Chapter 3

• Merry
• “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.