When His Family Pretended to Be Poor, I Pretended to Be Broke and Learned the Truth

My boyfriend’s family pretended to be poor to test me, so I pretended to be broke and watched them beg.

I’d been dating Adrien for eight months when he finally invited me to meet his family at their house for Sunday dinner. He seemed nervous during the drive, which I found sweet considering how confident he usually was.

“Just so you know, my family is pretty low-key,” he said, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel.

“We don’t have much, but what we have we share.” I squeezed his hand and told him I didn’t care about any of that, which was true.

What I didn’t tell him was that I’d already done my research; LinkedIn is a beautiful thing. His father, Richard, owned three luxury car dealerships across the state.

His mother, Diane, sat on the board of directors for two major corporations. His older sister, Veronica, was a partner at one of the city’s most prestigious law firms.

The address he’d given me was in Meadowbrook, where the average home price was $2.3 million. So when we pulled up to a modest ranch house with peeling paint and an overgrown lawn in a completely different neighborhood, I knew exactly what was happening.

They were testing me. Adrien parked in the driveway next to a beat-up sedan that had seen better days, and I noticed the garage door was closed, probably hiding whatever luxury vehicles they actually drove.

“This is it,” he said, and I could hear the nervousness in his voice.

I smiled and said it looked cozy, then followed him to the front door. His mother answered wearing a faded sweatshirt and old jeans, her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail.

“You must be Sloan,” she said, pulling me into a hug that felt calculated.

“Come in, come in. Sorry about the mess.” The house was decorated like a stage set for a struggling middle-class family.

There was mismatched furniture that was probably rented, generic artwork on the walls, and a TV that had to be at least 15 years old. But I noticed the small details they’d missed: the Hermes scarf casually draped over a chair, the Montblanc pen on the side table, and the barely visible tan line on Richard’s wrist where an expensive watch usually sat.

I complimented the house, and Diane smiled, saying they’d lived here for 20 years and it had good bones even if it needed work. Dinner was served on chipped plates with bent forks.

I watched Adrien’s sister, Veronica, struggle not to grimace as she used the obviously cheap cutlery. His younger brother, Mitchell, kept glancing at me like he was waiting for me to bolt.

Richard asked what I did for work and I told him I was between jobs at the moment. This wasn’t technically a lie since I’d recently sold my marketing firm for eight figures and was taking time off.

“Tough economy,” Richard said sympathetically.

“What field were you in?” I kept it vague and said digital marketing, doing some freelance work here and there.

Diane jumped in, asking if I’d gone to college. I said I’d done a couple years but had to drop out due to financial issues.

This was completely false, but I wanted to see where this was going. The whole family exchanged these quick looks like they’d just confirmed something.

Mitchell asked if I had student loans and I said I was still paying them off. This made Diane touch Adrien’s arm with this concerned expression.

“That must be stressful,” she said, in a tone that was probably meant to sound supportive but came across as condescending.

Throughout dinner, they kept dropping hints about their supposed financial struggles. Richard mentioned how expensive car repairs were, even though I’d seen his LinkedIn post from last month about expanding his dealership empire.

Diane talked about clipping coupons and shopping sales despite the Cartier Love bracelet I’d spotted in a photo on her office wall from the company website. Veronica complained about law school debt, which was hilarious considering she’d graduated 15 years ago and was pulling in seven figures annually.

The performance was almost impressive in its coordination. After dinner, Adrien excused himself to help his mom in the kitchen and Richard suggested I join him on the back porch for some air.

I followed him outside to a deck that desperately needed staining. He leaned against the railing with this serious expression.

“Adrien really cares about you,” he started, and I could feel the setup coming.

“We just want to make sure you care about him for the right reasons.” I played dumb and asked what he meant.

Richard said that Adrien was a good kid with a big heart and they’d seen him get hurt before by people who were more interested in what he could provide than who he was. I asked if he was asking about my intentions, and Richard nodded.

“We’re not a wealthy family, Sloan. What you see is what you get. If you’re with Adrien expecting some kind of upgrade or financial support, you should know that’s not something we can offer.”

I looked him dead in the eye and said I was with Adrien because I loved him, not because of what was in his bank account. Richard seemed satisfied with that answer and patted my shoulder before heading back inside.

I stayed on the porch for a minute, pulling out my phone to text my assistant. I told her to pull my investment portfolio details and that I needed documentation showing I’m broke.

I asked her to create a paper trail for student loans, credit card debt, and the works, making it look convincing. She responded within seconds saying she was on it.

When I went back inside, Diane pulled me aside for what I assumed would be the mother’s version of Richard’s talk. She held both my hands and said she could tell I was a sweet girl but she needed to be honest with me.

“Adrien has big dreams,” she said carefully.

“He wants to start his own business someday, buy a house, have a family. Those things take money and stability. I just want to make sure you two are on the same page about what your future might look like.”

I told her I understood completely and that I was working hard to get back on my feet financially, but it might take some time. Diane’s expression shifted to something that looked like pity mixed with concern.

“Have you thought about what happens if things get serious between you two? How you’d contribute to a household?” I said I’d figure it out and that Adrien and I were a team.

We’d work through any challenges together. Diane nodded, but I could see she wasn’t convinced.