The Billionaire’s Son Fell In Love With a Poor Corn Seller—But His Father Did This…

Mom, I heard every word you said and I promise I will never forget it. Everything you are telling me today, you have already shown me with your own life.  You raised me surrounded by nothing but love.  You made sure I went to school even when you had nothing.  You took on different jobs, did things most wouldn’t do, so I could have a better life.

  Mom, you sacrificed your happiness for mine.  Everything I am today I owe to you.  I promise you, Mom, that I will never forget your sacrifices.  I will carry everything you taught me into my marriage and make you proud of me. I called you here to inform you of my decision.  I decided to become Anita’s driver to carry out the first stage of my test.

  Dad, you can’t be serious.  I know you’re just joking.  Tell me you’re joking. Dad, what do you mean you want to be my girlfriend’s personal driver? Patrick, calm down.  This isn’t about driving.  This is the first stage of my test.  I want to know what kind of woman Anita really is when she thinks no one important is watching her.

  I want to see how Anita treats the man she considers her driver.  Does he show respect ?  Does he have humility?  Does he understand that every person deserves dignity, regardless of position? When people know who you are, they treat you according to your position.  But when they think you are an ordinary person, that is when their true character comes out.

  If he respects me by thinking I’m a nobody, then I’ll know he has the character to be part of this family.  I come from a place where dreams seemed far away.  Without silver in my hands, only with a wounded heart.  I walked through the fire when the road became cold. I was losing pieces of myself to build something valuable.

  Mom prayed and I carried the burden.  Each closed door only strengthened my faith.  They see the crown.  They don’t see pain.  They see victory, not years of rain and struggle.  Every star has its own story.  Every tear has a name.  If you want to leave a legacy, you must be willing to pay the price.  This is the price of heritage.

  Blood, sweat, tears and memories.  I gave up my youth .  I gave up my dream.  I made promises that I had to keep.  When they say my name one day, let them know I have earned my place.  Because greatness doesn’t come for free. Patrick, how are you and Priscilla? Time is not your ally. I hope you know that. I’m at an age where I should have grandchildren and the certainty that the future of our companies is in good hands.

  Don’t be like your mother and me.  We were so busy with our careers and building our empire that we had no time for each other.  Today she is in Hong Kong.  Tomorrow I’m in Paris.  Now that we have built an empire that is considered one of the most successful in Africa, we need young blood running around this house.

  I’m sure Patrick is actively working on it.  Now let’s focus on the meal.  Honey, I prepared this delicacy especially for you.  This man is handsome, calm and incredibly rich.  I’ve never seen such a perfect man.  Let me be his assistant for at least a month. Sister, let me at least be his purse.  This guy has everything I could want in a man.

Have you seen the photo of their new property in Ikoyi?  Are you pretending as if a handsome guy like me isn’t standing right next to you?  What does he have that I don’t have? You’re not mad, but did you just ask what he has that you don’t ?  Dude, are you kidding me? The gap between you is too big to even compare.

  But work harder, my friend.  Maybe one day you’ll get there too.    Have a wonderful morning, sir. Good morning to you too. Welcome back, sir.  How was it in America?  Cold.  Very cold. I almost forgot what the heat in Lagos feels like .  You will remember soon, sir. Give me 5 minutes.  I already did it. Turn off the air conditioning for a moment.

  What did you bring me, sir?  I have been driving this car for 3 years.  I am owed something .  You haven’t changed at all.  Neither do you , sir.  Tell me what happened while I was gone.  Not much, sir.  Business was going steadily.  But Lagos has changed.  Lagos is always changing.  One thing I missed every day in Lagos is the corn roasted by the roadside.

  Amecha, do me a favor.  If you see a roasted corn seller anywhere , let me know.  I have to try it.    A lot of time has passed.  All right, sir.  Amecha, I think I just saw a corn seller.  Why didn’t you stop?  Sir, I saw that you were sleeping.  I didn’t want to waste your time, boss.  All right. We’re coming back. Sorry to interrupt.

  Everything’s all right?  Everything’s all right.    I wonder why a young lady like you sleeps in public.  I don’t want to impose. You know, in Nigeria, even when things are not good, we say they are okay.    I should be at school, but I’m helping my mom with her business.  She wasn’t feeling well this morning, so I told her to stay home.

