Page 29 of Papers Don't Lie

My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I decide to ignore it, knowing it’s Raven looking for forgiveness I’m not willing to give right now. But then it continues ringing, and when I pick it up and recognize the number as my mother’s, I answer.

“I’m coming home today, Mom.”

“Good,” she says. "I’ll never forgive you for bringing such shame to our family, Esmeray.”

It’s not like I was expecting anything else from you.

Our family is known for our well-working marriages, and of course, the opulence my parents love to show everywhere they go.

“See you soon,” I tell her, ready to hang up, but she stops me.

“Esmeray, there’s something I need to ask you.” I squint my eyes, curious about what she could possibly ask me. “Do you really hate that man so much?”

I gulp, not knowing what to say.

My mother asking me anything about my feelings is a rare event I get to experience once in a lifetime. I’m not saying she doesn’t care about me, but she surely does care a lot more about the number of zeros on her credit card, and for that to happen, she has to sacrifice my happiness.

“I… I just know he’s not part of the life I want to live. He’s a psychopath, manipulator, blackmailer—”

“Okay, you can stop. I’ve got it.”

I let only our breaths echo in the speaker, waiting for her to prove to me that what I thought about her all these yearswas wrong. That she’s a mother in the true sense of the word, loving their child and topping their wishes above anything else. If there’s something I need right now, it’s for her to change her mind.

“Be home in thirty. There’s someone else willing to marry you after everything that happened,” she says, her words rushed as she speaks.

“What?" My mouth parts open, and I drop onto the edge of the bed, threading a hand through the ends of my hair.

“Esmeray, if you ruin this too, nothing can save you from Carter.”

She ends the call, and I don’t think twice before taking my bag and running down the stairs. I don’t know who’s waiting for me at home, but I pray to God he’s better than Carter. He can be old as hell for all I care. As long as he keeps his hands off me and isn’t as obsessed as the man I ran away from, I’m happy to be married the moment I get there. All I want is to be free of this man, and if I’m lucky enough, I’ll get to live a beautiful life behind the doors like Naveah.

She’s been married for ten years on paper, but she’s in love with someone who works for her husband. Both of them have different relationships but live a happy life together in front of the cameras and the best life outside of them.

When I get downstairs, I do everything in my power to avoid Kai’s dad, and thankfully, he’s nowhere to be seen. I walk to the parking lot and spot Kendrick’s car, then enter it without a second thought.

He turns to look at me, a curious look on his face. “Why so happy?”

“That obvious?” I ask, not able to keep the smile on my lips away. “I just have a feeling my life is about to change.”

Kendrick nods and asks where he should take me, and no more than fifteen minutes later, we’re parked in front of myparents’ mansion. Eager to find out who the other pretender is, I get out and look at the man who has been a friend to me through the window. He rolls it down.

“Thank you, Kendrick. Really. I know you were paid to follow my ass everywhere, but no one forbade you from buying earplugs so you wouldn’t have to deal with my daily rants.” I give him a smile and walk away, taking a deep breath with each step I take toward the house.

“I have a feeling we’ll see each other soon, Esmeray,” Kendrick says with a small smile before driving away, and I hope he’s right, because no lies told, he’s an amazing guy, and any girl would be lucky to have him.

The stairs to the entrance are so familiar, yet so far away in my memory, they’re almost like a dream I had. I carefully walk them, stopping straight at the two white doors waiting for me.

My life is going to change today.

This man who came for me—despite everything he must have heard about my family and the way I ran away from the wedding—might save a life without realizing it.

I knock, and two seconds later, the housekeeper opens the door and takes me to the conference room, where my entire family waits for me—my parents, five of my sisters, and their husbands. They’re all dressed neatly with bored looks on their faces, just like the time when Carter came to ask for my hand.

“Hello, everyone.” I put a big smile on. I walk in and take my place at one head of the table, the other one still empty, waiting for my future husband and Carter’s replacement.

“Esmeray.” Dad nods his head at me. “We’re happy to have you back after… the show a few weeks ago.”

“Esme.” Raven tries from next to me, but I completely ignore her and turn my body towards my mother, who’s seated to my right side.

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