“Oh, my darling, how you’ve changed,” her father said with a smile.
Marie smiled too, happy to see her parents again. Then she took a deep breath and turned toward Jean.
“Papa, Mama, this is Jean.”
Her parents looked at him in surprise, and as soon as they saw him, their expressions changed.
“Who is this man? This poor, miserable man you brought into our home?” her father shouted angrily.
“What?” her mother added, eyes wide. “Marie, how can you bring a man like this here?”
Marie gently squeezed Jean’s hand and said in a firm voice,
“This is the man I love. This is the man I must marry. If it is not him, it will be no one else.”
Her parents exploded in anger.
“How dare you?” her father shouted. “We found a very rich, very respectable man for you, and you come with this. A poor man nobody even knows!”
Jean felt his heart tighten. He lowered his head, humiliated. He was just a simple man, and in the face of this prestigious family’s anger, he felt tiny.
“Marie…” he murmured uncomfortably.
But Marie placed her hand on his arm and looked straight into his eyes.
“Don’t worry, Jean. I will always defend you. No matter what they say. I love you, and they must understand that.”
Jean lifted his head slightly, reassured by her voice. Even though his legs trembled a little, he felt new strength because of her.
“This is unacceptable!” her mother cried. “How can you do this to us, Marie? This man has nothing. No family, no prestige.”
Marie did not move. She answered calmly but firmly.
“Mother, Father, I know what I am doing. I ask you to respect my choice. Jean is honest, sincere, and he truly loves me. Money is not what matters.”
“But he is a man with no future!” her father shouted.
“He is my future,” Marie replied clearly. “And I will not change my mind.”
Jean lowered his head again, feeling humiliated in front of the entire family. But every time her parents shouted at him or insulted him, Marie defended him, repeating that he was worthy and that she loved him.
After a long moment of tension, Jean felt he could not bear the shouting any longer. He turned and walked away, overwhelmed by shame and suppressed anger.
“I… I’m going to leave,” he said softly.
Marie looked at him sadly but calmly.
“Go, Jean. Don’t worry, I am with you in all this. You have done nothing wrong.”
So Jean left the house. He walked slowly to his car, his heart heavy but soothed by Marie’s words.
Once he was gone, Marie went to speak to her mother.
Leave a Comment