Page 5 of The Wrong Fiancée

Me:I thought that was the excuse you married women used to not fuck your husbands.

Leilani:Girl, you've seen my hubs. I'll fuck him ALL the time. But we take breaks to work.

Me:LOL.Still can't. I have a shift at Ke Kai.

Thinking about it made me sigh. Three days a week, from six to midnight, I worked at a restaurant or bar, wherever the resort needed me. Those were my long days. But with Noe's costs exceeding what her insurance covered, I was carrying the extra burdens she couldn't. Thankfully, my health insurance was covered by the resort, so I didn’t have that added expense, but I had to take on all of Noe's premiums. I rented a small place at the edge of the resort, part of a set of cottages built for employees. It was bare bones—one bedroom, a tiny kitchen with barely enough room to turn around, and furniture that looked like it had been there since the place was built. But it was close to work, and I could afford it without dipping into what I needed for Noe.

There were nights when the walls felt like they were closing in, especially after a long shift, so I'd sit on the beach, go for a swim in the warm waters, and let the Pacific Ocean take my worries away. That was the best part of living close to Hale Moana; I got to be close to the ocean without paying extra for the premium view.

I loved living in Hawaii. I couldn't live anywhere else. My soul belonged to these beautiful islands.

Chapter Three

DEAN

Iliked Felicity's family. We Archers were big on family, and even though we argued and fought, we were close. I had the same feeling about the Thatchers from the limited amount of time I had spent with them.

Samuel or Sam, Felicity's father, was a lot like my father—he was smart, kind, and fair. Ginny, her mother, was a housewife and nothing like Mom. But then, Marcella Archer was a force to be reckoned with. She was the type who, when others went low, she crushed them under her Louboutin heels so they'd never have the chance to fuck with her or her family again. She was also super protective—and as our family expanded with both Damian and Duncan marriedandwith a child each, Mom was the best grandma any of those kids could ever ask for. I loved my parents—my family—and I’d always hoped to meet someone who valued that same kind of dynamics.

My family had met Felicity and liked her—and my parents knew Sam and Ginny. Mom liked Sam but couldn't stand Ginny who she thought wasvapid. But then, my mother didn't tolerate weakness or meanness. My father made nice with everyone—and refused to have an opinion about people unless he got to know them well.

The Archer dinner table was always raucous with discussionsand laughter. However, as we sat at an exclusive corner of the Ke Kai Grill, the resort's high-end restaurant—it appeared the Thatchers were a lot more formal than us.

The restaurant was stunning. We were seated in an area outdoors that was shielded by swaying palms and lit by warm tiki torches overlooking the Pacific. The gentle murmur of the ocean blended with the faint hum of conversation from other tables, but our spot was isolated and private, a luxury afforded only to guests like Felicity's family. The stars were just starting to emerge in the dusky Hawaiian sky.

My in-laws had invited their close friends, Michael and Rebecca Kingston, who had flown in from Oahu for a few days and were staying in one of the resort’s bungalows. Michael was a lawyer, and Rebecca, like Ginny, was a homemaker—which always baffled me. With all that wealth and endless resources, what exactly was there to "make" at home? My sister-in-law Emilia loved to remind me that empowering women meant respecting their choices, including being stay-at-home moms. I understood that, in theory. But these women had nannies, chefs, and staff—let’s be honest, they weren’t exactly "home making," especially not Rebecca and Ginny.

Unlike our eclectic dinners, this felt curated—a perfect setting for people who never seemed out of place. It made me uneasy; this wasn't what I expected. It felt like a departure from what I loved about being with family—the freedom to be myself, free from the façade of polite, superficial small talk.

My oldest brother, Duncan, knew the Thatchers and liked Sam, who was down-to-earth and honest, but he never liked Felicity.

"Have you met her mother?" he asked me when I told him I was serious about Felicity.

"Sure, but I still want to marry Felicity," I joked.

"The vibe with this woman is wrong, brother. She's more like Ginny than Sam."

"Come on, she's nothing like Ginny. First and foremost, she hasa career and is not ever going to sit at home doing nothing," I defended my then-girlfriend.

"It's not about careers; it's about personality. I just have a feeling. But then again, I'm emotionally blind, so…."

Our brother Duncan had the least empathy, though he had become more human since he married Elsa.

My family wouldn't interfere with my choices, I knew that—but they'd also tell me the way it was and not sugarcoat shit.

I'd asked Felicity how she felt about Ginny being a "society wife." Her mother's life in New York, where they lived, revolved around social activities that Felicity often joined.

"I keep her company," Felicity explained. "I love my mother. She’s not into art like Daddy and me, though. Sean’s studying public policy—we’re all different, but we’re still close-knit."

Sean was Felicity's younger brother. He was finishing his bachelor’s in public policy at NYU. I liked him a lot. He was passionate about caring for people and wanted to be a public servant to make the world a better place. Ginny argued that her son should study law instead of pursuing a master’s in public policy, as he wanted to do—so he'd have more lucrative options rather than a poorly paying government job. Sean had told me that he wasn't looking for lucrative. He was looking for something meaningful. I respected the kid.

I was lost in thought, scanning the menu without actually paying attention to it.

"Are you okay?" Felicity murmured.

She was so caring and affectionate that my heart felt full. I was in love with her, and I was certain we'd have a great marriage.

"Yes, darling." I kissed her mouth softly, and she flushed.

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