My Wife (Maupassant)
A group of married men gathered for a dinner party, reminiscing about their past adventures and discussing marriage. One of them, Pierre Létoile, shared his unusual story of how he ended up marrying his wife.
Pierre had been invited to a wedding in Normandy and was partnered with Miss Dumoulin, a talkative and assertive young woman.
It is strange how easily you drop into it. You make up your mind never to take a wife, and then in the spring you go away into the country.
After a long day of festivities, Pierre became quite drunk and decided to join the local villagers in their dancing and drinking. Eventually, he became so intoxicated that he could barely stand and decided to return to his room in the château.
However, due to his inebriated state, Pierre mistakenly entered Miss Dumoulin's room and fell asleep on her bed. The next morning, he was awakened by a commotion and found himself grappling with Colonel Dumoulin, the young woman's father. Pierre quickly fled to his room, locking himself in.
Pierre's uncle soon visited him, informing him that the only way to resolve the situation was for Pierre to marry Miss Dumoulin. Pierre initially refused, but eventually agreed to propose marriage as a way to appease the family and avoid a scandal.
I was so frightened that I jumped up. 'Do that! never in the world!'
To his surprise, his proposal was accepted, and the two were married shortly thereafter.
Despite the unconventional circumstances of their marriage, Pierre found that his wife was not only beautiful but also a strong and determined woman. Over time, he grew to appreciate her and never regretted his decision to marry her.