If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear your story.    My name is Patrick Akimadi.  May I know why you are interested in my story? The truth is that the sight of a beautiful girl, forgive me for saying so, roasting corn by the road is not an everyday occurrence.    You should get out of the house more often .

    I don’t want to be rude.  Sorry . Just kidding.  All right. Fantastically.  Not only beautiful, but also funny. Thank you for the compliment.  You are a true gentleman. Could this gentleman please have your number? I think so.  Anita, who made you laugh so much on the phone?  Come and help me in the kitchen. Chidindu, go to the kitchen and help your mother.

  Mom, yesterday I met a guy with a G-Wagon.  The G-Wagon is cool, but is it a good guy?  Don’t just look at the packaging.  Check out what’s inside .  Well, my dear, don’t worry, Mom.  I’ll be sure to check what’s inside on our date next week.  He said we would go to Bodilon Ecoy.  Patrick, are you going to keep me here all day while you focus on your phone?  I’ve never seen you so distracted.

  Is there anything I should know?  There is a girl who has been occupying my thoughts for the past few days.  I think I’m starting to care about her .  Girl?  Patrick, you and the girl? Wow, I’m surprised.  Who is this one ?  She is calm and beautiful.  He is doing a master’s degree at the University of Lagos. You’ll meet her soon.

  I’m glad you’re here, Anita.  By the way, you look stunning.  What would you like to order? For now, a glass of water will be enough for me. By the way, you look good and smell nice. You’ve been on my mind a lot lately and I don’t know why.  Is it your face, your smile, or your calm personality? Please don’t embarrass me.

  By the way, I would like to know what you do.  First there was the G Wagon. I saw a McLaren today.  I am a businessman , managing director of my father’s company.  Enough about me.  Anita, tell me something about yourself. My name is Anita Okuli, I am 27 years old.    I am currently pursuing a Masters degree at the University of Lagos.

Anita, I’ll be honest with you.  I think I have feelings for you.  It’s a strong feeling and I’d like to see what comes of it.  What do you think about this? All right.  Oh, I wonder what will come of this .  But Mr. Patrick, you have told me so little about yourself. I need to know more. Could I, um, say hello to your mom?    Of course.

Good evening.  My name is Aking Bad Patrick.  I come from Lagos State.  My family lives in Ioi.  Nice to meet you. Son, welcome to our home.  Anita has n’t talked about anyone else but you for several days.  I’m glad I finally met you. I’m surprised to hear this. I’d like to know what she said about me , but I’m pressed for time.

  I have to go now. Mom, Dad, I think I found the one.  Her name is Anita.  She comes from a humble family and I think you will like her.  Finally my son got drunk on love.  However, there is a crucial test I must undertake, because the fate of our heritage depends on your choice of partner.  I want this to be the perfect choice.

  Honey, what test are we talking about? Shouldn’t we let them figure it out on their own ? It’s just a test of character, my dear.    I will go incognito to see if he is of good character.  I’ll take care of it .  Give her any car from the garage. As a token of our sympathy, tell her that you will also provide her with a driver.

  But I will take care of this personally. That’s very kind of you, Dad. By the way, is this part of the test? Yes, this is part of the test.  And for now, don’t show her any pictures of me. Patrick, meet my friends, Amaka and Tolani.  Both can be troublesome, so don’t worry about them.    I’m very sorry.  I was speechless because of your beauty.

  This flower is for you, just like this car. A gift from my family. What?  Patrick, are you serious?  Range Rover for me?  What? Please stand up, Anita.  This car is yours.  I will hire a driver for you .  I don’t want you to use public transport ever again.  Please. God, when…mom.  Mom.  Mom, mom, come see. Anita, where did you get your car?  What is this , mom?  Patrick brought him to my school.

  He said it was a gift from his family. His family?  Have you met them yet? Have you met anyone from his family?  Mom , you should be happy for me .  Why are you so negative?  My daughter, I’m happy, but we have to make sure we don’t get into trouble because of a free gift.  He told me his house was in Bodilon Ecoi.

