Chapter 1: Dreams and Reality — Video 06

Susan comes from a small town in Malaysia. Her father passed away when she was very young, and her mother raised her and her sister alone, struggling to make ends meet. To ease her mother's burden, Susan learned to be independent at an early age. After completing her university studies in Malaysia, she became a teacher. Despite her modest means, she always harbored a dream: to study abroad and broaden her horizons.

Two years ago, Susan was granted a life-changing opportunity—a scholarship from the Malaysian government to pursue a master's degree in Northern Europe. She seized the chance without hesitation and embarked on her journey to Northern Europe.

In Northern Europe, Susan worked hard to adapt to the harsh cold and loneliness. She studied diligently and achieved excellent grades. However, as time went on, she faced a harsh reality: her visa was about to expire. She didn't want to return to her impoverished home and didn't want to worry her mother and sister. She longed to stay in Northern Europe, but the economic downturn made finding a job extremely difficult. With ten months left on her visa, Susan was plunged into a deep dilemma. She didn't want to give up everything she had in Northern Europe, but the pressure of reality forced her to consider her future. By chance, she heard stories of people finding spouses online to solve visa issues. Although she knew it sounded absurd, she decided to give it a try.

Susan posted her information online, hoping to find someone willing to marry her. She was aware that it was a risky decision, but she had no other options. She didn't want to return to Malaysia and didn't want to go back to square one. A few days later, Susan received an email. It was from a Northern European man named Alex. In his email, he expressed his sympathy for Susan and offered to help. Alex was an ordinary Northern European, living a simple and stable life. He was moved by Susan's story and decided to lend a helping hand. Susan and Alex gradually got to know each other through emails and video calls. Alex was an introverted and shy Northern European, but he was drawn to Susan's positive and cheerful nature. Susan found that Alex's presence brought her a sense of warmth and hope. Although she knew it was just a deal, she couldn't help but develop feelings for Alex. Susan was a positive, cheerful, and helpful woman, but her upbringing and her larger-than-average size made her very insecure, and she had a people-pleasing personality. She and her neighbor Daniel, who lived on the same floor, were good friends. Daniel was a Northern European with better financial means, but he had a bad temper and was often rude.

Susan was in love with Daniel, but Daniel only wanted Susan's company and the emotional value she provided; he wasn't willing to reciprocate romantic feelings. Susan had no choice but to endure Daniel's bad temper and occasional harsh words. Despite this, Susan was still grateful to Daniel because she knew that without his help, her life would be much harder. They were more like soul mates who couldn't live without each other. As time went on, Susan found herself becoming more and more dependent on Daniel, but she was also aware that this relationship wasn't healthy. However, she couldn't bear to let go, and Daniel couldn't live without Susan's company either.

One day, Susan very seriously told Alex that she needed to get married and needed a visa. Alex was moved by Susan's sincerity and determination and decided to help her. Without informing his parents, Alex and Susan registered their marriage online with the government. They didn't have a grand wedding or the blessing of their parents because Alex's parents were strongly opposed to the marriage.

Susan is a Muslim, and according to her faith, if she gets married, her husband must convert to Islam. However, Alex refused this requirement, which also prevented Susan from receiving the blessing of her mother and relatives. Despite this, they still held a simple wedding in the government building. The happiness Susan looked forward to was like Alex's calm personality— not spectacular but peaceful and serene.

However, just as Susan was dreaming of a bright future, they discovered that according to immigration law, if Susan's husband wanted to apply for her to stay in Northern Europe after marriage, he had to have savings and a stable income. But Alex, due to health reasons, has been unable to find a job, which once again plunged Susan into an uncertain future. Alex decided to take Susan to his family gathering at Christmas, hoping it would be a good start. However, during the dinner, Alex's brother began to recount Alex's many shortcomings and made fun of him. This made Susan feel extremely humiliated. She was powerless to resist and could only return to her own home after the dinner ended, using crying to release her emotions. What Susan didn't expect was that the next day, Alex's mother called Alex and asked him to take back the Christmas gift Susan had given her, saying she didn't like it. Susan felt heartbroken. She felt that not only did she not get the recognition of Alex's family, but she was also more severely rejected. Susan cried alone in her room, feeling unprecedented helplessness and despair. She began to doubt her choice and whether she could really find happiness in this strange country. She felt like an outsider, rejected by everyone. Alex also felt very painful. He realized how much his family had hurt Susan. He tried to comfort Susan, but Susan had already lost confidence. She told Alex that she needed time to deal with these emotions and face her own inner self. Susan didn't know whether her feelings for Alex were love or gratitude. In her growing up process, no one had ever served her water or cooked for her, but Alex would prepare all these for her. This made Susan feel like a princess being loved,