“What a party, Musk!” said Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, approaching with a mischievous smile and a tilted Christmas hat. “I heard you’ve been single since your last farewell. Maybe you need some company for the holidays.”
“I’m fine,” Elon replied, a little too quickly.
“Sure, buddy,” Mark joked. “Keep telling yourself that.”
A few drinks later, the conversation in Elon’s private study turned into a heated debate about love and image. Mark, always provocative, challenged him: “Only date perfect women. I bet you couldn’t be married to someone who doesn’t fit your usual type for even three months.”
Elon fumed. “I’m not shallow.”
Then prove it. Marry a plus-size woman. Three months. $50 million bet you can’t.
Fueled by pride and whiskey, Elon nodded. “Okay. I’ll find someone in a week.”
Mark’s eyes widened, not expecting Elon to take the bet seriously. But Elon was already writing to his lawyer.
Three days later, at a SpaceX holiday event, Elon’s search for a wife proved fruitless. His assistant Meera, who refused to help him with his “ridiculous plan,” followed him around the exhibits. Suddenly, she overheard a woman passionately explaining space science to a group of children and engineers.
“If we fine-tune the thrust vector algorithm, we could save 12% of fuel per mission,” she said, waving her hands excitedly. She was wearing a NASA T-shirt that flattered her plus-size figure, with short hair and purple highlights.
“Who is that?” Elon asked.
—Olivia Chen. NASA engineer. She’s here with her cousin, Meera replied.
When someone in the audience asked about Elon and his Mars timeline, Olivia didn’t hesitate. “He’s ambitious, but his schedules rarely consider the necessary safety testing. We all want humans on Mars, but it has to be done right.”
Elon was intrigued. Here was a woman challenging him, unimpressed by his status. After the event, he approached her. “Would you like to continue talking over coffee?”
He hesitated. “I promised my cousin I’d stay. Maybe tomorrow?”
Elon offered her a tour of Starbase, SpaceX’s launch facility. Olivia’s eyes widened; few people accepted that offer. She accepted.
The next morning, on Elon’s private plane, Olivia sat silently, watching the clouds. At Starbase, her technical knowledge impressed Elon. She asked insightful questions, offered suggestions, and didn’t hesitate to disagree with him.
During lunch, Elon presented his proposal. “I have a business proposal. A three-month marriage, for image purposes only, with generous compensation.”
Olivia glared at him and stood up furiously. “You brought me here to make a deal for my looks? I’m not desperate enough to play your game.”
He stormed off, leaving Elon alone for the first time, wondering if he’d made a mistake.
That night, Olivia received a call from her sister. Her mother’s health had deteriorated. Insurance wouldn’t cover the new treatment. Olivia looked at Elon’s business card on the coffee table and then called him.
“I need to understand exactly what you’re proposing,” he said without emotion.
Elon explained: Three months, $5 million, a real job at SpaceX later. “You’re smart, articulate, and not impressed by money. That’s rare in my world.”
Olivia, desperate to help her mother, bargained hard: half the money upfront, privacy, a real job, separate bedrooms. Elon agreed.
Two days later, Olivia signed the legal documents and transferred the first payment for her mother’s treatment. She packed her things and hopped into a black Tesla headed for Austin.
At Elon’s mansion, Meera greeted her. “Call me Olivia,” she said, trying to remain calm. The ceremony would be small, but Elon’s children would be there. Olivia panicked; she hadn’t expected to see her family.
Elon greeted her with a diamond ring and a sincere, if embarrassed, apology. “I didn’t know about your mother. I didn’t think you were a gold digger.”
The wedding was brief. Elon’s youngest daughter tugged on Olivia’s dress. “Are you the new mom?”
“I may be your father’s wife, but you can call me Olivia,” she replied softly.
At the reception, Olivia endured rumors about her appearance and her sudden marriage to the world’s most coveted billionaire. But she held her head high, thinking only of her mother’s life.
That night, Elon found her in her new suite. “The media has picked up the story,” he warned her, showing her the cruel online comments. “I should have warned you. The attention can be intense.”
“I can do it,” Olivia lied.
Over the next few days, Olivia found herself immersed in Elon’s public world. She attended events, endured stares, and answered questions about their on-again, off-again romance. Elon was attentive in public but distant in private. Privately, however, he began to rely on her for more than just appearances.
One night, while working on a presentation for SpaceX investors, Elon asked her for help. Olivia simplified the technical jargon, making the presentation understandable. The next day, Elon publicly thanked her in front of the board of directors. He then admitted, “You make me better.”
Their relationship began to change. Olivia visited her mother on weekends, bringing her news of her new life. Elon’s children grew fond of her, especially after she baked cookies with them. Even the teenagers admitted that “she was nicer than Dad’s previous girlfriend.”
As the weeks passed, Olivia and Elon grew closer. He launched an educational initiative, Star Kids, to bring space science to underprivileged schools. Working late, they exchanged ideas and laughed together. The line between business and something deeper began to blur.
But then, Mark Cuban showed up unannounced. In front of Olivia, he mentioned the “three-month marriage.” The truth came out. Olivia confronted Elon.
“Was our marriage a gamble?” he asked.
Elon seemed impressed. “It started as a bet, but it turned into something more.”
“When?” Olivia asked. “When did I help you with your image? When did I bond with your children?”
“No,” Elon insisted. “Because you see the real me, not the money or the fame.”
Devastated, Olivia packed her bags and left. “Our deal was based on a lie,” she said. “Trust is the only thing you can’t buy.”
For days, Olivia ignored Elon’s calls. But when her mother’s health worsened, she swallowed her pride and asked for help with treatment. Elon arrived immediately, no questions asked, and arranged everything.
Later, Elon confessed: the bet, his growing feelings, and how much he missed her. “I want her back,” he said. “Not because of a bet. For real.”
Olivia hesitated, but agreed to work with him on Star Kids, maintaining her independence.
At the Star Kids launch event, Elon surprised her by announcing a $50 million fund and naming Olivia CEO. He told the world she was the true visionary. After the event, he handed her a small box: a model of a Martian habitat he had built himself. “Some things are worth it,” he said.
As they worked together, their camaraderie grew stronger. Olivia’s mother recovered, and Olivia felt drawn back into Elon’s world, this time in her own way.
Six months later, as the Christmas lights twinkled and snow fell again in Austin, Elon and Olivia threw a party for the Star Kids Foundation. The bet that had brought them together paid off: Mark Cuban’s check now funded scholarships for disadvantaged students.
Elon took Olivia’s hand under the twinkling lights. “Let’s start over,” he said, offering her a simple new ring. “No more secrets. No more bets. Just us.”
Olivia smiled through tears of happiness. “Yes. For real this time.”
And as the snow fell outside, they both knew that sometimes the most unlikely beginnings can lead to the happiest endings.
