I Agreed to Be Her Fake Fiancé at a High School Reunion — Then I Uncovered the Dark Secret She Was Running From
Chapter 2
The reunion was held at the old Westbrook High gym.
Daniel remembered the building.
He had visited once years earlier for Emma’s graduation party.
Now it had been transformed.
String lights.
Round tables.
A bar.
A dance floor.
Photographs of graduating classes lined the walls.
Emma sat in the passenger seat of his car.
She had been silent for ten minutes.
Daniel looked over.
“Still breathing?”
“Barely.”
“You can cancel.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“You know nobody actually cares this much.”
“You don’t know my classmates.”
“I’ve met your classmates.”
“Three of them.”
“Three very representative ones.”
She laughed.
Then stopped smiling.
“What if Brad is there?”
“He will be.”
“What if he says something?”
“He will.”
“What if everyone thinks I’m pathetic?”
Daniel pulled into the parking lot.
“Then they’ll be wrong.”
Emma looked at him.
He turned off the engine.
“You don’t need me to make you look successful.”
She smiled weakly.
“You make me feel successful.”
He froze.
She didn’t seem to notice what she had said.
Instead, she reached into her purse.
A ring appeared.
Daniel stared.
“Where did you get that?”
“My grandmother’s.”
“That’s real?”
“Probably.”
She handed it to him.
“Put it on.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“Because the fake fiancé needs a ring.”
Daniel slipped it onto his finger.
Emma looked at his hand.
“It fits.”
“Good.”
She stared at the ring.
Then whispered:
“This feels dangerous.”
“Because it’s expensive?”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“Because it looks right.”
Daniel didn’t know how to respond.
Before he could, she opened the car door.
“Come on.”
They walked into the gym.
People turned.
Some recognized Emma immediately.
Others took a second.
A woman near the entrance whispered:
“Is that Emma Collins?”
Another replied:
“Yes.”
Then a man looked at Daniel.
“Who’s he?”
Emma heard.
She reached for Daniel’s hand.
He looked at her.
She squeezed.
“Fiancé,” she said.
The woman smiled.
“Oh!”
The word traveled.
Within minutes, people were greeting Emma.
Asking where she’d been.
What she’d been doing.
Who Daniel was.
He answered politely.
Private equity.
Chicago.
Three years together.
Engaged last Christmas.
All lies.
But convincing ones.
Emma relaxed.
She laughed.
She seemed almost like her old self.
Then a man approached.
Tall.
Confident.
Expensive suit.
Perfect hair.
Brad Wilson.
Daniel immediately understood why Emma had once fallen for him.
Brad smiled.
“Emma.”
She went still.
“Brad.”
His eyes moved toward Daniel.
Then the ring.
Then back to Emma.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
Brad smiled.
“I didn’t know.”
Emma’s fingers tightened around Daniel’s hand.
“That was the idea.”
Brad laughed.
“Still sarcastic.”
“Still arrogant.”
Daniel almost smiled.
Brad extended his hand.
“Brad Wilson.”
Daniel shook it.
“Daniel Reed.”
Brad studied him.
“What do you do?”
“Investments.”
“Nice.”
Then Brad looked at Emma again.
“You really surprised me.”
Emma smiled.
“Good.”
He walked away.
Daniel leaned toward her.
“That went well.”
Emma nodded.
“Yes.”
Then her smile disappeared.
She whispered:
“Don’t let him get near me.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
She squeezed his hand again.
“Please.”
He nodded.
“Okay.”
She took a breath.
Then added:
“There’s something you don’t know about Brad.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
Emma’s eyes filled with fear.
“He wasn’t the person who broke my heart.”
She swallowed.
“He was the person who almost ruined my life.”
