Patricia. Is this how you want your life to end?
It had been weeks since billionaire Gregory deliberately took on the life of a bricklayer. It was his way of uncovering the true nature of the family he had been told he must marry into.
Just a few days earlier, his parents had summoned him.
“You already have a wife somewhere,” his father had said.
Greg had been both shocked and confused. “I don’t understand, Dad. What are you saying?” he asked.
His father sighed deeply before replying, “Twenty years ago, a man saved my life from armed robbers. In the process, he was shot in the chest.”
Greg’s expression tightened as he listened.
“On his deathbed,” his father continued, “he made just one request: that my son would one day marry his only daughter.”
Greg stared at him in disbelief. “And it’s been twenty years, Greg. I want to fulfill that promise.”
“Dad, why would you make such a promise?” Greg protested. “Do you even know who this daughter is or what she looks like? What if she’s not normal? How am I supposed to live with someone like that?”
“Greg,” his mother called gently, stepping in. “You are my only son, and I cherish you. But we owe that man your father’s life. He was the most devoted driver your father ever had. He cared for him like his own blood.”
She paused, her voice softening. “And I knew his daughter when she was young. He adopted her because he and his wife couldn’t have children of their own.”
Greg remained silent.
“Please, son,” she added. “Go and see her for yourself.”
“How do I even find her?” he finally asked.
His father handed him a piece of paper. “This is the address of his home in Umueke community.”
For days, Greg wrestled with his thoughts. How could he possibly end up with someone from such a background? Someone who wasn’t exposed to the world the way he was.
Still, he needed answers. Determined to make his own inquiries, he decided to go in disguise. He dressed simply, took his bike, and headed down to Umueke village. At the very least, he needed to find out one thing—whether she was a decent human being.
By the time Greg arrived in the town, his bike engine had grown dangerously hot. He needed water. He pulled over to the roadside, wiping sweat from his forehead as he stood there, thinking about what to do next.
Just then, two young women approached, each carrying a gallon of water. Greg smiled to himself before calling out, “Please, my engine has dried up. I need some water.”
One of the women hissed sharply and continued walking.
“I should give you water?” she snapped. “Do you know how far we walk to fetch it?”
But the other woman, Patricia, quietly lowered her gallon. Greg took it carefully and poured some into his engine tank.
“Thank you so much,” he said, genuinely grateful. “Let me help you. I can take you back to fetch more water.”
“No,” Patricia replied with a soft smile. “I’ll manage.”
“Please, I insist,” Greg said firmly.
Patricia hesitated, glancing at the gallon. The tap was indeed quite far. Finally, she agreed and sat behind him. Greg rode her to the tap, waited while she refilled her gallon, and then brought her back close to her house.
“Thank you,” Patricia said again as she carried the gallon on her head and walked in.
But the moment she stepped inside, she froze. Her mother and two sisters were already waiting for her like a storm ready to break.
“Patricia, where are you coming from?” her mother demanded.
“I went to the tap,” Patricia answered calmly.
“You see, Mommy? She’s still lying,” Chioma said with a scoff.
“Who is the man Nkolika saw you with?” Elizabeth added sharply.
“No, Mommy. That’s not what it is. I just helped him.”
“So it’s true?” Elizabeth cut in. “It has gotten to the extent of you sleeping around in this village?”
“No, Mommy.”
“Shut up!” Mercy shouted.
Elizabeth’s face hardened with anger. “You see why I said a prostitute’s child will never amount to anything good. You will not eat in this house for three days. Maybe hunger will drive out that useless behavior from you.”
“Nonsense. Go and chop the firewood at the backyard.”
They stormed off, leaving Patricia standing there, tears streaming down her face.
This was how they had always treated her ever since her father died. She had been adopted long before Elizabeth gave birth to her first daughter, Chioma. A year later, Mercy was born. But after their father’s death, everything changed. Patricia became nothing more than a servant in the house. She did all the chores, ran every errand, and endured every insult, while Chioma and Mercy spent their days dressing up, waiting eagerly for the wealthy man their father had once promised would come and marry one of his daughters.
“Mommy, who will he choose when he comes?” Mercy once asked.
“I don’t know, my dear,” Elizabeth replied thoughtfully. “But that’s why you girls must always look rich. You know how wealthy men are. They like women who look like them.”
She paused, then added with a sly smile, “Even if he chooses your sister, Chioma, you must make sure to connect your sister to his wealthy friends as well.”
The girls would laugh and giggle, already imagining a life of luxury.
