The stepmother forced the stepdaughter to marry a beggar. When she heard the name, she turned pale!
Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Alina. She was pretty, smart, kind—but poor. Her mother had died many years ago, and her father soon remarried a woman who turned out to be strict and grumpy. This new wife was not only cruel but also greedy, and her daughter, Alina’s half-sister, was a true egotist.
Coldness and discontent reigned in the house, but Alina remained calm, focusing on her studies and helping her father. One day, however, her stepmother announced that Alina needed to get married—immediately. But not to someone of her choosing. Instead, the stepmother had arranged for her to marry the son of a poor peasant, a local beggar.
Alina was horrified. “How can I, having neither money nor prospects, connect my life with such a person?” she thought. But her stepmother was adamant. “You think too highly of yourself,” she scolded. “The time has come, and you need to marry this young man. He’s a good match and will help you in life.”
Helpless and with no alternative, Alina reluctantly agreed. The wedding day came far too quickly, and she found herself standing in front of the altar, preparing to say “I do,” hoping for the best.
When her groom entered the hall, Alina was almost speechless. The young man, tall and with incredibly attractive features, was dressed in simple but perfectly fitting clothes. But what shocked her most was his last name—Karpov.
“Karpov?!” she whispered under her breath. “That’s the name of the local oil tycoon! What’s going on here?”
The ceremony passed quickly, and once it was over, her new husband led her carefully into another room. When they were alone, he spoke.
“You’re probably surprised,” he began. “Yes, I am the son of the same Karpov who runs the oil empire. But I didn’t want anyone to know about this until I was certain that you would love me for who I am, and not for what I have.”
Alina was stunned. Everything she had believed about this marriage was an illusion. She almost confessed to him that she had been forced into it, but something in her heart stopped her. This man seemed different, sincere. Over time, she began to realize how much she was falling in love with him, and how much they truly had in common.
Surrounded by luxury and wealth, Alina came to understand that money was not the key to happiness. What truly mattered were genuine relationships, trust, and love.
When her stepmother discovered the truth about Karpov’s origins, she was furious—but it was too late. Alina and her husband were deeply in love, and nothing could tarnish their happiness.
Their life together was just beginning, and they knew they had a bright future ahead.
