After a Month of Dreamy Dates, Rich Lady Learns Man She Loves Is a Deliveryman – Story of the Day

Alice had been jilted by love too many times, so when she met Arthur, she didn't have much hope. However, he was handsome, rich, and insanely romantic. Everything seemed perfect until he showed up at her house wearing… a pizza delivery uniform.

"Ugh! This phone doesn't work!" Alice complained, wanting to throw her new iPhone onto the cement at her feet, but she didn't. She was stuck on an empty road with a flat tire and no way to call AAA. "What am I going to do?"

She opened her trunk and started sorting through tools. "Well, I'm a strong, successful independent woman. I can do this alone. I don't need a man. Right?" she told herself as she tried to get the spare tire off the trunk. It was too heavy for her, but she kept going. She tried to lift it with all her might, but it barely moved. She had no idea how heavy those things truly were.

After 15 minutes, she had to give up. Her forehead was sweaty, and she couldn't get air into her lungs fast enough. That's when she thought about her first husband, Kyle, and sighed heavily. He was always handy with these kinds of things.

He came from a wealthy family but still liked doing handy work around the house, garden, and cars. It made him "feel like a man." However, when Alice's first hair salon went under, he divorced her, although they had a one-year-old son, Levy.

It was perfect… until one night, when Arthur said he had to work.

"I can't take the humiliation of being with a woman who doesn't have her own career," he cruelly told her and left. He also renounced his parental duties and only started paying court-mandated child support.

Her second husband, Ilan, was not handy at all. He was a professor at a local college and hated getting his hands dirty. However, he was nice to her and Levy, so Alice was happy. The two also had a girl, Amarantha, when Levy was five. But a year later, Alice discovered that he was having an affair with a student, and when confronted, he also decided to leave.

Therefore, Alice became a two-time divorcee with two children and lost all faith in genuine love. She threw herself into business and thrived despite her earlier failure. In just a few years, she managed to open five hair salons and become a pretty rich woman.

She was proud of her accomplishments, and her children were extremely well-behaved, so she must've been doing good as a mother. However, she had to remind herself every night that she didn't need a man.

Her success had come when she was not dating. Unfortunately, she craved being loved. Love like all those leading ladies have in all the famous movies. Why can't that be me? I know it's not realistic, but I want a man who will dance with me under the rain, Alice sometimes thought when she finished another romantic film.

Alas, that would not happen. She had to figure things out on her own. At that moment, she was in a real pickle. The babysitter was waiting for her to get home, and she wanted to spend time with her children that night.

She grabbed her phone, frowning, and shook it as if that would do something. However, she saw a pair of headlights and turned quickly. She waved her hands, but the car was already parked behind her. A handsome man got out. He was in jeans and a T-shirt, but she didn't care.

"Oh, dear. Thank you so much for stopping. My phone is dead, and I just can't get this spare tire out of here. Can you help me? Or see if your phone lets me make a call?" Alice begged the man breathlessly.

"Don't worry, ma'am. I can fix it," he said and took the spare tire out of the trunk as if it weighed nothing. It made Alice feel like a fool, but she had to admit that some men were stronger. She introduced herself and learned his name: Arthur.

She passed him tools as he worked and finished faster than she thought. "Thank you so much, Arthur. You're an angel," Alice gushed.

"You're welcome, Alice. I would never leave a lady in distress alone in the middle of an empty road," he replied. Alice perked a little. Was he flirting with her?

His eyes and the quirk of his mouth told her he was, so she flirted a little back. They bought laughed after a few minutes of playful banter. "OK, I have to get home. Thank you again," Alice said and got into the driver's seat.

"Wait," Arthur said, implying that he wanted to spend more time with her. "You shouldn't drive on a spare for long. How about you come to this repair shop tomorrow?"

He passed her a card for a shop. It was near her salon, so it wouldn't be any trouble. "They can check your car for other things, too. A woman always has to ensure her car is in perfect shape," Arthur continued, and Alice took the card gratefully.

