FAKE MARRIAGE FOR MY DAUGHTER’S FUTURE: I NEVER SAW THIS COMING
Being a single mom feels like running a race that never ends. Your mind is always racing—about groceries, bills, shoes that don’t fit anymore, surprise school projects, sick days, and how to keep your job. You don’t get a break. Even at night, lying in bed, the to-do list keeps flashing in your head like a broken neon sign.
So when my phone buzzed in the middle of rescheduling my boss Nathan’s meetings for the week, I almost ignored it. My screen was filled with colorful blocks for every appointment, and I was trying to squeeze in Lily’s dentist visit without wrecking his day.
The phone buzzed again.
With a sigh, I grabbed it. Something deep inside me said: Answer this one.
“Hello, this is the admissions office at St. Helena Academy. I’m calling about your daughter, Lily.”
My stomach clenched. My heart thudded.
“Is she okay?” I asked quickly.
“Oh yes, she’s perfectly fine,” the woman said in a bright tone. “This is about the tuition grant.”
I sat up, suddenly alert. “What about it?”
There was a short silence. Then came the blow.
“We regret to inform you that the scholarship has been reassigned. After reassessing eligibility, we found that your daughter no longer qualifies.”
I gripped the phone tighter. “She’s already in class! She started a month ago! You can’t take it back now.”
“I understand your frustration,” the woman said calmly. “But if you’d like her to stay enrolled, the annual tuition is—”
I didn’t let her finish. I hung up.
My hands were shaking. My whole body felt tight, like I couldn’t breathe. I just stared at the wall, numb.
That school was Lily’s dream. And mine. It was safe, it was nurturing, it was a place where she could grow. I’d told her she finally belonged somewhere special. And now it was all crashing down.
By noon, I gave up pretending to work. My screen blurred. Emails went unread. I just sat there, heart pounding. I needed help. I needed money. And I hated that so much.
There was only one person I could even think to ask.
I stood up, holding my phone like it weighed a hundred pounds, and slowly walked down the hall to Nathan’s office. My feet felt like bricks. I stopped outside his door, took a deep breath, and knocked.
“Hey,” he said, looking up. “What’s up?”
“Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure.” He closed his laptop and nodded for me to come in.
I stepped inside and quietly shut the door. “It’s about my daughter.”
He leaned forward slightly. “Go on.”
“She lost her scholarship.” My voice cracked. “They said we have until the end of the week to pay tuition. If we don’t, they’ll give her spot to someone else.”
Nathan leaned back, arms crossed. “How much are we talking?”
I told him the number. It sounded massive coming out of my mouth.
“I know it’s a lot,” I added quickly. “I’m not asking for a handout. Just a loan. I’ll pay it back. Every month.”
He stood up and walked to the window. He stared outside, quiet for a while.
“There might be another option,” he said finally.
I frowned. “What kind of option?”
He turned around. “I need to get married.”
I blinked. “I’m sorry—what?”
Nathan sighed. “My grandmother is… old-fashioned. She set a condition in her will. I won’t get access to the family estate unless I’m married. And the wedding has to happen before her birthday.”
“When’s her birthday?”
“Next week.”
I stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “So… what does that have to do with me?”
“I need someone I trust,” he said simply. “Someone who can handle pressure. Someone who’s smart. That’s you.”
“You want me to fake-marry you?”
He nodded. “Yes. We go to her estate. We act like a couple. Get married on Sunday. After that, we separate. No strings. In return—Lily’s tuition is covered. Forever.”
I sat there, frozen. This was crazy. Unreal.
“This is insane.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But I’m serious. I don’t trust many people. And you have a reason to do this.”
Right then, my phone buzzed again. A message from the school: Please confirm your payment or let us know if Lily will be withdrawing. We have a waitlist.
They were ready to throw her out.
I looked at Nathan. “You’re sure she can stay if I agree?”
“She will never have to worry about tuition again,” he said, steady and calm.
My hands trembled. “Then… okay. I’ll do it.”
Nathan gave a small nod. “Good. We leave tomorrow. Bring Lily. Everything has to look real.”
Nathan’s grandmother’s house looked like it had been plucked out of a fairytale. White stone walls, ivy crawling up the sides, roses in bloom everywhere. When Lily saw the fountain in the front yard, she squealed and ran to it.
“Lily! Slow down!” I called.
Nathan laughed. “Let her go. It’s just water.”
“She gets excited,” I said, a little embarrassed.
