Married as a Dare? Sorry, It's for Life

On Valentine's Day, I was hunched over my desk, organizing files, when someone tapped twice on the glass.

"Rowen, don't take this seriously. It's just a dare."

I looked up.

Standing outside was Shelby Smith, my fiancee whom I had been dating for five years.

Right beside her was her male best friend, Liam Pearson.

His arm was wrapped around her shoulder, and he was wearing a coat that was clearly made for a woman.

I recognized it immediately. It was the birthday present I'd given Shelby last week.

Shelby slid two IDs and supporting documents through the window, wearing a sycophantic smile. "We lost a game. The penalty was registering a marriage with Liam for one day. Don't worry. We'll be back tomorrow morning to file the divorce."

Liam pulled her closer, sporting a smug grin that barely hid the provocation in his eyes. "Come on, Rowen, you aren't actually petty enough to refuse us, right? It's total platonic friendship, man. Just a dare. You're not actually taking it to heart, are you?"

My fingertips turned ice-cold as I collected their documents.

The man and woman sitting before me were, respectively, the person I had sworn to spend the rest of my life with and the best friend she claimed was closer to her than a sister.

And now, on Valentine's Day, they were asking me to handle their marriage registration.

It was utterly absurd.

I could feel the curious stares from my coworkers and hear the hushed whispers from the couples waiting in line behind them.

Shelby looked uneasy and pressed on, "Rowen, hurry up. We need to leave right after."

Liam leaned in, tugging her closer to his chest, and silently mouthed four words at me. "She was mine last night."

I took a deep breath to fight down the wave of nausea rising in my throat before raising my head to flash them a flawless, professional smile. "Alright. Let's do this by the book."

I pulled out the marriage application forms and expertly guided them through the paperwork.

Every single step was executed to perfection, as if I were dealing with two total strangers.

My complete composure caught them off guard.

Shelby frowned slightly, clearly unsettled by my apparent generosity.

"All set. Take this form over there to pay the marriage license fee. They also offer photo services if you want to capture the moment. Counter 3 has the shortest line."