The Fake Wedding, A Real Betrayal

cheap coffee. I clutched the marriage certificate, the paper crisp and

rown, typed my name into her computer. She squinted

id you say you obtain

n branch a couple of weeks ago. Just

e monitor. "There is no downtown branch for this

t shock me as much as they should have. A

not authentic?" I a

She finally looked at me, her expression a mix of pity and professional detachment. "

iting for me to brea

who

Mark J

er best friend. The t

on her counter, and walked out into the blinding sunlight. My hands were st

job offer in Seattl

tantly. For you? Alwa

ped back.

ment, Olivia was in the kitchen, humming. S

s your day? Try one, they' re

hair tied up loosely. The picture

. "I was at the city

Oh? So soon? I thought we we

. "I just wanted to check on the location you mention

g crossed her eyes, but it was gone in an

I am with directions." She picked up a pink macaron and held it to my l

d my he

her talking on the phone in the bedroom. Her voice

family. They wanted him to marry someone from 'old money,' some

I held

ropped even lower, laced with a kind of weary frustration. "It' s just to get Mark' s family

her

But love? After six years, it' s not about that anymore. I

certainty. Six years. A lie. I was a placeholder. A comfortable

as made. I wasn' t just leaving