawker…Until He Met Melissa 

How can this be? My own daughters are still unmarried. Yet Melissa is already preparing for marriage. No. I will turn his face against her and make him marry my own daughter. Even if Melissa must marry, then it has to be a very poor wretched man. She is just my stepdaughter, so she don’t deserve to marry before my own daughters.

I’ll be watching the man very closely the moment he steps into this house. If he a rich man, then I know exactly what to do. I will find a way to stop the marriage. Except he is a poor hungry man, then Melissa can go ahead and marry him.      This place is so beautiful. Honestly, Ethan, every time I come here, I fall in love with this palace all over again.

   I’m glad you like it.  Many people dream of becoming rich, believing that money solves every problem. But for Ethan, being born into one of the wealthiest royal families in the country had become the greatest burden of his life. He was the only son of King Richard and Queen Catherine, the future heir to the kingdom, handsome, intelligent, humble, and unbelievably wealthy.

 Ethan attracted women everywhere he went. Unfortunately, none of those relationships ever lasted. Every woman who came into his life seemed more interested in his fortune than in the man behind the money. One afternoon, Ethan invited his girlfriend Olivia to the palace. He hoped they would spend a peaceful day together.

 Little did he know that his past was about to come knocking.  This place is so beautiful. Honestly, Ethan, every time I come here, I fall in love with this palace all over again.  I’m glad you like it.  Like it? I love it. One day all of this will belong to us.  Us?  Of course. We’re going to get married someday, aren’t we?  So, this is where you’ve been hiding.

 Jessica? What are you doing here?  I came to see the man who dumped me without a proper explanation. Who is she? I’m his girlfriend. No, sweetheart. I’m his girlfriend. Oh, really? Then why was he calling me just last month?  Jessica, it’s over. We ended things.  No, Ethan. You ended nothing. You promised me a future.

Maybe because he finally realized I’m better than you. Better? You’re only here because of his money. Funny. I was about to say the same thing about you.  Gold digger!  Look who’s talking. I loved him first. You loved his bank account first.  The argument quickly became a fight. Both women grabbed each other’s hair.

 A flower vase crashed on the floor. The palace servants rushed into the room.  Is Is really what my life has become? Not one of you is fighting because you love me. You’re fighting over my wealth, my title.  Ethan, that’s not true. Please, don’t believe her.  I’ve heard enough. I want both of you to leave.

Now.  You’ll regret this. Baby, don’t let her ruin our relationship.  Our relationship ended the moment you both turned my home into a battlefield.  What are you saying?  I’m saying we’re done.  You’re breaking up with me?  Yes.  Ethan slowly sat down on the sofa, exhausted.

 His heart felt heavier than ever. Another relationship had ended in disappointment. Another reminder that his wealth attracted people, but never genuine love. Just then, his trusted manager, Daniel, walked into the room after witnessing everything from outside.  Tell me honestly, Daniel.  Yes, sir.  Will anyone ever love me?  Daniel looked at him silently, not knowing how to answer.

 That single question would soon change Ethan’s life forever. Three days passed after Ethan ended his relationship with Olivia. During those days, he barely left his room. He spent most of his time thinking about his failed relationships and wondering if genuine love still existed. One quiet morning, a palace guard knocked on his door.

 Your highness, the king and queen would like to see you in the royal meeting room. I’ll be there shortly.  A few minutes later, Ethan entered the grand meeting room. King Richard and Queen Catherine were already seated waiting for him. From the serious look on their faces, Ethan knew this wasn’t going to be an ordinary conversation.

 Good morning, Father. Good morning, Mother.  Good morning, my son. Please have a seat.  Ethan, do you know why we called you here?  I honestly don’t.  You’re 28 years old.  I know.  You are the only heir to this kingdom. It’s time you got married.  I’m sorry, Father. I don’t have anyone to marry.

 What happened to Olivia?  We broke up.  Again?  King Richard stood up and slowly walked toward the large palace window. He remained silent for a few seconds before turning around.  This has happened too many times.  I know.  I’ve watched woman after woman come into your life and leave.  They never loved me, Father.

 What makes you so sure?  They loved my title, my wealth, not me.  There must still be one good woman out there.  If there is, I haven’t found her.  Then go and find her.  I’ve tried.  You have exactly 30 days.  30 days for what?  Bring home the woman you intend to marry.  And if I don’t?  Then forget about becoming my heir.

