My Husband Faked Our Marriage
21
Chapter 21
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The world was white when I opened my eyes
again. Cold, clean, and sterile. A quiet hum
filled the air, accompanied by the soft
beeping of machines beside me. I blinked
slowly, trying to focus.
Then I felt it–warm arms wrapping around
- me. A familiar scent. The sound of a broken
voice murmuring my name over and over.
“Cassandra… I’m here. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I
should’ve been there.”
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My Husband Faked Our Marriage
Scott.
His embrace trembled. His voice cracked
with every word. I tried to respond, but the lump in my throat made it impossible. Tears
slipped from the corners of my eyes instead,
and when I felt his hand gently wiping them
away, I let myself cry harder.
He held me until I fell asleep again, wrapped
in that fragile moment of comfort.
The next few days blurred into a cycle of rest,
medication, and hospital routines. But
through it all–Scott was there. He brought
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My Husband Faked Our Marriage
soup, flowers, even a ridiculous stuffed bear
wearing sunglasses that made me laugh
through the pain. He fluffed my pillows,
watched reruns with me, told jokes just to
hear me smile. He read emails to me when I
was too tired to check them and helped me
respond to suppliers when I insisted on still
being involved with my boutique.
But behind every smile, I carried something
heavier.
Her.
The girl I overheard. The one who said Scott
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My Husband Faked Our Marriage
still had feelings for her.
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I tried not to think about it, but it crept into
every silent moment. Every time he reached
for my hand, I’d pull away. Every glance, every
hug–I kept them brief. I acted casual, distant
even, though it killed me. I couldn’t bear the
thought of being fooled again. I’d fallen for
Johansen’s lies. I couldn’t survive repeating
that heartbreak.
Scott must have noticed.
“You okay?” he asked one morning, setting a
12:12 PM Sun 22 Jun
My Husband Faked Our Marriage
tray of breakfast on my lap. “You seem…
different.”
“I’m just tired,” I said, forcing a smile. “Still a
little shaken.”
He didn’t push. He just nodded, concern still
in his eyes.
And then there was Johansen.
He’d been sending things. Flowers. Cards.
Apologies.
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My Husband Faked Our Marriage
But I refused them all.
I saw him once, through the window. He was standing outside, under the rain, staring up at my room like a ghost. Like a man who’d lost something he finally understood mattered.
But he wasn’t allowed up. Not anymore.
I didn’t need his guilt. I needed peace.
One night, restless and aching for air, I slipped out of my room. I needed a moment alone. I didn’t tell Scott–he wasn’t there at
the time–and I didn’t think much of it. I
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My Husband Faked Our Marriage
padded quietly through the corridor toward
the rooftop. The night breeze was always
good for thinking.
But as I reached the stairs, I heard voices
from the hallway.
“I’m sorry, sir,” someone said. “We lost that
huge client the day you left.”
It was Scott’s butler.
“I don’t care,” Scott’s voice replied.
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My Husband Faked Our Marriage
I froze.
“I don’t care about that deal, or the money,”
a
he continued. “When I got that call… when I
thought she might die… I thought I’d lose my
mind.”
My breath caught in my chest.
“I love her,” he said. “For real. Not because of
the arrangement. Not because of
appearances or business. I love Cassandra
Ruiz. And I will never let anyone hurt her
again.”
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My Husband Faked Our Marriage
His voice cracked near the end.
The butler was quiet for a second. Then
asked, “What about her boutique?”
a
“Fix everything. Rebuild what was damaged.
And make sure she has a space in every mall
I own,” Scott said. “I want her to know I
believe in her. That I’ll support her–whether
she loves me or not.”
I pressed a hand to my heart.
It was real.
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12:13 PM Sun 22 Jun
My Husband Faked Our Marriage
Everything he’d done–the care, the quiet
acts of kindness, the way he looked at me
like I was his world–it wasn’t just part of a
deal.
And I had doubted it.
ด
I returned to my bed in silence, heart
pounding in my chest. Guilt twisted in my
stomach for pushing him away. My thoughts
wouldn’t stop racing.
Then, sometime after midnight, I heard the
door creak open.
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My Husband Faked Our Marriage
“Cassandra?” Scott’s voice was gentle. “Are
you awake?”
I didn’t answer.
a
He stepped closer, sitting beside me on the
edge of the bed.
“I love you,” he whispered. “I’m sorry if that’s
too much. I just… I need you to know that. I
don’t expect anything in return. If you’re
scared… I get it. I’ll wait.”
He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to my
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My Husband Faked Our Marriage
lips.
He thought I was asleep.
But I wasn’t.
2
And I didn’t want to pretend anymore.
So I moved.
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I kissed him back–gently, slowly–and felt his
breath hitch in surprise. His hand cupped my
cheek, and I deepened the kiss before pulling
back, eyes meeting his.
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My Husband Faked Our Marriage
“I heard what you said,” I whispered.
“Outside.”
His eyes widened slightly.
“And I believe you,” I added.
His smile was soft and full of hope.
In that moment, wrapped in dim light and
quiet promises, I allowed my heart to open
again.
This time… maybe it would be different.
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My Husband Faked Our Marriage
Maybe it was real.
