I never told my son that I am a wealthy CEO who earns millions of dollars every month. He has always believed I live on a modest pension. When he invited me to have dinner with his fiancée’s parents, I decided to test them by pretending to be a poor woman who had lost everything.
But the moment I stepped through the door, her mother lifted her chin and said, “You look… terribly ordinary!
I hope you’re not expecting us to help pay for the wedding.” I stayed silent.
But her father looked at me for just one second, then suddenly stood up in fear…
Evelyn Mercer had spent most of her adult life building a tech-logistics empire headquartered in Seattle.
To the world she was a sharp, visionary CEO; to her only son, Andrew, she was just a quiet retired woman living off a modest pension. Evelyn had kept her wealth hidden for years, wanting her son to grow up grounded, far from the entitlement she had witnessed in other wealthy families.
Andrew never questioned it—he’d been raised on simple values and honest work.
So when he invited her to dinner with the parents of his fiancée, Caroline, Evelyn sensed an opportunity. She wanted to see how they treated someone they believed to be “ordinary.” And maybe—just maybe—learn something about the family her son was about to marry into.
She dressed plainly, pulling on an old beige cardigan and scuffed flats, then tied her hair in a loose bun.
No jewelry, no makeup, no signs of the life she actually lived.
Caroline’s parents lived in a large suburban home outside Portland, and the moment Evelyn stepped inside, Caroline’s mother, Margaret Hayward, eyed her with a stiff smile. Her gaze swept from Evelyn’s shoes to her cardigan as if she were scanning a price tag.
Family games
“You look… terribly ordinary,” Margaret said, lifting her chin. “I hope you’re not expecting us to help pay for the wedding.”
Evelyn remained silent.
She had prepared herself for judgment, but the bluntness still landed like a slap.
Andrew looked embarrassed, but before he could speak, Caroline placed a hand on his arm as if telling him to stay quiet.
Then Evelyn noticed Caroline’s father, Richard. He had barely glanced at her—just one quick look.
But that single moment changed everything.
His face drained of color. His eyes widened.
The story doesn’t end here –
it continues on the next page.
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