Chapter 2
I approached him, one step at a time.
He looked at me. There was no surprise in his eyes, just a hint of curiosity.
I took a deep breath, as if it took everything I had.
I said, "Hey, looks like your bride bailed, and so did my groom.
"I'm done waiting, and I'm not coming back.
"So, do you have the guts to marry me?"
Time seemed to stop for a second.
All eyes in the hall were on us.
The lady at the desk had her mouth shaped into a perfect 'O'.
He just stared at me for a good thirty seconds.
I figured he'd think I was nuts.
But instead, he slowly got to his feet.
He was a head taller than me, his shadow falling over me.
He nodded, his voice low and velvety.
"Okay," he said.
Ten minutes later,
I walked out of the registry office side by side with a man I'd only met once.
The marriage certificate in my hand still had warmth lingering at its edges.
I stopped in my tracks and pulled out my phone.
I found Sean's name on my WhatsApp contacts and sent him one last message.
[Don't bother. I'm married now.]
I hit send, then deleted him from my contacts, all in one go.
After that, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.
It was like breaking free from a heavy shackle I'd been bound by for five years.
"Mrs. Willard," came a man's deep voice from beside me.
I paused for a moment before it hit me he was talking to me.
I looked up at him, my legal husband, Ryan Willard, at least on paper.
He stood on the steps, sunlight gilding his shoulders.
His expression was still calm, but there was a new seriousness in his eyes.
"So, where to now?" Ryan asked.
Ryan's question snapped me back to reality.
I started to think about the question.
The marital home where Sean and I lived, bought outright by my parents and registered under my name.
For the past two years, Sean had been living there.
His stuff and his family's stuff crammed into every corner of the house.
It hadn't felt like my home for a long time.
It was more like a free hotel for all of them.
Just an hour ago, I was still the lady of that house.
Now, I had nowhere to call home.
I glanced at Ryan.
He seemed to sense how lost I was and didn't ask any questions.
He pulled out his phone and dialed.
"Grover, get the Tranquil Manor place ready for us," he said.
"And hurry up."
His voice was calm, but you could hear the command in it.
After hanging up, he glanced at me.
"I've been staying at a hotel, so Tranquil Manor is vacant," Ryan said.
"We can stay there for now, at least until we decide what to do next."
His suggestion was reasonable, considerate, but not over the top.
There was no trace of condescension, and he didn't make a big deal out of it.
It felt like we were old friends, not just strangers who met today.
I nodded.
"Okay," I replied.
The ride to the place we'd now call home was quiet.
Ryan was behind the wheel of a black Phaeton, understated, but solid.
Just like him.
I sat in the passenger seat, watching the city blur past outside the window.
Everything seemed like a dream.
It was almost unreal.
I even secretly pinched my thigh, just to check if I was really awake.
It hurt.
So it was real.
I was married to a man I'd just met an hour ago.
I turned my head and snuck a look at the man beside me.
He was focused on driving, his hands clean and elegant, every joint sharp and defined.
On his wrist was a Patek Philippe watch, the kind I'd only ever seen in magazines, way out of my league.
He definitely wasn't just some regular guy.
So why did his bride stand him up too?
And why did he say yes to my crazy proposal without even hesitating?
We stopped at a red light.
The car came to a smooth halt.
Ryan, like he had eyes in the back of his head, suddenly spoke up.
"Go ahead, ask whatever you want," he said.
My heart gave a little jump, and I felt awkward.
"It's nothing," I replied.
He turned to look at me, his gaze deep and intense.
He said, "Sharon, we're married now.
"Husband and wife don't need to keep secrets from each other."
His calm voice had a way of putting me at ease.
My heart, which had been hanging in suspense from all my impulsive choices, finally felt at peace.
I licked my dry lips, nerves kicking in, and finally blurted out what had really been on my mind.
"Why did you... agree to marry me?" I finally asked.
Ryan watched the red light tick down, three, two, one.
The light turned green.
The car smoothly pulled away.
He spoke at last, his voice calm and steady.
"Because I need a wife, too," Ryan said.