Page 44 of Dr. Billionaire's Fake Marriage

Amelia's mother knocks on the door, and from the way Amelia sighs, I know she doesn't want to talk to her yet. I get the door, instead. Amelia's mother tells her the bridesmaids are in the living room. "We will be right there," I say as I close the door.

"Bridesmaids?" I turn to Amelia, who rolls her eyes and tells me the bridesmaids are models she hasn't even met.

Her and Henry's family think her lack of active social life will affect the wedding, hence, the need to fill the gap with strangers. they will pretend to be Amelia's best friends for the duration of the wedding.

Now, I see why she is overwhelmed. I would also be overwhelmed if I had to pretend I know some strangers just to put up a front for the perfect wedding.

“Among all this nonsense, you are the only real friend I have,” Amelia avows. “That is why I need you here.”

She stands up to brush her hair. "We still have a conversation to continue once this wedding is over," Amelia suggests, looking at me through the mirror by her bed. I nod, promising to share every detail once she gets over the trial of the wedding.

She opens the wardrobe and brings out a cloth bag with my name on it: Chief Bridesmaid.

"Now, let's go give them a show! We go to the living room to meet six girls, who pretend to be Amelia's friends. They giggle as soon as they see Amelia and cheer like sorority sisters.

Amelia sticks close to me while the camera keeps flashing. We are all putting up a show for the camera and the wedding planner, and from what I can see, we are all doing one hell of a job.

The reporter covering Amelia's wedding is here, asking the bridesmaids questions about the bride. I must say that I am amazed at how professional these girls are.

They all understand the assignment and talk about Amelia as if they hadn’t just met her a few hours ago.

I sigh when the event planner instructs us to prepare for the rehearsal dinner. I can't wait to leave this facade, and I can only imagine how Amelia feels about the whole pretense.

We leave the house a few minutes after. Amelia only wants me in her car. The rest of the fake bridesmaids take another car to the hotel venue. She wants to take all the opportunities left of taking a break from the fake giggling. I take her hand, assuring her that it is only for a few days, and she'll return to being the regular doctor she has always been.

Other cars pull into at the hotel's parking lot as the car stops. When I leave the car, Troy and Henry are doing the same.

Troy's eyes meet mine; he holds his gaze but looks away when Henry touches me. Amelia shakes my shoulder and demands that we enter the hotel hall.

I sit quietly, trying to avoid Troy's glances.

Mrs. Robinson won't even look at me; she still thinks I betrayed her trust by marrying her son.

We eat dinner when the rehearsal is over, and everyone except Amelia pretends that I am not present.

"Are you okay?" Amelia asks when we return to the car taking us home. "You can share it; I am pumped up now." I shake my head to dismiss her, but she mentions how I couldn't take my eyes off Troy at the dinner.

“He probably hates me right now because he thinks I seduced him. He heard Mom talk about me finally seducing Troy, but that is not what happened.”

Amelia seems confused and she frowns. "When you mean 'seduce'? You had sex with Troy again?"

I quickly cover her mouth, afraid the driver may hear us, but she tells me that the back seat is soundproof. I sigh. "You didn't tell me it happened again!" Amelia says. "Was it good?" She winks at me.

“It doesn’t matter,” I say. “He won’t even talk to me again. He’s got it all wrong.”

Amelia is silent. She has concern written all over her face. "You are in love with Troy, aren't you?" She frowns at me. I scoff, waving my head to dismiss her claim.

She raises her eyebrows at me, telling me she knows that I am lying. "Okay," I say. "I think I might have fallen in love with him." Amelia shakes her head; she doesn't think it will end well.

Troy is going to hurt me more than I realize. "I know," I say, "it is crazy because I don't even mind any more. I just want to live in the moment with him."

I tell Amelia that I need to stop at Mother's house. "I need to check on Mother tonight," I explain. Amelia gets her driver's attention to tell him we are stopping by my mother's house. Her in-house nurse gets the door when I knock.

Amelia waits for me in the car; I don't want to get her more stressed.

Mother is in her bed but is not sleeping yet; she motions to hold my hand, but the thick blanket gets in the way.

“I just gave her a dose for the night.” The nurse says. “She needs to rest.”

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