After finishing university, Emily landed a job at a company with a genuinely good teameveryone was friendly and supportive. Her arrival lifted the already strong team spirit even further. She was a lovely young woman and had a knack for making people feel right at home. Whenever you spoke to her, it was impossible not to feel you could confide in her. Emily lived close to her new office, in a newly built block of flats. John, a colleague, immediately took a liking to her, and when he discovered she owned a one-bedroom flat, he perked up. Despite nearing thirty, John had nothing to his name.
He liked to play the victim. He would commute into London from a little village to work. Oh, how miserable he would seem when it was time to return home after work. Usually, though, he never actually made it backwomen often invited him to stay over. Emily was like a dream! There wasnt a single fault to be found with her, inside or out. She was perfect in every way. John clung to her like a barnacle for three long years. Emily constantly went on business trips, earning a decent salary, while John was frailhis health wasnt great, the by-product of his long student years. Doctors visits were common, and on top of everything, they couldnt have children.
Marriage was never mentioned. Occasionally, the manager would talk about his nephew who proposed to his girlfriend, only to find out she had stage three cancer right before the wedding. They married anyway, and her energetic young husband cared for his dying wife. Three years passed. Emily had a realisation: Hes living under my roof, I shoulder every financial responsibility, and he hasnt breathed a word about marriage. Emily confronted John with what she wanted, and he went out, bought a ring, and announced they were engaged. But after another work trip, Emily came home and John proclaimed, Im not ready for marriage.
Im far too responsible a personI cant take someones destiny into my own hands… Keep the ring as a memento of our lovely romance… Emily was shakenshe had never expected such a blow from someone she loved. Her boss sent her on another business trip, handing her a theatre ticket and threatening to sack her if she didnt go. At the theatre, she met her bosss widowed nephew. They sat next to each other. Emily and her new companion ended up spending all their free time together during her trip. Emily became pregnant, and both were overjoyed.
They had a wedding straight away so Emily could feel like a princess. Ten years have gone by. They have two sons and are considering a third child. Whether its a boy or a girl doesnt matter, as long as the baby is healthy! They now have a strong, happy family! John, on the other hand, still hasnt decided what he wants out of life. Believing that family life is a costly indulgence, he never wanted to take responsibility for anyone else. Once hed finally paid off the loan for his car, he bought himself a new laptop. That was the talk of the office. Who knows how this new loan will get paid off…