 Father.  I’ve made my decision. Our family must continue. This kingdom needs a future.  If I bring someone home, she must be the woman you truly love. And you’ll accept her?  After leaving the meeting room, Ethan walked through the palace garden with a troubled mind. Daniel noticed him immediately and hurried over.

 You don’t look happy, sir. My father has given me 30 days to find a wife. 30 days? Yes. And this time I’m going to find a woman who loves me for who I truly am. Do you already have a plan? Oh, yes. And it’s a plan no one will ever expect.  Daniel stared at Ethan, wondering what was going through his mind.

 He had no idea that this unusual plan would soon change both their lives forever. After leaving the palace garden, Ethan invited Daniel into his private study. He closed the door behind them and walked toward the large window. For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Finally, Ethan turned around with a determined look on his face.

 You’ve been unusually quiet, sir. I’m thinking about my future. And the king’s ultimatum? Exactly. So, I’m going to disappear. Yes. We’re leaving this city. But everyone is looking for the future king. That’s why no one must know where we’re going. We’ll travel to another city where nobody knows me. All right.

We’ll rent a small one-room apartment. Go on. We’ll buy a wheelchair. A wheelchair? I’ll pretend to be crippled. Your highness, are you serious? Very serious. But why pretend to be disabled? Because I want people to see me as someone with nothing. And then? We’ll sell bottled water on busy streets. You mean you’ll become a street hawker? Exactly.

This is unbelievable.  Daniel paced around in the room in disbelief. Never in his life had he imagined that the future king would willingly leave a palace to become a poor street hawker.  What if someone recognizes you? We’ll change my appearance. And if the king finds out? He won’t. Not until I return with a woman I’m going to marry.

 So, you’ll ask women out while pretending to be poor? Yes. And if they reject you? Then they were never meant for me. If this is the journey you want to take, I’ll go with you. Thank you, my friend. So, when do we leave? Tomorrow morning.  The following day, they quietly left the palace before sunrise. After several hours on the road, they arrived in a city where no one knew the prince.

 They rented a tiny one-room apartment, bought a second-hand wheelchair, several old clothes, a few crates of bottled water, and everything they needed to begin their new lives. Within 2 days, Prince Ethan had completely disappeared. In his place was a poor crippled bottled water hawker struggling to survive on the streets. On the first day of selling, many people bought bottled water without paying much attention to Ethan.

But, whenever Ethan politely tried to start a conversation with a woman he admired, the reactions were always the same.  Hello, beautiful lady. Can I get your contact?  A wants my number?  Is a man man or a human?  Who would date a like you? You don’t expect me to marry a poor hawker.  Hello pretty, you look gorgeous.

 Can we just be friends?  Please don’t waste my time. I can’t be friends with a poor wretched hawker like you. I need a rich husband, not another problem.  Day after day, the insults continued. Some women laughed, some ignored him completely. Others mocked his condition before walking away. Just when Ethan was beginning to lose hope, someone stopped in front of his wheelchair.

 A gentle voice broke the silence.  Good afternoon. Can I have two bottles of water, please? How has business been today? I hope tomorrow will be better for you.  So, yes, she was different. I was surprised, too.  After their first meeting, Melissa began stopping by Ethan’s usual spot almost every day on her way to and from work.

Sometimes she bought bottled waters, sometimes she didn’t, but she always stopped to ask how he was doing. As the days turned into weeks, their friendship grew stronger.  Good afternoon, Ethan.  Melissa, you’re here again.  I brought you lunch.  You didn’t have to.  I know, but I wanted to.  Think someone has a soft spot for my friend.

 He’s my friend. Friends look after each other.  Melissa’s kindness never stopped. Whenever Ethan finished selling for the day, she would sometimes follow him home. She helped sweep the little room, wash a few dishes, cook simple meals, and made sure both Ethan and Daniel had something to eat.

 She never complained about how poor they were.  Melissa, you’ve done enough.  It’s all right.  You’ve been here almost every evening.  I don’t mind.  Thank you. Melissa, you are God sent. Thanks for everything.  I owe you that.  You have saved us from hunger.  Really? You don’t have to thank me.  One evening, after Melissa had gone home, Daniel turned to Ethan with a smile.

