Oliver married Hope purely out of spite, and to show his ex that he was absolutely not pining after her. After all, hed loved Mary for nearly two years so fiercely hed have moved Big Ben for her if shed asked. He’d thought a proposal was on the cards. Mary, however, always seemed a bit hesitant:
Why rush, Ollie? I’m not through uni yet, and your shops barely ticking over. No car, no flatwell, apart from sharing with your sister. OIivias great, but breakfasts with her every morning? Thats not my idea of starting our married life. If you hadnt sold your family house, maybe things would be different.
Oliver felt stung, but couldnt deny she had a point. He and his sister had to sell their parents house, just to save the family business. They were both students at the time: him on the final lap, Olivia a couple of years behind. The money from the house cleared the debts and gave them enough to restock their little shop and keep afloat.
Mary, meanwhile, was all about seizing the day hard to argue when you’re still living at your parents expense. But when youre suddenly the head of the family, older brother, breadwinner, and business manager, your priorities change. If everything worked out, he told himself, hed have a car, a house, and a garden. Eventually.
Nothing seemed amiss. He was supposed to meet Mary at the bus stop by the cinemathey were off to see some trendy new film. Shed even told him not to pick her up, odd for Mary who detested public transport. He peered out of the double-decker, only to see her pull up in somebodys flash car.
Sorry, Ollie, its over. Im getting married, she said, handed him some random book, and hopped back in the car as if she was late for tea at Buckingham Palace.
Oliver stood there, rooted to the spot, with the distinct feeling hed been hit by a Routemaster. What on earth could have happened while hed been out of London for three days?
Olivia read his face as soon as he walked in:
You heard, then? she asked.
He nodded silently.
Shes marrying some loaded bloke. Weddings the 25th. She actually wanted me as her maid of honour! Can you believe it? While she snuck about behind your back! Olivia burst into tears.
Come on, Liv, dont fret, Oliver murmured, patting her on the head as if she were a sad puppy. Lets hope shes happy, and well be even happier.
He locked himself in his room for nearly a day while Olivia tried to coax him out with the promise of pancakes.
That evening, he burst out, eyes alight, and told Olivia to grab her coat.
What are you doing? she yelped.
Im marrying the first woman I see wholl agree to it! he announced.
You cant do that! Youre playing with peoples lives!
But Oliver was determined. Come or dont, Im doing it either way.
They wandered through Hyde Park among the Saturday crowds. The first girl he proposed to rolled her eyes and veered away. The second gave him a wide berth worthy of the Tube at rush hour. The third, thoughshe looked him in the eye and shrugged.
And you are?
Hope, she replied.
To celebrate our engagement, lets go have a proper cup of tea, Oliver declared, dragging Hopeand his baffled sisterinto a café.
An awkward silence hung over their Earl Grey. Oliver was privately plotting vengeance: his wedding would also be on the 25th, come hell or high water.
Hope finally broke the ice: There must be a rather serious reason youve suddenly proposed to a stranger. If its all a bit much, I wont mind if you change your mind.
No going back now. You said yes. Tomorrow we give notice at the register office and go meet your parents.
Oliver gave her a wink. And by the way, can we drop the formalities?
Over the next month, they saw each other daily, getting to know one anotherout of duty as much as curiosity.
Are you ever going to explain why you did it? Hope asked one afternoon.
Everyones got their skeletons, Oliver dodged.
As long as yours keep to themselves.
And you? Why did you agree, honestly?
I fancied myself a bit of a princess, handed off to the first chap who asked by some king. Fairy tales usually end they lived happily ever after, and I wanted to see if its true.
The truth was, Hope hadnt had it easy either; her big romance had ended in heartache and a negative bank balance. But she’d learned to spot nonsense a mile off and had decided the next man she wanted would have to have some backbone. Oliver, in his madcap way, fit the bill.
If you were a princess, which one? Oliver asked. Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, or the Frog Princess?
Kiss me and find out! she challenged with a grin.
But there were no kissesyet. Oliver threw himself into wedding planning: Hope had only to choose from his carefully selected options, even the dress.
Youll be the most gorgeous bride, he kept repeating.
At the register office, who should they bump into but Mary and her new fiancé. Oliver plastered on a smile.
Congratulations, he said, pecking her on the cheek. All the best with your walking wallet, love.
Dont make a scene, Oliver, Mary snapped, eyeing up Hopetall, poised, undeniably striking. Mary compared herself and found herself lacking for the first time. Jealousy reared its head, and happiness clearly hadn’t been part of the deal after all.
Oliver turned back to Hope. Showtime, love.
Theres still time to back out, she whispered.
No chance. We see it through.
Only during the ceremony, when he caught Hopes sad but earnest eyes, did Oliver realise the magnitude of it all.
Ill do my best to make you happy, he vowed, andfor the first timehe meant it.
So began their married life. Olivia and Hope became fast friends. Olivia, usually a firecracker, mellowed under Hopes calm organisation. Hope, a finance whizz, whipped the accounts into shape, and within months, not only did they open a second shop, but they started a little home renovation business too. Profits soared.
Hope turned out to be brains and charm rolled into one. She managed things so skilfully, Oliver often thought her ideas were his own. Life seemed to be ticking along, but Oliver felt something was missingthat heady rush hed known with Mary. Boring! Domesticitys eating me alive, he thought. I just dont love her, do I?
With Hopes drive, they expanded againthis time building houses. The first one they built was for themselves.
The better things got, the more Oliver found himself brooding about Mary. “If only she could see me nowcar, house, the works! He kept wondering, What if?
Hope could see he was restless. She tried her best, but you cant force love, and, as her name suggested, she held onto hope.
Olivia, ever the keen observer, caught Oliver stalking Marys social media.
You’ll lose more than youll gain, she warned him.
Mind your own business! he snapped.
Olivias eyes flashed. Idiot. Hope actually loves you, and youre still playing games.
Brilliant. My little sisters giving me life advice, Oliver fumed, drawn ever more to the memory of Mary. One evening, temptation finally won.
Mary, as it turned out, was sporting a sob story: jilted by her husband, didnt finish uni, jobless, living in a grotty rented flat in Manchester. Oliver deliberated for daysshould he go? While Hope was away caring for her gran, the opportunity grew irresistible.
He set off for Manchester, heart fluttering as Greyhound buses. But reality had teeth.
You look smashing! Mary squealed, throwing herself at him, smelling as if shed been living in one of the citys less reputable pubs. She wore a skirt shorter than a London mini and make-up that looked applied in the dark.
People are staring, Oliver cringed.
I couldnt care less! she cackled, downing a pint.
He watched in horror as everything hed once loved about her vanished under cheap perfume and poor taste.
Slip me a few quid and Ill make it worth your while, she purred.
He was desperate to escape.
Sorry, Ive got things to do, he said, rising.
Lets meet again?
Dont think so, Oliver told the waiter, slipping him a generous note. Let the lady continue on my tab.
The barman got the message.
Oliver sped home, cursing himself: Olivia was right, what was I thinking? But maybe it wasnt all for nothing.
Ive never even called my wife Hopey, he realised. No ones closer to me than she is. He pulled over, replayed years of their marriage in his mind, and finally saw everything clearly.
He pictured Hopes mischievous blue eyes, the way she messed up his hair with those elegant, capable hands.
I promised to make her happy, he remembered, and, heart racing, he headed down the lane to the village.
A whole week without you is unbearable! he declared as Hope ran out from her gran’s house to greet him.
You daft man! she laughed, tears sparkling in her eyes.
My dear Hope, Oliver whispered in her ear, and for the first time, both of them felt dizzy with happiness.