  This is one of the richest estates in Nigeria.  We can’t just go there without an invitation.  But he said he would send a driver tomorrow.  Maybe this person will know the address so we can go.  Mom, that’s a good plan, daughter.  But this is something big.  Oh, how much could a car like that be worth ?  Show me the inside. I called you here to inform you of my decision.

I decided to become Anita’s driver to carry out the first stage of my test.  Dad, you can’t be serious.  I know you’re just joking. Tell me you’re joking.  Dad, what do you mean you want to be my girlfriend’s private driver?  Patrick, calm down.  This isn’t about driving.  This is the first stage of my test.

  I want to know what kind of woman Anita really is when she thinks no one important is watching her.  When people know who you are, they treat you according to your position.  But when they think you are an ordinary person, that is when their true character comes out.  I want to see how Anita treats the man she takes as her driver.

  Does he show respect? Is she humble?  Does he understand that every person deserves dignity, regardless of their situation?  If she respects me, thinking I’m a nobody, then I’ll know she has the character to be part of this family.  Mom, what do you think about this?    I’m sure you disagree with Dad.  Mom, you have to say something.

Anita is a very good girl.  I trust her.  There is no need to perform such a test.  Patrick, calm down. Your father may sound radical, but I understand what he wants to achieve. You trust Anita because you know her, but your father wants to see what she’s like when she does n’t have to be nice to anyone.

  Sometimes character is revealed when we think no one important is watching. I want to make sure that the woman entering this family has the character you deserve . Good morning, sir.  Do we know each other? You must be Miss Anita.  Mr. Patrick hired me as your personal driver.  He told me to start work today. Hello, Mr. James.

  Patrick told me you were coming. Yes. I hope you didn’t have any trouble getting here .  Thank you, Miss Anita.  With the help of Google Maps, I found your house without any problem. Thank you for your concern. Sir, mother has just prepared breakfast.  She made rice and aang soup.  Please, eat with us.

  I won’t take no for an answer, sir . That’s very kind of you, Miss Anita.  If you insist, breakfast then.  I hope you enjoy your ride .  Where do you want to go today? I assume you know Patrick’s house in Ikoyi.  My mom wants us to visit them because of the car gift.  So we go to Ikoyi. Yes, I know the Ikoyi district very well. However, Mr.

 Patrick’s parents are on vacation.  I found out about it this morning when I was there. These people must be very rich to give away cars while on vacation.  We will visit them another time. Patrick mentioned that they have a business in Ikoyi.  Do you know this place?  If we can’t go to their house, let’s go to their office.

  Is this the right place ?  This place looks like heaven.  This is the tallest building I’ve ever seen.  Mom, this is crazy. I’ve never seen anything like this before.  Since Mr. James needed to check something, we have to find our way to Patrick’s office ourselves.  Let’s go to the reception desk over there.  Good morning .

  Welcome to Akimad Holdings, where excellence meets innovation.  How can I help? My name is Anita and this is my mother.  Mhm .    We would like to see Mr. Patrick Akimad.  I believe he works here.  Mr. Patrick doesn’t work here. This is one of his family’s companies, of which he is a co-owner.  Mr. Patrick is currently in a closed meeting with shareholders, but I must notify him immediately of your arrival, as per his instructions.

Just this morning, Mr. Patrick added your name to our whitelist, which means you always have direct access to him.  You must be someone special.  I will assign a security guard to escort you to the waiting room next to his office.  Please make yourself comfortable, I will be at your disposal.

  Anita, it all seems like a dream.  Are you sure we’re not dreaming? Mhm. I am stunned.    I do n’t believe it myself.  I knew he was rich, but not that rich.  I can barely contain myself here. Good morning, madam.  Anita, how are you?  Sorry it took me a while to get here.  I had to tear myself away from the meeting.  Mom, Anita , you didn’t tell me you were coming.

  I hope everything is fine, ma’am.  I didn’t expect you here, but I’m glad you ‘re here. You didn’t expect us, and we didn’t expect a car from you as a gift.  What did we do to deserve this car? Mom, is that why you came all the way to the island? Mhm. A car is no big deal.  This is just a token of sympathy from me and my family.

