For many years, 68-year-old bohemian Marcel Amphoux lived a very quiet life in the French Alps.
Viewed by all to be a hermit, Marcel lived in a small wooden cabin — without running water nor electricity.
However, thanks to his simple lifestyle, he could gather a huge fortune over the years. It’s said he also owned several acres of land around the Alps, especially near the small French village of Puy-Saint-Pierre.
This perfectly located area was an ideal winter paradise, with luxury hotels and ski systems. The value of the land steadily increased by hundreds of thousands over the years, and Marcel never had any intention of selling.
What he didn’t know was that his modest lifestyle would soon be turned upside down when a certain woman emerged from the shadows.
Looking at where Marcel lived and how he lived, there was nothing that suggested he was worth several million. However, he was not completely isolated. Marcel did share his wealth with a few chosen people — mostly, family and friends he trusted.
At first he built some simple chalets on his field. He let some family members and friends move in, completely free. Marcel refused to take any rent.
Loves strikes
Women were never interested Marcel, but when he met Sandrine Devillard, who was 21 years younger than him, everything changed.
Sandrine, a well-known woman from Paris, knocked on the door of Marcel’s simple home in 2010.
She explained that she was a broker and that she was very interested in buying the land he owned.
Marcel refused.
Then Sandrine invited him to dinner — and Marcel gladly accepted the offer.
For all outsiders it was obvious: Sandrine Devillard was a gold digger and only interested in Marcel’s fortune.
At the same time, it was impossible to think this, seeing how happy Marcel seemed to be after meeting Sandrine. And just one year later, the two married.
The somewhat odd couple wed in the town hall of Puy-Saint-Pierre. In the small village of 500 people, Puy-Saint-Pierre is beautifully nestled in a valley surrounded by snow-covered peaks.
Many in the village knew each other and were there when Sandrine when she arrived at the wedding, dressed in an elegant and expensive shiny burgundy dress and carrying a bright yellow and red rose bouquet.
Toothless Marcel was comparably shabby-looking — he arrived dressed in a used suit and disheveled hair.
But some of the guest loudly protested their union.
“People were booing and jeering. They all knew Marcel well and considered that Sandrine was solely after his property and money,” villager Jacques told the Daily Express.
Sandrine Devillard could not understand why everyone was so suspicious of her. She was hurt by all the rumors surrounding her. After their union, the doubts continued to grow.
For example, Sandrine continued to live in Paris, while Marcel stayed in his cabin in the Alps. The newly married couple barely met. Pretty strange, right?
Sandrine, however, had her explanation for this:
“Marcel is a man from the Middle Ages, even prehistoric times,” Sandrine explained. “I am a true Parisian. I still live there. But I visit my husband as often as I can. To see him and to make him smile.”
One year after the wedding, the locals’ suspicions grew.
Marcel was involved in a car accident with Sandrine and two of her friends. The driver somehow lost control and crashed the car. Marcel died, while Sandrine and her two friends survived.
Rumor had it that Sandrine had something to do with the accident, but there was no evidence.
A devastated Sandrine cried throughout Marcel’s funeral, but she got no pity from his family and friends.
Sandrine announced that she was Marcel’s sole heir, meaning she would become an instant multi-millionaire.
When Sandrine told Marcel’s friends that she was going to evict them and develop the land, the situation reached a boiling point.
Will comes as a shock
Then in the midst of the uproar, a statement was released that turned the story on its head.
It turned out that shortly before his death, Marcel had revised his will. He left all of his possessions and money to his family and friends.
Marcel even gave his friends ownership of the houses he had built for them.
Sandrine, on the other hand, got nothing. It almost seemed like Marcel had finally listened to his friends and family.
Sandrine argued that the signature on Marcel’s will was forged and took the case to court.
But in 2016 when the final verdict came down, the court deemed the signature to be authentic, writes the French newspaper Dici.
I think Marcel did the right thing. One might have believed that it was love at first sight and that everyone else was wrong. But that was not the case.
I can’t help but feel that Sandrine got what she deserved! Share this incredible story if you agree!
