Poor Rancher Married Fat Stranger for a Cow — On Wedding Night, She Locked the Door/th

Thomas Murphy never thought he would marry a woman he had never spoken to. But when his farm was about to be taken away, he had no choice. What happened on their wedding night would change everything he thought he knew about love, trust, and second chances. The morning sun was hot and mean. As Thomas walked through his empty fields, where green corn used to grow, there was now only dry dirt.

The well had been empty for weeks. His three cows were so skinny you could see their bones through their skin. If you enjoyed this story, don’t forget to subscribe and hit that notification bell so you never miss our latest uploads. Your comments and support mean everything to us. Let us know what you thought of Thomas and Margaret’s journey in the comments below.

Thomas kicked a rock and watched it roll into the ditch. His grandfather had built this farm with his own hands. His father had grown the best corn in the whole county here. Now Thomas was going to lose it all because he could not pay the bank. $47, he said to himself. $47 and they take everything. That was when old Pete Wilson came riding up on his horse.

Pete owned the big ranch on the hill. He had more money than anyone in town. But more than money, Pete also had a problem that money could not fix. Morning, Thomas, Pete called out as he got off his horse. heard you might be interested in making a deal. Thomas wiped the sweat from his face.

What kind of deal? Pete smiled, but it was not a kind smile. My daughter Ruth needs a husband. She is 32 years old and well, let us say she is not the prettiest girl in town. You marry her and I will give you my best milk cow plus enough money to save your farm. Thomas stared at Pete. You want me to marry your daughter for a cow? Not just any cow, Pete said.

Bessie gives five gallons of milk every day. Worth more than your whole farm right now. What do you say? Thomas looked at his empty fields. He looked at his skinny cows. He thought about his grandfather and father. What does your daughter think about this? Ruth knows what she is, Pete said with a mean laugh.

She knows no man will marry her for love. This way she gets a husband and you get to keep your farm. Everybody wins, Thomas felt sick to his stomach. But what choice did he have? When? Tomorrow, Pete said, getting back on his horse. Church at noon. Don not be late. The next morning, Thomas put on his only good shirt.

It had holes in it, but it was clean. He walked to the small church in town. His hands were shaking. Inside the church, there were only a few people. Pete Wilson sat in the front row, smiling his mean smile. Next to him sat the biggest woman Thomas had ever seen. She wore a yellow dress that looked too small for her.

Her hair was pulled back tight. She did not look up when Thomas walked in. “That must be Ruth,” Thomas thought. His heart felt heavy like a stone. The preacher was old and spoke very quietly. Thomas could barely hear the words. When it was time to say, “I do.” Thomas voice came out like a whisper. Ruth said, “I do too.

” But her voice was strong and clear. When the preacher said they were married, Ruth looked at Thomas for the first time. Her eyes were green like springgrass. They were also very sad. Thomas felt even worse about what he was doing. After the wedding, there was cake and lemonade. Nobody talked much. Pete Wilson drank whiskey and got loud and mean. Ruth sat by herself in the corner.

Thomas wanted to talk to her, but he did not know what to say. “Sorry I married you for a cow.” “That seemed wrong.” When it got dark, Pete Wilson slapped Thomas on the back. “Time to take your new wife home,” he said with his mean laugh. Bessie the cow is already in your barn.

“She better give you lots of milk and lots of babies.” “Thomas felt his face get hot with shame.” Ruth heard everything Pete said. She looked even sadder than before. The walk to Thomas farm was very quiet. Ruth walked slowly because she was carrying a heavy bag. Thomas wanted to help her, but she shook her head when he tried.

“I can carry my own things,” she said. Her voice was soft, but strong. When they got to Thomas small house, Ruth looked around. The house was old and needed fixing. The paint was coming off the walls. Some windows had cracks in them. “It is not much,” Thomas said, “but it is home.” Ruth nodded. “It is fine,” she said. “Where should I sleep?” Thomas had not thought about this.

His house only had one bedroom. “You can have the bedroom,” he said quickly. “I will sleep on the couch.” Ruth looked at him with those sad green eyes. “We are married now,” she said. “We should share the bedroom like married people do.” Thomas face got red. This marriage is not. I mean, I know why you married me, Ruth said quietly. For the cow, for the money.

I am not stupid, Thomas Murphy. They went inside the house. Thomas lit a candle because he could not pay for oil lamps anymore. In the small light, Ruth looked different. Her face was round and soft. When she smiled a little bit, she looked pretty. “I will make us some dinner,” Ruth said.

