Page 36 of Married to Lies

“This all seems pretty standard. Although the protections are vague. ‘All personal matters relating to MyHome founders and major investors.’ I wouldn’t usually be concerned, but we both know you’re a bit of a gossip hound.”

I’d be mad if she wasn’t right. “So, if I found out, say, that one founder has a giant dick, I can’t go telling my bestie about it?”

“Oh, honey.” She chuckled. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind that getting around.”

I chuckled. But that’s when I realized, Jada was married to one of the founders listed in the NDA. “Do you think my friend who married another founder signed one too?” I whispered. If Quentin heard, he didn’t give any indication.

“I’d be shocked if she hadn’t,” Darla replied.

I let that news roll over me for a moment before I said, “Thanks, D.”

“You got it.” She hung up, and I lowered my phone.

Jada hadn’t told me about an NDA. What was she contractually bound to keep from me? I wondered. She seemed happy, but then again, she’d been desperate to tell me about Quentin before our date... What had she wanted to tell me? I had a feeling I was about to find out.

With a deep breath, I walked back to Quentin and said, “Okay, I’ll sign it.”

If he was surprised, he didn’t show it, sliding the phone to me again. I scrolled to the bottom of the document and used my finger to sign. Once the date was entered and the document submitted, Quentin said, “Okay, it’s a long story.”

I arched my eyebrows. He was a man of so few words it was hard to imagine him spinning me a long tale. But he opened his mouth and started talking, weaving a story that sounded impossible. No, more like utterly absurd.

“So let me get this straight.” I downed the rest of my cocoa and set it on the table, wishing it was a dirty martini instead. “You founded this company five years out of college with your friends.”

He nodded.

“And your rich uncle.”

“Entrepreneurship professor,” he corrected with a small smirk.

I waved my hands, saying, “Same difference.... So this rich uncle has too much to drink at Thanksgiving and says, ‘You know what would be fun? A competition between my B-school kids and my biological kids.’”

He tilted his head to the side and shrugged. “Yeah, basically.”

“So you all have to get married before he dies and his kids just have to... What? Try to make sure you don’t get married?”

He cleared his throat. “Or make sure Simon dies before we say ‘I do.’”

My heart plummeted. “In the last month, he’s been blinded and poisoned.”

“You heard about that, huh?” His look turned grim.

“Holy shit... You’re trying to get married to get his shares... You’re trying to marry me.” I stood up, heart racing. “But Bryce and Jada... They just...”

Quentin nodded slowly.

My hands clapped to my mouth. Their marriage was fake? I’d been her maid of honor! Her baby’s godmother! All for a sham wedding?

“I know,” he murmured, shaking his head. “But there’s more to it.”

I gasped. “More? How could there possibly be more?”

He stood up, standing face to face with me. “There’s something specific about the way Simon wants us to get married.”

I raised my eyebrows, waiting for him to explain.

“He said we have to sign a prenup, giving half of our fortune to our brides if we divorce.”

I sat back down in my chair. My legs felt weak, and I took deep breaths, trying to process everything he had told me. I couldn’t believe this. Couldn’t believe my best friend had been roped in. What Quentin was asking me to be involved in.