Max pursed his lips, "she'll be fine. She'll understand."

—

Mia dragged her legs down the hallway. Her whole life felt miserable. Her whole life felt like a lie.

The whole thing even felt like a dream to her. A long sad dream, and she wished she’d wake up quickly from it. It was way too scary. How could her boyfriend betray her with her best friend? It wasn’t possible.

She only read it in novels and saw it in movies.

Never in her eighteen years of life did she expect such a thing would actually happen to her. Nah, it was over for her. Totally over for her.

Her legs suddenly gave way, and before she knew it, she collapsed to the ground.

When Mia opened her eyes again, she was in a ward in a hospital. It was already the following morning.

She had been rushed to the hospital immediately after a janitor found her lying unconscious on the ground.

She had really thought he was 'the one.' Max. Their names even shared the same initials—'M.'

Initially, she had thought Max came last night to give her the necklace she saw in his jacket pocket, that had MM initials on its pendant.

Chuckles. Martha. The necklace was probably meant for Martha.

She had suspected Martha. But not once did she think that it was with Max, her boyfriend.

The way her best friend became extra protective of her phone when they were together, the way her countenance changed whenever she sighted Max—Mia hadn’t noticed any of it.

Tears rolled down Mia's cheeks as she stared at the ceiling.

Her parents must have been notified about her; they would arrive at the hospital anytime soon.

She decided to go to the bathroom to wash her face. 

There was no one by her side, and she was in the emergency unit with some other patients. The doctors and nurses were busy, so she had to fend for herself.

After washing her face in the restroom, she decided to go in search of a quiet spot outside to take a breath of fresh air and gather her thoughts.

As she stepped outside, she heard voices coming from the parking lot. Curiosity got the better of her, and she quietly made her way towards the source of the commotion.

"You are a bastard!"

Mia was shocked at the curse word. How could someone say such a word so loudly and boldly? In a hospital, for that matter!

Curiosity piqued, she hid behind a car and listened intently.

"You have refused to give me grandchildren, and that is why I have become a regular customer in the hospital!"

"You are going to be the end of me, you ungrateful bastard! Provide me a wife, Shawn."

Mia strained her ears to catch the conversation, her heart heavy with her own pain. She peeked behind the car and caught sight of the elderly man that was yelling.

"I'll disown you! I swear!" The elderly man yelled, his voice filled with frustration.

Mia's attention shifted to the man he was yelling at—Shawn. She couldn't help but notice his striking appearance, like a god among men.

In that moment, an idea sparked in Mia's mind. She had already lost everything, so why not take a chance and help the man out?

Inhaling deeply, Mia stepped out from behind the car and approached the duo.

"Hubby," she called sweetly, summoning all the courage she had in her.

‘Who’s her hubby?’ Shawn's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as the unfamiliar girl approached him. He was in no mood for games or advances from strangers.

Mia continued her approach, winking at him, trying to get him to play along with her plan.

Shawn's irritation grew. Was this girl blind or simply lacking common sense?

Who was she? 

“How did you get here?” He asked irritably, trying to understand her intentions for approaching them.

And to think she was already married at her age… Or was she simply drunk? 

Thinking that the demigod-like man was going along with her act, Mia pouted her mouth sulkily.

"I trailed your car down here. Since you wouldn't let me meet grandpa, I decided to take matters into my own hands," she replied, improvising her story.

Shawn's face turned pale. He couldn't believe the audacity of this girl. He was only just setting his eyes on her for the first time—

"Grandpa, it's so lovely to meet you. I'm Mia, Shawn's fiancée," she introduced herself, bowing meekly to the older man who seemed to be enjoying the situation.

Fiancée? Shawn couldn’t believe his ears. What was with these girls trying to throw themselves at him?

Mia hoped her plan would work, and that the grandpa would no longer be angry. 

If he continued to yell like that, he might just pass out. 

"You really think I won't approve of her? Because of her age?" the grandpa exclaimed, surprised.

Although the girl looked very young, the grandpa didn’t mind.

His next words gave both Mia and Shawn the shock of their lives.

"Come now, we're heading to the marriage license bureau's office."

Wait, what? Shawn was dumbfounded.

Would his grandpa slow down and let him talk? How could he possibly get married to a stranger?

Marriage! A lifetime commitment!

"Grandpa, I—" Shawn tried to interject, but the old man waved his hand in the air, dismissing his objections. "You don't have to say anything. Let's go."

Within moments, a limousine appeared in front of them, adding to the surreal nature of the situation.

Mia's mouth remained wide open in shock. This was never part of her plan.

She had only intended to play along, to use the charade of a relationship to channel her anger and jealousy—and to help out the demigod-like man. She never expected it to escalate to this extent.

What would she tell her parents? How could she explain that she was suddenly married to someone significantly older than her?

She was still in high school. The thought of facing her family and peers with this news made her feel a wave of despair.

Her mother would likely mock her, and the whole school would gossip about her.

She felt utterly defeated, as if her life had taken an irreversible turn for the worse.

Mia's heart raced. Her plan had worked, but now she had to figure out how to navigate this unexpected turn of events.