I woke up that morning with butterflies fluttering in my stomach, a mix of nerves and excitement coursing through my veins. I dressed carefully, choosing a vibrant red dress that hugged my figure perfectly, the fabric soft and flowing, making me feel both confident and comfortable. I paired it with my favorite black ankle boots, giving me a little extra height and a dash of attitude.
As I looked in the mirror, my eyes sparkled with anticipation, and a wide grin spread across my face. My hair was styled in loose waves, framing my face beautifully, and I added a touch of makeup to highlight my features. With each passing minute, my excitement grew, and I could hardly contain my energy. Hannah arrived at my door, dressed in a cool, chic outfit, a mischievous grin on her face. "Ready to rock this audition, girl?" she asked, her voice full of energy. I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. "I'm so nervous," I admitted, "but also so excited." Hannah squeezed my shoulder, her eyes full of confidence. "You've got this, Leah," she said, "just remember to breathe and have fun." When we arrived at the audition venue, my heart raced. I bounced on my toes, glancing around, taking in the atmosphere filled with hopefuls like me. My palms were slightly sweaty, but I couldn't help but smile at the thought of finally getting the chance to showcase my talent to my Michael Fisher, yes my Michael Fisher. They were obviously lots of gorgeous girls in there but I was optimistic. It was a major role, I wanted it. One of Michael’s close pals came out from the audition room, I had seen him commercials with Michael before. “Girls good afternoon, we’ll be starting the audition in ten minutes,” he announced, with one foot in the audition and one foot outside. Just as he was about closing the door, I caught a glimpse of Michael, my heart skipped a bit He was tall and handsome, with a smile that could melt glaciers. His eyes were the most captivating thing I'd ever seen, like pools of liquid chocolate, and his skin was the color of warm caramel, smooth and flawless. He stood there, radiating confidence and charisma, and for a moment, I was completely mesmerized. He was everything I had ever dreamed of, and more. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt a blush creeping up my neck. I couldn't help but stare. I waited for long before it got to my turn, ladies were going out and coming in, Hannah had already auditioned and failed. I was nervous. “Leah Craig.. please come for your audition,” just as I was about entering the audition room the door closed on my face, “are they done? Or is it my bad luck?” I thought to myself. I tried eavesdropping through by placing my ears on the door, trying to get what was going on. The door opened abruptly and I fell on someone’s chest. His chest was soft and broad, his perfume smelt heavenly, I looked up and there he was, Michael Fisher!!!! I went back to his chest I didn’t want to let go, instead he pushed me off. “What the hell are you doing? Get off me?!” He said, looking at me like I was irritating, but I didn’t mind, I could’ve stayed there all day staring at him if I was interrupted by one of the judges. “Leah Craig….can you please come in for your audition?” “Yes!! I will audition… I will audition!!” I exclaimed, still staring intensely at the confused Michael standing by the door. The room buzzed with nervous energy, a symphony of hushed whispers and the clatter of chairs. I felt my heart hammering in my chest, my palms slick with sweat. This was it. The moment I'd been waiting for. But as I looked around, my heart sank. There was no woman with a clipboard, no stern expression, no professional air. Instead, I saw Michael’s two gentlemen both of them looking familiar. They were Michael's bestfriends, the ones I had seen in commercials with him most times . My stomach churned. This wasn't what I'd expected. I'd prepared for a professional audition, but then they seemed cool. Suddenly, one of the men, a tall, lanky guy with a mischievous grin, spoke up. "Alright, Leah, what’s your talent? He asked. “Uhm… I act well.. but my main talent is impersonation,” I said confidently with my hands on my waist to display confidence. “Great!!” Michael replied, smiling from ear to ear. We’re gonna have a little fun. We want you to impersonate a dog." My jaw dropped. Impersonate a dog? This wasn't what I'd signed up for. But I wasn't going to let them see me sweat. I took a deep breath and decided to go with it. "Okay," I