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Learn English through Stories Level 3 ⭐ Love Over Money - Improve your English | English Audio Story

My name is Verity. I am twenty-two years old. I moved to New York because I wanted to be an actress. I arrived only with a small suitcase and little money. I had no family here to help me. I felt very alone in such a big city. I lived in a small one-room apartment. I worked at small jobs to pay the rent and buy food.
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00:00My name is Verity. I am 22 years old.
00:05I moved to New York because I wanted to be an actress.
00:10I arrived only with a small suitcase and little money.
00:15I had no family here to help me.
00:18I felt very alone in such a big city.
00:22I lived in a small one-room apartment.
00:26I worked at small jobs to pay the rent and buy food.
00:31Life was not easy. I went to many auditions.
00:35I tried my best every time, but the answer was always the same.
00:41They always said no.
00:44They said I was too young. I was not ready. I felt hopeless.
00:49It seemed like my dream would never come true.
00:52I wondered if I should just give up and go home.
00:58Then one afternoon, my manager called me.
01:01His name was Mr. Paul.
01:04He usually called with bad news, so I was nervous.
01:09But this call was different.
01:11He told me about a strange offer.
01:14He said a very rich old man was looking for a young actress.
01:21This role was not for a movie.
01:24It was a private role.
01:26I did not understand what that meant.
01:30Mr. Paul said the pay was huge.
01:34It was enough money to solve all my problems.
01:38But I was scared.
01:40What kind of private role was this?
01:43Was it safe?
01:45Was it right?
01:46But I thought about my empty wallet.
01:49I thought about the small apartment.
01:52I had no other choice.
01:54I needed money.
01:56So, I said yes to the strange offer.
02:01I arrived at the big house.
02:04I felt very nervous.
02:06I rang the doorbell.
02:09And a tall man opened it.
02:11He took me inside.
02:15The house was full of expensive things.
02:20Then I met the old rich man.
02:23His name was William.
02:25He was 68 years old.
02:27He wore a black suit.
02:29He was very tall.
02:32William said he was not looking for an actress for a movie.
02:36He wanted a wife.
02:38I was shocked.
02:39A wife.
02:40I did not know what to say.
02:43He continued to speak.
02:46He needed a beautiful, quiet wife.
02:50She must not ask him many questions.
02:53She just needed to be there.
02:56He said he would give me $10,000 every month.
03:01$10,000.
03:03That was more money than I could ever imagine.
03:08He said I would live a life of luxury.
03:11He gave me one night to think about his offer.
03:16I went back to my small apartment.
03:19I could not sleep that night.
03:23I thought about my dream of becoming an actress.
03:27But I also thought about my situation.
03:31I had no money.
03:33Life was very hard.
03:36The next day I called him and said yes.
03:39We were married quickly.
03:42Only a few people knew about our marriage.
03:46I moved into William's large house.
03:49William gave me many expensive gifts.
03:53He bought me beautiful dresses.
03:57He gave me diamond rings.
03:59But even with all these gifts,
04:02William always stayed away from me.
04:06He never kissed me.
04:07There was no sign that he loved me or even liked me.
04:13I had to follow William's rules every day.
04:18When we went to parties,
04:21I had to look happy and smile at everyone.
04:25I could not ask many questions.
04:28Another rule was that I was not allowed to enter his office.
04:33I had money and gifts.
04:36But I did not have real happiness.
04:40I did not have love.
04:43At night, I looked at the closed door to William's bedroom.
04:48His door was always shut.
04:51I wondered why he really married me.
04:54Was it only for my looks?
04:56I felt very alone.
04:58One night, William took me to a big party.
05:03I was standing alone when a woman came to me.
05:07Her face looked angry.
05:09Hello, Verity, she said.
05:12My name is Jennifer.
05:14I am William's ex-wife.
05:16My heart beat fast.
05:17I did not know William had been married before.
05:23Jennifer moved close to me and said,
05:26He married you for the will.
05:28I did not understand.
05:31She continued,
05:33William needs to stay married for one full year.
05:38If he stays married for a whole year,
05:41he will get all of his family's money.
05:44It is a very large fortune.
05:47If he does not stay married for one year,
05:51all that money will go to his son.
05:55My heart broke.
05:57I was not a wife.
05:59I was just a part of William's plan.
06:02He did not marry me for love.
06:04He married me for money.
06:07Later, I found William alone.
06:10William, I said.
06:12Jennifer told me you married me for the will.
06:15She said you need to be married for one year to get your family's money.
06:22William looked at me and said,
06:24Do not listen to Jennifer.
06:27She is angry.
06:28She always tries to cause trouble.
06:31Then he turned away.
06:33He did not explain more.
06:36He just told me not to listen.
06:39Was Jennifer telling the truth?
06:41I met William's son, Pete, after the party.
06:46He was a handsome man, about 27 years old.
06:50He did not say hello.
06:52He spoke in a loud voice.
