Page 54 of Dr. Billionaire's Fake Marriage

I wonder how easy it is for him to deny what we have before the camera. I pick up Amelia's call; she asks me if I am watching Troy Robinson on the television.

I can hear the words she refuses to say. I know she badly wants to remind me that she told me I wasn't supposed to fall in love with Troy. No matter how much I think Troy loves me, I will never be welcomed into Wallace's richest family.

"Mrs. Robinson found out who leaked the news to the media," Amelia says with so much tension that she doesn't want the next person to hear her speak to me. "Emilie did it."

"What?" I say. "Why will she do that?"

Amelia chuckles, "Obviously because she wants to get back at you for marrying the man she was supposed to marry."

"How does she know I am married to Troy," I ask. "We tried to keep this between our circle as much as we could."

Amelia's voice grows lower as she tells me she thinks Mrs. Robinson must have told Emilie about the marriage; knowing how spiteful Emilie is, she expected her to go to the press with a leak. "This is just to demoralize you, Camile," she suggests.

"Mrs. Robinson just wants you to have second thoughts about the whole thing and call it quits while there is still time." Amelia says, "She is playing games with you. She is messing with you presently, and you should know that."

“Okay, babe,” I say, “then I’d love to play more games with her.”

"Remember that you aren't the only one affected; Mrs. Robinson is playing games with you and Troy simultaneously." She pauses and goes on, "If she can't get into your head, what makes you think she won't get into Troy's head."

Now that Amelia mentions it, I am more nervous than ever. Mrs. Robinson knows how to get into her son's head, and she won't stop until she does. I mope around all day until Troy comes home.

He stands by the door, looking at me momentarily before opening his arms to receive my hug. His body is cold, and his breathing is heavy. He doesn't have to say the words, but I know he is sorry.

He says it anyway. "I am so sorry, Camile," he begs. "I didn't have a choice; the shareholders were threatening to pull out if they knew the rumor was true." I stay in his arms and let him hold me by the door; we stay that way for a few minutes.

"I am going to the hospital tomorrow," I tell Troy. He thinks I should take off work for a few more days.

I pull away from his embrace. "No," I reply. "Not going to work is going to raise a lot of eyebrows; people will think the rumor is true."

Troy pulls me to him and tells me how much he wants the rumor to be true. How he wishes we don't have to lie to the world that we are in love. I wish for the same too, but some things are beyond our control.

We both agree that I will work the next day, but we also know that going to work together as we do is not an option.

The media are still lurking about, and it is better if they don't see us together anymore. Troy cups my cheek with his palm. "This will all be over someday," he says. "I promise you."

I once thought that Troy never makes promises for the future, but now that he does, I am scared to my bones. I am scared that he will not fulfill his promise, and I won't be able to make any promises to him.

“We should go out to dinner,” Troy says excitedly, “as our first official dinner date.”

Troy tells me it is nothing fancy because we'd have to avoid the media as much as possible, and we have to disguise ourselves to do that. "When all of this is over, I am going to take you on your first boat dinner."

****

Troy and I get to the hotel's restaurant in full disguise. Troy is right, the media and press are still surrounding the place, and our chosen disguise is the best for us.

A couple walks in, heading in our direction. As they move closer, I know one of them. It is Henry, Amelia's husband and Troy's brother.

What the hell is he doing here without Amelia? I feel Troy's hand hold mine tight, preventing me from saying anything to Henry. I don't get a good look at the girl next to Henry, as she is in a similar disguise. Henry doesn't need a cap or to invest in many disguises because he knows everyone seeing him with a woman will assume she is Amelia.

The two brothers brush each other off like strangers. Troy frequently glances at me later in the car, and when we get home, I unleash my venom.

"Henry is cheating on Amelia?" I hold my hands on my hips as I talk to Troy, who is surprised I am asking him such a question. "Their marriage is how many days old, maybe two days, and he is already cheating on her?"

Troy walks over to the kitchen counter while I follow, standing behind him and demanding to know everything about Henry's cheating escape. "Do you think Henry started cheating yesterday?" Troy scoffs, "He has been cheating on Amelia the whole relationship, I think." He pauses. "I am sure Amelia is aware of it."

I shake my head while I let him remind me that Amelia and Henry's relationship is not based on love.

They are just two people forced to be together because of their family influence. "They are just like us…" Troy concludes, "a product of proximity."

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