 I’ve never met anyone like her.  Neither have I. She never asked about your money. Because she’s not interested in it. She treats you with respect. She treats me like a human being. I think you found the woman you were looking for. I think so, too.  The following afternoon, Ethan asked Melissa to meet him at a quiet park after work. Melissa happily agreed.

 She had no idea that Ethan had made one of the biggest decisions of his life.  He sounded serious earlier.  I was.  Is everything all right?  Everything is because you’re here.  Ethan took a deep breath. Although he was pretending to be poor, every word he was about to say came straight from his heart.  Melissa.

 Yes.  Since you came into my life, everything has changed. You showed me kindness when everyone else laughed at me.  You deserve kindness.  I don’t have wealth.  I know.  I can’t promise you a luxurious life.  I understand.  But I can promise to love, respect, and cherish you for the rest of my life.

Melissa. Will you marry me?  Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.  As they walked home together, Melissa couldn’t stop looking at the ring on her finger. Later that evening, she met her closest friend, Sophia.  Melissa, what’s making you smile like this?  Ethan proposed to me.  The bottle water hawker? The man in the wheelchair?  Yes.

 Melissa, think carefully.  I already have.  You’re poor.  I know.  And now you want to marry a poor   I love him.  What about your future?  My future isn’t measured by money.  You really believe he’ll make you happy? I don’t believe it. I know it.  Sophia shook her head, still unable to understand Melissa’s decision.

 But Melissa walked away with peace in her heart. She had chosen love over wealth, never knowing that the man she had just agreed to marry was hiding the greatest secret of all. The morning after accepting Ethan’s proposal, Melissa woke up with a smile she could not hide. She believed she had found a man with a genuinely kind heart.

That afternoon, she returned home eager to share the wonderful news with her family.  Good afternoon, everyone.  You look very happy today. What’s the occasion? Don’t tell me you won the lottery.  No, it’s something much better. My fiance proposed to me, and I accepted.  Wait, you’re engaged? You actually have a fiance? So, when did all this happen? And when are we going to meet this mysterious man? He’ll be here this weekend for our family introduction.

So, it’s serious? Very serious. Well, congratulations. Thank you. Yes, congratulations. I know you’re all like him. I’m looking forward to meeting him. Thank you, Mom. Thank you, everyone.  Feeling excited about the future, Melissa went into her room to call Ethan and tell him that her family had agreed to receive him.

A few moments later, Vanessa and Chloe also left the sitting room. Soon, Margaret was left all by herself. The smile on her face disappeared immediately. She leaned back slowly in her chair, folded her arms, and stared into space. The more she thought about Melissa’s announcement, the more bitter she became.

 How can this be? My own daughters are still unmarried. Yet, Melissa is already preparing for marriage. No. I never wanted this. For years, I’ve dreamed of celebrating my daughters’ weddings first. And now, Melissa wants to take that joy away from them. I don’t even know who this man is. But, whoever he is, he will not take Melissa away so easily.

I will turn his face against her and make him marry my own daughter. Even if Melissa must marry, then it has to be a very poor, wretched man. She is just my stepdaughter, so she don’t deserve to marry before my own daughters. I’ll be watching the man very closely the moment he steps into this house. If he a rich man, then I know exactly what to do.

I will find a way to stop the marriage. Except he is a poor hungry man, then Melissa can go ahead and marry him.    Outside her room, the house was quiet. Inside her room, Melissa was happily planning her future with the man she loved. She had no idea that just beyond her door, someone had already begun plotting against her happiness.

This story teaches that true love is not built on wealth, beauty, social status, or physical appearance, but on kindness, honesty, and good character. We should never judge people by what they have or how they look because appearances can be deceiving. A kind heart is far more valuable than riches, and genuine love sees beyond material possessions.

The story also teaches that greed, materialism, jealousy, and favoritism can cause people to miss great blessings and fill their lives with regret. While humility, compassion, patience, and treating others with respect often leads to lasting happiness and unexpected reward. So, my dear viewers, what would you have done if you were Melissa? Would you have accepted Ethan when you believed he was a poor crippled hawker? And what lesson touched your heart the most? Share your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to like,

subscribe, and turn on the notification bell for more inspiring stories. Stay tuned for the second part of this story. See you guys. Bye.

Disclaimer: This story is fictional and created for entertainment purposes only. Any names, characters, places, or events are fictitious or used fictitiously. No real person or organization is intended to be portrayed.

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