She Rejected Him on a Blind Date—Then Another Woman Said, “Marry Me”
Chapter 8
A year passed.
The one-year marriage agreement was almost over.
Claire received a reminder from the lawyers.
The contract would expire in thirty days.
She stared at the document.
Ethan walked into the room.
“You’re quiet.”
She held up the paper.
“It’s ending.”
He looked at it.
“Yes.”
“What happens then?”
“We can renew.”
She looked at him.
“Can we?”
“Yes.”
“But?”
He hesitated.
“What if we don’t renew the contract?”
Claire’s heart skipped.
“Then we’d still be married.”
“Yes.”
“Without the legal arrangement.”
“Yes.”
She smiled.
“That sounds good.”
Ethan took her hand.
“I don’t want a contract.”
“I don’t either.”
They planned a real wedding.
This time, they invited family.
Friends.
Employees.
The ceremony took place in the garden.
Claire wore a simple white dress.
Ethan wore a black suit.
When he saw her, he whispered:
“You look beautiful.”
She smiled.
“You’re nervous.”
“Terrified.”
“Good.”
He laughed.
The ceremony was perfect.
Then, during the reception, a man approached Ethan.
He was from the press.
“We’ve heard the story of your marriage.”
Ethan looked suspicious.
“So?”
“People want to know whether you married her for money.”
Ethan smiled.
“I married her because she asked.”
The reporter laughed.
“And now?”
Ethan looked at Claire.
“Now I stay because I choose to.”
The story became public.
People loved it.
But some mocked Claire.
Others called Ethan a gold digger.
Neither cared.
They knew the truth.
One year later, their first child was born.
A daughter.
They named her Lily.
Claire held the baby.
Ethan stood beside her.
“This is terrifying.”
Claire laughed.
“You’ve faced corporate criminals.”
“Yes.”
“What’s scarier?”
“Diapers.”
She laughed.
Their family grew.
The company expanded.
They established a foundation supporting single parents and women entrepreneurs.
Claire remained chairwoman.
Ethan became CEO of his technology company.
They traveled.
Built homes.
Raised children.
The strange marriage that began with a blind date became the center of their lives.
Then one evening, Claire found the original marriage contract.
She smiled.
Ethan saw her.
“Why are you looking at that?”
“Because it feels like another lifetime.”
“It was.”
She folded it.
“What should we do with it?”
“Burn it.”
She laughed.
“Dramatic.”
“Very.”
They burned the contract in the fireplace.
Claire watched the paper disappear.
The legal agreement that had brought them together was finally gone.
What remained was the marriage they had chosen.
