Alice Zv’yagintseva was born to the sounds of fanfare, as if the crown atop her head was not merely a symbol of luxury, but an integral part of her destiny. The wardrobes in her dressing room overflowed with dresses by renowned designers, and trips to Paris, Milan, and New York had become as routine as her morning coffee. Her windows overlooked a vast garden with a lake, where birds sang and leaves rustled. Mornings began with the aroma of freshly baked pastries or just-brewed espresso.
— «Alice, come downstairs immediately! The Lans are arriving in an hour, and you’re not even ready yet!» — her mother’s voice boomed like thunder out of a clear sky.
Alice sighed heavily. She slowly got out of bed, feeling like a puppet whose strings were held by her parents. Her life was filled with “accidental” meetings with potential suitors who, in the eyes of Viktor Sergeyevich, could benefit the family. Sometimes, it even seemed as if her father slept with a calculator instead of a pillow.
— «Mom, I don’t want to see them,» she mumbled as she pulled on yet another dress from her collection. — «That Igor is simply unbearable.»
Her mother cast her a cold look, as if inspecting merchandise on a shelf.
— «He comes from a good family, his father has connections in the ministry. You must understand how important that is for your father’s business.»
Alice rolled her eyes. How tired she was of these endless intrigues and calculations. Would anyone ever ask what she truly wanted? Her own desires had long since dissolved into this game of ambition and money.
Breakfast passed in tense silence. Viktor Sergeyevich buried himself in the newspaper, perusing business news, while her mother shuffled through a list of invitations to society events.
— «There’s a crucial meeting this evening,» her father said without taking his eyes off his reading. — «The Lans might become our partners.»
— «Yes, Dad,» Alice replied indifferently. — «I’ll be charming.»
An hour later, the young woman got into her white sports car. She decided to stop by the shopping center to delay the inevitable even a little. But fate had other plans. The car jerked suddenly and stalled right in the middle of the road.
Alice cursed. She pulled her phone out of her purse. No signal. How could that be in the twenty-first century? She got out of the car and looked around nervously. An industrial street, not a soul in sight.
— «Need help?» a male voice said from behind.
Alice turned around. Standing before her was a tall young man in a shirt stained with engine oil. His hands were strong, and his gaze was direct and confident.
— «Yes, I need to get to the city center urgently,» she said, trying to hide her irritation.
He smiled:
— «First, we need to fix your car. My name is Egor. I work at the auto repair shop around the corner.»
Alice hesitated. Could she trust this person? But she had no other choice.
In the workshop, the air smelled of oil, metal, and rubber. Egor quickly identified the problem and got to work. As he tinkered with the engine, Alice observed his assured movements—a blend of focus and passion for his craft.
— «Done,» he said, wiping his hands with a rag. — «It was a wiring issue, but I’ve fixed it all.»
— «How much do I owe you?» Alice asked, pulling out her credit card.
— «A thousand rubles,» Egor replied.
— «So little?» she marveled. — «At my auto service, they charge ten times that amount.»
— «Then you’re being overcharged there,» Egor shrugged. — «I charge only what the work is worth.»
This simplicity won her over. They began talking. The social meeting faded into the background. Alice found herself in a small bistro overlooking the river. Egor spoke about his work with a passion she had never seen in her wealthy acquaintances.
— «You seem as if you’re from another world,» he remarked, gesturing at her dress and shoes.
— «Sometimes I think the same,» Alice replied softly.
She lied to her parents to avoid attending the meeting with the Lans.
After that encounter, they began seeing each other almost every day. Alice pretended to attend French classes or meet with friends, but in reality, she spent her time with Egor—in parks, cafés, and at vintage car exhibitions.
With him, she didn’t have to pretend. She could be herself. This sense of freedom captivated her.
Once, while sitting by the riverbank, Egor took her hand and confessed:
— «I love you.»
Alice looked into his eyes. She realized she was ready to defy everything for this feeling.
Viktor Sergeyevich discovered their relationship by chance. Seeing his daughter with Egor in the city, he created a real scene at home.
— «You’re ruining your life! Who is he? A mere mechanic with no connections or prospects!»
— «He loves me. And I love him,» Alice answered firmly.
«Love?» her father scoffed. — «He’s just after your money!»
— «Egor has his pride,» Alice retorted. — «He doesn’t even accept gifts from me.»
Her mother wept.
— «Daughter, come to your senses,» she sobbed. — «There are good boys even in our circle.»
But Alice had already made her choice. A month later, they married. The wedding was modest—no photographers or high-society guests. Only Egor’s friends and the two of them.
Her parents refused to attend. Viktor Sergeyevich even threatened to cut her off from her inheritance if she married “that tramp.” But Alice did not relent.
At the ceremony, Egor asked:
— «Perhaps we should have waited? I don’t want to be the cause of a quarrel between you and your family.»
— «I chose what matters to me,» Alice shook her head. — «Not wealth, but love.»
The first year of their marriage was not easy. Alice had to learn to live without a maid or drivers. Their home needed renovations. But every morning she woke up with a smile, looking at the sleeping Egor beside her.
Egor’s workshop thrived. He specialized in rare car models, and the word of his skill spread among collectors. Clients came from other cities. Their financial situation gradually improved.
