Two hours later, Claire sat across from me during her break, nibbling on a cookie while eyeing me curiously.
“So,” she said, “what’s this strange proposal you mentioned?”
I took a deep breath.
“My parents are extremely wealthy,” I began. “And they’ve decided I need to get married immediately.”
“That sounds dramatic already.”
“If I don’t marry before my birthday, I lose everything.”
Her eyebrows shot up.
“I’m serious,” I continued. “And I don’t want to marry any of the women they’ve chosen.”
Claire leaned back slowly.
“So what exactly are you asking me?”
I swallowed hard.
“Marry me. Temporarily.”
She stared at me.
“One year,” I explained quickly. “A legal marriage. We act like a happy couple around my parents, then quietly divorce later. I’ll compensate you generously. Everything will be written into a contract.”
Claire folded her arms thoughtfully.
“And during this fake marriage, I’m allowed to tell my family it’s real?”
“Of course.”
She studied me for a long moment before laughing softly.
“You seem either very honest… or completely desperate.”
“Probably both.”
A few hours later, she texted me.
