She Asked Me to Be Her Fake Fiancé at Her Ex’s Wedding… Then Kissed Me in Front of Everyone
Chapter 14
Ten years after the wedding, we returned to the estate.
The trust had funded the restoration.
The ballroom had become a community event center.
The garden had become a wedding venue.
People were getting married where Olivia once arrived pretending to be happy.
She loved that.
“Poetic,” she said.
“Extremely.”
We walked through the ballroom.
Our daughter was getting married there the following summer.
She had asked us to help choose the decorations.
Olivia stood beneath the old chandelier.
“Do you ever miss the chaos?”
“No.”
She laughed.
“Really?”
“No.”
“I do.”
I stared.
“Why?”
“Because it brought me to you.”
I smiled.
“You don’t have to thank the chaos.”
“I know.”
She took my hand.
“I thank you.”
I kissed her.
Then Daniel entered.
“You two are still disgustingly romantic.”
Olivia smiled.
“You’re jealous.”
“Of what?”
“Our marriage.”
“Never.”
He looked at me.
“Actually…”
“What?”
“I have to admit something.”
Olivia raised an eyebrow.
“I knew you loved her before she did.”
I laughed.
“Everyone knew.”
Olivia shook her head.
“Apparently I was the last person.”
Daniel smiled.
“You were.”
She punched his shoulder.
He laughed.
Then our daughter called from outside.
“Mom!”
“We’re coming!”
We walked toward her.
For a moment, I looked back at the ballroom.
I remembered the first kiss.
The shocked faces.
Daniel.
The ring.
The gunshot.
The secrets.
Everything.
And I realized how strange life could be.
A fake engagement had been designed to make one man jealous.
Instead, it made two people brave.
A lie had uncovered the truth.
A broken relationship had opened the door to another.
And a ring meant to represent obligation had become a symbol of choice.
Olivia squeezed my hand.
“You’re thinking too much.”
“Probably.”
“What about?”
“You.”
She smiled.
“Good answer.”
