Simon and Claudia were on one of their weekend get-togethers. They had just stepped out of the cinema when they were spotted by one of Claudia’s cousins. He trailed them for a distance and even took pictures of them with his cell phone. What a shock Claudia received when she reached home that night. She tried to deny that she was seeing somebody but the evidence provided by her cousin proved otherwise. When her parents knew of his humble family background, they were even more determined to stop her from seeing him. They explained to her that it had got to do with the huge difference in their family background and that she would have to suffer for the rest of her life if she were to be with him. Claudia pleaded with her parents, saying that she was too deeply in love with Simon to be separated from him. Not wanting to see their beloved daughter in misery, they unwillingly agreed to her continuing her relationship with Simon, crossing their fingers that it would end eventually if not sooner.

With her parents’ approval, Claudia was spending more time with Simon but ironically instead of deepening their relationship, it had caused a strain in their relationship. Though Claudia loved Simon deeply, she would always ask him, "How deep is your love for me?" Simon, who was not good with his words, would remain silent and that made Claudia very upset. That, together with the pressure from her family (her parents were still trying to persuade her to leave him), often caused Claudia to end up venting her anger on him. As for Simon, he would endure everything in silence.

The shaking relationship went on for a couple of years and Simon finally graduated with distinction. He was offered a job almost immediately by a multinational company. Claudia, on the other hand, got into the local university. After working for about a year, Simon was told by his director that the company was happy with his performance and that he had been chosen to be trained at the company HQ in Australia. Simon was thrilled to be given the opportunity to further his career but wasn't sure if he should accept the offer which would require him to be away for two years. Claudia felt that he shouldn’t forgo the golden opportunity to improve his social status. Simon agreed. Before leaving, he decided to propose to Claudia.

"I'm not very good with words. But all I know is that I love you. If you allow me, I will take care of you for the rest of my life. As for your family, I'll try my best to talk them round. Will you marry me?"

Claudia agreed and with Simon's determination, her family finally gave in and agreed to let them get married. So before he left, they got engaged. They continued to send their love through emails and long distance calls. Though it was hard, both never thought of giving up until ........................................