I Faked a Marriage to Save My Daughter—And Fell Into a Life I Never Expected
Being a single mom means your brain never stops working. You’re always thinking about something—making lunch, buying new shoes because the old ones don’t fit anymore, booking doctor appointments, paying bills, trying to keep your job, and making sure your child is safe and happy.
Even when things are quiet, my mind is loud. I lie in bed at night, staring at the ceiling, thinking, Did I forget something? What’s next? What if something goes wrong tomorrow?
That’s exactly what I was doing when my phone rang. I was reorganizing my boss Nathan’s packed calendar on my computer. His meetings were all color-coded—blue for clients, red for finance, green for personal tasks—and I was trying to find a spot to squeeze in Lily’s dentist appointment.
The phone buzzed again. I sighed and answered without checking who it was. My gut told me to pick it up.
“Hello?” I said, distracted.
A calm, cheerful voice replied, “Hello, this is the admissions office at St. Helena Academy. I’m calling about your daughter, Lily.”
My heart stopped. I sat up straight.
“Is she okay?” I asked quickly.
“Oh, yes. She’s perfectly fine,” the woman said. “This is about her tuition grant.”
I felt a wave of worry hit me. “What about it?”
There was a pause. Then she said the words I didn’t want to hear.
“We regret to inform you that the scholarship has been reassigned. After a reassessment of eligibility, your daughter no longer qualifies.”
“What?” I whispered. “But… she already started classes. She’s been there a month!”
“I understand this is upsetting. But if you want her to remain enrolled, the full annual tuition is required.”
I didn’t even let her finish. I hung up the phone and just sat there, frozen. I couldn’t breathe. My whole body felt like it was buzzing from inside.
That school wasn’t just a school. It was my daughter’s safe space. It was everything I had dreamed for her—small classes, amazing teachers, a beautiful library. I told her she belonged there.
I told her we’d finally caught a break.
But by noon that day, I couldn’t pretend to work anymore. I stared at my screen, not understanding a single word. I felt helpless. And I hated that feeling more than anything.
I needed help. And there was only one person I could ask.
I walked down the hallway, phone in hand, heart pounding. I stopped in front of my boss Nathan’s office. I knocked lightly.
He looked up. “Hey, Grace. What’s up?”
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” My voice sounded too small.
“Of course,” he said, closing his laptop.
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. “It’s about Lily. My daughter.”
He nodded. “Okay, tell me.”
“She… she lost her scholarship,” I said, trying not to cry. “The school said we have until the end of the week to pay tuition. If we don’t, they’ll give her spot to someone else.”
Nathan leaned back in his chair. “How much?”
I told him the number. I felt embarrassed even saying it out loud.
“I know it’s a lot,” I rushed to say. “I’m not asking for a gift. Just a loan. I’ll pay it back—monthly, weekly, whatever you need.”
Nathan stood up and walked to the window, staring outside in silence for a few moments. Then he turned back.
“There might be another way,” he said slowly.
I blinked. “What do you mean?”
“I need to get married,” he said.
I laughed, thinking he was joking. “What?”
“I’m serious. My grandmother is… old-fashioned. Her will says I can’t take over the family estate unless I’m married. She wants a proper wedding. Before her birthday. That’s in a week.”
I stared at him like he had grown two heads. “So what does that have to do with me?”
“I need someone I trust. Someone who can play the part. You.”
“You want me to pretend to marry you?” I asked, stunned.
He nodded. “Yes. We go to her estate, act like we’re in love, and get married on Sunday. After that, we go our separate ways. In return, Lily’s tuition? Covered. Forever.”
I opened my mouth to say no, to call it crazy. But just then, my phone buzzed again. A message from the school:
“Please confirm payment or let us know if Lily will be withdrawing. We have a waitlist.”
They were ready to give her spot away. Just like that.
I looked back at Nathan. “Are you sure about the tuition?”
He nodded. “She’ll never have to worry about it again.”
I closed my eyes. My hands were shaking. “Then… okay. I’ll do it.”
“Good,” he said. “We leave tomorrow. Bring Lily. Everything has to look real.”
Nathan’s grandmother’s estate looked like something out of a fairy tale. A mansion with white stone walls, tall windows, and green vines curling up the sides. There was even a fountain in front with little ducks swimming.