Day after day, they waited patiently for the rich man to arrive. If only they knew he would not come in the way they expected.
One afternoon, a knock sounded at their gate. Standing outside was a young man, his clothes tattered, his face worn with hunger and exhaustion.
Elizabeth sprang up immediately, her daughters trailing behind her.
“Good afternoon, Ma,” Greg greeted politely. “I’m so sorry. I was robbed on my way here. They beat me and took everything I had. Please, I’m hungry and thirsty.”
Chioma and Mercy hissed in disgust. Elizabeth looked him up and down, then scoffed dramatically.
“Look around you,” she said sharply. “Does this place look like a restaurant? Of all the houses in this neighborhood, you chose mine? Does this look like a charity organization?”
“Please, Ma,” Greg pleaded.
“Mommy, why are you still entertaining this madman?” Chioma snapped. “Let him get out.”
“No,” Elizabeth said suddenly. “If he wants to eat, then he should work for it.”
“Follow me,” she ordered.
She led him to a large piece of farmland behind the house.
“The rainy season is approaching,” she said. “I need this land cleared. Do that and I’ll feed you.”
Greg looked around at the vast land. “This is a lot of work. How much will you pay me?”
Chioma and Mercy burst into laughter.
“The hungry fool now wants to bargain,” Mercy mocked.
Elizabeth folded her arms. “How much should I pay you?”
“This is a lot of work,” Greg repeated. “I’ll take 150,000 naira.”
Elizabeth hissed. “I’ll pay you 50.”
“No. 120,” Greg insisted.
“My last offer is 100,000 naira,” she said firmly.
Greg sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
For the next several hours, Greg worked tirelessly on the farm. As he tilled the soil, his mind wandered. Was this the kind of woman his father wanted him to be connected to? A woman who couldn’t show basic compassion to a hungry stranger?
Still, he held his judgment.
“First impressions aren’t everything,” he told himself. “I’ll wait and see.”
Later that night, he sat outside waiting for the food they had promised him. Mercy walked over and dropped a small plate of miserable-looking food in front of him—something even a rat might reject.
Greg stared at it for a moment, then slowly stood up to leave.
Just as he turned, a soft voice stopped him.
“I’m sorry, but I brought this.”
He turned to see a young lady stepping out from the shadows. She handed him a small but neatly arranged portion of food, along with a shirt.
“It’s one of my father’s clothes,” she added gently.
Before Greg could respond, she had already disappeared.
He frowned slightly. “I’ve seen her somewhere before.”
But he said nothing and left.
The next morning, he returned to complete the work. That was when he saw her again.
“Oh. I remember you,” Greg said with a smile.
Patricia looked at him, and recognition dawned on her face. “I’m so sorry for what happened to you,” she said. “I heard you were robbed.”
Greg nodded. “It’s fine.”
But deep down, something shifted. Seeing her again lifted his heart.
“At least something good came out of this place,” he thought.
After finishing the job, Greg went to Elizabeth to collect his payment.
She laughed. “I don’t have money to pay you,” she said casually.
Greg frowned. “But we had an agreement.”
“I said I don’t have money,” she repeated. “You’ll have to wait. But I have something else you might need.”
“What?” Greg asked.
“Patricia,” Elizabeth called out.
Patricia rushed into the compound.
“Take her as your wife for the work you did.”
“What?” Patricia cried. “Mommy, please don’t do this. You don’t even know this man.”
Elizabeth ignored her completely and turned to Greg.
“Do you accept your payment?”
Greg smiled to himself. What a surprising offer.
“Of course,” he said calmly. “I’ll take her with me. She will become my wife.”
“Mercy,” Elizabeth said, “go and pack her bag.”
Patricia broke down in tears, pleading desperately, but no one listened. Within moments, her small bag was brought out.
Greg took it in one hand and gently held her other hand as they walked out of the compound.
Behind them, Elizabeth stood with a victorious smile.
“Mommy, why did you do that?” Chioma asked. “She’s a big help in this house.”
“You girls don’t see the bigger picture,” Elizabeth replied confidently. “My source told me that Chief Ben’s son is back in town, and he’s preparing to come here to ask for one of your hands in marriage.”
The girls leaned in eagerly.
“When your father made that promise years ago,” she continued, “he took Patricia to them because I hadn’t given birth to any of you yet.”
“So it’s better this way. When he comes, he’ll have no choice but to choose from one of you.”
Chioma smiled. “Mommy, you’re always steps ahead.”