06:56You are a gold digger.
06:59He said to me.
07:01You only want my father's money.
07:04You are destroying our family.
07:07I wanted to tell him he was wrong.
07:11I wanted to tell him why I had said yes to William.
07:14But Pete did not want to hear it.
07:18He kept saying bad things about me.
07:22He seemed to hate me very much.
07:26My husband, William, saw how Pete treated me.
07:31He told me many times to stay away from his son.
07:36He is angry, William said.
07:39He does not understand.
07:41Just ignore him, Verity.
07:43But I could not ignore Pete.
07:46He was the only person in this big house who showed true feelings,
07:52even if they were angry feelings.
07:56We often saw each other.
07:59At first, we would only fight.
08:01He would blame me.
08:03And I would try to explain.
08:06Slowly, we began to talk about other things.
08:10We talked about our dreams, our lives.
08:15One afternoon, Pete looked at me and said,
08:19My father is hiding something from you, Verity.
08:24Something big.
08:26It is about your past.
08:28He does not want you to know.
08:31My heart beat fast.
08:33What could William be hiding?
08:36What about my past?
08:37Pete did not say more that day.
08:41I knew I had to find out the truth.
08:44William had one strict rule.
08:46I must never go into his office.
08:50It was always locked.
08:52But now I felt I had to break this rule.
08:55One night, when William was not at home,
08:59I walked to his office and opened the door.
09:05I walked to the large desk.
09:08It had many drawers.
09:10Most of them were full of business papers.
09:14Nothing seemed important.
09:17Then, in the last drawer, I found a small box.
09:22Inside, there was an old photograph.
09:25I looked closely at the picture.
09:28It showed a beautiful woman holding a small baby.
09:33I looked at the baby's face.
09:35It was me.
09:36I knew it.
09:38Then I saw a man standing next to the woman and the baby.
09:43It was William.
09:44But it was a much younger William.
09:47My mother, William.
09:49Together.
09:50I was shocked.
09:52I put the old photo into my pocket.
09:55Later that evening, when William came home,
09:59I showed him the old photo.
10:02What is this?
10:04I asked.
10:05William looked at the picture.
10:07His face changed.
10:09This is your mother, he said.
10:12Her name was Brenda.
10:14He told me the story.
10:15He had known my mother, Brenda, many years ago.
10:21Brenda was also an actress just like me.
10:24They were good friends.
10:26William said Brenda died when I was only two years old.
10:31I was very young.
10:34Before Brenda died, William made a promise to her.
10:39He promised Brenda he would always take care of me.
10:44William said that he married me to keep that promise.
10:49He wanted to give me a good life.
10:51A life without money problems.
10:53But he never wanted me to know the real reason.
10:59He thought I would not understand.
11:02I did not know what to say.
11:04My head hurt.
11:06I needed to be alone.
11:08I needed to think.
11:10I went into the garden.
11:12Pete was there, too.
11:13He looked worried but also angry.
11:16He said,
11:17Verity, you must listen to me.
11:20My father is not a good man.
11:23He is dangerous.
11:24He only cares about money and power.
11:28He used you just like he uses everyone.
11:32I listened to Pete, but I felt tired and confused.
11:37Pete told me more bad things about his father.
11:41He said William would hurt me.
11:44He said I should leave him and take nothing.
11:47Pete wanted his father's money and he did not want me to have any part of it.
11:55Pete was trying to make me leave so he could take the fortune himself.
12:02I told him I needed time to think.
12:05He left.
12:06Looking unhappy, William had lied to me.
12:10Yes, but he had also kept a promise to my mother.
12:15Later that night the doorbell rang.
12:17It was William.
12:21He looked sad.
12:22Verity, he said.
12:24I never planned to fall in love with you.
12:27My heart beat fast.
12:29Love?
12:30He said his feelings for me were real.
12:34He did not ask me to come back.
12:36He just told me how he felt and waited.
12:40The one-year anniversary of our marriage was very close.
12:46I remembered Jennifer's words about the will, about the money.
12:52I had to choose.
12:54A week later, I went to William's house.
12:58He was waiting.
12:59I held the marriage contract in my hand and threw it into the fireplace.
13:05I watched it burn completely.
13:08Then I looked at William.
13:11If I stay, I said, it's not for the money you promised.
13:16It's for something real.
13:18He walked closer to me and gently took my hand.
13:23He held his own copy of the contract and tore it into small pieces.
13:28That day, my life changed forever.
13:33William's love was strong and true.
13:36Pete still told lies about William.
13:39But I did not care.
13:41I had found a love that I had chosen myself.
13:46William and I got married.
13:48I was very happy.
13:50I got my first movie role.
13:52I no longer needed money to feel safe.
13:55I had a husband who loved me for who I am.
14:01True happiness comes from love, not money or power.
14:06Life's best decisions are those made from the heart.
14:11If you liked this story, please like, comment, share, and subscribe.
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