“Do you have any food?” Thomas was embarrassed. Just some beans and old bread. That is fine, Ruth said. I can make good food from anything. Ruth was right. She made the beans taste better than any food Thomas had eaten in months. She also made the old bread soft again by putting it in water with milk from Bessie.

This is wonderful, Thomas said. How did you learn to cook like this? Ruth looked surprised that he liked her food. My mama taught me before she died. She said good cooking was the way to make people happy. After dinner, they sat by the fire. Thomas wanted to know more about his new wife. “What do you like to do?” he asked.

“I like to read,” Ruth said. “I have many books. I also like to grow flowers and vegetables, and I like to sew and make clothes.” Thomas was surprised. Ruth was smart and could do many things. Why did your father say no man would marry you? Ruth face got sad again. “Look at me, Thomas. I am fat and ugly. Men want pretty wives, not women like me.

” “You are not ugly,” Thomas said without thinking. Ruth looked at him with shock. “What?” Thomas felt his face get red again. “I mean, you have pretty eyes and you are kind and you make good food.” For the first time, Ruth smiled a real smile. “Thank you,” she said quietly. When it was time for bed, they went to the small bedroom together.

Thomas was very nervous. He had never been alone in a bedroom with a woman before. Ruth sat on the bed and started to take off her shoes. Thomas, she said, I need to tell you something important. What is it? Ruth stood up and walked to the door. She put her hand on the door handle and looked at Thomas.

I am not who you think I am. Before Thomas could ask what she meant, Ruth did something that made his blood turn to icy. She locked the bedroom door and put the key in her dress pocket. Ruth, what are you doing? Thomas asked. His voice was shaking. Ruth turned around. In the candle light, her face looked completely different. The sad look was gone.

Now she looked strong and determined. “My name is not Ruth Wilson,” she said in a voice that was harder than steel. My real name is Margaret Stone and Pete Wilson is not my father. Thomas felt like the room was spinning. What are you talking about? Margaret walked to her bag and pulled out a sharp knife.

Pete Wilson killed my real father two years ago. He stole our land and our cattle. He made it look like an accident, but I know the truth. Thomas looked at the locked door, then at the knife in Margaret hands. Margaret, please. I have been planning this for 2 years, Margaret said. I needed a way to get close to Pete Wilson.

When I heard he was trying to marry off his real daughter, Ruth, I knew this was my chance. Where is the real Ruth? Thomas asked. She ran away to the city last month. Margaret said she was scared of her father and did not want to marry anyone. When Pete could not find her, he was desperate. That is when I came to him and said I would pretend to be Ruth.

Thomas mind was racing. But why involve me? Why marry me? Margaret eyes got cold because tonight Pete Wilson is going to die. And when people ask questions, they will think his new son-in-law did it. You will hang for his murder and I will be free. Thomas felt sick. This woman had tricked him. She was going to kill Pete Wilson and let Thomas take the blame.

Margaret, you cannot do this. Murder is wrong. wrong. Margaret voice got loud and angry. Was it wrong when Pete Wilson burned down our house with my mother inside? Was it wrong when he shot my father in the back and said it was a hunting accident? Was it wrong when he stole everything we owned? Tears were running down Margaret face now, but she still held the knife tight.

I was only 16 when it happened. I had to live on the streets. I had to do terrible things to survive. All because Pete Wilson wanted our land. Thomas felt sorry for Margaret, but he was also scared. Even if Pete Wilson did those things, killing him will not bring your family back. No, Margaret said, “But it will stop him from hurting anyone else.

” Margaret walked toward the door. I’m going to Pete house now. He will be drunk and sleeping. I will make it look like a robbery. In the morning, when they find his body, I will scream and cry like a good daughter. Then I will tell them how upset you were about having to marry me for money. She started to unlock the door.

By tomorrow night, you will be in jail waiting to hang. And I will finally have my revenge. But as Margaret put the key in the lock, Thomas said something that made her stop. What about Bessie? Margaret turned around. What? The cow? Thomas said. Bessie. If you kill Pete tonight, what happens to her? Margaret looked confused.

What does that matter? Thomas sat down on the bed. That cow is the only thing keeping my farm alive. If Pete dies tonight and I go to jail, Bessie will have no one to take care of her. She will die. So Margaret said, “So she is innocent.” Thomas said, “Just like you were innocent when Pete Wilson hurt your family.

Just like I was innocent when the drought killed my crops. Innocent things should not suffer because of what bad people do. Margaret stared at Thomas. The knife was still in her hand, but she was not holding it as tight. “Besides,” Thomas continued, “if you kill Pete Wilson, you will be just as bad as he is.