said, trying to sound confident. "What kind of dog?" The men erupted in laughter. This was going to be interesting. “A local dog”. “Woof… woof … “ mimicking a dog, I didn’t wait for their judgement before saying, “so which role am I getting ?” “My wife,” Michael responded placing his hands on his chin and smiling . I didn’t know how to feel, I was so excited. I screamed “yes yes I do… I do,” I was sure the whole building heard my voice. Michael’s pov It was the day of the audition and I was so conflicted with my thoughts. I just wanted to find a girl that was perfect for the act. I needed that trust fund, it contained millions and if faking a marriage was the solution, I was ready. I was sitting there, just wanting to pick a girl, but honestly, none of them were giving me what I wanted. I wasn't nervous or anything; I just wanted someone who stood out, you know? Trey was cracking jokes with every girl that walked in, and I could see him trying to charm them. "Come on, just one of you has to be fun!" he joked, making everyone laugh. Louis, on the other hand, was busy taking notes like he was judging a cooking competition or something. I leaned over to him and said, "Dude, are you really taking notes on this?" He just shrugged and replied, "Hey, I’m looking for the best dish here." But as each girl came up, I just didn’t feel that spark. I was looking for someone with personality and depth, but it felt like they were all trying too hard to impress. I wanted authenticity, but all I saw were rehearsed smiles and practiced lines. I turned to Trey and said, "Where’s the realness? I just want to find the right girl and get this whole thing over with!" It was so frustrating! Some of them were to big, some weren’t good with dictions, some looked unkempt, I was hopeless. “Wrap this up guys!” I was so pissed that I decided to leave even though tons of women were still waiting to be auditioned, it all just seemed like a wasted effort. “Michael, chill bruh… let’s get this over with, this is probably the only way,” Louis tried convincing me to stay but I was done. As I was about leaving, bam!!!! I collided with one of the girls, it seemed like she has been at the door eavesdropping. She looked up and I saw how sparkling her eyes were, I guess that was what made me interested in her in the first place. “Hey!!!! Get off me!!!” I muttered, pushing her away at the same time, rather than feeling embarrassed she was actually smiling and staring at me intensely like she had just seen a Demi god. Her hair, it was like a waterfall of silk, cascading down her back. And her skin? Flawless, like porcelain. Her body, just... wow. Everything about her was perfect, you know? But it wasn't just the looks, nah. I wanted to know more. “Are you coming in for the audition?” Louis asked, holding a piece of paper in his left hand. He looked like a real judge. “My name is Leah Craig a.k.a lily!!!!” Her smile was everything, so full of life, she was just so happy to be there. “So what role am I playing?” She asked curiously. “Grandma would like her,” I thought to myself. “My wife,” I responded.I hadn’t stepped foot into the Fisher estate in two months.Not since that night.The night Leah broke my heart in front of everyone I loved. The night I saw my grandmother’s carefully constructed web snap—and realized I’d been a pawn in my own life.Since then, I’d buried myself in work, in silence, in long drives that led nowhere and whiskey bottles I never finished. I told myself I needed space. Clarity. That I couldn’t think with the echo of her voice still in my ears.But clarity never came.And the silence only made it worse.I hated her.I missed her.And more than anything—I loved her.That was the part I couldn’t shake. Not even when I tried. Not even when I wanted to.So when Grandma called out of the blue and asked me to come home—"Just for tea,” she said—I almost said no. But something in her voice wasn’t quite… right.So I came.The moment I stepped through the front door, Jasper gave me a strange look. Not judgmental. Just… hesitant.I nodded at him. “Hey.”“She waited h
