I PRETENDED TO BE POOR WHEN I MET MY SON’S FIANCÉE’S PARENTS TO SEE THEIR TRUE COLORS.
Being a single dad to a growing boy wasn’t easy, so I made a few mistakes. Will was such a kind, loving, unspoiled kid that I lavished everything I could afford on him — and I could afford a lot. Before long, Will became the most popular guy around, but not for his kindness or good looks — it was because of my money.
When Will decided to study in another city, he kept my wealth a secret. He even made himself look like the poorest student to avoid fake friendships. That’s when he met Eddy, a girl he truly liked, and by his third year at Yale, he was head over heels for her.
Will proposed to Eddy, and she said yes. That Thanksgiving, she took him home to meet her parents, Marta and Farlow. They were wealthy and wanted their daughter to marry someone rich, not a scruffy third-year science major. They were polite but clearly disapproved.
Eddy insisted that Will and I join her family for Christmas. Though Marta and Farlow weren’t thrilled, they smiled and agreed, secretly making their own plans. So, Will and I dressed in the poorest clothes we had and took a bus to their beach house in Narragansett for Christmas.
Sam Sutton invented a revolutionary engine sealant, making his family wealthy, but the money couldn’t save his wife, Rain, from illness. After her passing, Sam focused on raising his son, Will, who, in high school, became popular for his family’s wealth. But Will soon realized that people only wanted him for his dad’s money, including a girl he liked. Determined to find genuine friends, Will decided to attend Yale as a “scholarship student,” wearing second-hand clothes to avoid being seen as rich.
At Yale, Will found true friends and a girl he loved, Eddy. When they became engaged, Eddy’s wealthy parents, Marta and Farlow, disapproved of Will’s humble appearance. To teach them a lesson, Sam pretended to be poor when he visited their home for Christmas. Farlow mocked Sam’s clothes, but Sam surprised Eddy by giving her and Will the deed to a brownstone in Manhattan, revealing his true wealth. This gesture earned Eddy’s parents’ respect and support for their marriage.
Sam’s lesson: love and respect can’t be bought, and people shouldn’t be judged by their appearance. Will and Eddy eventually married and moved to New York, where Sam bought a house next door to be close to them.
