Chapter 3

• Merry
• “What’s your name?”
• I asked. He smiled, showing off his dimples again. If I wasn’t so heartbroken right now, I might have found his dimpled smile attractive but right now, no man is attractive to me.
• “I am Collin.”
• “Collin. I am Merry.”
• I introduced myself.
• “Nice to meet you. Merry. Your name is as beautiful as you are.”
• He complimented. I know. That's one of the good things my adoptive parents gave to me. my birth parents didn’t even bother to name me. I was born and given away at the hospital. It wouldn’t have hurt so bad if they had stayed separated but the fact is, they never separated. They just didn’t want me. maybe because I didn’t fit the picture-perfect of what they were looking for.
• And according to what they told me when I confronted them, none of my siblings knew of my existence.
• “Hey,”
• Collin called, bringing me back to the present.
• “Sorry, I was just lost in thought. If you agree to marry me. I will give you half of my inheritance.”
• It was a lot since I didn’t even know how big or small the inheritance was yet. The lawyer told me I would only find out when I got married.
• “And how am I supposed to trust your words? What’s the inheritance?”
• He asked. He looked like he was really interested. Maybe he needed money too.
• “You can trust me. As for the inheritance, I know there’s a house and some money involved. The house is a mansion. I lived there when I was young. It’s huge. We can make a lot just from selling it.”
• I told him and he nodded with interest which gave me hope. My phone started ringing again.
• “I am coming.”
• I told the lawyer and hung up. I turned back to Collin.
• “How long will we be married?”
• He asked. I thought of that.
• “Six months.”
• I replied. It was enough time to sort everything out and sell the mansion.
• “Hmm, not bad. and you assure me that I will get half of the inheritance?”
• He asked. I nodded.
• “Yes, half of it and loads of sex in the six months that we will be married. I can give you any position you want.”
• I promised. Why did I have to add that part? Maybe because he has been looking at me with interest and adding it will give him more reason to consider my offer.
• “That’s a good offer and I see no reason why I shouldn’t accept it. but I have my own conditions.”
• He said and I let out a sigh.
• “Let’s hear it.”
• I whispered, hoping that it wouldn’t be a deal breaker because he already had my hopes up.
• “Instead of a few months like you want. I want two years. If you agree then we can go into the courthouse right now and get it done with.”
• He proposed. I was desperate but not to the point of signing up for a two-year marriage with a stranger. For all I know, he might be a psychopath or a serial killer. I couldn’t just say yes like that.
• “I don’t think I want to be married to you for that long. I don’t even know you.”
• I stayed and heard him chuckle.
• “You don’t know me and you still want to marry me for six months.”
• He reminded me.
• “I know. Even those six months are crazy but that’s enough time for us to find a buyer and sell the house. it would be much easier to sell if we did it as a team. But two years is too long.”
• I responded.
• “Then I don’t think I can help you. Two years or nothing.”
• The little hope that I had came crashing down to zero. He stood up as if he was leaving.
• “What do you say, Merry? Will you take up my offer?”
• He asked me.
• “Why two years? I mean, you don’t even know me.”
• I let out.
• “I have my reasons but if you don’t want it, I am not forcing you.”
• He said. my phone started ringing again before I could answer. It was the lawyer again. I looked at Collin and back at my phone. It was hard to decide but I had no choice. I needed the inheritance so as not to end up on the street. Two years was shorter than the five years that I wasted with Alex.
• “Let’s do it.”
• I said and took the call. I told the lawyer that I was already there, ended the call, and turned to Collin who smiled and reached for my hand. I placed my hand on his and he pulled me up.
• “Good choice.”
• He said but I wasn’t so sure it was a good choice to marry a stranger I met only a few minutes ago.
• “This isn’t a choice, Collin.”
• I told him.
• “You won’t regret it.”
• He assured me.
• “I hope so.”
• “So where do we go?”
• He asked, I wordlessly led him in the direction of the wedding room. we met the witness that I had paid to stand as parents for both me and Alex, Lawyer Evans who was my adoptive mom’s lawyer and the reason this whole thing even started.
• “What took so long?”
• Evans asked. I forced a smile in the direction of the older man that I had been talking to for the past six months. He was the one who talked me into doing all of this. I hope it was worth it. I already have plans of giving something from my inheritance for all his efforts.
• “Let’s get this done.”
• It was Collin who spoke. We were led into the room where the wedding will be held. The whole ceremony didn’t take up to an hour. Less than forty minutes later, I came out with Collin as my new husband.
• It wasn’t what I envisioned while planning the wedding but at least I got married and got my inheritance. Twenty minutes later, Collin, me, and the lawyer sat in his office. We had lunch with the witness like I had planned after which the lawyer told me that we don’t have to wait to see my inheritance.
• I didn’t expect Collin to follow me but he did.
• “Congratulations once again, Ms. Merry.”
• The lawyer said. I smiled even though I didn’t feel any form of happiness from my marriage. If I had married Alex, I am sure it would have been different. I would have been happy and smiling like I had been this morning before Alex gave me the worst heartbreak of my life.
• “Thank you.”
• I told him. He nodded and brought out the paper that contained my adoptive mother’s will. I kind of felt guilty because we never got along. Maybe I shouldn’t even be getting her inheritance. I wasn’t really her daughter and she made sure to remind me for the whole time I lived with her and I never saw her as my mother too.
• “You can read the will and see what you got.”
• The lawyer said and passed me the papers. At first, it was normal and pretty much listing the things I would get but then something caught my eye.
• “What’s this?”
• I asked the lawyer, pointing out the negative figures.
• “Oh, that. It’s the debt accumulated by your late mother. You are to pay it off since you are her only listed kin.”
• The lawyer explained. I blinked multiple times and checked the figure again. I even passed it to Collin who looked at it and frowned deeply. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The debt was huge.
• “I don’t understand. What do you mean I have to pay back? why didn’t you tell me about this?”
• I asked the lawyer who only shrugged his shoulders, and rested his back against his chair in a relaxed manner before speaking.
• “You get a house and the debts that your mother accumulated. Someone had to pay and you were the one on her will so you have to pay.”
• “Why didn’t you tell me?”
• I asked, I still couldn’t believe it.
• “I needed to get the house and the will of my hand and you were her kin. I am not obligated to tell you the content of the will. I had an agreement with my client and I stand on my promise to her. Now that you have honored the will, both the house, the cars, and the debt are all yours.”
• “Wait? Are you kidding me right now Mr. Evans? Are you fucking kidding me?”
• I yelled out. He had to be up to some sick jokes. I just got married to some stranger and entered a two years agreement with him and now I have to pay some fucking debt too? the inheritance wasn’t money but debts. Fucking hell. Even if I sold the mansion and the cars, I would still not be able to pay off the debt.