I was drowning in hospital bills when a man in a suit made me an impossible offer—pretend to be his fiancée, and he’d pay for my father’s life-saving surgery. I had no choice but to say yes. But then I met his brother… and everything unraveled.
The Call That Changed Everything
That morning had started like any other.
I was locking my apartment door when my phone buzzed. Another spam call, I thought, ready to ignore it. But something made me pick up.
“Miss Carter?” The voice was calm, professional. “This is Dr. Reynolds. I’m calling about your father.”
My heart stuttered. “Is he okay?”
A long pause. “His condition has worsened. He needs surgery immediately. Without it… his chances are low.”
The number he gave me was impossible—far beyond anything I could afford.
I had nothing. No savings, no one to turn to. My café job barely covered my rent. But I couldn’t lose him.
“I’ll figure it out,” I whispered, then hung up.
A Stranger at the Café
Desperate, I rushed to work and begged my manager, Lisa, for an advance.
“I wish I could do more, Sophie,” she said, voice heavy with regret. “Two months’ salary is the best I can offer.”
Not enough. Not even close.
I blinked hard, fighting tears, and turned back to the café floor—only to feel a gaze locked onto me.
A man sat by the window, watching.
Not my usual customer. Not the quiet, kind man who always ordered black coffee, no sugar. The one I’d secretly admired, the one I always slipped an extra cookie to, hoping he’d notice.
No, this man was different. Older. Sharper. Dressed in a suit that screamed power.
And I had no idea that by the end of the night, he would change everything.
A Dangerous Proposition
Later that evening, as I walked home, lost in thought, a sleek black car pulled up beside me.
The window rolled down.
“Sophie.”
I froze.
It was him—the man from the café.
“Get in. I’ll explain everything.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”
His lips twitched in amusement. “Fair enough. Then I’ll talk here.”
His voice was calm, measured. “My father is about to hand me control of our family business. But there’s a condition—he wants to see me as a settled man. Engaged.”
I crossed my arms. “And this affects me how?”
His gaze didn’t waver. “Because I need a fiancée.”
I let out a sharp laugh. “You’re joking.”
“I’m not. And you need money.”
My breath hitched.
“I heard you at the café, asking your manager for an advance,” he continued. “I see an opportunity, I take it. You need money. I need a fiancée. It’s simple.”
Simple. Right.
“If you agree, I’ll pay for your father’s surgery.”
Everything inside me screamed no. But then I saw my father’s face, fragile in a hospital bed, and the impossible amount I owed.
I swallowed hard.
“Fine.”
And just like that, I became Steven’s fiancée.
The Night Everything Changed
Steven’s father’s birthday gala was our first appearance as a couple.
The mansion was something out of a dream—gold chandeliers, live jazz, waiters weaving through the crowd with champagne.
I kept my posture perfect, just as Steven had instructed.
“Relax,” he murmured in my ear. “You look perfect.”
Then his father approached—tall, intimidating. Judging me.
“Ah, so this is the young woman you’ve been hiding from us,” he said, eyes narrowing.
I forced a smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
And then—I saw him.
The man from the café.
The man I’d spent months secretly admiring.
The one I had imagined, just once, might be the one.
And now, for the first time, I knew his name.
Because Steven’s father turned to him with a proud smile and said,
“Oliver, come meet your brother’s fiancée.”
The One I Never Saw Coming
Oliver’s eyes locked onto mine.
He recognized me.
He didn’t approach right away. He waited, watched, then moved toward me when the moment was just right.
“Fancy seeing you here,” he said, voice low.
“Oliver…”
“You know, I spent months trying to work up the nerve to ask you out.”
My breath hitched.
“But I guess I didn’t have to. My brother beat me to it.”
He let out a quiet laugh.
“I came to that café every morning just to see you.”
I could tell him the truth. That I wasn’t really Steven’s fiancée. That I had only agreed to this for my father’s sake.
But then… I saw my father’s hospital bed in my mind. The check Steven had promised.
So instead, I turned away, slipped my hand into Steven’s… and kissed him.
The first lie I had ever told tasted like heartbreak.
The Cost of a Lie
The next morning, Steven slid a check across the table.
“Here.”
My hands trembled as I picked it up. It was more than enough to save my father’s life.
But instead of relief, I felt nothing.
Steven studied me. “You’re playing your part well. Maybe we should continue this… see if there’s something real between us.”
I set the check back down.
“I can’t.”
His brows furrowed. “What?”
I took a deep breath.
“I thought I could pretend, but even one more day would be unbearable. The truth is… from the very beginning, I’ve been in love with your brother.”
Silence.
Then Steven sighed. “I can’t keep you here.”
He pocketed the check. Walked out. Left me alone.
I had lost everything.
An Unexpected Choice
That night, as I was locking up the café, the door opened.
Oliver.
He stepped forward, pressing something into my hands.
The check.
“Take it,” he said. “Even if we never see each other again, take it for your father.”
I stared at him. “You knew?”
“Steven told me.” His eyes softened. “You didn’t have to lie, Sophie. You could’ve just asked. I would have helped. No deals. No charades.”
Tears burned in my eyes.
“I was always happy when you came in,” I whispered. “I used to give you an extra cookie, hoping you’d notice.”
His smile was sad. “I noticed.”
Then he held out his hand.
“Come on. Let’s go talk to your father’s doctor.”
For the first time in weeks, I breathed.
And as Oliver led me into the night, I knew—this time, I wasn’t walking alone.
