Emily Parker decided that lying was a skill.
And like all skills, it required confidence.
She sat on her couch with her phone balanced against her knee, scrolling aimlessly while rehearsing her tone in her head. Calm. Casual. Slightly smug. The tone of someone whose life was definitely not on the verge of implosion.
Her aunt would be calling any minute now.
As if summoned by thought alone, Emily's phone rang.
Aunt Lin.
Emily answered on the third ring. Not too eager. Not too distant.
"Hello, Auntie," she said lightly.
"I heard nothing from you after I left," Aunt Lin said without greeting. "Have you thought about what I said?"
"Yes," Emily replied smoothly. "And you don't need to worry anymore."
A pause.
"Oh?" Aunt Lin said. "Why is that?"
Emily smiled.
"Because I'm engaged."
Silence.
Not the shocked kind. Not the excited kind.
The dangerous kind.
"You're what?" Aunt Lin asked slowly.
"Engaged," Emily repeated, unfazed. "I told you I had a plan."
Another pause. Emily could practically hear the mental abacus clicking on the other end of the line.
"To whom?" Aunt Lin asked.
Emily didn't hesitate. "His name is Adrian."
She had practiced this.
"Adrian what?"
"...Vale."
The name tasted strange in her mouth. Too heavy. Too real.
Aunt Lin said nothing for a long moment.
Emily leaned back against the couch, crossing her legs, projecting ease she didn't entirely feel.
"He works in finance," Emily continued casually. "We met through... connections."
"What kind of connections?"
"Adult ones," Emily said without thinking.
Silence again.
Emily winced. "I mean-professional. Networking."
"I see," Aunt Lin said flatly. "How old is he?"
"Early thirties."
"Family background?"
"Good."
"Job stability?"
"Extremely stable."
Aunt Lin exhaled sharply. "You expect me to believe this appeared overnight?"
Emily shrugged, though her aunt couldn't see it. "Sometimes things move fast."
"Marriage is not fast," Aunt Lin said. "Marriage is serious."
Emily resisted the urge to laugh.
"Yes," she said solemnly. "Very serious."
"Then prove it."
Emily's smile froze.
"Prove... what?"
"That you're engaged," Aunt Lin said. "I want proof."
Emily's brain went into overdrive.
Proof.
Rings. Photos. Parents. Documents.
She had planned for none of these.
"What kind of proof?" Emily asked carefully.
"I want to meet him," Aunt Lin said. "And I want to see registration papers."
Emily's heart skipped.
"Registration papers?"
"Yes," Aunt Lin replied impatiently. "An engagement registered properly leads to marriage. If you're serious, there should be paperwork."
Emily laughed lightly, hoping humor would save her. "Auntie, you're jumping ahead. There's no registration for engagement. Only marriage "
"Exactly" Aunt Lin said. "I'm asking you to register your marriage"
The line went dead.
Emily stared at her phone.
"...Shit."
---
Emily spent the next hour pacing her apartment.
She rehearsed lies.
She imagined fake documents.
She even Googled "marriage registration" and quickly regretted it.
Too many steps. Too much verification. Too much effort.
"This is fine," she muttered, pacing. "I'll just... delay."
Her phone buzzed again.
Aunt Lin: I will come with you to register next week.
Emily stopped pacing.
Register.
With her.
Her gaze drifted slowly to her laptop.
To her email.
To the folder she had deliberately ignored since signing the contract.
A bad feeling settled in her stomach.
"No," she whispered.
She opened the agency's email.
Scrolled.
Scrolled more.
Her eyes caught on a line she had skimmed past before:
"Legal marriage registration has been completed in accordance with national regulations."
Emily blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"What?"
Her fingers trembled as she scrolled further down.
Attached was a document.
A marriage certificate.
Emily's vision blurred.
"No," she said faintly. "No, no, no-this was a clerical mistake."
She opened the document.
Names.
Dates.
Stamps.
Her name.
Emily Parker.
Spouse:
Adrian Vale.
Legally married.
Already.
Her knees gave out. She collapsed onto the couch, staring at the screen like it might rearrange itself out of pity.
"This wasn't supposed to be real," she whispered.
She remembered the contract.
The dense clauses.
The phrase "binding upon execution."
Her laughter bubbled up, sharp and hysterical.
"I'm married," she said out loud. "I'm actually married."
To a billionaire.
Without a wedding.
Without meeting his parents.
Without telling her aunt.
Her phone rang again.
Aunt Lin.
Emily answered weakly.
"Well?" Aunt Lin demanded. "When are we going?"
Emily swallowed.
"There's... no need," she said slowly.
"Why?"
"Because," Emily said, staring at the certificate, "I'm already married."
Silence.
"What did you say?"
Emily exhaled. "I signed the papers already. Legally."
Another long pause.
"You registered... without telling me?" Aunt Lin asked, incredulous.
Emily winced. "It happened quickly."
"Where?"
"In the city."
"To whom?"
"...Adrian Vale."
This time, the silence stretched so long Emily thought the call had dropped.
Finally, Aunt Lin spoke.
"Bring the documents," she said. "I want to see them. And come with your supposed husband "
The call ended.
Emily dropped the phone onto the couch.
Her chest felt tight.
This wasn't a lie she could undo.
This wasn't an engagement she could fabricate.
This was real.
Binding.
Permanent-at least for now.
She buried her face in her hands.
"This was supposed to be easy," she muttered.
Her phone buzzed again.
A new message.
Adrian Vale: Would it be convenient for you to visit my family with me during the weekend?
Emily stared at the screen.
Slowly.
Her blood ran cold.
Family?
Why was she meeting family?
Aunt Lin, Adrian Vale, her perfect life was crumbling down.
Emily Parker lifted her head, dread settling deep in her bones.
This wasn't a clerical mistake.
This wasn't temporary convenience.
She wasn't engaged.
She was already a wife.
And her aunt was about to find out.
