The Fake Wedding That Changed Everything
Being a single mom means your brain never gets a break. It’s like your thoughts are sprinting in circles, all day, every day. Shoes that don’t fit anymore, bills piling up, sick days, grocery lists, school forms—there’s always something to worry about.
Even when things are quiet, my mind wouldn’t stop. At night, I’d lie in bed staring at the ceiling, mentally checking off what I’d forgotten and stressing over what was coming next. It felt like a long to-do list was taped to the inside of my eyelids.
So when my phone rang while I was reorganizing Nathan’s packed schedule at work, I almost ignored it. I was in the middle of color-coding his calendar, trying to figure out how to squeeze in Lily’s dentist appointment between back-to-back meetings.
The phone buzzed again. I sighed and picked it up without even looking.
“Hello, this is the admissions office at St. Helena Academy. I’m calling about your daughter, Lily.”
My heart immediately dropped. My grip on the phone tightened.
“Is she okay?” I asked, my voice already shaking.
“Oh yes,” the woman said cheerfully. “She’s perfectly fine. This is about the tuition grant.”
I sat up straighter, feeling my stomach twist. “What about it?”
There was a long pause. Then the voice said, “We regret to inform you that the scholarship has been reassigned after a reassessment of eligibility. Your daughter no longer qualifies.”
I froze. “She’s already attending! You can’t just—just take it away now. That school is everything to her!”
“I understand your frustration, ma’am. But if you wish to keep her enrolled, the annual tuition is—”
I didn’t hear the rest. I hung up.
My whole body felt like it was buzzing. I couldn’t breathe. I stared at the wall in front of me, trying not to scream.
That school was Lily’s dream. I told her she belonged there. That we caught a break. That she didn’t have to worry about anything. And now it was slipping through my fingers.
By noon, I gave up pretending to work. I couldn’t even read emails anymore. My hands shook on the keyboard.
There was only one person I could ask.
I clutched my phone, took a deep breath, and walked down the hallway toward my boss’s office. My feet felt like blocks of stone. I stopped outside Nathan’s door and knocked.
He looked up. “Hey,” he said casually. “Everything okay?”
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” I asked. My voice sounded small. Embarrassed.
“Sure,” he said, closing his laptop.
I stepped inside and shut the door behind me.
“It’s about my daughter.”
He leaned forward slightly. “Go on.”
“She lost her scholarship,” I whispered, trying not to cry. “The school says we have until the end of the week to pay the tuition. If we don’t, they’re going to give her spot to someone else.”
Nathan leaned back in his chair. “How much?”
I told him the number.
He didn’t flinch, but I felt ridiculous even saying it. “I’m not asking for a gift,” I said quickly. “Just a loan. I’ll pay you back. Every month. I swear.”
Nathan stood and walked over to the window. He stared outside for a few seconds, silent.
Then he turned back toward me.
“There might be another option,” he said.
I frowned. “What kind of option?”
He took a deep breath. “I need to get married.”
I blinked. “I’m sorry—what?”
He nodded seriously. “My grandmother is old-school. She put in her will that I won’t receive control of the family estate unless I’m married. She wants a wedding before her birthday. That’s next Sunday.”
I just stared at him. “So… what does that have to do with me?”
“I need someone I trust. Someone who can pull this off. Someone I know won’t make a mess of it.” His eyes met mine. “You.”
I laughed, totally confused. “Wait. You want me to fake-marry you?”
“Yes,” he said calmly. “We go to her estate. We pretend to be in love. The wedding happens on Sunday. After that, we go our separate ways. In return, your daughter’s tuition is covered. Not just this year—forever.”
I couldn’t speak. I was stunned.
“This is insane,” I finally said.
“Maybe,” he replied. “But I don’t trust many people. And you have just as much reason to do this as I do.”
Right then, my phone buzzed. A message from the school:
“Please confirm tuition payment by Friday. If not, we will offer your daughter’s spot to another family.”
They were ready to replace her.
I looked up at Nathan. “You’re sure she’ll stay in that school if I agree?”
He nodded. “Absolutely. She’ll never have to worry about tuition again.”
My hands were shaking. My heart was pounding. “Then… okay. I’ll do it.”