You will be a murderer, too.” “That is different,” Margaret said. But her voice was not as strong as before. “How is it different?” Thomas asked. “Dead is dead. Murder is murder. If you kill Pete Wilson, you become the same kind of person he is. Margaret sat down in the chair by the window. The knife fell from her hand onto the floor.

“Then what am I supposed to do?” she asked. “How do I get justice for my family?” Thomas thought for a minute. There has to be another way. A way that does not involve killing anyone or sending innocent people to jail. Margaret looked at Thomas like she was seeing him for the first time. Why do you care what happens to me? I just told you I was going to let you hang for murder.

Thomas was quiet for a long time. Finally, he said, “Because I think you are a good person who has been hurt badly. Good people should not do bad things even when bad things happen to them.” Margaret started to cry. Not angry tears this time, but sad tears. I do not know how to be good anymore, Thomas.

I have been angry for so long, I forgot how to be anything else. Thomas got up and sat next to Margaret. Maybe we can figure it out together. Why would you want to help me? Margaret asked, “I lied to you. I married you under a false name. I was going to let you die for something I did.” “Because,” Thomas said, “I think God brought us together for a reason.

Maybe not the reason we thought, but a good reason.” Margaret looked into Thomas eyes. “Do you really think I can change? Do you think I can be good again? I think, Thomas said slowly that you never stopped being good. You were just hurt and angry. But hurt and angry people can heal if they have help. Margaret wiped her eyes.

What do you think we should do about Pete Wilson? Thomas picked up the knife from the floor and put it on the table. We should tell the truth. We should go to the sheriff and tell him everything Pete Wilson did to your family. We should make him pay for his crimes the right way. What if no one believes us? Margaret asked.

“Then we will find proof,” Thomas said. “We will find witnesses. We will find evidence. We will make sure everyone knows what kind of man Pete Wilson really is.” Margaret was quiet for a long time. Finally, she said, “It might take years. Pete Wilson has a lot of money and power. People are scared of him. Then it takes years.

” Thomas said, “Good things take time. Bad things happen fast, but good things take time. Margaret looked around the small bedroom. What about us? What about this marriage? It is all based on lies. Thomas thought about this. Maybe the marriage started with lies, he said. But it does not have to stay that way.

We could try to make it real. If you want to. Why would you want to stay married to me? Margaret asked. I am fat and ugly, remember? And now you know I am also a liar who almost got you killed. Thomas smiled a little. You are not ugly, Margaret. You have beautiful green eyes and a kind heart under all that anger. And everyone makes mistakes.

The important thing is what we do next. Margaret looked at Thomas for a long time. You really want to try to make this marriage work? Even after everything I just told you. I think Thomas said that we both need someone to care about us. Your father is gone. My parents are gone. Maybe we can be a family together.

A real family built on truth instead of lies. Margaret started crying again, but these were happy tears. I have not had a family in 2 years, she said. I had forgotten what it felt like to have someone care about me. “Well, now you do,” Thomas said. “And I will care about you everyday for the rest of our lives if you will let me.

” Margaret stood up and unlocked the bedroom door. “What do we do first?” she asked. “First,” Thomas said. “We go to bed like a real married couple. Tomorrow morning, we will start working on getting justice for your family the right way.” That night, Thomas and Margaret slept in the same bed for the first time.

But they did not do anything except sleep. They were too tired from all the crying and talking. The next morning, Thomas woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs. Margaret was in the kitchen making breakfast. She had changed out of the yellow dress and was wearing a simple blue dress that fit her much better. “Good morning, husband,” she said with a shy smile.

“Good morning, wife,” Thomas said back. “That smells wonderful.” While they ate breakfast, they made plans. “First, they would go to the sheriff and tell him Margaret real story. Then they would try to find people who knew about Pete Wilson crimes. They would gather evidence and witnesses. It will not be easy, Margaret said.

Pete Wilson has been getting away with bad things for years. People are scared to speak against him. Then we will have to be brave for them. Thomas said, “Someone has to stand up to bullies like Pete Wilson.” After breakfast, they walked to town together. People stared at them because they thought Margaret was Ruth Wilson.

But Margaret did not care anymore. She walked with her head high, holding Thomas arm. At the sheriff’s office, they sat down with Sheriff Brown. He was an old man who had been sheriff for 20 years. He listened to Margaret’s story without saying anything. When she was finished, Sheriff Brown shook his head. That is a serious accusation, young lady.

Pete Wilson is an important man in this town. You better have proof if you want me to investigate him. We will get proof, Thomas said. But we need your help. If Pete Wilson really did kill Margaret Father and steal their land, there must be records somewhere. Sheriff Brown looked at them for a long time. Finally, he said, “I remember when Jon Stone died.