Elizabeth smirked. “One obstacle is already out of the way.”
Meanwhile, Patricia walked beside Greg, tears streaming endlessly down her face.
Greg suddenly stopped and turned to her. “Patricia,” he said gently, “on my honor, I will not harm you. Nothing bad will happen to you. Please, stop crying.”
She looked at him, searching his face. There was something about him—something calm and reassuring that made her feel strangely safe.
Slowly, she nodded.
He held her hand again, and they continued walking.
They took a taxi that carried them all the way to the city. Eventually, it stopped in front of a massive gate. Greg stepped out first, then held out his hand for her.
Patricia hesitated before placing her hand in his. As she stepped out, her eyes widened in shock.
Before her stood a magnificent building, far beyond anything she had ever imagined.
Greg gently held her hand and led her inside.
At the entrance, maids and servants stood in neat rows, bowing respectfully as Greg and Patricia walked in.
Patricia’s confusion deepened, but Greg gently held her hand and led her forward.
Inside, Chief Ben and his wife stood waiting, warm smiles on their faces.
The woman stepped forward immediately and pulled Patricia into a loving embrace. “Oh, dear Trisha, you’ve grown so beautifully.”
Patricia stiffened in surprise. Only her father had ever called her Trisha.
“How… how do you know that name?” she asked softly.
The woman smiled warmly. “You were very young, so you may not remember. Your father used to work with us. He often brought you along, and he always called you my dear Trisha.”
Tears instantly filled Patricia’s eyes. She missed her father deeply. He may not have been her biological father, but he had loved her with all his heart.
Greg’s mother gently wiped her tears. “Don’t worry, my dear. Everything will be fine.”
Patricia nodded slowly.
She was led away to freshen up while Greg remained behind with his parents and narrated everything that had happened.
“You mean Elizabeth has become this cruel?” his father asked, shaking his head.
Greg nodded.
His father sighed. “No problem. I will send for her.”
A few days later, Elizabeth received a letter from Chief Ben’s mansion. She screamed in excitement, drawing the attention of her daughters.
“Mommy, what is it?” Chioma asked.
But Elizabeth was already dancing with joy. “My God has finally answered my prayers,” she exclaimed. She waved the letter excitedly. “He has invited us to his house. I’m sure it’s for his son to choose one of you for marriage.”
Her daughters’ faces lit up instantly.
“So you must look your very best,” she continued. “Don’t disgrace me. This is our ticket to a good life. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mommy,” Chioma and Mercy replied eagerly.
On the appointed day, they dressed in their finest clothes. Elizabeth even hired a taxi to take them there. She couldn’t risk arriving sweaty or looking ordinary among wealthy people.
When they arrived at the grand mansion, excitement filled their hearts as they stepped out and walked in.
The house was breathtaking, like something straight out of a painting.
“Remember,” Elizabeth whispered, “this is our opportunity. Be on your best behavior.”
They entered the living room where Chief Ben and his wife were seated. He welcomed them warmly.
“I heard you now have your own children.”
Elizabeth smiled proudly. “Yes, sir. Chioma and Mercy.”
“And Patricia?” Chief Ben asked.
Elizabeth sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. “Chief, that one is a long story. She got pregnant for some strange man and ran away with him.”
“Really?” Greg’s mother asked quietly.
“Yes, Ma,” Elizabeth replied without hesitation.
“All right,” she said calmly. “Greg will soon join us, and we’ll conclude the discussion.”
Just then, footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Greg walked into the living room with Patricia beside him.
Elizabeth froze instantly, her eyes widening in shock as she recognized him.
“This is Greg,” his mother said, a faint smirk on her lips.
Silence filled the room.
“You gave your daughter away to a man you did not know,” she continued, “all because of your hatred. You forgot how much your husband loved her.”
Elizabeth stood speechless.
“We invited you here,” she added, “for their wedding, which is taking place this weekend. We hope you will attend.”
Elizabeth slowly turned to look at Patricia.
She looked different. Radiant. Beautiful. Transformed.
Outside the mansion, Chioma burst into tears.
“Look at what you’ve caused,” she shouted at her mother. “You always think you know everything. Now we’ve lost Greg. We’ve lost all of this. I will never forgive you.”
She stormed off.
Mercy said nothing. She simply walked away in silence.
Elizabeth remained standing there, tears streaming down her face. With her own hands, she had pushed Patricia into her blessing.
Patricia’s story is a reminder that sometimes what feels like rejection can lead to unexpected favor. And above all, it is always good to choose kindness.