One morning, while Alice enjoyed the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, someone knocked on the door. Standing at the threshold was her mother.
— «I missed you,» the woman said simply, looking at her daughter with an awkward uncertainty.
Alice silently stepped aside to let her in. Her mother glanced around, expecting to see ruin and poverty. Instead, she was met with a bright, cozy home. Egor had spent months restoring old wooden beams, creating a stylish space where every element told its own story.
— «Your place… is quite lovely,» her mother said after a pause, settling on the living room sofa.
Alice served her a cup of tea and sat across from her.
— «Does your father know you’re here?»
Her mother shook her head.
— «He’s still angry. His pride won’t let him admit he was wrong.»
That was the first step toward reconciliation. After that visit, her mother began coming more often. At first timidly, then with more confidence. Sometimes she even helped Alice in the garden, although such tasks had always been delegated to hired help before.
Meanwhile, Egor’s workshop continued to flourish. He wasn’t just fixing cars—he was restoring them to perfection. Every vehicle that passed through his hands became a work of art. Egor’s name began to spread among collectors of vintage automobiles. Orders poured in as if from a horn of plenty.
One evening, Egor announced:
— «We need to expand. I found a space near the center.»
Alice put down her book and looked at him intently.
— «Do you understand that this is a serious step?»
Egor nodded, wiping his hands with a towel.
— «I’ve hired two assistants. One isn’t enough.»
A month later, the new service center opened its doors. Egor now worked late into the night, but no matter how late he came home, he always found the energy to embrace Alice and ask about her day.
— «I have an idea,» Alice said one evening over dinner. — «Let me take charge of promoting your workshop.»
Egor raised his eyebrows in surprise.
— «Are you sure? You’re used to a corporate job.»
— «That’s exactly why I’ll succeed,» Alice smiled. — «Marketing, social media, client relations—this is my domain.»
From then on, the business began to grow even faster. Alice created an impeccable website, launched social media pages, and developed a brand identity. Thanks to her contacts, articles about Egor’s auto repair shop appeared in several popular publications.
Clients started coming even from other cities. Some left their cars for weeks. The small workshop transformed into a genuine brand.
In the evenings, when the workday ended, Alice and Egor would return home. Sometimes they cooked dinner together, played music, and laughed at simple jokes. In those moments, Alice felt truly happy.
— «Do you remember how my parents used to say you married me for my money?» she asked one evening.
Egor grinned while rolling out pizza dough.
— «Of course. But now, everything is different.»
Rumors of their success spread quickly. One day, at the workshop’s door, Alice’s cousin Marina appeared—the same one who had predicted a quick divorce and a broken heart.
— «Alice!» Marina exclaimed, awkwardly embracing her sister. — «I’m so glad to see you.»
— «Who would have thought,» Alice replied dryly.
— «You see, I have a problem with my car,» Marina continued, seemingly ignoring the cold reception. — «Everyone says your husband is the best.»
In the following months, more and more relatives began to “accidentally” drop by the workshop. An uncle offered investments, an aunt inquired about franchising, and cousins asked about job openings.
Egor politely received them all, yet kept his distance. He remembered the ridicule, the predictions of poverty, and the dismissive remarks about his profession.
— «I don’t want anything to do with them,» Egor said firmly when Alice’s uncle once again brought up investments. — «I don’t want to bring back into my life those who never believed in us.»
Alice fully supported her husband. She saw the hypocrisy of the relatives, how quickly their attitudes changed once the business became successful.
One day, Viktor Sergeyevich himself arrived at the auto repair shop. The father silently toured the workshop, inspected the equipment, and nodded at the mechanics. His face remained inscrutable.
In a distant corner, he noticed his daughter. Alice was confidently leading her team, giving orders just as he once had on his construction sites. Something resembling pride flickered in his eyes.
A week later, an invitation arrived for a family dinner. Egor did not want to go, but Alice convinced him to give her parents a second chance.
— «You were right,» Viktor Sergeyevich said at the table. — «Your choice turned out to be the right one.»
Those words were worth more than anything. Alice had waited years for her father’s recognition. And now, when they had achieved everything on their own, he finally said what she had longed to hear.
— «Egor not only built a successful business,» her father continued, looking at his son-in-law with newfound respect. — «He made you happy. And that’s what matters most.»
That evening, Alice realized that their struggle had ended in victory. Her parents now respected their choice. Egor had proven to everyone that he was worthy of being her husband. And she herself had found her true calling and happiness.
— «Funny, isn’t it?» she whispered as they returned home. — «Now my family envies us.»
— «What is there to envy?» Egor asked in surprise. — «Your father has far more money.»
— «Not money,» Alice smiled, squeezing his hand tighter. — «Happiness.»
Their life didn’t become any simpler. Problems arose, as they do for everyone. The business demanded constant attention. Clients could be capricious. Competitors never slept. But the one thing that remained unchanged was this: Alice and Egor were building their life on their own, without the help and protection of others.
Every evening, as they returned to their little home outside the city, Alice knew she had made the right choice. It isn’t wealth that makes a person happy. True happiness is living with someone who sees the real you. And loves you for exactly that.
