The marriage wasn't supposed to mean anything.
That was the first lie I told myself that morning.
I stood in front of the narrow courthouse mirror, staring at my reflection like it belonged to someone else.The dress was white,but not the kind people dreamed about.No sparkle nor lace just clean fabric and borrowed elegance.It fits technically,but emotionally…nothing fits at all.
I adjusted the thin veil again,noticing how the soft morning light glinted off its edges,fragile,just like me.
"This will save the family," my aunt whispered behind me.Her hands trembled as she smoothed the dress over my shoulders,careful and precise,as if her touch could somehow fix the mess I was walking into.
I nodded,swallowing the lump in my throat. Words weren't coming—speaking would betray me,crying would ruin the illusion.
Saving the family those words had haunted me for weeks,mirrored through sleepless nights and whispered arguments behind closed doors.When Ethan Hale first proposed this arrangement,I had laughed. Then I panicked,realizing I had no choice. Pride didn't pay debts,it wouldn't protect my mother,it wouldn't stop eviction notices from arriving.
A year.
That was the deal.
One year of marriage,public appearances, no emotions,no expectations.After that, a clean divorce and enough money to keep my family afloat.
Simple.
On paper.
The courthouse doors opened with a muted creak, and reality stared at me.
Ethan Hale was already there.
He stood near the judge's desk,tall and composed, dressed in a dark suit that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe.His posture was straight,his expression calm—almost bored.If this were a business meeting,he would have looked exactly the same.
He didn't look like a groom.
He looked like a man finalizing a contract.
For a moment,I just watched him,this was the man who had changed my life with a single conversation.The man who had offered marriage the way someone offered a loan. And yet, here he was—distant and untouchable.
When his eyes lifted and met mine, something shifted.
They lingered—not warm,not cold, just focused—like he was memorizing details he'd need later.It made my skin prickle in a way I didn't like.
Or maybe I did.
I forced myself to walk forward.
The ceremony was painfully quick.Words passed through my mouth without meaning—vows stripped of love, promises hollow and thin.I said "I do" because saying "I don't" would have ruined everything.
The judge's pen scratched across the paper as he pronounced us husband and wife. Silence filled the room no applause or cheers.Just the soft click of a camera shutter outside.
Mrs Hale.
The name felt heavy,odd,like clothing that didn't belong to me.
When it was time to sign,Ethan stepped closer our shoulders brushed his fingers touched mine briefly as he handed me the pen.A wave swept over me I hated that I felt it.
"Congratulations,Mrs. Hale," the clerk said with a practiced smile.
I smiled back,because that was what wives were supposed to do.
Outside, cameras waited.
Flashes exploded the moment we stepped through the doors reporters called our names.Questions blurred together—about love,romance,how long we'd known each other.
Lies heaped neatly in my throat.
Ethan's hand settled on my lower back. Firm,confident and convincing.
"Smile,"he murmured,meant only for me.
I did.
To anyone watching,we looked perfect. Newly wedded, untouchable.
"This changes nothing,"he said quietly,lips barely moving.
I nodded again,i seemed to be doing that a lot today.
The ride to his penthouse was silent the city rushed past the windows,bright and alive, while my chest felt tight and empty all at once.
The elevator doors opened to reveal a sprawling penthouse that gleamed with modern luxury—marble floors,floor-to-ceiling windows,and a view of the city that was breathtaking.Every surface reflected wealth,powerand control. Yet despite the grandeur,the apartment felt cold and empty. Just like the arrangement we'd agreed to.
That night,lying alone in a bed that felt too large and unfamiliar, one truth settled deep in my chest;this marriage was only on paper.
At least… that's what it was supposed to be.