Oliver marries Nia deliberately to wound Mary. He wants to prove he isnt bruised by her betrayal. He has been with Margaret for almost two years. He loves her to the point of madness, ready to move heaven and earth, to shape his whole life around her dreams. He feels the relationship is heading toward a wedding, but her constant dodging of any talk about marriage irritates him.
Why a wedding now? Margaret says. I havent finished university, and you at your firm still earn nothing solid. No decent car, no own flat. And honestly I dont want to share a kitchen with your sister. If we hadnt sold that house wed be living without any of these problems. Oliver feels hurt, yet he admits there is truth in her words. He, Olivia, and he still live in their parents flat in London, the business is only just gaining momentum, and he is still a finalyear student. He has to take over the family affairs before his degree is even awarded. They sell the house with Olivias consent, hoping to rescue their parents finances. Half a year of debts piles up, and both still study. The sale clears all obligations, restocks the shops inventory and even leaves a little cash in reserve.
Mary, on the other hand, believes they should live for the present rather than wait for an imagined tomorrow. With all the burdens on their parents shoulders, that sounds easy to her. Oliver suddenly becomes an adult responsibilities toward his sister, the fledgling business, the daytoday life. He trusts that everything will fall into place: a house, a car, a garden.
Nothing hints at disaster. They plan to go to the cinema, and Margaret asks Oliver not to pick her up, saying shell drive herself. He waits at the bus stop, then watches her pull up in an expensive sedan. She steps out, hands him a book and says, Im sorry, we cant be together any longer. Im getting married, and turns back to the car.
Oliver is stunned. What could have changed in the few days hes been away? When he gets home, Olivia reads his expression. You already know? she asks. He just nods. Shes marrying a rich man. She asked me to be a witness I refused. Shes a traitor, turning behind my back Oliver hugs his sister, pats her head and says, Calm down. Let her be happy. Well be even better off.
He locks himself in his room for a whole day. Olivia begs him to come out. Come on, Ive made pancakes. By evening he emerges, fire in his eyes. Get ready. Ready for what? she asks. Ill marry the first woman who agrees, he replies coldly. Thats absurd! It isnt just your life, Olivia protests. You wont go Ill go alone, he cuts her off.
In the park a crowd bustles. One girl twirls a strand of hair, another darts away frightened, but a third meets his stare and says yes. Whats your name, beautiful? he asks. Nia, she replies. We should celebrate the engagement! He drags Nia and Olivia into a café. An awkward silence settles over the table; Olivia doesnt know what to say, while Olivers mind swirls with thoughts of revenge. He decides his wedding will happen on the twentyfifth of the month.
Nia breaks the quiet. There must be a serious reason you proposed to a stranger, she says. If its spontaneous, I wont be offended and Ill go. No, Oliver says. Youve already given your word. Tomorrow we submit the notice and meet your parents. He winks. First, lets be on a firstname basis.
Throughout the month until the wedding they see each other daily, talk, and learn about each other. Why are you doing this? Nia asks one evening. Everyone has skeletons in their closet, Oliver evades. The main thing is they dont stop you living. Why did you agree? she presses. I imagined myself as a princess whose kingtobe marries the first passerby. Fairy tales always end they lived happily ever after, so I wanted to test it myself.
In reality it isnt that simple. A great love leaves a broken heart and a modest loss of savings, but it also teaches him to read people. He repels wouldbe suitors with a single glance. He never seeks a single soulmate, but he knows he needs a smart, independent man capable of decisive actions. In Oliver he sees determination and a serious approach. If he were with friends instead of his sister, Nia would have walked away.
What kind of princess are you? Oliver asks, looking at her thoughtfully. A shy one, or a beautiful Vasilissa, or a frogprincess? Nia smiles. Kiss me and youll find out, she teases. No kiss follows, and nothing more develops between them.