Just a token of sympathy. Mhm.  I am very pleased.  We would like to meet your family and express our gratitude. Mom, you’ll meet my parents soon. They are currently traveling.  What would you like to eat or drink? I know we’re not friends, but I have some advice for you about this new relationship of yours.

  You know, I’ve been around a lot of rich guys. Once you catch one, you have to take everything you want because eventually he’ll dump you.  Lord, look ahead.  What do you care?  Stop.  Don’t talk to anyone like that.  What’s your problem?  See why we’re not friends?  This is terrible. Anita, it’s nothing. I simply set it upright.

  It’s just a chauffeur .  What can he do?  I’m trying to help you.  What do you mean ” chauffeur only”?  Isn’t he your father’s age?  Does being a driver make him a worse person?  You started with some very bad advice, urging me to betray the person I truly love and care about just for money.  You are rude, dismissive, and your advice is terrible.  Sorry.

  You are a bad influence on me and that is why I have always avoided you.  I’m sorry, sir. Can you park and let this girl out?  From here she will find her way on her own. Mr. James, I sincerely apologize for the way she spoke to you.  This was completely disrespectful and unacceptable, and I take full responsibility for taking action.

  Please don’t let her behavior give you the wrong impression about the people around me .  I was raised to believe that regardless of how important or nervous I am, I should always show respect.  I’m really sorry , sir.  Sorry.    You don’t have to apologize to me, Anita. I appreciate your respect and I see that your father raised you well.

  Dad, how’s the test going?  I hope she’s doing well because I wouldn’t want to lose that girl. Son, I’m watching her.  I don’t want to discuss progress with you, but the main test is fast approaching . Honey, I don’t like the stress you’re putting yourself through .  Why don’t you just let their relationship develop naturally? The test is necessary, honey.

  I need to check her character so that our family’s assets and future are safe.  This man is so handsome and smells of money.  His girlfriend is lucky.  Maybe I should try my luck and ask for his number. Ask for a number?  And I’m asking for yours from the first semester. You kept saying your phone was broken and someone said life was fair.

    Come on .  You don’t have a G-Wagon.  And you ask for the number.  Patrick, thank you for everything you do.  I am truly grateful.  May God continue to bless you. Amen, may these prayers come true. Thank you. Thank you.  Can we go for a short walk?  Does Mom like her new store?  I couldn’t bear to watch him sell corn by the road.

  That’s why I came up with this idea.    I have n’t stopped praying for you since yesterday .  She was extremely happy.    I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so excited.    I’m glad she liked it . Your graduation ceremony is in a few months .  You finish your studies and what’s next? What are your plans? No big plans.  Just invite family and friends to celebrate with me.

Will I be invited? I’ll think about it.  Now let’s see what kind of person you are when something precious to you is destroyed.  Will you control your anger or will you let your anger control you?  A person’s true character is not revealed when everything goes his way.    The true face is revealed in the test.

Mr. James, what happened to the car?  How did this happen? I was only gone for a few minutes.    I’m so sorry, ma’am.    I am deeply sorry.  While I was trying to park, I got an urgent call that my daughter had been expelled from school and was not being allowed to take her exam.  In an instant I lost concentration and didn’t look in the mirror, not seeing that there was a car behind me.

  I hit it and it left a dent.  I’m so sorry , ma’am.  Please, I will call Mr. Patrick now to give me an advance payment, and I will fix the car quickly.  Please, Miss Anita, this is my only job to support my family.  I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose her.  Please , Mr. Patrick, don’t fire me. I am begging you in the name of God.

  Please, I’m terribly sorry.  I know I have betrayed your trust, but please help me. Please stand up, Mr. James.  You made a mistake.  This kind of mistake could have happened to anyone.  I’m sad because it’s my first car, but even I could do that. Please don’t worry.  I’ll make sure you do n’t lose your job over this. I’ll fix the car with the money Patrick sent me for maintenance.

Mr. James, the most important thing now is that your daughter doesn’t miss her exam.  How much is tuition at her school?  Patrick sent me 200,000 naira for expenses.  Let’s use this money to pay tuition. Ma’am, you want to pay my daughter’s tuition even though I just dented your new car?  What did I do to deserve such kindness?  That’s very kind and generous of you.

