Page 37 of Married to Lies

Is that what Conrad had been worried about? How would he have known?

Slowly, he lowered himself to the ground, wincing on the way. “Old football injury,” he explained at my worried look.

“How much are you worth?” I asked him.

He heaved a sigh. “Valuations vary.”

“Ballpark.”

“If everything was liquidated? Seven billion.”

Good thing I was sitting down. “SEVEN BILLION? Dollars?”

“Dollars,” he confirmed without even flinching.

“That’s all from MyHome?”

He shook his head. “That only accounts for about a fifth of it.”

I had to be hearing him wrong. “You’d lose more if you got married and divorced than if you didn’t get married at all!”

He shook his head. “It’s not just about me. The other guys and I... We’re a family.” There was a sadness to his tone that made my heart ache all while respecting him more. Quentin wasn’t devious like Conrad thought… he was selfless.

“You’re willing to marry a practical stranger for your friends?” I asked in disbelief.

“There aren’t many people in my circle, even fewer in my corner, but I’d do anything for them,” he said. Everything from the words he said, to the sound of his voice, to the expression on his face confirmed that he meant it.

We sat across from each other; silence made heavy with the weight of his secrets. And with my own.

If Conrad heard any of this, it would go immediately to the press. I could just imagine what the news would say—and how the market would react. They could lose deals at best or deal with legal consequences for making this kind of deal.

“There has to be a way we can both benefit,” he said. “Especially without us divorcing later. Tell me what I can do for you.”

When I looked at him and saw a hint of hope in his eyes, butterflies turned in my stomach. Some immature part of me wanted to believe that for Quentin, at least, some part of this was real. But the jaded part of me knew Quentin was an excellent businessman. What if there was an angle to this proposal I didn’t know about? I met his dark-brown eyes, searching for answers. His exterior hid so much more than the simple, quiet man he portrayed. There was more to Quentin, just like there was more to me.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“I’m thinking... I need to think about it,” I said.

Quentin nodded. “I understand. But I need an answer by Monday.”

Even though he didn’t explain further, I understood now. Simon was already in the hospital, and Quentin? He was running out of time.

17 Quentin

After my date with Rei, I didn’t know where to go. Home felt too empty. The hospital where Simon lay was just another reminder of sand falling through the hourglass. My parents were out of town at a Dallas Diamonds game to watch my brother play.

So I just kept driving down the road and voice commanded my phone to call Bryce, the only person who knew what it felt like to talk about the marriage clause. I just prayed he would answer. Between visiting Simon and taking care of his wife and newborn, his plate was more than full.

Luckily, after a few rings, he said, “Hello?”

“I told her.” My voice sounded hollow, even to me. A car behind me honked, letting me know the light had changed from red to green.

“Are you driving?” Bryce asked worriedly. “Pull over.”

“Okay, hold on.” It wasn’t a good idea for me to be driving anyway. I parked in a loading zone, knowing someone would probably yell at me, but I didn’t give a shit. They could tow me. I could afford it. “Done,” I finally said. Even so, my hands stayed gripped on the steering wheel. My chest was so tight that each breath was hard won.

“It didn’t go well,” Bryce said. It wasn’t a question, more of a prompt.