After quitting my soul-crushing job to move back to my hometown and embrace the soft life, I somehow ended up marrying my best friend's brother. But he didn't seem to like me at all. No big deal, I thought. I'll just treat it like I married my best friend. So, after we tied the knot, I was constantly running over to her place. Until one day, he cornered me against the wall and refused to let go. "Wifey, are you really going to make me live like a monk forever?" "???" 1 The moment I told my best friend I was quitting my job to move back home and rot in peace, she immediately arranged for me to be picked up. I hadn't even finished handing over my work projects before I was strapped into the leather seat of her chartered private jet. Ah, the perks of having a filthy-rich heiress as your best friend when you're just a burned-out corporate drone. "You should have quit and come back ages ago! Do you have any idea how bored I am living out here by myself? It’s going to be so much fun having you back to play with me!" Harper Jenkins looped her arm through mine, practically bouncing in her seat. For the entire flight, she whined about how lonely her luxurious princess life had been during the two years I was grinding away in New York City. "Let go of my arm for five seconds so I can submit this resume, then you can hug me again." I shot her a fake glare, and she pouted, loosening her grip. I said I was moving back to live the "soft life," but really... I was just relocating my corporate slavery to a different zip code. I still had to find a job. Right as my email sent successfully, Harper leaned over. "Wait, isn't that my brother's company? What position are you applying for? I'll just shoot him a text." "..." What is it like having the daughter of the local billionaire real estate mogul as your best friend? I shed a single tear of frustration—you could have told me that before I spent three hours polishing my resume! Just like that, I seamlessly joined Nolan Jenkins's company. Harper must have pulled some serious strings, because my administrative role had surprisingly few responsibilities. I could clock out right at 5:00 PM every day and go straight to hang out with her. She took me out to eat and drink all over town, frequently dragging me back to her family's estate for extravagant meals cooked by their private chef. These were delicacies I couldn't even dream of affording during my years in NYC. Going from surviving on shrimp-flavored instant ramen to eating actual lobster ravioli felt completely surreal. "Maya, the two years you were gone, I just couldn't fit in with those snobby socialite girls. We couldn't vibe at all. You're the best. Only you will sit on the curb and eat late-night street tacos with me." Saying that, she pushed a plate of non-spicy tacos toward me. "No hot sauce for you." "Thank you, Your Highness." "Oh, stop it. Hey, if you see my brother around the office lately, steer clear of him. We got into a huge fight." "Huh?" To be honest, I had been working there for nearly a month and hadn't even caught a glimpse of Harper's brother. "I just agreed with my mom for two seconds that he needs to hurry up and bring a girlfriend home, and he lost his mind. He even froze a bunch of my black cards! With a rotten temper like his, it's a miracle if any girl ever likes him." "And honestly, with that attitude, if the future sister-in-law he finds has the same terrible temper, I'm going to be so annoyed," Harper complained. "I haven't even met your brother yet. He probably doesn't know who I am, right?" I sucked in a sharp breath. If he was mad at Harper and took his anger out on me at work, what would I do? I despised toxic workplace culture and getting yelled at by bosses. But I had no choice; I needed to make a living. If I hadn't been completely crushed by the extreme commutes and endless overtime in NYC, I wouldn't have fled back home. "You'll meet him eventually. Just avoid him for now. He's way more intense at work than he is in normal life." I nodded sensibly, vowing to never cross his path. But the universe has a sick sense of humor. The very next morning, I was caught red-handed swiping my badge at the exact minute my shift started. It was all Harper's fault. She insisted on dragging me out for drinks last night. After a few rounds of tequila, I passed out. When I woke up this morning, I threw on whatever clothes were on the floor and sprinted to the office. I shoved my haggard face toward the biometric scanner and successfully clocked in with two seconds to spare. I let out a massive sigh of relief. My perfect attendance bonus was safe. "Clocking in at the last possible second, showing up to work looking completely unkempt. Which department are you in?" A cold, deep male voice echoed from behind me. It definitely wasn't my manager's voice. I stiffly turned my head and was met with the devastatingly handsome—but incredibly sour—face of a stranger. "Admin..." "An admin showing up looking this sloppy? Have you ever read the employee handbook?" "I apologize, I'll go freshen up right now." "Name." I gasped silently, suddenly recalling Harper's warning from last night. Don't tell me this is her psycho brother. "Maya." "New?" "Started a month ago." "Got it." What exactly did he get? I stood there in total confusion, watching him stride toward the private executive elevators. Crap. That was definitely Harper's psycho brother. Crap. He definitely knows I'm Harper's nepotism hire best friend. I wanted to cry as I face-palmed my own throbbing, hungover head. 2 Thanks to experiencing Nolan's legendary scowl firsthand, I was completely distracted all day, just staring at the clock waiting to go home. The second it hit 5:00 