He Needed a Wife to Claim His Inheritance—So He Paid a Poor Widow to Pretend
Chapter 11
One year after the fake wedding, Ethan and Clara had a second ceremony.
This one was real.
No contract.
No lawyers.
No conditions.
No inheritance.
Clara wore a simple white dress.
Noah stood beside Ethan.
The ceremony took place at the little church near Daniel’s grave.
Afterward, Clara placed flowers on the headstone.
“Daniel would be happy.”
Ethan stood beside her.
“I think so.”
She looked at him.
“He would have liked you.”
Ethan smiled.
“I hope so.”
Noah ran toward them.
“Mom!”
“What?”
“Dad says we’re getting ice cream.”
Clara looked at Ethan.
“You said that?”
“I did.”
She laughed.
“Fine.”
They walked toward the car.
Then Clara stopped.
“Wait.”
She looked at Ethan.
“Do you remember the first dinner?”
“Yes.”
“The first thing you said?”
“I offered you money.”
She laughed.
“That was terrible.”
“It was.”
“You didn’t know me.”
“No.”
“What changed?”
Ethan thought.
“You stayed.”
“That simple?”
“No.”
He touched her hand.
“You showed me what loyalty looked like.”
She smiled.
“And you showed me what choosing someone looks like.”
They kissed.
Then Noah yelled from the car:
“Are you coming or not?”
They laughed.
The family drove away.
The estate was eventually dissolved.
The company remained.
Ethan created a trust in his grandfather’s name.
Clara built a foundation for widows and single parents.
They used the money they had to help people who were facing the same desperation Clara had once known.
And every year, on the anniversary of their first fake wedding, they returned to the diner.
The place where the arrangement began.
They ordered the same meal.
Then they laughed about how ridiculous it all was.