Pete Wilson said it was a hunting accident, but I always thought something was strange about it.” “What was strange?” Margaret asked. “John Stone was the best hunter in the county,” Sheriff Brown said. He would never be careless enough to walk in front of another hunter gun. And the story Pete Wilson told kept changing every time he told it.

Margaret eyes got bright with hope. Will you help us? Sheriff Brown nodded slowly. I will look into it, but it has to be done carefully. Pete Wilson has a lot of friends in important places. If we are going to accuse him of murder, we better be absolutely sure. Over the next few weeks, Thomas and Margaret worked together every day.

They talked to people who knew Margaret father. They looked through old records at the courthouse. They searched for anyone who might have seen what really happened the day John Stone died. It was hard work. Many people were scared to talk about Pete Wilson. Some people slammed their doors when they heard Margaret name, but slowly they started to find the truth. Old Mrs.

Henderson remembered seeing Pete Wilson near the place where Jon Stone died, even though Pete said he was somewhere else. The clerk at the land office remembered Pete Wilson pressuring him to change records. A man who used to work for Pete Wilson admitted that he had seen Pete Wilson burned down the Stonehouse.

“We are getting close,” Thomas told Margaret one night as they sat by the fire. “We almost have enough evidence to prove what Pete Wilson did.” Margaret leaned against Thomas shoulder. Over the past few weeks, they had grown closer every day. Margaret anger had started to fade, replaced by something softer.

Thomas had never been happier, even though they were working so hard. Thomas, Margaret said quietly. I need to tell you something. What is it? Margaret sat up and looked at him. I think I am starting to fall in love with you. Thomas felt his heart jump. Really? Yes, Margaret said. At first, I only saw you as part of my revenge plan.

But now, now I see how kind you are, how brave you are, how much you care about doing the right thing. I never thought I could love anyone after what happened to my family, but I think I love you. Thomas took Margaret hands in his. I love you, too, he said. I started falling in love with you that first night when you made dinner from beans and old bread.

You made everything better just by being there. They kissed for the first time under the starlight coming through the window. It was sweet and gentle and full of hope for their future together. But their happiness was interrupted by the sound of horses outside. Thomas looked out the window and saw Pete Wilson with four of his men. They all had guns.

Margaret, Thomas said quietly, Pete Wilson is here and he looks angry. Margaret face went white. He must have found out what we have been doing. Pete Wilson voice boomed across the yard. Thomas Murphy, Margaret Stone, come out here right now. Thomas grabbed his rifle. Stay inside, he told Margaret. Lock the door and do not come out no matter what happens.

No, Margaret said, “We are married now. We face things together.” They walked outside together, holding hands. Pete Wilson sat on his horse, his face red with anger. His men had their guns pointed at Thomas and Margaret. So, Pete Wilson said with a mean smile, “I hear you two have been asking a lot of questions about me.” “Just looking for the truth,” Thomas said. Pete Wilson laughed.

“The truth? The truth is that Jon Stone was a drunk who got himself killed. The truth is that his crazy daughter has been lying to cause trouble. And the truth is that both of you are about to have an accident. People know we are here, Margaret said. If something happens to us, they will know you did it. Will they? Pete Wilson asked.

Or will they think that poor Thomas Murphy finally went crazy from losing his farm? Will they think he killed his wife and then himself out of shame? Pete Wilson men started to get off their horses. Thomas raised his rifle, but he was outnumbered 5 to one. That was when Sheriff Brown voice called out from the darkness.

Drop your weapons. You are all under arrest. Sheriff Brown stepped out of the shadows with six deputies. They all had guns pointed at Pete Wilson and his men. What is this? Pete Wilson demanded. This is justice. Sheriff Brown said. We have been investigating the murder of Jon Stone and the theft of his land.

We have witnesses. We have evidence. Pete Wilson, you are under arrest for murder. Pete Wilson men dropped their guns immediately. They did not want to fight federal deputies. But Pete Wilson pulled out his own gun and pointed it at Margaret. If I am going down, he said, “I am taking her with me.” But before Pete Wilson could shoot, Thomas threw himself in front of Margaret.

The bullet hit Thomas in the shoulder, spinning him around. Margaret screamed as Thomas fell to the ground. Sheriff Brown shot Pete Wilson before he could fire again. Pete Wilson fell off his horse and did not get back up. “Thomas Margaret cried, kneeling beside her husband.” “Are you hurt bad?” Thomas was bleeding, but he was alive. “I am okay,” he said.