PM, I bolted out of the building, terrified of running into him again. As soon as I stepped into the lobby, I saw Harper waiting for me. "Maya, babe! My chef said he’s making Italian tonight, your favorite! Let's go, let's go! We're eating at my place. His truffle risotto is to die for!" She hooked her arm through mine, but I hesitated. "Going to your place... what if we run into your brother?" "What's wrong? Did he yell at you?" Harper dropped her bubbly persona and instantly looked ready for a fight. "No, no, nothing like that..." "Relax. Ever since he got mad about us telling him to find a wife, he hasn't stepped foot in the house. He's staying at his own penthouse." "Oh, okay. Phew." Hearing that I wouldn't have to face Nolan, I breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's go! The chef asked if there's anything else you're craving. He can whip up pretty much anything." "I want some clam chowder. All that spicy food yesterday gave me a stomachache..." "Done and done!" ... Right as I was stuffing my face in the Jenkins family's lavish dining room, Nolan walked in. The spoon froze halfway to my mouth. We locked eyes in a naked, awkward stare-down. He casually swept his gaze over the dining table, where Harper and I were having the time of our lives, keeping his face entirely blank before heading upstairs. Harper's parents were vacationing in Europe, and Nolan lived in the city. The massive estate was supposed to be completely empty except for Harper. Neither of us expected him to show up. Harper and I exchanged a panicked glance, immediately lowered our heads, and continued eating in complete silence, putting an abrupt pause on the highly inappropriate gossip we had just been discussing. I swear I had no idea he was coming back, Harper texted me under the table. Is it too late to run? I texted back. It's fine. The unwelcomed one is the third wheel. He's the extra. We continued texting back and forth, silently chatting. Right when our text thread was getting spicy, Nolan came back downstairs. "Playing on your phones while eating? Have you forgotten your manners?" It was that familiar, icy tone. I didn't dare look up. "Thirty-two years old and still no girlfriend. Have you forgotten your manners?" Harper shot back. "Pfft!" I swear my laughter threshold is very high, but I genuinely couldn't hold it in. Nolan's face darkened even further. He dropped a stack of files onto the table, his long, elegant fingers tapping sharply against the polished wood. Tap. Tap. Tap. He glared at Harper, then shifted his icy gaze to me. "Maya, is it? Have this stack of documents brought to my office before 10:00 AM tomorrow." "..." I shot Harper a desperate look for help, but she kept her mouth shut. My phone buzzed twice. Sorry Maya babe, I can't run my mouth anymore. If I piss him off again, we'll only be able to afford the discount cabana boys for our next pool party. Fly high, Maya. Take this bullet for me! "..." 3 The next morning, I nervously carried the files to Nolan's office. He wasn't there, but a stunningly gorgeous woman was sitting on his leather sofa, scrolling through her phone. If my guess was right, this had to be Nolan's girlfriend. Any woman who could casually lounge in the Grumpy Boss's private office was definitely not ordinary. I offered the beauty a polite smile, neatly stacked the files on Nolan's desk, and turned on my heel to make a quick escape. But she called out to me. "Excuse me, do you know where Nolan went?" I shook my head blankly. Not only did I not know, but I was actively praying he wouldn't show up while I was still in the room. Since she called him by his first name, she was definitely someone important. Acting on the absolute rule of never offending the boss's inner circle, I smiled politely. "I'm just here to drop off some files. I don't know where he is. Maybe you could wait a little longer?" "Fine." I nodded, silently rejoicing that the boss's lady didn't give me a hard time, and elegantly power-walked toward the door. But naturally, whatever you fear most will definitely happen. I walked right out the door and collided straight into Nolan's solid chest as he rounded the corner. I patted my own chest to soothe my startled nerves, staring up at him, completely speechless. He looked down at me with a dark expression, not saying a word. The silence was suffocating. I had no choice but to speak first. "Boss, the files are on your desk. Your girlfriend is waiting inside for you. If there's nothing else, I'll head back down." Nolan's frown deepened into a scowl. "Girlfriend?" "Huh?" "Follow me." "Huh?" I awkwardly trailed behind Nolan. He took one step into his office and abruptly stopped. I crashed face-first into his back. My nose legitimately throbbed. "Why did you st—" "How many times do I have to tell you? Stop coming to find me, and stop letting yourself into my office." Nolan's cold voice cut off my complaint. The gorgeous woman stood up from the sofa. "Nolan, I regret it. Let's start over." "You really think I'm your toy? Pick me up when you're bored, throw me away when you're done?" "But you've been single all this time... weren't you waiting for me? Nolan, I know you still love me. And now I'm back." The woman was getting emotional. She stepped forward to hug him, but Nolan effortlessly dodged her. When he stepped aside, my presence behind him was fully exposed. Realizing how humiliating it was to have an audience, she glared at me with deep annoyance. "Why are you still here?" "..." Do you think I want to be here?! "Vanessa, we broke up a long time ago. Keep harassing me, and I'll file a restraining order." "Nolan, please, just hold me." Listening to her whiny, desperate tone made me feel