I never thought my life would turn into a fairytale gone sideways. But that’s what happened… all because of my dying grandmother’s final wish—and a homeless man named Sam.
It started like any regular day.
I showed up early at the restaurant where I worked as the head chef. Everything was routine: kitchen buzzing, orders coming in, and my hands already preparing my favorite dish—avocado toast with poached egg and crispy bacon.
Only this time, the dish wasn’t for a paying customer. It was for Sam.
Sam waited behind the restaurant like he always did, sitting quietly on a stack of crates. He was young—maybe thirty—and clearly homeless. His clothes were torn, his beard scruffy, but his eyes always had this soft, thankful look.
“Hey,” I smiled, handing him the takeout box. “Here’s your usual, sir.”
“Thanks, Renee. You’re always too kind to me,” he replied gently.
He never asked for anything. Never begged. Just accepted the food with quiet gratitude.
I never asked why he was homeless. It felt wrong. Like digging into a wound that wasn’t mine to open.
But that day, he surprised me.
“You know, Renee… you’re the only one who treats me like a person. I wanted to tell you something.”
He looked serious. His voice dropped low. But right then—of course—my phone rang.
“Sorry, it’s my grandma. I have to take this,” I said, stepping away.
My grandmother was very sick. The doctors said she didn’t have much time left. I couldn’t ignore her call.
“Hi, Grandma? Is everything okay?” I asked, my voice shaky.
“I’m just worried, Renee,” she said weakly. “I don’t think I’ll make it to your wedding.”
I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. “Grandma, it’s next week. We’re making sure everything’s ready just for you.”
Truth was, my fiancé Michael and I had only gotten engaged two weeks ago. We planned to wait at least a year before tying the knot. But once Grandma told me she wanted to see me as a bride before she passed… well, we rushed it.
“Okay,” she said softly. “I just wanted to make sure.”
“It’s going to be fine,” I promised, even though I didn’t feel fine at all.
When I hung up and turned back to Sam, he looked down at the food in his lap.
“What were you saying earlier?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he mumbled. “Forget it. I didn’t know you were getting married.”
“Yeah. Life threw a curveball, I guess.”
He nodded slowly. “Thanks for the food.”
And with that, I went back inside to the chaos of the lunch rush.
But nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.
I stepped outside a little later, carrying another plate for Sam. I wanted a moment of quiet—until I saw them.
Michael. My fiancé. Standing outside the restaurant.
Kissing another woman.
“What the—?!” I gasped, nearly dropping the plate.
Michael jumped back like a kid caught red-handed. “Renee?! I thought you weren’t working today!”
“We’re getting married in a week, and you’re cheating on me?!” I shouted.
Michael didn’t even flinch. “It was just a fling, Renee. One last time before marriage.”
My heart split open right there.
“You don’t need to worry about ‘one last time’ anymore,” I said, ripping off my ring and tossing it at him. “Because there is no wedding!”
“Renee, calm down. I love you,” he said.
“You liar!” the woman next to him cried—and slapped him across the face before storming off.
Michael winced, holding his cheek. “We can talk about this! Why cancel the wedding?”
“Because I’m not marrying a jerk who cheats!” I yelled and ran to the back of the restaurant, trying to hold myself together.
Tears burned my eyes. I kicked a box out of frustration and wiped my face with my sleeve.
“You okay?” a voice said behind me.
I turned to see Sam.
“Michael cheated on me,” I whispered, then sank to the ground in tears.
Sam sat next to me without saying a word. He took off his old jacket and laid it under me.
“Don’t sit on the cold,” he said.
“Thanks,” I sniffed. “The wedding is ruined. Grandma spent all her savings just to see me walk down the aisle. Now what?”
Sam looked at me, eyes full of sympathy.
“You’ve always been there for me, Renee,” he said softly. “I wish I could help.”
I turned to him, the idea forming in my head. “Actually… maybe you can.”
Sam blinked. “How?”
“Marry me.”
He burst into a nervous laugh—until he saw I wasn’t joking.
“Wait… you’re serious?”
“I need a groom. Just for the wedding. Just for Grandma. You’re kind. Honest. Better than Michael ever was.”
