Chapter 4

The rain was coming down in sheets that day. I remember the drive felt endless, the wipers on full blast, struggling to keep the windshield clear. I'd been away for a while, with Michael tormenting me throughout the day , I was finally heading home. I was expecting a warm welcome, maybe a home-cooked meal, a sense of normalcy.

But when I turned the corner onto our street, my heart just stopped. There they were, my family, standing in the downpour. Everything we owned was piled on the curb – furniture, clothes, all soaked and ruined. The eviction notice was still taped to the front door.

My dad was huddled under a flimsy umbrella, his face etched with a mix of exhaustion and despair. My younger siblings were clinging to each other, shivering and silent.

I highlighted from the Uber and just ran. I didn't even care about the rain soaking through my clothes. I ran to them, and the moment I reached them, Dad just looked at me, his eyes red-rimmed. "We lost the house, Leah," he choked out. "We lost everything."

"Dad, what happened?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper over the rain.

My little niece , Sarah, tugged at my sleeve. "Where are we going to sleep, Leah?" she asked, her teeth chattering.

I knelt down and pulled her close. "We'll figure it out, sweetie. I promise." I looked at my family, their faces a mixture of shock, fear, and exhaustion. The air was thick with the smell of wet cardboard and the unspoken weight of their situation. I didn't know what to say, what to do.

"We'll get through this," I said, my voice gaining strength. "We'll stick together, and we'll find a way."

My brother, Michael, piped up, "Can we at least get some dry clothes?"

I nodded, "Of course. Let's go. We'll figure this out, together."

All I knew was that I had to be strong for them now. We were homeless, standing in the pouring rain, but we were together.

I was trying to figure out what to do when I saw a familiar face, approaching us with a umbrella.

“Grandma?!!!” I exclaimed.

*************

“Thank you so much,you’re so generous,” my dad couldn’t contain his joy as he thanked Mrs Fisher who was generous enough to get us out of the rain, and rented a furnished apartment for us, all for free.

I still couldn’t fathom how and why she tailed me. I just knew I was busted, I claimed to be from a Rich background during my first meeting with her.

“You know, if my wife were still alive, she’d be so happy to see you, because you’re her idol!” He added, I had never seen my dad smile so brightly, it made my heart smile.

“Really?!! Thank you, your daughter seems like a good kid, doesn’t she?” Grandma Fisher asked, pointing directly at me.

“Oh, she really is.” My dad responded, happily dragging me to where he was standing, like he was putting me up for sale.

“Can I talk to her in private?” Grandma asked.

To be honest, I was scared because I was already caught, I wanted to just receive any insult and punishment that’d come and get over it.

“Okay ma’am, thanks again,” my dad said, leaving the sitting room to Grandma and I.

Immediately my dad left, I fell on my kneels and rested my head on her laps.

“Oh, grandma, I mean ma’am, I’m really sorry… I’m really really sorry… I didn’t mean to trick you or lie to you… I just desperately needed the money, so please, forgive me.” I I pleaded, bowing my head to the ground. I wanted her to feel my sincerity.

“Okay. Get up,” she urged, smiling and revealing her beautiful dimples. “Sit on the chair, here,” she said, Pointing at the chair facing hers.

“Is Leah your real name?” She continued.

“Yes! It’s my real name.. I’m not lying… I really am Leah Craig.” I responded, nodding my head affirmatively.

“I knew it, I knew that were faking it!” She said, looking straight into my eyes, like the answers were there.

“Huh??” I muttered.

“I know my grandson, he does not believe in marriage, now I need to ask you a favor. Do you promise to tell me the truth?” She asked.

“Yes! I promise to tell the truth and nothing but the truth!” I said, crossing my heart.

“So why did you do that?” She continued.

“Because, ma’am, Michael said he needed money,” I answered.

“I knew it! Michael is the one behind this, isn’t he?” She asked, with disappointment written all over her face. I felt bad. Michael wasn’t worth all the stress, to me he was just another asshole.

“Well, I guess you could say that.” I added, waiting to answer more questions.

“My dear, you know I’m in the twilight of my years, money is so easy to leave behind, but what will happen to him when I’m gone?” She asked holding my hands with a sad look on her face.

I was dumbfounded and just kept staring at her.

“I want to hire you!” She voiced out, wiping the tears off her face.

Clearly confused, I asked , “hire me? For what?”

“You’ll push through with the wedding.. it’s not going to be real… I.. I will take care of everything.. just please do it.” She pleaded desperately. “It’s just that, I want to teach him a lesson, I want him to learn to value what he has, and to value other people… I will triple whatever offer he gave you… as a mother I beg you, help me please!” She muttered , almost crying. 

I couldn't resist her pleas, after renting an apartment for us, it was the least I could. Even though it meant dealing with a jerk like Michael.

“Okay ma’am, let’s do this, but my family shouldn’t know about this.. a fake marriage would break their heart.. they will not be present at the wedding either, I’ll tell them I got a job at Hong Kong,” I wasn’t going to agree to this without giving my conditions.

“Sure!! Anything my dear, anything!” She replied, drawing me closer for a hug.

2 weeks later

The moment the officiant said those words, "You may kiss the bride," I turned to Michael, “You better be good. This is my first kiss ever.”

“Are you nuts? I should deduct this from your salary.” He whispered, giving me a killing look.

“Hey, it’s my first kiss, you should be happy.. I bet you can’t wait to kiss me.. come on, here we go!. I whispered, pouting my lips for a kiss and ignoring his initial statement, his words didn’t get to me any longer, which kind of pissed him off.

But then... he hesitated. I could see the nerves etched on his face, the way he was scanning the room, avoiding my eyes. It was a little unsettling, but I reached up, touched his cheek, and whispered, "It's okay."

He leaned in, slowly, almost reluctantly. The kiss was... brief. A soft touch, a quick brush of lips. It was over before I could even fully savor it.

He pulled away, a look of relief on his face. I smiled, trying to hide my slight disappointment. I dragged his face to mine, and kissed him sweetly, that way the crowd would think we were actually a real couple.

The kiss was done, and the fake celebration continued, but in my mind, I couldn't help but wonder how I was going to cope with this selfish person for a while, at least till my contract expires. I wasn’t just working for him now, I was working for his Grandma.