Chapter 6
Serenity
Iarrive home from work later than usual. Tammy, another registered nurse at my hospital, came in late, so I stayed until she could clock in. Dr. Evans—always the most understanding—told me I could go home, but there are some other higher-ups who aren’t as lenient.
When I called Sully to let him know, he said he’ll take care of everything. What would I do without him? If Summer was still at the daycare, I’d get another warning.
After changing into my pajamas and kissing an already asleep Summer, I plop down on the couch.
I’ve spent the last twenty-four hours agonizing over the fact I agreed to marry my sister’s ex-fiancé.
This should be what Everlasting Love aired if they wanted drama and not what Victor and Harmony went through.
Victor threw out half a million dollars like it was pocket change. That amount is life changing for me. I’ll be able to keep my home, get rid of the loan sharks, and have money left over for any emergencies. That way, once the year is up, Summer and I will still have our home.
I sigh. I almost held my ground, but I guess my nurse’s heart got the better of me.
When I thought about how I’d be able to keep Summer safe and that I’d be able to return the favor to Victor by helping him grant his father’s last wish, it didn’t feel like I was practically prostituting myself for money.
Scratch that. Sex wasn’t part of the agreement.
Our wedding is in two days, and I still haven’t told Harmony. Knots twist my stomach. I’m such a shit sister.
Fuck. Why did I agree to a fake marriage?
Those only exist in the romance books I read, and unlike those novels, I won’t fall madly in love with him.
No, in my experience with my late husband, men are deceivers, never to be trusted.
I learned that lesson the hard way when Paul took every cent and then left me with a mountain of debt.
You have one week to pay us $50,000 or else next time, I’ll take the girl. That’s more motivation than needed.
My phone vibrates on the arm of the couch.
I stare at it. After my extra-long shift, my limbs are too weak to reach for it. It has to be Harmony. She’s the only person who texts me. Everyone else listens when I say I hate texting.
It vibrates again.
I finally force myself to move and snatch up my phone. She won’t stop until I reply. She’s like a dog with a bone.
Harmony
I’m so happy you agreed to marry Victor.
My eyes almost bulge out of my face as I read her words. A second text comes through.
Harmony
And don’t be mad at him for telling me. He’s a good guy.
I immediately sit up and dial Victor. He answers on the third ring.
I put him on speaker, placing the phone in my lap to avoid chucking it across the room.
“Hello, wife.”
“Say that one more time,” I spit through gritted teeth and rub my forehead where it’s now throbbing.
I swear a soft laugh filters through the speaker.
“What, wife?” Victor asks in his annoyingly sing-song voice. Someone—and it sounds suspiciously like Harmony––whispers something in the background, and he replies, “Fine, I won’t antagonize her anymore.” Then he says to me, “I’m sorry. I’m just so grateful to you.”
“Why are you telling my sister?” I narrow my eyes at the phone. “Are you still in Granite Falls?”
“No, I have Harmony and Elias on a conference call with me. I thought you had already told her. So, I am sorry about that, but I wanted to know if you had any requests.”
With so little time, there’s no real way to plan an entire wedding reception. “What about the marriage license? Doesn’t it take time to get one?”
“I already thought of that. If you can come tomorrow, we can get the license. It only takes twenty-four hours for us to be able to use it.”
He’s lucky I have tomorrow off. But I’ll have to call out for Saturday. Just because I’ll have to quit working at the hospital doesn’t mean I don’t want to give proper notice. How else will I get a job when I move?
I grumble out my consent.
“Perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow, wife,” he says, back to his usual chipper and annoying tone.
“Wait. After we get married, I need to come back to Granite Falls so I can work out my notice.”
Silence fills the line for a few moments before he says, “You can get a job here.”
I slap my face with my free hand. Billionaires have no idea how the real world works. “I need two weeks. Then I’m all yours.”
He chuckles. “I like the sound of that.” And then the line goes silent.