slightly nauseous. I was just about to use the distraction to slip away when Nolan reached out and grabbed my wrist. "Plus, I already have a girlfriend." Nolan pulled me firmly to his side, wrapped a heavy arm around my shoulders, and pulled me tight against his chest. Me: "?" "Her?!" Vanessa's voice spiked an octave, dripping with disbelief. "Her." Nolan squeezed my shoulder tighter. I was so stiff I felt like a wooden board. "You'd better leave on your own, or I'm calling security to drag you out." Judging by his tone, Nolan was genuinely furious. I didn't dare breathe. I just came up here to deliver some paperwork, and I was getting front-row seats to premium billionaire drama. At least I had material to gossip with Harper about over dinner tonight. I was mentally organizing how I'd tell the story to distract myself from the overwhelming, dominant aura Nolan was radiating right beside me. Seeing that Nolan was completely unyielding, Vanessa realized she was humiliating herself. She shot me one last venomous glare and finally stormed out. 4 For a long moment, it was just me and Nolan left in the office. The atmosphere instantly froze. I quietly reminded him, "She's gone. Can you let go now?" He was holding me way too tight. It was the closest I had ever been to a man's chest, and I was genuinely terrified. Look, Harper and I talked a big game. We’d hire cute bartenders to pour us drinks and hype us up at parties, but we never actually crossed any lines. Despite our open-minded humor and wild talk, my actual experience with physical intimacy was practically zero. "Ahem... Maya..." Nolan paused, and another deafening wave of silence washed over the room. "Take tomorrow off. Let's go get our marriage license." "?" "Are you insane?" "Every single black card of Harper's that I froze will be transferred to you. We'll sign a contract. You pretend to be my wife." Wait. This transaction... doesn't sound like a bad deal? The credit limit on just one of those cards was more than I could earn working like a dog for the rest of my life. "On the condition that we don't interfere in each other's personal lives. But to ensure my parents don't see through the lie, you have to move in with me. I won't control what you do." Nolan laid out the terms slowly, like he was negotiating a corporate merger. I absorbed the information like a sponge. Finally, I just said, "Let me think about it." "Don't discuss this with Harper. She won't agree to it." "..." He knows me too well. "Give me your answer by tomorrow." ... That afternoon, I made up an excuse to take half the day off. I needed to go home and think this through. As absurd as it was, I desperately needed the money. The terms Nolan offered were practically a Maya-trapping device. Unlike Harper, I grew up poor and miserable. My mom died in childbirth. My dad loved her so much he couldn't live without her; he jumped off the hospital roof. He didn't die, but he was left completely paralyzed. A perfectly happy family was destroyed the moment I was born. I didn't have a real home growing up. I bounced from relative to relative, living out of suitcases, constantly reading the room and catering to everyone else's moods just to survive. I met Harper when I was working as a barista to pay my way through college. We bonded over being from the same hometown, but we were from completely different worlds. Knowing her made me realize that girls were actually allowed to be innocent, carefree, and blissfully happy. We truly became best friends during our junior year when a manipulative jerk scammed her out of $5,000. To get her money back, I chased the guy down five city blocks, tackled him, beat the crap out of him, and took the cash back. Five thousand dollars was more than my tuition and living expenses for all four years combined. He had easily swindled it with sweet talk. There was no way in hell I was letting him get away with it. From that day on, the way Harper looked at me changed. She stuck to me like glue, dragging me out to eat, drink, and party. I was willing to indulge her because she was also willing to sit in silence with me at the library for ten hours straight without a single complaint. Harper is a ride-or-die friend. Maya Certified. After graduation, I wanted to try my luck in New York. The big city always has more opportunities. Harper moved back home. She begged me to come with her, but I refused. I wanted to make more money to pay for my dad's medical care, even though the odds of him recovering were nonexistent. I struggled in NYC for two years, sending almost every penny I made back home to keep my paralyzed father on life support. The turning point came a few months ago when the hospital finally declared him dead. I didn't feel overwhelmed with grief; I just felt an immense, crushing weight lift off my shoulders. I was finally free of the burden of keeping him alive. All I had left was a mountain of medical debt. My debt to my parents was paid in full. I just wanted to live the soft life now. I'd pay off the debt slowly. I told Harper I was coming home to rot. Being poor was fine, as long as I was happy. I had suffered for twenty-six years. For my twenty-seventh year, I was going to live for Maya. So, when I say Nolan's offer was tempting, I mean it was life-changing. The money he was offering would wipe out my medical debt instantly, allowing me to truly stop hustling for survival. Marriage didn't mean anything to me anyway; I had never expected romance to magically fall into my lap. And now, I could literally get paid to be married. Why the hell not? So, in the end, I hid it from Harper, and I married her billionaire brother.
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