"Thank you. I'll go there tomorrow, for sure," she nodded and tucked the card into the middle console.

"And… uhh… can I have your phone number?" Arthur added nervously. "I enjoyed talking to you today. I would love to take you out for dinner."

Alice was not exactly shocked. They had been flirting a little. But still, it was a pleasant surprise to have a man this handsome asking her out on a date. He even looked a few years younger than her. But he was a complete stranger. She should've said no.

"Sure," Alice said and rattled off her number, throwing caution to the wind and taking a new chance at love. Or at least a little companionship.

She drove off, waving at the helpful man, and hoped to see him soon.

The next day, Arthur was at the auto shop when she arrived. "Come in, come in. My friend owns the place, and I can get you a great deal," he said, smiling brightly.

Alice felt like a VIP as Arthur talked to the mechanics and told them to make her car a priority for the day. Instead of waiting for him to ask her, she decided to be brave and said they should go for coffee. Arthur seemed surprisingly pleased and agreed quickly.

Their conversation at the cafe near the mechanic shop flowed freely, and Alice learned that Arthur worked at a big IT company. He was funny, intelligent, and witty. His smile made her swoon, something she hadn't felt in a long time.

He invited her out when her car was ready, and she was only too pleased to agree. They went to an elegant restaurant that night. Alice had always wanted to come, but getting a reservation was hard. Additionally, it seemed like a spot for couples, and she didn't want to be reminded of her sad love life.

However, their date went terrific. She had butterflies in her stomach, which didn't prevent her from enjoying her meal, and Arthur was a dream come true. They continued dating and went to almost all the fancy restaurants in town over the next few weeks.

Of course, she told her kids she was dating someone and, finally, decided that Arthur should meet them. He took them to a local pizza spot for their first encounter and made the kids laugh like crazy. Levy was hesitant at first. After all, he had witnessed the downfall of her second marriage, so it was hard to accept a new man.

However, Arthur won him over with his knowledge of baseball and anime cartoons. Soon, some of their outings involved the children too. They went to the zoo, an aquarium, jumping arenas, and even a trip to Disneyland.

But Alice had to admit that the best family outings they had were simpler. They went camping and fishing one time. Another time, Arthur took them to his family's farm. Levy and Amarantha had a blast trying to milk cows and feed the pigs. It was so much fun.

Additionally, Arthur's family was so lovely. Their farm was small and humble, but they were welcoming. Alice could tell he had grown up in a great environment and made something of himself just like her. That day she was sure, even though they had only been dating for a month. He was the man of her dreams.

A few days later, they said the L-word to each other on top of a hot-air balloon. There was even a firework display while they were up in the air. Arthur looked at her like there was no one else in the room except when Levy or Amarantha had a question or something to say. Then, he would answer patiently and brightly, as if he loved them too.

It was perfect… until one night, when Arthur said he had to work, Alice ordered a pizza.

***

"It's $32.99, right?" Alice said when she answered the door and counted the bills in her hand. The entire world stopped when she looked up and saw Arthur in a pizza delivery uniform. His expression showed chagrin, and she had no idea what to do. "Arthur? What are you doing here?"

"People shouldn't lie to each other like that, sweetie," Alice told him.

"Hey, Alice… I… have something to tell you," he started and cleared his throat. Then, he revealed the truth. He was not a successful employee at an IT company. He worked for a pizza place, delivering and helping wherever possible. He was not friends with the owner of the mechanic. He worked there part-time, and his co-workers helped him look cool in front of her.

He also didn't take the kids to Disneyland on his own dime. He won some tickets, scrapped and saved as best he could for all their dates, and maxed out his credit card. One of his buddies was the maitre d' at the restaurant where they had their first date. That's how they got in despite the long waiting list for reservations. However, the entire truth came later.

"I… delivered pizza here a little over a month ago. I was wearing my helmet, and I just… I fell in love at first sight. But you wore fancy clothes and lived here. I wouldn't have had a chance until I saw you stranded on the road, and I had to help you," Arthur finished, shrugging and staring at his shoes. "I just wanted a chance with you."

