Hard Fiancé: A Fake Marriage Romance by Penny Wylder

Author:Penny Wylder [Wylder, Penny]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-02-29T18:30:00+00:00

10

Sylvia

“This—” Stabbing a finger at the newspaper, Daniel grins. “This is good, Syl, really, really good.” Picking it up, he passes it across the desk. “Here, take a look.”

Reaching, I take the paper. There's a bright colorful picture of me covering my mouth, with tears in my eyes, and Phade on one knee, holding the ring box.

It really is a stunning image, a beautiful proposal. . . If any of it was actually real.

“That caption is perfect.” He leans back in his chair, stroking the air with his hand and spreading an imaginary rainbow. “Is the wild Phade Manson really trading his brass knuckles for a diamond?” His voice is raspy and thick. “Your performance deserves an award. I couldn't have done it better myself. How did you come up with this? The carnival was an excellent idea.”

“Actually, it was Phade's idea.”

His eyes pop open wide and his jaw jets to the side. “No shit, this was his idea.” Pulling the paper back in, he holds it up high and smiles. “I should frame this, seriously, I couldn't have done this better myself.”

I should feel proud, but I don't.

Instead, I feel sick to my stomach. I don't want him to proud of me for a lie. A lie that's his, not mine. He's congratulating me for fooling the world, for playing a grand trick to turn his name into gold.

But I don't want recognition for this.

My heart twists as I look at my finger and see the ring. It's supposed to be a symbol for love, but this ring is mocking everything love stands for.

In my heart I'm sad that this ring on my finger is built from a lie. And as the jewel sparkles, bright and pretty on my hand, I feel something deep inside. It's light, but warm, filling me slowly. It moves up through my belly, across my chest and up over my shoulders, running down my arms.

Shit. I have real feelings for Phade.

I don't want it to be true, but it is. That's what I'm feeling, it's building and growing and turning from paper thoughts into actual emotions. Touching the diamond, I fiddle with the ring, rotating it side to side.

“You're quiet, why are you so quiet?” His brow arches as he pulls a cigar from the wooden box on his desk and clips the end off. “What's wrong? You should be excited this is all going so well.”

“I am,” I halfheartedly say. “I just don't want to get ahead of myself is all. We're still in the beginning stages of cleaning up his bad image.”

I lie.

What I'm feeling has nothing to do with any of this, and everything to do with Phade. And then there's what he said about my step-father.

Maybe Phade is right? Maybe all these years Daniel really only has cared about himself. Maybe he's been manipulating me because I don't really fit into the life he wants. Maybe I've been his burden and not his family at all.

It's hard let myself believe it, but looking at my step-father, I don't see the same man I used to look up to.

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