75,000 naira left to pay. Thank you.  May God bless you. Mr. James, my father taught me that true success is not just about what you have, but how you treat people when you have the opportunity to help them.  You made a mistake and took responsibility for it .  I would rather help you solve this problem than let your family suffer because of it.

The car can be repaired.  But your daughter’s education and her chance to take her final exams cannot wait. If I can make life easier for you and your daughter today, I believe that is what I should do. Please, don’t feel you are in my debt.  Just make sure your daughter can take the exam.

  This is quite enough for me .  By the way, I’m very hungry.  Let’s go to my favorite restaurant to eat something.  This woman cooks the best home-cooked food on campus.    I want you to try her food .  You’ll love it.  Let’s go, Mr. James. I would like you to take this shirt.  Mhm. They belonged to my late father. Yes. You remind me a lot of my late father.

  He taught me to be kind to people and respect my elders. Anita, your father raised you really well .  In many ways you exceeded my expectations.  May God bless you.  I have a meeting with the governor this evening.  Send a light convoy, sufficient security, and a suitable vehicle to pick me up immediately.  Let my wife and son know I’m back from meeting with the governor.

  Tell them to come.  Thank you.  And prepare dinner. Yes.  Would you like to take a shower first?  It was a hard day. That’s very thoughtful of you, my dear.  The second piece of good news, the most important one, is that today I confirmed that our future and legacy are secure. I have tested this girl three times already and she has passed my tests beyond expectations.

  Let me tell you what happened.  The first test was covert observation.  A woman spoke rudely to me, and Anita had no reason to defend me, yet she did so as if I were her biological father.    You should have seen how she chased her away from the car.  This morning I deliberately dented her car to see how she would react.

  To my surprise, despite her anger and the fact that the car was precious to her, she showed that respect and dignity are more important than material possessions.  Then she even took me out to eat.  She controlled her emotions without being rude.  She said she would fix the car for the money you gave her. I asked you to give her a car to see if material things would change her, but Anita’s home-grown upbringing seems intact.

  As soon as she heard that my daughter had been expelled from school because of tuition fees, she immediately paid them.  I was surprised.  To top it all off, Anita saw my worn-out clothes and did n’t mock me.  She gave me some nice shirts that belonged to her late father.  Son, Anita doesn’t have much, but she wants to help people with what she has.

  She is respectful and not materialistic. She is educated, compassionate, humble, kind, and even loyal. She is for you, son.  Patrick, don’t waste a moment.  I want to meet this Anita and her family.  Choose the date you want them to arrive. Mom, come on.  Let’s go.  Patrick says transport is in place.    I do n’t want us to be late.

These people never cease to amaze me.  They sent a whole limousine for us even though you have your own car.    I do n’t know why they didn’t send Mr. James for us. I haven’t seen him since yesterday. These people are the true definition of kindness. I am so grateful to God that our paths crossed.  Mom, what is this?  Only sports cars.

  There’s even a cyber truck.  James, why?  Tell me.  I don’t understand this.  Why did your dad pretend to be my chauffeur? Everything’s all right.  That’s why you’re here today.  Just so you know .  Go away, Patrick, and stand before me.  I saw that my son was in love with you, but I had to be sure he was in good hands. Patrick is my legacy.

  My plan was to test your character and find out what kind of person you are .  I wanted to see if money would change you.  A man’s character is known when he is given power. Mhm. I thought owning a car would bring out a different side of you. Anita, when I hit and dented your car, even though you were angry, you didn’t treat me badly.

Instead, you found a way to cover for me.  Anita, when you thought I had nothing, you took care of me.  When I was just an ordinary driver, you defended me. Even when I didn’t ask for food, you fed me.  Anita, when my clothes were dirty, you gave me new ones .  When you heard that my daughter had been expelled from school, you did not hesitate to share what you had.

  If you were able to show love, honor, and respect to an ordinary driver…I am confident that my son is in safe hands. I officially support Patrick and Anita’s relationship.  They have my blessing. Patrick, don’t waste any more time. Trust me, dad.  Can’t wait.  But I want her to finish her master’s degree first. Anita, this is my first time meeting you and you are as beautiful as everyone said.

