I\u2019d spent my entire life under my father\u2019s thumb. He wasn\u2019t cruel, exactly, but to him, everything was a cold, calculated, and profitable business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his world, I was an asset, a chess piece in his lifelong game. My future husband? He\u2019d be the \u201cstrategic partner\u201d for our family\u2019s gain, not a person to love or laugh with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll thank me one day,\u201d he would always say, his voice firm and final. \u201cIt\u2019s not about love, dear. It\u2019s about stability. Real love comes from stability, from strength.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHi\u2026 I\u2014\u201d I took a breath, steadying myself. \u201cI need a husband. How would you feel about getting married today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He raised an eyebrow, looking at me like I\u2019d just stepped out of a different world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou serious?\u201d he asked, his voice deep but calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I replied, trying to sound steady, but the desperation in my voice slipped through. \u201cIt\u2019s not\u2026 it\u2019s not what you think. This isn\u2019t about love or anything like that. It\u2019s just\u2026 I need to get out of a situation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked at me, considering. \u201cSo, you\u2019re saying\u2026 you need a fake husband?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExactly. A business deal.\u201d I swallowed. \u201cJust something to get my father off my back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his world, life was simple, unhurried, and he showed me things I\u2019d never paid attention to, like how to make breakfast without help, or how to budget for groceries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When my father found out I\u2019d married, he was livid. He called me every hour, his messages curt, his tone icy. After days of ignoring him, I finally answered the phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is going on, Anna?\u201d he demanded. \u201cYou married someone\u2014a stranger! A janitor! Have you lost your mind?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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