David first met Emily at a party thrown by mutual friends in Manchester. The moment he saw her, he felt a rather inconvenient surge of affectionhis heart was practically performing backflips. Their relationship picked up speed faster than a London taxi, but Davids father was still fretting in the background. He warned David that Emily might not be entirely genuine, that she could be eyeing his bank balance rather than his wit and charm. Slightly annoyed, David dismissed the idea, insisting he hadnt even mentioned the family fortune yet. Nevertheless, his father insisted he keep mum about the money for a while longer, just to confirm Emilys intentions.
After pondering the suggestion, David thought it might be worth a goas experiments went, this one risked only his dignity. If nothing else, hed know for certain if his beloved would love him even if he was penniless. The couple opted for a no-frills wedding, then moved into one of Davids numerous family flats, deliberately picking the shabbiest one and pretending it was an inheritance from his eccentric gran. For the next six months, life was delightfully ordinary: David trudged off to work, earning just enough to not starve, and Emily managed the budget so they could scrape by each monththink beans on toast, rather than steak and chips.
Six months in, David decided honesty was due and fancied living a bit more openly. He bought a bouquet of tulips and was all set for the big reveal. But when he walked into the flat, he found Emily stuffing her suitcase. “My dear,” she declared, “my mates told me about your wealth, so that’s why I said yes. Turns out you’re just some broke bloke. I refuse to live like this, so Im leaving for someone with better prospects.” David stood there, stunned, like a deer in headlights in a Waitrose car park. At last, he replied, as cool as a cucumber: “Your friends were right. I wanted to see if you cared for menot the money bags. Youve shown your true colours, and Dad was spot-on.”
Despite Emilys pleas for forgivenesscomplete with a dramatic, tearful performance worthy of the West EndDavid would not budge. Hed rather stay single than make up with someone who fancied his wallet more than his personality.