Alice's mouth was hanging open in shock. She had no words. Did this mean that their entire month of dreamy dates was a lie? "I don't… understand," she mumbled, confused.

"Please. I knew I had to tell you the truth when you said you loved me. I couldn't keep lying. But I truly do love you back, and I hope you can give me a chance. I'll do anything to make up for lying about my background. The truth is that I don't know what I want to do with my life. I've been searching and working random gigs while I try to figure it out. But you're the only thing I'm sure of," he continued. "I'm begging you for a second chance."

"Here," Alice said finally, pushing the bills into Arthur's hand and taking the pizza. "Leave. Don't call me. Leave."

"Alice, please –" he began, but she shut the door in his face and tried to compose herself. Her children cheered at the pizza, and they ate happily. Alice was stoic the entire time until they went to bed. She spent the night crying silently into her pillow.

Her dream lover was a lie. It was over. It wasn't real. She would never find someone again, and the thought was… soul-crushing.

***

A week passed, and Alice tried to drown herself in her work and kids to avoid thinking about Arthur. However, her children decided to chime in. "Mom, when are we going out with Arthur? I want to go back to the farm," Amarantha said.

The five-year-old had no idea how her words destroyed Alice because being on that farm with Arthur had been such a wonderful memory.

"Yeah, he told me he was taking me to a game soon. Where is he, Mom?" Levy joined in, and Alice couldn't put it off any longer.

She sat the kids down and told them that Arthur was not coming back again because they had broken up. That was not enough for the kids. They wanted to know why.

"Mom, you are so happy with him. Why break up?" Amarantha asked in a whiny tone.

"Arthur… is not who he told me he was," Alice answered, unhappy and tired.

"What is he?" Levy wondered, confused.

"He lied about his job. He told me he works at a company, but he delivers pizza," she explained, being completely honest with them.

"So?" Amarantha said so casually.

"He shouldn't have lied," Alice continued.

"But he told you the truth later, right? Did he also apologize?" Levy added.

"Yes, but it was a big lie. He… spent money he doesn't have on us, and he's not a successful professional like he told me," she said, but suddenly, her words sounded odd, as if that wasn't reason enough to break up with someone you love.

"So?" Amarantha repeated, which made Alice laugh humorlessly.

"Mom, we don't care if he has money or not. He was there for us. Our fishing trip was fun, and the farm was fun. He listens to me and is kind to my sister… and you were happy with him. Isn't that all that matters?" Levy said, more mature than Alice ever imagined.

"People shouldn't lie to each other like that, sweetie," Alice told him, marveling at how old he seemed.

"Yeah, but he is sorry, right? We make mistakes, and we apologize, and then, everything's good. We miss him, Mom. Don't you miss him?" her ten-year-old son added, and Alice was forced to think hard. Levy was not wrong. Yes, the lie was huge, and it felt like everything else was a lie too. But was it really?

The way he treated her children, the way he made sure her car was in good shape, the way he looked at her… everything he did for them during that one month. Alice didn't know if she would ever find something like that again.

She loved him truly, and maybe her past with men was clouding her current judgment. Would it be wrong to forgive him? This once?

Alice ended the talk with the kids, and everyone went to bed. But once again, she couldn't sleep. She thought long and hard that night.

The next night, she called for pizza and specifically requested Arthur for the delivery.

"Do you promise never to lie about anything again?" Alice asked as soon as she opened the door. She offered him everything in exchange for honesty, and Arthur knew it.

"Yes," he breathed, and they hugged and cried a little.

"Come in," Alice said, and the kids jumped up to greet Arthur, who became a permanent fixture in their lives.

What can we learn from this story?

• Honesty is always the best policy, but forgiveness is essential too. Arthur might've lied about something big, but giving people second chances is vital.
• You should always take a chance at love, no matter what happened in the past. Alice wasn't sure if she would ever find love again after her two failed marriages, but then Arthur came along.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a rich woman who mocked a cleaner who fell in love with her until he saved her life.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.