“Oh yes, nothing like that. This is about her tuition grant. There’s been a reassessment. I’m afraid Lily no longer qualifies for her scholarship.”
I sat upright. “She’s already enrolled. You can’t just pull her funding now.”
“I understand this is upsetting, but if you wish to keep her enrolled, the annual tuition is—”
I hung up. My chest tightened. That school wasn’t just education—it was Lily’s safe space. A place where she felt seen and finally belonged.
I tried to keep working, but by noon I couldn’t pretend anymore. There was only one person I could turn to. I walked down the hall and stood outside Nathan’s door, phone in hand. My knock felt too small.
He looked up. “Hey, everything okay?”
“I need to talk to you. It’s about my daughter.”
I explained everything. The deadline. The cost. That I wasn’t asking for a handout—just a loan I’d repay.
Nathan was quiet for a moment. Then he said, “There might be another way.”
I frowned. “What kind of way?”
He turned from the window. “I need to get married.”
I blinked. “What?”
“My grandmother made it clear I won’t inherit the family estate unless I’m married. Her birthday’s next week. She’s expecting a wedding. I trust you, Grace. I want you to help me pull this off. Marry me—just for show. Come with me, act like we’re in love, get married on Sunday. After that, we part ways. In return, your daughter’s tuition is covered. For life.”
I wanted to say no. It sounded insane. Then my phone buzzed: a message from the school.
Please confirm payment or notify us of Lily’s withdrawal. We have a waitlist.
I looked up. “If I say yes… Lily’s education is guaranteed?”
“She’ll never have to worry again.”
My hands shook. “Then… I’ll do it.”
He nodded. “Good. We leave tomorrow. Bring Lily. Everything has to look real.”
The estate looked like something out of a dream—white stone walls, ivy-covered balconies, a marble fountain in the front courtyard. Lily gasped and ran toward it. Nathan chuckled. “Let her go. It’s just water.”
He chased her around the fountain, laughing, and for the first time I saw him differently—not the uptight boss I worked for, but a man who could play. Who liked kids. Who smiled easily.
Then I saw her. An elegant older woman stood on the porch, silver hair in a bun, sharp eyes watching us.
“Grandmother,” Nathan said. “This is Grace. And that little hurricane is Lily.”
She walked down the steps slowly, eyeing me. Then she smiled. “So this is the woman who finally tamed my grandson.”
Dinner was surreal—just the four of us under a golden chandelier. She asked how we met. I said I spilled coffee on his laptop. Nathan added, “She didn’t even say sorry.” She laughed. “Well, it’s about time.”
The next day, the wedding planner arrived. Everything moved fast. Lily and I were given a room with white curtains and fresh flowers that changed daily. I never saw who replaced them.
It felt like a fairytale I hadn’t signed up for—but something softened in me. I laughed more. I stopped checking my phone.
One night, I found Nathan alone on the porch swing under the stars.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
I shook my head and sat beside him.
“Being here reminds me of things I’ve tried to forget,” he said. “My dad never stood up for me. My grandmother controlled everything. Nothing I did was ever good enough.”
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.
He looked at me. “But with you… things feel real. Easy.”
I swallowed. “This is still fake, Nathan.”
“I know. But sometimes fake things feel real.”
He didn’t touch me. He just looked at me—and something in me shifted.
The night before the wedding, I couldn’t sleep. Lily snuggled with the stuffed bunny Nathan had given her. I went downstairs for water and heard voices.
“…a single mother, Nathan. You can’t be serious,” his grandmother said sharply.
“She’s not just some woman. And Lily’s not a burden,” he replied.
“This isn’t love. It’s fear.”
“If you go through with this farce, you’ll lose everything.”
“I’d rather lose everything than lose them.”
I didn’t wait to hear more. My heart pounded. I packed quietly and left before dawn.
That morning, a knock came. Nathan stood outside.
“You left.”
“I heard everything.”
His face softened. “Then you didn’t hear it all. I told her I love you. I told her I love Lily. And I meant it.”
Tears filled my eyes. “Does that mean you’ve lost everything?”
“No,” he said. “For the first time in my life, I have everything. You. And Lily.”
“And your grandmother?”
“My father stood up to her. Told her she can’t control me anymore. He’s backing me.”
I reached for his hand. When he kissed me, it wasn’t pretend anymore. It was real. All of it.