Oliver handles the wedding preparations himself. Nias role is simply to pick from whatever he offers; even the dress and veil he buys. Youll be the most beautiful, he repeats. At the registry office, waiting for the ceremony, they unexpectedly run into Mary and her fiancé. Oliver forces a smile. Congratulations, he says, planting a kiss on Marys cheek. May your purse always be full! Mary responds nervously, Dont make a circus of it. She eyes Olivers new bride, a tall, striking, regal woman who carries herself like a queen. Jealousy gnaws at her, a lingering sense that shes missed out on what she expected.
Oliver returns to Nia. Everythings fine, he says. Its not too late to stop, Nia whispers. No. We play to the end. Only when they stand in the registration hall, looking into each others newly married eyes, does Oliver realise the weight of his choices. I will make you happy, he says, believing his own words.
Family life settles in. Olivia and Nia quickly find common ground, complementing each other. Impulsive Olivia learns to temper her emotions, while Nia efficiently runs the household and subtly directs everything. As a skilled accountant, Nia straightens the finances. Six months later they open a second hardware store, then form a team of tradespeople they now sell building supplies and handle renovations. Profits multiply.
Nia proves herself a modernday Vasilissa, presenting ideas that Oliver claims as his own. Life seems easy, but Oliver feels the lack of the dizzying thrill he once had with Margaret. Everything is measured, predictable, calm. Routine is a swamp that drains you, he thinks. I dont like it.
Thanks to Nias efforts they move into a new level: they start building turnkey cottages. The first house they complete is for themselves. The better the business goes, the more often Oliver remembers Mary: If only shed endured a little longer, shed see the car Im driving now. And the house isnt just a house, its a palace! He boasts to himself, wondering what if.
Nia notices Olivers torment. She wants to be loved, but you cant command a heart, especially a foreign one. Not every fairy tale has a happy ending, she thinks, yet she clings to hope her name obliges her.
Olivia watches her brother. Youll lose more than you gain, she warns, pointing at Margarets profile on social media. Dont interfere! Oliver snaps. Olivia eyes him darkly. Fool, Nia loves you truly, and youre playing games!
Only now does a voice from his past whisper, I need a child to tell me what to do, and Oliver feels the pull toward Mary again. He writes to her.
Mary complains that her personal life has collapsed. Oliver drove her out with nothing. She never finished university, has no steady job, and lives in a rented flat in a provincial town.
Oliver hesitates for a few days: Should I go? Should I stay? Circumstances leave him alone at home for several days while Nia visits a sick grandmother in the countryside. He finally decides, arranges a meeting, and rushes to her town, ignoring every road sign. His heart pounds as he imagines what shell say, where theyll go.
Reality hits hard. Youre such a handsome thing, Mary says, pressing her neck against his. The smell of unwashed skin hits his nose. He steps back disdainfully. People are watching. I dont care! she laughs, in a short skirt, cheap makeup, dubious perfume. The vulgar woman reminds him of Nia in a twisted way. Shes always been like this. How did I never notice? he muses, watching his ex drown in beer. Give me money and Ill repay you, Mary purrs. He cannot figure out how to get rid of her. Sorry, I have things to do, Oliver says, standing up. Will we meet again? I dont think so, he calls the waiter. Check, please. Id like to stay a bit longer, Mary whines. The waiter slides a surprisingly large note across the table. Oliver nods in understanding.
He speeds home, skirting the speed limit. Stupid me, he mutters, Olivia was right! Why did I even start all this? Maybe it wasnt for nothing. He stops, realizing he never called his wife Nia. I have no one closer or dearer, he thinks, replaying the years since the wedding. He visualises Nias bright blue eyes, the soft mist over them, the way she smiles when he appears, the gentle way she runs her long, tidy fingers through his hair.
I promised to make you happy, he whispers, turns the car onto a country lane, and pulls up outside his grandmothers cottage. A week is too long. I cant live without you even for two days, he tells Nia as she runs out to meet him. Youre a lunatic, she smiles through tears. Nia, my love, Oliver whispers into her ear, and both feel their heads spin with joy.