“But I’m… a bum,” Sam said quietly.
“I don’t care,” I said. “This is just for show. Nothing romantic. You’d be helping me keep Grandma’s last wish alive.”
Sam paused, then gave a small smile. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
I hugged him tight.
“You can stay with me until the wedding, to make it look real,” I said, brushing off his jacket.
“Wait, Renee—before you go, there’s something I need to tell you,” he said.
“Later,” I said, already walking away. “I’ve stayed too long on my break.”
That evening, Sam moved in. I gave him some of Michael’s clothes, and he took a long shower.
While he was in the bathroom, I called my mom.
“What do you mean the fiancé isn’t Michael anymore?” she shrieked.
“It’s a long story,” I said.
“You’ll be the death of me, Renee!” she yelled.
Just then, Sam walked out.
And wow.
Clean-shaven. Hair combed. Wearing Michael’s clothes that fit a bit too snug—because Sam was muscular. Really muscular.
I froze.
“Renee? You still there?” Mom yelled through the phone.
“I gotta call you back,” I mumbled and hung up.
“You okay?” Sam asked.
I blinked. “Yeah. Totally fine.”
Over the next few days, I got to know Sam even better. We lived in separate rooms, but I noticed things. He made perfect hospital corners on the bed. Cooked better than me. Read complex books. He was smart—like genius smart.
“Why is this guy even homeless?” I kept asking myself.
Two days before the wedding, we visited Grandma and my mom. Grandma instantly adored him.
“He’s so much better than that other one,” she said with a wink.
The day of the wedding finally came.
I was nervous. More nervous than I should’ve been for a fake wedding. As we arrived at the hotel where the ceremony would take place, people stared. I heard whispers.
“Isn’t that the homeless guy?”
“She’s marrying him?”
Sam’s hand was trembling, so I squeezed it.
“Don’t listen to them. You’re amazing.”
“Thanks,” he whispered. “Is the wedding here? At this hotel?”
“Yeah, why?”
He looked nervous. “No reason, just…”
Suddenly, hotel staff ran over.
“Sir! You’re back!”
“We’ll prepare the VIP suite immediately!”
“It’s so good to have you home!”
I blinked. “Wait. What’s going on?”
The hotel administrator stepped up. “You didn’t know? Sam is the owner’s son. He’s the heir to the entire hotel chain.”
“WHAT?!” I gasped.
“I tried to tell you,” Sam said quickly.
“You lied to me?!” I shouted.
“To me, none of that matters,” he said.
“It does to me! You told me you were homeless!”
“I was. I left it all behind. I wanted freedom, not money.”
“You should’ve told me the truth.”
The administrator cut in, glaring at me. “How dare you yell at him? Who are you?”
Sam’s voice dropped low and serious. “She’s my fiancée. So watch your tone.”
But I was already walking away. I didn’t want lies. I didn’t want more hurt.
I ended up on the roof, watching the city, heart pounding.
Then I heard footsteps.
“You,” I said without looking.
“You matter,” Sam replied softly.
I turned to him. “No more lies.”
“Okay,” he said. “The truth is—I’ve loved you for a long time. When I had nothing, you still treated me with kindness. That’s how I knew you were different.”
I looked into his eyes. “Why did you end up homeless?”
“My dad wanted me to take over the hotels. I didn’t want that life. So I left. Traveled. Slept on the streets. I found peace there. But then I met you—and now I don’t want that life anymore.”
I bit my lip. “You broke my trust.”
“I know. I’ll never lie to you again. I swear.”
I nodded. “Then I have something to confess too… I feel the same way about you.”
He smiled. “So… should we still go through with it?”
“It’s just a fake wedding,” I said.
Sam offered his hand.
I took it.
We walked down to the courtyard, hand in hand. But before we reached the altar, I stopped.
“Something wrong?” Sam asked.
I looked into his eyes. “No. I just want to do one thing first.”
I leaned in and kissed him. And it wasn’t fake. It was real. Full of everything I’d been holding back.
Sam kissed me like I was the only woman in the world.
And suddenly, I wasn’t pretending anymore.
I was marrying the man I didn’t even know I’d been waiting for.
