All Chapters of One Year as Mrs Morgan : Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

By the time my shift ended, my feet hurt, my back ached, and I had forty-three dollars in tips to show for six hours of smiling at people who barely looked at me.Forty-three dollars. That might cover groceries and part of the electricity bill. It wouldn’t cover the payment the hospital had reminded me about that afternoon.My phone buzzed.Hospital Billing Department: Please contact us regarding your mother’s outstanding balance and ongoing treatment costs.I checked my banking app. The numbers hadn’t changed.I locked my phone and shoved it into my bag. Mom had called earlier, insisting she felt fine and telling me not to worry about her.As if I knew how to do that.She was the reason I picked up every extra shift, swallowed every insult from customers, and kept going when exhaustion made me feel twice my age. I could deal with being broke and tired. I just couldn’t lose her.“Nicole!” Jenna called from the staff door. “We’re going for drinks. You coming?”I shook my head as I pull

Next Day. My mother's hospital called while I was cleaning a table.I almost let it ring. My hands were wet, and I had a tray balanced against my hip. But then I saw the hospital's number, and my heart started pounding.I grabbed my phone."Hello?""Is this Nicole Brown? We're calling about your mother."I put the tray down so quickly that the glasses rattled. "Yes. What's wrong? Is she okay?""Your mother's condition has become more serious. We need you to come to the hospital as soon as possible."My stomach dropped."But the donor…," I swallowed. "You told me there was a possibility of a donor. What happened?"There was a pause."The donor will no longer be available. I'm sorry, Nicole. The medical team will explain the situation when you arrive."For a moment, I couldn't hear anything except the noise of the bar around me.No longer available?I'd been holding on to that possibility for weeks. Every time I checked my bank account and found another reason to panic, I'd reminded my

Ryan was still standing close enough for me to notice the faint scent of his cologne.The photographer waited with his camera raised, while the guests watched us with eager smiles. Apparently, everyone expected the newly married couple to seal their vows with a kiss.Great. Just great.I had barely made it through the ceremony without falling apart, and now I was expected to kiss a man who had married me for convenience.Ryan's gaze met mine.“We only need to give him a convincing picture,” he murmured, his voice low enough for only me to hear.I wanted to ask whether he ever got tired of treating everything like a business transaction. But the photographer was still waiting, and I could practically feel the guests wondering why we hadn't kissed yet.Our marriage depended on looking real. I'd known that when I signed the contract.So I swallowed my discomfort and gave Ryan a small nod.“Fine. Just make it quick.”Something flickered in his eyes, but it disappeared before I could figur