Two months.That’s how long it’s been since the party. Since Michael’s voice cut through the air like glass and shattered the version of us I’d been holding onto with both hands.Two months of silence.I haven’t heard from him—not even a whisper through someone else. The man who once used to call me his light, who used to send me pictures of his lunch just so I could make fun of how fancy it looked, has disappeared.I think the worst part isn’t the silence itself.It’s that I understand it.And maybe, in a way, I deserve it.I go through the motions now. I wake up. I help my father around the house. I make the same tea my mom used to drink before she passed—chamomile, with just a touch of honey. I fold laundry while reruns play in the background, the kind Michael used to roll his eyes at before secretly watching the whole episode with me. I walk past my reflection and barely recognize her—this version of me that’s quieter, duller, more fragile than before.Some nights, I hear my dad u
It was supposed to be the best night of our lives.The garden shimmered under golden lights, every tree outlined like something out of a fairytale. Guests wandered between marble tables, glasses of champagne in hand, laughter and the soft hum of string instruments filling the night air.Leah had no idea.That was the best part.She thought it was just a party—for fun, maybe a belated birthday surprise. She didn’t know I’d spent the last two months planning every detail, or that I’d invited everyone who meant something to us.Trey and Liam stood near the bar in sharp tuxedos, nodding as I passed. Grandma Fisher sat like royalty beneath the wisteria-covered archway, wearing that unreadable expression she always wore—part amused, part watchful. My father, whom I’d only recently forgiven, actually showed up. And Leah’s family—her father, her younger siblings—stood a little in awe of the extravagance. Her dad was holding a drink he hadn’t touched, just… watching her.And Leah?God.She look
It was evening when Michael insisted I wear the black satin dress he picked out “just for tonight.” The moment I stepped into it, I knew he was planning something. He looked at me like I was something sacred. Dangerous, even. But he wouldn’t say what was going on.The car ride was quiet, except for his fingers drumming nervously on the steering wheel and the occasional glance at me like he was holding in a secret that could explode if he smiled too wide.“Where are we going?” I asked for the third time.He grinned, eyes still on the road. “Somewhere that matters.”My heart hummed with both dread and excitement.We pulled up to a large garden villa strung with fairy lights. Music drifted softly through the evening air, carried by laughter and clinking glasses. Michael came around and opened my door, offering his hand like I was a queen stepping into a ballroom.Inside, people were mingling, smiling—faces I didn’t know, but all of them clearly there for something, or someone. I blinked.
I stood outside Grandma Fisher’s house for five full minutes before ringing the bell, watching my reflection in the polished brass like it held answers. I looked… composed. Mostly. But my heart thudded like I was about to walk into a courtroom instead of a sunroom.Jasper, the butler, answered with his usual stoicism and ushered me into the conservatory, where the queen herself was holding court among her orchids and afternoon tea. She looked impossibly elegant in a cream silk blouse, sleeves rolled just enough to be casual—but not careless.When she spotted me, she didn’t look surprised. Of course she didn’t.“Well,” she said, setting down her porcelain teacup, “either you’ve come to confess something... or ask for money. And if it’s the second, you’re far braver than I thought.”I forced a smile as I stepped forward. “No money. Just the truth.”That earned a raised brow. “My favorite kind of trouble.”She gestured to the seat across from her. I sat down, spine stiff, unsure whether
I felt the weight of the lie before we even stepped into the parlor.Michael's hand grazed mine as we entered, offering comfort, but my pulse was already racing. This was it. The moment we unraveled it all—the fake marriage, the contract, the deception. I The moment we told his grandmother the truth.Only, she already knew.She sat in her usual chair by the window, bathed in the soft afternoon light, porcelain teacup poised between two perfectly manicured fingers. Calm. Regal. Untouchable. She looked like someone expecting guests to confess to borrowing a vase, not orchestrating a love story laced with lies.Michael stood beside me, shifting his weight like he might bolt. I remained seated, spine straight, hands folded in my lap, holding in the tremble.Grandma Fisher didn't glance up. “Well,” she said. “Someone say something before I assume you've joined a cult.”Michael cleared his throat. “It’s about the marriage,” he said, voice low. “It wasn’t real. At first.”She looked up slowl