Confidence POV
Charles went to the bathroom to put on the condom, then my phone rang, my best friend, Michael, I was surprised to see his calls, he only calls when there's danger or he needed me to play a role.
Hello Mikky, then he started talking about my mom being rushed to the wedding, I was surprised but scared at the same time, today's my sisters wedding, today was supposed to be the happiest moment for my mom and me too.
I ran off barely putting on my clothes, I was grateful for this place, you could hardly see people wondering around.
When i got to the hospital I saw my mother was out of the operating room, but unconscious, i hugged Mikky when he began to tell me why all this happened.
Linda's husband, he swallowed hard, he's not rich.
He's a loan officer. He stole money from his workplace—millions. He borrowed from other loan co"He ran away." My voice shattered. "And Linda went with him." He ran away. They're all looking for him."
They put up your house to be used for collateral. Your mother find out today.
I turned and looked at my poor mother.unconscious, a tube in her arm and machines beeping steadily beside her.
She looked so small.
So tired.
So fragile.
I touched her hand. It was warm.
Thank God.
A nurse approached me gently.
"You must be her daughter. The surgery went well. She's stable."
I exhaled shakily.
"But…" the nurse added softly, "she cannot be discharged without paying the outstanding bills."
"How much?" My voice came out small.
The number she mentioned made my knees buckle.
More than I could ever earn in a year.
More than what I had saved in my entire life.
I bit my lip, shaking. "Please… please give me time. I—I'll find a way."
But the truth was I had nothing.
No savings.
No home anymore.
No sister.
No way out.
I sat beside my mother's bed, holding her hand, tears dripping onto the sheets.
Just yesterday, I was on a boat with Charles, laughing like my life had finally begun.
Tonight, I was drowning again.
And for the first time in a long time—
I felt completely alone.
I was exhausted. Every job I applied for rejected me before I even finished filling out the forms.
"Minimum of BSc."
"Five years experience."
"Professional certification."
It felt like the world had suddenly raised its standards overnight—just when I needed help the most.
Mom was still in the hospital. The doctors said she could be discharged, but only when I completed the bill.
Every time I looked at her lying there with tubes and pale lips, my heart cracked a little more. I couldn't lose her. I wouldn't.
So I kept searching.
Kept refreshing job sites until my eyes burned.
Then I saw it.
A position with a salary high enough to bury all our problems at once.
But the requirement… was insane.
"Applicant must be married with at least one child. Family interview required."
I stared at it for almost five minutes.
Married? Me?
I didn't even have a boyfriend.
And a child…?
But I needed this job. I needed it desperately. Mom's life was more important than rules or ethics or anything.
Then I thought of Milky — my best friend.
I had lived with him long enough that we felt like sisters.
His son, Louis, called me "Auntie Confi."
I cooked for him, bathed him sometimes, even scolded him like he was mine.
We shared a bed, shared expenses… we were practically a blended little family already.
Would it be wrong to use them as my "family"?
Yes.
Would it be risky?
Absolutely.
Could I be sued?
Very possible.
But what was I supposed to do? Let mom die because I was too afraid?
No.
So I applied.
I listed Milky as my husband..
Louis as my child.
My hands trembled the whole time I submitted it.
Then the company emailed me for an interview.
I almost fainted.
The next morning, I wore the best dress I owned — plain but neat — and went to the address they sent.
The building was massive. Glass, steel, elegance everywhere.
My palms were sweating.
I walked into the waiting area, thinking the worst part would be the panel asking me about my "marriage."
Then I looked up…
And my heart stopped.
Charles.
Standing there.
Fully suited.
Cold.
Sharp.
Powerful.
The man who kissed me like he was claiming my soul just the night before…
The man I had spent a beautiful day with…
The man I told yes to a strangers-date…
He was standing there—
Not as a random guy.
Not as a man who kissed me breathless.
But as the CEO conducting the interview.
Our eyes locked.
His brows lifted.
His jaw tightened.
Something dark, unreadable flickered in his gaze.
And in that second, everything in me collapsed.
Of all the people in the world…
Of all the companies in the country…
Why did it have to be him?
Why did he have to be the one to see me pretending to have a life I didn't?
My stomach twisted.
My knees nearly failed me.
The room felt too small to breathe in.
He took a slow step forward, his gaze dragging over me — not with the warmth from yesterday, but with a strange mix of shock… betrayal… and something dangerously close to anger.
"Confidence…?" he said quietly, voice tense.
"What are you doing here?"
My throat closed.
I forced a smile. A broken, trembling one.
"I… I'm here for the job interview."
His eyes shot to the application file in his hand.
The one with my fake marriage details.
His jaw clenched so hard a muscle ticked.
He looked back at me.
The air between us thickened, hot and suffocating.
In that single moment…
I knew my peaceful life was over.
And whatever came next…
Was going to be messy.