  Tell me, Anita, tell me something about yourself.  I want to get to know you better .  What are your plans after graduation?  Thank you for having us, ma’am .  I come from the state of Anra. I am 27 years old and currently completing my Master’s degree in Management.  After completing my master’s degree, I plan to start a company and pursue a PhD at the same time.

  I also hope to work for a large company.  I am the oldest of three siblings.  After losing our father seven years ago, our mother raised us.  My father left us many estates in the countryside.  But his family took everything from us.  Since then, my mother has been doing various jobs. Everything is fine, honey.  Your mom doesn’t have to do it alone anymore.

We will take care of you and your siblings. We are very grateful for everything you have done.  You changed our lives and made us happy.  Thank you.    The pleasure was all mine. Let’s bring it to the table and celebrate. Good morning everyone, welcome to the University of Lagos Graduation Ceremony.

  We welcome the university authorities, headed by the rector. Graduates, I want to hear you make noise.  Thank you.  Can we applaud the rector of our university? Good morning everyone and congratulations to all of us.  I won’t bore you with a long speech.  You came and you saw.  The road wasn’t easy, but you reached the finish line.  Congratulations.

And that would be it.  A short but powerful message.  This path has never been easy.  But you won this fight.  You have reached the finish line. You are champions and winners. This year something unprecedented happened.  One person broke a 40- year-old record. Patrick, where are you?  Where is everyone?  The awards ceremony is about to begin.

  For the first time, a master’s student graduated with a near-perfect grade of 4.98 in the Faculty of Management. I’ve been waiting for you forever.  Why did you make me wait so long?  Where is everyone?  You’ll tell me about it later .  I have a surprise for you inside.  Let’s go.  The announcement of the best graduate will be made by a unique and prestigious guest.

  Today we have among us the richest man in Africa, Nigeria’s greatest success story. Please welcome Mr. Akimada James. Patrick, you never said your dad was the richest man in Africa. I forgot.  Welcome.  It is an honor to stand before you today.  Congratulations to the graduates.  This morning I woke up as one of the happiest people on earth.

  When I got here, my happiness doubled.  And the best graduate of the 2025/26 academic year is Anita Okoli from the Faculty of Management.  Anita is my new found daughter and you will soon understand why, and she has made me proud. The school wanted me to give you a cheque for 5 million naira, but I changed it to a blank cheque.

  Enter any amount, Anita, and it will be yours .  You made us all proud and you deserve it.  My son told me this morning that he was going to use this special moment to make a life-changing decision. Anita, I met you in the most unexpected way.  I can’t explain how I connected with you .  I became miraculously enchanted by you.

  Anita, you stole my heart. I know forever isn’t enough, but let’s start there.  Anita, will you marry me? Yes, I will marry you, Patrick. Every step forward involved some loss.  And every choice I made left another scar. Friends became strangers, some left, but I kept going .  When they questioned my faith, I did not pursue wealth.

  I was building a name.  Something my children could inherit from this pain.  One day when I’m gone and the lights go out. This is my first time outside Nigeria. Patrick, you have changed my life in so many ways.  Thank you. You make me happy every day .  From selling roasted corn by the road to having fun on the beach.

  Patrick, I can’t thank you enough and I love you more than words can express. Anita, the most beautiful girl in the world, the woman of my dreams.  I love you more than you can imagine.  I am patiently counting down the days until I officially marry you and make you mine forever. This is your first trip abroad, but believe me, the first of many.

  I want you to have breakfast in Dubai, lunch in Paris and dinner in Santorini .  I want us to have a beautiful life together and enjoy each other throughout our lives.  I love you, Anita.  My daughter , marriage is not just a bed of roses.  There will be days when you are happy and days when you will wonder why you ever got married.

But my child, never let anger make decisions for you. Respect your husband and never forget to respect yourself too.  Learn to listen, communicate and forgive.  When a problem arises, don’t let it grow out of pride. Talk about it.  The house is built day by day.  Patrick is now your husband and you are now his wife.

