Fake Wife, Real Revenge: I Married His Billionaire Uncle

"Your marriage certificate is a forgery, Miss Buchanan."

Alanna Buchanan gripped the counter. "Then who is Aiden legally married to?"

"Ember Rowland."

Her blood froze. "Who?"

"Ember Rowland," the clerk repeated.

"No." Alanna's voice came out hollow. "That's his aunt. His dead uncle's widow."

For two years, Alanna had believed she was Aiden's wife.

But her husband had never been hers. He had married his widowed aunt instead.

Two hours earlier...

Alanna typed the final line of code, and a quiet smile touched her lips. The algorithm was perfect. Clean, efficient, and years ahead of anything their competitors could dream of. She leaned back in her chair, the satisfaction a warm hum beneath her skin. This-this was what she loved. The logic, the creation, the building of something from nothing.

Her eyes drifted to the digital calendar on her desk. The day after tomorrow was circled in red: her second wedding anniversary with Aiden Mcmahon. Seven years together, two years married. She had already booked a table at the small Italian restaurant where they'd had their first date.

Her phone lit up on the desk. A message from Aiden. "Going to be late tonight, honey. Have to lock down this new round of financing with Sterling."

Alanna's smile softened. As the CEO of Aura Tech, Aiden was the face of the company, the dealmaker. She, as the chief architect of their technology, was the engine. They were a perfect team. "It's okay," she typed back. "Take care of yourself. And don't forget the day after tomorrow." She pictured his handsome face, the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, and a familiar warmth spread through her chest.

She packed her things, grabbing her handbag. There was one more stop she needed to make. A little surprise for their anniversary dinner.

Walking out, she passed Aiden's corner office. The door was closed, the glass frosted. She imagined him inside, fighting for their future, and felt a surge of pride. Their future.

She drove away from the gleaming Aura Tech tower, the Las Vegas lights beginning to blur into a glittering tapestry. Her destination wasn't a jewelry store or a high-end boutique. It was the Clark County Clerk's Office.

The air inside smelled of old paper and stale coffee. People waited in line, their faces a mixture of excitement and numb bureaucracy. Alanna felt a small, secret thrill. For a small acquisition Aura Tech was planning, they needed a government background check, which required a certified copy of her marriage license. It felt fitting-using the official proof of their love to build their empire.

"Next."

Alanna stepped up to the counter, offering a polite smile to the older clerk, whose name tag read 'Peterson'.

She handed over her driver's license. "I need a certified copy of a marriage license. The names are Alanna Buchanan and Aiden Mcmahon." She gave him the date of their wedding.

Mr. Peterson typed the information into his computer, his brow slowly furrowing. He adjusted his reading glasses, reread the screen, then glanced back at her license.

"Miss Buchanan," he began, his voice hesitant. "Are you sure about that date?"

A small knot of unease formed in her stomach, but she kept the smile in place. "Of course. June 12th, two years ago. I wouldn't forget my own wedding."

Mr. Peterson's expression shifted to something strange, a look of pity. He turned his monitor toward her. "There's no record in the system of a marriage between you and an Aiden Mcmahon."

The smile froze on her face. "That's impossible. It must be a system error. We have the certificate at home."

"Miss Buchanan," the clerk said gently, his pitying eyes fixed on her face, "there is no legal record of a marriage between you and Aiden Mcmahon. The certificate you have is not valid. If it was presented to you as an official marriage certificate, then it was forged."

Alanna gripped the edge of the counter. The word forged seemed to split the world beneath her feet. "Then... has Aiden ever registered a legal marriage?"

The clerk sighed wearily and typed something else. His fingers moved slowly, then stopped. His expression grew even more complicated. "Yes. Mr. Aiden Mcmahon does have a legal marriage on file."

Her throat tightened. "Then who is Aiden legally married to?"

"Ember Rowland."

Her blood froze. "Who?"

"Ember Rowland," Peterson repeated.

"No." Alanna's voice came out hollow. "That's his aunt. His dead uncle's widow."

Aiden's fragile, widowed aunt? The woman his late uncle had left behind? The one who needed so much "looking after"? Alanna's mind went completely blank. The sounds of the office faded into a dull roar.

Peterson's voice seemed to come from a great distance. "Their date of registration was one month before your... 'wedding' date."

The blood in Alanna's veins turned to ice. She gripped the counter to keep from falling. His pitying eyes were like daggers, shredding the beautiful tapestry of her seven-year love story. The platinum bracelet on her wrist, Aiden's "engagement gift," dug painfully into her skin.

She heard a voice, a strange, trembling thing that she barely recognized as her own. "...a copy. Can I have a copy of Aiden Mcmahon and Ember Rowland's marriage certificate?"

Mr. Peterson nodded, and the printer began to whir. The sound was a mocking laugh track to the last seven years of her life.

A single sheet of paper slid out.

She took it. Her fingertips were numb. The paper was light, but it carried the weight of a lie that was heavy enough to crush her entire world.