“Are you hurt?” “No,” Margaret said, tears streaming down her face. “But you could have been killed. I could not let anything happen to you,” Thomas said. I love you too much. Sheriff Brown and his deputies arrested Pete Wilson men. Pete Wilson was hurt bad but still alive. He will live long enough to stand trial.

Sheriff Brown said justice will be done. Dr. Miller came to take care of Thomas wound. It was not as bad as it looked. The bullet had gone through his shoulder without hitting anything important. You will be fine in a few weeks, Dr. Miller told Thomas. But you need to rest. Margaret took care of Thomas while his shoulder healed.

She cooked his favorite foods and read to him from her books. She also helped him take care of Bessie and the farm. You are a wonderful nurse, Thomas told her one morning. And a wonderful wife. I am trying to make up for all the lies I told you, Margaret said. You do not need to make up for anything, Thomas said. That is all in the past now.

We have a whole future ahead of us. Pete Wilson trial happened two months later. Margaret had to testify about what Pete Wilson had done to her family. It was hard for her to talk about those painful memories, but Thomas held her hand the whole time. The jury found Pete Wilson guilty of murder, theft, and many other crimes.

The judge sentenced him to hang. Justice had finally been served. After the trial, Margaret and Thomas walked through the town square. People who used to be scared of Pete Wilson now came up to thank them for their courage. You did the right thing. Old Mrs. Henderson told them, “Pete Wilson hurt a lot of people over the years.

Someone needed to stop him.” Thomas and Margaret got their land back. The court said that Pete Wilson had stolen it illegally, so it belonged to Margaret now. But Margaret did not want it. “Too many bad memories,” she told Thomas. I would rather make new memories with you on your grandfather farm.

So they sold Margaret Fatherland and used the money to fix up Thomas farm. They bought more cows and planted new crops. They painted the house and fixed all the broken windows. Within a year, their farm was the most beautiful farm in the county. Margaret grew flowers everywhere. Thomas had the fattest, happiest cows anyone had ever seen.

Bessie had a calf and then another calf until they had a whole herd of healthy cattle. But the best thing about their new life was their love for each other. Thomas and Margaret were happy every single day. They worked together, laughed together, and planned their future together. One evening, as they sat on their porch watching the sunset, Margaret put her hand on her stomach and smiled. “Thomas,” she said.

“I have something to tell you.” “What is it?” Thomas asked. We are going to have a baby, Margaret said. Thomas jumped up and spun Margaret around, both of them laughing with joy. A baby? We are going to have a family. A real family, Margaret said. Built on love and truth, just like you said. 9 months later, Margaret gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with green eyes like her mother and brown hair like her father.

They named her Hope because she represented all their hopes for the future. As Thomas held his daughter for the first time, he thought about how different his life was from what he had expected. He had married Margaret for a cow, but he had found something much more valuable. He had found true love, a real partnership, and a family that would last forever.

“Do you ever regret it?” Margaret asked him as they watched Baby Hope sleep. “Do you ever wish you had married someone different?” Thomas looked at his wife, the woman who had started as a stranger with a secret plan, but had become his best friend and the love of his life. Never, he said.

You are exactly the person I was meant to find, even if we found each other in the strangest way possible. Margaret smiled. I love you, Thomas Murphy. I love you, too, Margaret Murphy, Thomas said. Forever and always. and they lived happily ever after, proving that sometimes the best things in life come from the most unexpected beginnings.

Their farm prospered, their family grew, and their love story became legendary in their small town. Years later, when people asked them how they knew they were meant to be together, Thomas and Margaret would smile and say, “We did not know at first, but love finds a way, even when everything seems wrong at the beginning.” Their story became a reminder that good can come from bad situations, that truth is always better than lies, and that ray all love can grow between any two people who choose to be kind to each other.

Thomas never did find out what happened to the real Ruth Wilson. Some people said she became a teacher in the big city. Others said she married a kind man who loved her exactly as she was. But Thomas and Margaret like to think that Ruth found her own happy ending somewhere far away from her mean father. and Bessie the cow.

She lived to be very old and had many calves. She was always Margaret favorite animal on the farm because Bessie was the reason Thomas and Margaret met in the first place. Sometimes the most important things in life come disguised as something else entirely. Thomas thought he was getting a cow, but he was really getting the love of his life.

Margaret thought she was getting revenge, but she was really getting a second chance at happiness. The best stories are the ones where everyone gets what they really need, even if it is not what they thought they wanted. The end. If you enjoyed this story from Untouched Stories, there are more amazing tales waiting for you. Click the videos on your screen to discover other incredible stories of love, courage, and unexpected miracles.