  You must recognize your weaknesses, tolerate imperfections, and grow together.  Never compare your marriage to someone else’s because you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors .  My daughter, always remember where you come from.  Be a woman of peace, but don’t lose your voice.  Be loving, but don’t forget your worth.

  And when children come , raise them with love and discipline.  Make your home a place where your husband can find peace and your children can feel safe.  I may not always be there to guide you, but everything you need to be a good wife is already within you.  Enter into marriage with wisdom, patience and love.  And whatever happens, my child, never stop praying for your home.

  Mom, I heard every word you said and I promise I will never forget them.  Everything you are telling me today, you have already shown me with your own life.  You raised me with nothing but love. You made sure I went to school even when you had nothing. You took on different jobs, did things most people wouldn’t do, just so I could have a better life.

  Mom, you sacrificed your happiness for mine.  I owe everything I am today to you.  I promise you, Mom, I will never forget your sacrifices.  Everything you taught me I will take with me into marriage and make you proud of me.  Son, marriage is a completely new stage of life.  Now you will have a new family, which is created by your wife.

  In marriage, love alone is not enough.  You must honor your wife, respect her and take care of her.  Always put her first.  In marriage, your wife can build you up or tear you down depending on how you treat her.  You must always treat her well .  and you shape each other as you desire.  My marriage to your mother wasn’t always a bed of roses.

We had our difficult times, but I always tried my best to make her happy.  Anita is a good girl, but never push her to the limit.  I believe your marriage will be successful and you will make our family proud of you .  Patrick, I’m so excited.  My only son is just becoming a man. May God bless your union. Thank you very much, Dad.

  You were a great role model for me and my sister.  I’ve learned so much from you.  Even though I still have a lot to learn, I will try my best to be like you.  Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, kings and queens, friends and family, welcome to the biggest wedding in the whole country.  Today, two wonderful families become one, two hearts become one, and we gather to bear witness to a love story that will endure for generations.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the wedding of Patrick and Anita.  I was told to stay calm today, but you have to admit, being around some of the richest people in the world can make you lose your cool. Everyone, make some noise. If you are married, shout.  If you are single, shout louder.  And if you are single but your parents are here, please clap silently.

  Today we are not playing songs about heartbreak. If you came here with your ex , please hide your faces.  This is Patrick and Anita’s day.  Today she stands before us not only as a bride, but as a woman who will soon become a valued member of this family.  So with all the love in this room, I want you to make a big noise for the beautiful, elegant, and absolutely stunning Anita.

  Ladies and gentlemen , I ask everyone to stand up. The moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived.  She is beautiful. She is elegant.  She is the woman who won our groom’s heart .  Patrick and Anita, you stood before God and these witnesses to enter into a holy covenant of marriage.  Do you, Patrick, take Anita to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor, comfort, and support her in good times and in hard times, as long as you shall live?  Yes.

  And do you, Anita, take Patrick to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honor, comfort, and support him in good times and in hard times, as long as you shall live? Yes. By the authority vested in me and in the presence of God and these witnesses, I now pronounce you husband and wife. What God has joined together, let not man separate.

  You can now seal your relationship with a kiss.  I have a surprise for you .  I want both you and your mom to turn around now. Honey, is this our new property? Mom, this is a token of love from the Akimbadis family.  My father insisted that you deserved the estate for raising such a cultured girl as Anita.

  Honestly, I don’t know what to say.  I never imagined that someone would appreciate me this way. I only did what any mother would do for her child. I raised Anita, giving her everything I had.  And seeing the woman she became was always reward enough for me.  Please thank your father for me. Tell him that this gift means more to me than the house itself.

  Our wedding gift is the family estate in Ecoy, and from now on it belongs to you and me.  My family has already moved into our new residence in Leki. So they decided to leave this house to us as the start of our new life together. I was tired, but I never gave up .  Tell them I was broken, yet I built eternity.  This is the price of heritage.

  Tears that no one sees. I sacrificed my peace, I sacrificed my pride.  Risking his whole life.  What if tomorrow bears my name?  Remember that I went through fire for everything I held dear.  Someone had to pay the price.  Heritage. I paid the price.  So that they can live their dreams.  I carried this burden .  So that they could bear that surname.

Legacy is not what you leave behind.  This is what you sacrificed.