I thought pretending to have a fiancé would finally help me escape my sister Megan’s shadow. But midway through my plan, I realized that true love had been right in front of me.
When my mom’s letter announced a family Christmas gathering, including Megan and her new boyfriend, I panicked. I didn’t want to sit there overshadowed by Megan’s perfect life. Then it hit me: What if I showed up with a fiancé?
I turned to Zach, a reliable coworker, and proposed the idea. After some convincing, he agreed to pretend for the holidays. We practiced our roles, and when we arrived at my mom’s house, Megan wasted no time questioning our story.
Later, overhearing a conversation about my mom’s supposed inheritance, I realized Megan had set me up. But by then, I’d already gone too far. The next day, I bought a cheap engagement ring and told Zach he’d have to propose at dinner.
As expected, the moment came, and Zach asked me to marry him. Mom was thrilled, but Megan’s mocking smile showed she knew the whole thing was a charade. The next day, Megan revealed she’d made up the inheritance story just to mess with me.
Humiliated, I had to decide: go through with the wedding or walk away. I chose to run, realizing how far I’d gone to compete with Megan. At work the next day, I found Zach’s farewell note—he’d been in love with me the whole time.
Determined to make things right, I tracked Zach down and apologized. We talked through the misunderstandings, and I finally asked him out on a real date. This time, there was no pretending.