Chapter 1 Am I Really Married

• One damn mistake, they said, could change your life, and mine had turned everything upside down.
• The chill in the room made my skin prickle as I groaned and reached for the duvet to cover myself. My hand, however, landed on a warm body. I jolted upright, immediately noticing my clothes scattered on the floor and realizing I was completely naked. I pulled the duvet around me and my eyes fell on a man sleeping peacefully on the bed.
• "What the hell?" I whispered, shock and confusion mixing in my voice. "Shit, shit." The moment I muttered the words, my head pounded, and fragments of the previous night flooded back. I remembered following my friends—Emma, Tonia, and Mara to a nightclub for our usual ladies' night. I recalled taking shots and drinking heavily, but I had no memory of ending up in a stranger’s bed.
• I frantically searched the room for my cell phone, finally finding it under the bed. I unlocked it, only to be met with a barrage of messages and notifications. They all seemed to suggest that I was engaged to Ivan Carlos.
• Ivan Carlos. The name was absurd. He was a top celebrity in Canada, a public figure no one had actually seen up close, except those in his inner circle. Why would I be associated with him?
• Emma’s name appeared on the screen, and I dialed it, my anxiety rising as I waited for her to answer.
• "Vera, where are you?" Emma's voice was laced with concern. "Your mom’s been calling me, and all I could tell her was that you were with me."
• I rubbed my forehead, trying to soothe the throbbing pain. "How should I know? I woke up in a stranger’s bed."
• There was a pause, and then Emma’s voice came back, hesitant. "Vera, I’m so sorry. I still can’t believe it either."
• "What… what are you talking about?" My voice trembled as I awaited her explanation, but before she could elaborate, someone snatched the phone from my hand. I turned to find myself face-to-face with a shirtless Ivan Carlos.
• "Your call is disturbing my early morning sleep," he grumbled, tossing the phone onto the bed and heading towards the bathroom.
• I stood there, frozen in disbelief. I had not only slept in Ivan Carlos's bed but was now confronting him directly. As reality set in, the possibility that something had happened between us became more apparent.
• I scrambled to gather my clothes from the floor, dressing quickly and grabbing my phone. Without looking back, I hurried out the door.
• Outside, I took a deep breath, attempting to calm my nerves as I navigated down a lavishly decorated spiral staircase. The gold and black decor made it look like something straight out of a real estate showcase.
• As I reached the bottom of the stairs and neared the exit, a voice stopped me. "Mrs Carlos, where are you going so early in the morning?" A woman in a white and black uniform approached me, and I looked around, expecting to see someone else she might be referring to. But it turned out she was talking to me.
• "No, my name is Veronica," I corrected her sharply.
• "I’m sorry, ma’am, but since you're engaged to my boss, I'll have to address you as Mrs. Carlos," she said, her tone firm but respectful.
• I was tempted to ask her which engagement she was talking about, but I didn't have time. I needed to get out of there and head home before my mom started freaking out.
• My phone kept vibrating with messages piling up as I made my way to the huge black gate. As I approached it, two men appeared out of nowhere and hurried to meet me.
• "Mrs. Carlos, your ride is here. Please follow us," one of them said politely.
• "My ride? You’ve got to be kidding," I scoffed. "Is this some sort of joke?"
• The man maintained a smirk. "I’m sorry, Mrs. Carlos, if this is causing any inconvenience."
• "Why is everyone acting so strange? There must be a mistake. I’m not who you think I am. I’m not married to your boss," I said, sighing in frustration.
• "I understand, Mrs. Carlos, but I’m afraid I can’t let you leave alone. You’re now a public figure, and those fans of your husband might not be too kind."
• "Ugh, what is this?" I groaned, resting my hand on my forehead. He was right—something was off. My phone had been buzzing non-stop since I woke up, and the whole situation was making my stomach churn. Not knowing what was going on didn't help either.
• With a sigh, I raised my hand, then dropped it by my side. "Alright, I need to get out of here anyway. Let's go."
• The man nodded, and both of them took their positions beside me. When we reached the car, one of them moved ahead to open the door, and I slid inside, immediately pulling out my phone to check all the messages I’d been receiving.
• 11,089 messages in a split second. My eyes nearly popped out of my head as I blinked furiously, trying to convince myself this was some kind of bizarre dream.
• Ivan Carlos—my ultimate celebrity crush. Anyone who knew me would say we were like twins from different mothers. Ivan was born on the same day as me; I knew this because I’d always been online, digging into his history.
• "How did this happen?" I muttered, but the answer was staring right back at me from my phone screen.
• A video of me dancing with a man in a club, my friends jeering nearby as they filled their cups with liquor. The way he grabbed my hips like he owned me made my stomach twist, and the fact that I was playing along only made it worse.
• In the background, a guy—probably the one who filmed the video—was obnoxiously loud. "Yo yo yo," he kept shouting.
• And God, the next part of the video made me wish I could just disappear on the spot, or maybe sink into the seat. But this was reality, and things like that don’t happen.
• The man, who I assumed was Ivan Carlos, though partially hidden under a cap, suddenly dropped to one knee in front of me, his eyes locking with mine. I was like a puppy, eagerly wagging my tail at the sight of a fresh meal.
• "Will you marry me?" he asked, pulling out a tiny box with a glittering diamond ring that caught the club’s lights.
• "No, no, no," I muttered, staring at my phone screen, but my words were the exact opposite of what I had said in the video.
• "Yes, stranger, I’ll marry you," my intoxicated self slurred, and a cold chill ran down my spine. My eyes darted to my hand, and there it was—the same glittering diamond ring from the video on my index finger.
• How had I not noticed it until now?
• "Ma'am, are you alright?" The man in the passenger seat turned to look at me, and I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment, realizing he might have seen
• the video.
• At that moment, it felt like the whole world had seen it.
• Shit.