He looked at me with a soft smile. “Yeah. I can tell.”
Then, to my surprise, he ran after her. Around the fountain. Laughing. She shrieked with joy as he chased her, splashing and giggling.
I couldn’t believe it. I’d never seen this side of Nathan before. At work, he was all business. But here… he looked human. Gentle. Fun. It hit me hard, and I didn’t know what to do with that feeling.
Then I noticed her—an older woman standing on the front porch. Silver hair, pinned in a bun. Elegant. Still. Watching.
“Grandmother,” Nathan said, walking up. He stood tall beside me. “This is Grace. And that little tornado is Lily.”
She walked down slowly. Her gaze was sharp, but her smile polite.
“So this is the woman who finally tamed my grandson,” she said.
I gave a small smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”
She took my hand, firm and steady. “Let’s have dinner. We have a lot to discuss.”
Dinner was served in a massive dining room with a chandelier bigger than my car. The table could seat twenty, but only the four of us were there. Still, it felt like the room watched us.
She took a sip of wine. “So, how did you two meet?”
Nathan hesitated. I jumped in. “At work. I spilled coffee on his laptop.”
“She didn’t even say sorry,” Nathan added, playing along.
His grandmother actually laughed. “Well, I must say, it’s about time you brought someone home.”
Then she clapped her hands. “Sunday, then. A small wedding. I’ve already informed the planner.”
And that was it. No turning back.
The next few days were a blur of flowers, dresses, garden tours, brunches, and fake planning. But slowly… it stopped feeling fake.
Lily and I stayed in a beautiful guest room. Every morning, fresh flowers appeared in a vase by the window. No one ever said who brought them. It felt like magic.
Nathan helped Lily with her coloring. He made her laugh. One night, we sat on the kitchen floor at 1 a.m. eating ice cream from the tub and laughing like teenagers.
Another morning, I found a crumpled note on the fridge in Lily’s handwriting: “I like Nathan. He’s funny.”
I folded it and tucked it into my pocket, heart full.
One night, I found Nathan sitting on the porch swing, staring at the stars.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No.”
We sat in silence, the swing creaking gently. The night smelled like roses and damp grass.
“This place brings back memories,” he said. “Not all of them good.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“My dad,” he said softly. “He never stood up for me. My grandmother ruled everything. And he let her.”
I stayed quiet. Let the moment breathe.
“I spent my life trying to make him proud,” he said. “But I was never good enough.”
My chest hurt. “I’m so sorry, Nathan.”
He turned to me, eyes full of something tender. “You’re not like them. Being with you—it feels… easy. It feels real.”
I swallowed. “Nathan… this is still fake.”
He didn’t look away. “I know. But sometimes fake things… start to feel real.”
He didn’t touch me. Just waited. And in that silence, I felt it too.
The night before the wedding, I moved like a ghost through the house. Lily was asleep, cuddling the stuffed bunny Nathan gave her. My dress hung in the moonlight, glowing.
I went down to get water—and heard voices in the kitchen.
“…a single mother, Nathan. You can’t be serious.”
His grandmother.
“She’s not just some woman I found on the street,” Nathan replied, tight.
“She’s a burden. And she comes with a child. You’re humiliating yourself.”
“She’s not a burden. Neither is Lily,” Nathan snapped.
“This isn’t love. This is fear. You’re afraid of being alone.”
“I’m not arguing with you,” he said.
“If you go through with this, you’ll lose everything. You’ll be cut off.”
I didn’t wait to hear more.
I packed everything. Dressed Lily while she was half-asleep. And we left before the sun came up.
The next morning, a knock shook the door of the tiny house I’d rented. I opened it. Nathan stood there.
“You left,” he said.
“I heard everything,” I snapped.
“What do you mean?”
“Your grandmother. Last night. In the kitchen.”
His face darkened. “If you’re this angry… then you didn’t hear all of it.”
“She called me a burden. She threatened you. Made it clear I wasn’t welcome.”
Nathan stepped closer. “Yes, she did. But I told her it didn’t matter. I told her I love you. That I love Lily. That I’d rather lose everything than lose you both.”
I froze.
“And my dad?” he added. “He stood up to her. For the first time. He said she had no right to control me.”
My throat tightened. My eyes burned.
Nathan reached for my hand. “So no, Grace. I didn’t lose everything. I finally found it.”
And when he kissed me—it wasn’t part of the plan anymore.
It was real. All of it.
