Her name was Laura. She was a charming, beautiful woman of twenty with a radiant smile and eyes that twinkled like stars. His name was George. He was a dashing young man of twenty-four whom Laura thought of as the best husband in the world.
They lived in the quiet countryside dominated by rolling green hills and dotted with the occasional wildflower. It was a beautiful site and a quaint utopia for George and Laura. Every day, they would rise and sleep with the sun, enjoying the little gifts that nature gave them. Every few weeks, George would travel to the marketplace in a city five hours away. When he came home, his arms would be full of treats and trinkets.
In other words, it was a paradise.
Laura was always curious about life in the city. She asked George time and time again about his experiences in the market. George’s reply was always “It’s busy and large, but I still prefer the quietness of the countryside.” Still, she was not satisfied. One day, she asked George to bring her to the marketplace.
“Are you sure?” asked George, “The city is quite far away.”
“Don’t worry,” replied Laura, “I want to experience the city for myself.”
With that, George brought Laura to the city. Just as he warned, it was a long path, but Laura was not deterred.
The city was even more crowded than Laura had thought. She had never seen something quite like this. There were people everywhere, and every corner was bustling with action. Laura’s eyes rested on a pair of leather boots. It was a very beautiful and polished, making her own shoes pale in comparison. “Can we buy that?” she asked her husband, “I’m sorry, my dear. That pair of boots is over one hundred pounds.” Disappointed, Laura looked for other, cheaper items.
When the couple arrived back home at the country, they were exhausted. Sleep took Laura the moment she flopped onto the bed. She dreamt of that pair of leather boots. How nice if she was to have that?
The next day, Laura and George woke up as usual. Just as they began their daily chores, Laura almost tripped over a box-shaped object. She had seen nothing like this before. It was a beautiful shade of grey throughout with the exception of a couple of designs on its front. It was one of the most perfect things she had ever seen. Intrigued, Laura delicately opened the box. To her delight, Laura saw that it was the pair of boots that she had wanted! She was also very confused. She knew that her husband had not bought anything but treats in the marketplace and that there would not be time for him to surprise her by going at night. Who had sent her these boots?
Laura decided to keep it a secret. After all, George would probably think that the package was not meant for them and try to find its owner. He was probably right, of course, but Laura absolutely adored the boots.
Over the next few weeks, Laura received these kinds of surprises regularly. First, it was a pair of boots. Then a fancy pen. Then a mirror. And it went on. Every time, Laura decided to keep a secret. “Just one time,” she thought after every gift.
Laura felt a new feeling, the feeling of desire. She had never been particularly greedy or greedy at all. Now, she felt like she WANTED something. She desired the boots, the pen, the mirror, and things like it. “If only I was a princess in one of those fairy tales,” she thought.
Meanwhile, Laura and George continued their daily lives. George had noticed that Laura had become interested in goods and tried to satisfy her. He went to the market now on a weekly basis, and instead of just buying chocolate, he also brought her presents.
These actions made Laura even more curious about the world beyond the hills. Her desire for goods was now stronger than ever, and her soul yearned to buy everything off the tables of the marketplace. For once, the countryside utopia was not a paradise anymore.
One day when her husband was out, there was a knock at her door. To her surprise, it was another man, dressed strangely and elegantly, who looked out of place in the quaint countryside. He also spoke with a strange accent, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss. If I may inquire, what is your name?” Laura thought it was odd. “My name is Laura. Would you like to have a seat?” The man was very polite. He inquired her on her living and gave her a few gifts. “If you would like,” he said, “The duke has many more of these. He would like you to be his duchess.”
Laura’s heart skipped a beat. Was this real? No, this man must be lying. Why would a duke want her? Still, those few words stayed with her far longer than the man’s visit. She could have everything.
Over the months, George travelled more and more, and the man came more and more, always bringing gifts. On one occasion, another man whom he called the duke accompanied him. He was very kind to Laura and also handsome. “Living with him would be a huge step up from right now,” she thought.
The duke brought her present after present. He started giving her jewels, bracelets, and necklaces, tempting her to live in his mansion. However, she restrained. After all, her husband was George, not the duke.
As George travelled more and more, Laura also became less attached to him. The once close and loving couple distanced themselves, although George still tried to win Laura back. George was with her, she thought, almost as rarely as the other man. His presents were far less valuable than the duke’s. While the duke gave her necklaces, George came back with the occasional cheap mirror. In fact, Laura began to feel some resentment towards the perfect husband.
On Laura’s birthday, the duke brought her his best present yet: a strikingly beautiful gem. It seemed as deep as the ocean, as enigmatic as the night sky. Laura was mesmerized: it was, by far, the most beautiful object she had ever seen. That day, George was also out. When he came back, he promised the “best surprise yet”. Laura was excited but also dubious. What could George get? Smiling, George revealed a wristwatch. Although finely crafted, it could not compare with the duke’s pristine offerings. “If this is all I can have living with George,” she thought, “I would be better off with the duke!” After gaping at the watch for seconds, which George interpreted as a delighted act, Laura succumbed to desire. With a violent stroke, she flung the wristwatch onto the wall, resulting in a sickening crack. “Why do you always bring me the cheap gifts?” She yelled. “Why can you not be like the duke? He sent me gems, and all you give me is a cheap watch? All of your work is for this?”
George was confused. What duke was Laura speaking about? Had he been giving her presents?
“My dear,” George pleaded, “This duke you are speaking of is trying to win you over with worldly goods. He may appeal at first, but he wants to take advantage of you. He does not actually care!”
Enraged, Laura stormed out of the house. The duke was waiting for her. He had prepared a carriage, something that Laura had not even heard about. It was one of a kind, and within minutes, they were at the heels of the duke’s mansion. Even though Laura had dreamt about this before, the sight was still awe-inspiring. “Here, you can have anything you want,” said the duke.
Laura lived in the Duke’s mansion for five years. The duke kept his promise, and Laura lived with everything that she had ever wanted. Still, she was bothered with a twinge of guilt. Since her departure from the quaint countryside, she never enjoyed the pure happiness that she had with George. She never smiled that radiant smile and her eyes never twinkled like they used to. She had everything she wanted, but she had also lost everything. Although the duke was always kind and gentle to her, he never matched the love that George showed. As the years passed by, Laura began to regret the decision to live with the duke.
The final blow came not from the inside of Laura but from the duke himself. He had never seen Laura with her charming smile as she did that first day he saw her on the marketplace and soon desired a different duchess. Thus, on the fifth year, he married a different woman. Laura was horrified. “What did I do wrong?” she cried. The duke did not even bother to attend to her, ignoring Laura’s wails and screams. When he could not take it anymore, he drove Laura out of the mansion.
Laura was homeless for the next few weeks. She could not find pleasure in the flowers and the plants, the dewdrops that lined the smooth, green leaves. She was a shadow of her former self, consumed by greed. Her health spiraled downwards day after day, and she could not bring herself to meet George in their quaint countryside anymore.
Finally, Laura gave in. She travelled to her countryside and found her house, also changed during the five years. There was a sense of lifelessness, of abandonment. No lights were on, and cobwebs grew on the windowsills. There was no trace of crops that were planted and cared for five years ago.
Cautiously, Laura stepped in. The house was filled with dust and was completely silent with no sign of life. Everything had been moved out and was left undisturbed. As she entered her own room, she saw one object left untouched.
It was a table, and there was a shattered wristwatch at its center.