Lily’s eyes lit up. “Mom! Look! Real ducks!” She ran straight for the fountain.
“Lily, slow down!” I called out, running after her.
Nathan chuckled. “Let her go. It’s just water.”
“She gets excited,” I said nervously.
“It’s a good thing,” he replied with a soft smile.
Before I knew it, he was running around the fountain with her, laughing and pretending to chase her. Lily squealed with joy. I just stood there, watching. I’d never seen Nathan like this. Not the serious boss I knew from work.
He looked… happy.
Then I saw an older woman standing on the porch. Silver hair in a tight bun. A long dress. Her eyes were sharp even though she smiled.
“Grandmother,” Nathan said, standing tall. “This is Grace. And that little hurricane is Lily.”
She walked down the steps, graceful and calm. She looked me up and down, then smiled politely.
“So this is the woman who finally tamed my grandson.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, offering my hand.
She took it and squeezed it just a bit too long. “Let’s have dinner. We have much to discuss.”
The dining room was straight out of a movie. A table meant for twenty, but only four of us sat there under a golden chandelier.
She sipped her wine and asked, “So how did you two meet?”
Nathan paused. I jumped in. “At work. I spilled coffee on his laptop.”
Nathan grinned. “She didn’t even say sorry.”
The old woman laughed. “Well, I like her already.”
Then she clapped her hands. “Sunday. A small wedding. I’ve already told the planner.”
Just like that, it was happening.
The next few days were a blur. Lily and I stayed in a cozy guest room with soft blankets and fresh flowers that magically appeared every morning.
There were brunches, garden walks, cake tastings, dress fittings. I tried on gowns that felt too fancy for someone like me, but Nathan kept saying, “You look beautiful,” like he meant it.
One night, I found him on the floor, coloring butterflies with Lily. Another night, we stayed up late eating ice cream from paper cups, watching an old comedy, laughing until my cheeks hurt.
One morning, I found a note stuck to the fridge in Lily’s messy handwriting:
“I like Nathan. He’s funny.”
I folded it and tucked it into my pocket, heart swelling.
One night, I stepped outside to get some air. Nathan was on the porch swing, looking up at the stars.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
I shook my head and sat beside him.
For a while, we rocked in silence. The air smelled like roses and fresh-cut grass.
He finally spoke. “Being here… brings back memories. Mostly about my dad. He never stood up for me. He let my grandmother control everything.”
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.
Nathan looked at me. “With you… things feel easy. Real.”
I looked away. “But it’s still fake. This whole thing.”
“Yeah. But sometimes… fake things start to feel real.”
And suddenly, the silence between us was louder than words. I looked into his eyes. And I felt it too.
The night before the wedding, I couldn’t sleep. I walked downstairs for water, and that’s when I heard them.
“…a single mother, Nathan. You can’t be serious,” his grandmother said coldly.
“She’s not just anyone,” Nathan replied. “She matters to me.”
“She’s a burden. And that child? She will ruin your life.”
“She’s not a burden. Neither of them are.”
“You go through with this farce, you lose everything.”
Nathan’s voice didn’t shake. “Then I lose it. I don’t care.”
I ran upstairs, heart pounding. I packed everything—our clothes, Lily’s bunny, toothbrushes—and left before the sun rose.
The next morning, someone knocked loudly on the door of the tiny place I rented. I opened it.
Nathan stood there.
“You left,” he said.
“I heard your grandmother,” I snapped. “I know what she said.”
His eyes softened. “Then you didn’t hear all of it.”
“She called me a burden. She said Lily would ruin your life.”
“She did,” he admitted. “And I told her I didn’t care. I told her I love you. And Lily. That I’d give up everything for you both.”
I froze.
Nathan stepped closer. “And my father—he finally stood up to her. He told her she couldn’t control me anymore. He defended me. For the first time in my life.”
I couldn’t breathe.
“And the company?” I asked.
He gave a little smile. “Still mine. But honestly? I don’t care about that anymore. Because for the first time, I have everything I ever wanted.”
Tears filled my eyes. I reached for his hand.
And when he kissed me—it wasn’t fake anymore. It was real.
All of it.