Nathan gave me a firm nod. “Good. We leave tomorrow. Bring your daughter. It all has to look real.”
Nathan’s grandmother’s estate looked like something out of a fairytale. White stone walls, ivy creeping up the sides, a massive fountain in front. Lily squealed with delight and ran toward it.
“Lily! Slow down!” I called.
“She’ll be fine,” Nathan said, smiling. “Let her explore.”
“She just gets excited,” I said awkwardly.
He chuckled. “I like that about her.”
Then, before I could say more, he jogged toward the fountain and started chasing Lily around it. She laughed so hard it echoed across the lawn. I froze.
Nathan was playing. Actually playing—with joy in his eyes. I had never seen this side of him. Not at work. Not ever.
He looked… happy.
Then I noticed someone watching from the porch. A regal older woman with silver hair in a bun and a long dress. Her eyes were sharp, even if her face wore a pleasant smile.
Nathan straightened. “Grandmother, this is Grace. And that little storm is Lily.”
The woman stepped down slowly. She looked at me carefully from head to toe.
“So this is the woman who finally tamed my grandson.”
I gave her a polite smile. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
She took my hand and held it tight. “Let’s sit down for dinner. There’s much to discuss.”
Dinner was in a room bigger than my entire apartment. A long table under a golden chandelier, but only four seats were filled—me, Nathan, Lily, and his grandmother.
She sipped her wine. “So,” she asked, “how did you two meet?”
Nathan went quiet. I jumped in. “At work. I spilled coffee on his laptop.”
“She didn’t even apologize,” Nathan added, smirking.
His grandmother laughed. “Well. It’s about time you brought someone home.”
She clapped her hands. “Sunday then. A simple wedding. I’ve alerted the planner.”
And just like that, it began.
The days flew by like a strange, beautiful dream.
Lily and I had a guest room with soft blankets, fresh flowers that magically appeared every morning, and white curtains that danced in the breeze. We had brunch with Nathan’s grandmother, picked flowers with the wedding planner, and even went horseback riding.
Nathan was… different here. Softer. Gentler. He helped Lily color, read her bedtime stories, even made her laugh so hard she spit water through her nose.
At night, when the house was quiet, we’d sneak into the kitchen, eat ice cream, and watch silly movies on his laptop. One evening, I found a note on the fridge written in Lily’s messy handwriting:
“I like Nathan. He’s funny.”
I folded it and put it in my pocket.
That night, I found Nathan sitting alone on the porch swing.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No.”
We rocked slowly. The stars twinkled above us. The air smelled like roses.
Then he said quietly, “This place brings back things I try to forget.”
I turned to him. “Like what?”
“My dad,” he said. “He never stood up for me. Not once. My grandmother ran everything.”
“That’s awful,” I whispered.
He nodded. “I spent my whole life trying to earn his approval. It never mattered.”
He looked at me. “But with you, things feel… different. Real. Easy.”
I looked away. “Nathan… this is still fake.”
“I know,” he said softly. “But sometimes fake things feel the most real.”
The night before the wedding, I couldn’t sleep. I got up to get water for Lily and passed the kitchen… and froze.
“…a single mother, Nathan. You can’t be serious,” his grandmother snapped.
“She’s not just some woman I found on the street!” Nathan hissed.
“She’s a burden. And that child—”
“She’s not a burden. And Lily is not either!”
“She’ll ruin your future,” she said coldly. “Go through with this, and you’re cut off. Not one cent.”
I ran upstairs, heart racing.
By dawn, I had dressed Lily, packed our things, and left the estate.
The next day, someone knocked on the door of the little house I rented.
Nathan stood there, breathing hard.
“You left,” he said.
“I heard everything,” I snapped. “Your grandmother. The kitchen. She said I was a burden.”
“She did,” he admitted. “But you didn’t hear what I said after.”
I folded my arms.
“I told her it didn’t matter. That I love you. And I love Lily. I said I’d rather lose everything than lose you both.”
Tears filled my eyes.
“My dad… he finally stood up to her. For the first time ever. He said she couldn’t take the company from me. That I deserved to be happy.”
I reached for his hand.
When he kissed me, it wasn’t fake anymore.
It was real. All of it. Every single part.
