Sophie was enjoying a pleasant evening with family when her grandmother, Evelyn, made a shocking announcement. Evelyn\u2019s news wasn\u2019t just surprising\u2014it was life-changing. To receive her inheritance, Sophie had to get married within a month\u2014right before Evelyn\u2019s 70th birthday!<\/p>\n
The living room buzzed with chatter as the family gathered at Evelyn\u2019s big, old-style home. Dressed in pink as always, Evelyn stood out with her lively spirit. For years, she had been the heart of every gathering.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone, may I have your attention!\u201d Evelyn\u2019s voice cut through the noise. Her sharp eyes scanned the room. The talking stopped, and all eyes turned to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie,\u201d Evelyn began, locking eyes with her granddaughter, who sat awkwardly under everyone\u2019s gaze.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve worked hard on your career, and that\u2019s something to be proud of. But in doing so, you\u2019ve forgotten some of our family traditions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie shifted uncomfortably. She\u2019d expected this conversation eventually. Her grandma\u2019s values came from a very different era.<\/p>\n
Evelyn went on, \u201cAs the last keeper of our family\u2019s values, it saddens me to see them fade away.\u201d Her voice firmed. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019ve decided\u2014if Sophie doesn\u2019t find a husband by the time I turn 70, she won\u2019t be part of my will.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie froze. Her face turned pale as the room fell silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandma, you\u2019re not serious,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m completely serious,\u201d Evelyn replied. \u201cI can\u2019t leave my legacy to someone who doesn\u2019t care to continue our family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her tone left no space for argument.<\/p>\n
Sophie\u2019s frustration exploded. She stood up, her chair screeching on the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve spent years building my career, working hard to get where I am,\u201d she shouted. \u201cAnd now I\u2019m being punished just because I\u2019m not married? That\u2019s not fair!\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn looked calmly at her granddaughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cLife is full of choices, Sophie. You chose yours, and now I\u2019m choosing mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaken, Sophie left the room, slamming the door behind her. She sat in her car outside, tears streaming down her face in the still night.<\/p>\n
Sophie decided to treat her grandmother\u2019s demand like a project.<\/p>\n
She dove into the dating scene, making online profiles, going to speed-dating events, and letting her friends set her up. But most dates were strange\u2014or flat-out disasters.<\/p>\n
One evening, she met Jason. He seemed normal at first, but then leaned in and whispered, \u201cDid you know the moon landing was fake?\u201d Sophie nearly spit out her drink. The date only got worse from there.<\/p>\n
Next was Peter, who spent the evening talking about his exotic pet lizards.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere are Monty and Tweedy!\u201d he said, proudly showing off pictures\u2014not of lizards, but of his cat and dog. Sophie smiled politely but quickly lost interest.<\/p>\n
Another date turned into a business meeting when Sophie, stuck in work mode, began discussing revenue trends and market strategies, not noticing her date\u2019s blank stare.<\/p>\n
After so many awkward dates, Sophie felt worn out and more hopeless than ever.<\/p>\n
One afternoon at the office, she scrolled through her phone, sighing after another bad date. She looked up at her assistant, Steven, who was sorting papers nearby.<\/p>\n
\u201cSteven, can we talk?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSure, what\u2019s up?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need a huge favor. I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend\u2014for one week.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added quickly, \u201cI\u2019ll pay you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steven blinked in surprise. \u201cPretend to be your boyfriend? Are you serious?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust for a week, until my grandma\u2019s birthday. Then we can stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steven saw how upset she was and gave in. \u201cAlright. But we need to make it look real.\u201d<\/p>\n
They started spending more time together, learning little things about each other.<\/p>\n
Sophie, being a perfectionist, turned their conversations into interviews\u2014asking about his views on marriage and even his credit history.<\/p>\n
Steven finally suggested, \u201cLet\u2019s take the weekend and relax at my cousin\u2019s lake house. Maybe we can act more naturally.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, how hard can cooking be?\u201d Sophie joked, tying an apron in the lake house\u2019s small kitchen.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust toss it all in and hope for the best,\u201d Steven laughed, chopping vegetables.<\/p>\n
They also tried fishing by the lake, but failed miserably. Sophie burst out laughing. \u201cWhy are we so bad at this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Steven smiled. \u201cIt\u2019s not about catching anything. It\u2019s just about spending time together.\u201d<\/p>\n
That night, they sat by the fire, wrapped in blankets and sharing stories.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to think being strong meant doing it all alone,\u201d Sophie admitted. \u201cBut this\u2014this is nice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steven passed her a marshmallow. \u201cGood company makes life better.\u201d<\/p>\n
By Sunday, as they packed to leave, Sophie realized she liked being with Steven\u2014not just for show, but for real.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s strange,\u201d she said in the car. \u201cA weekend can change everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steven, feeling at ease, opened up. \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking. I want to start my own caf\u00e9 or bakery. That\u2019s my real dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie nodded, but kept quiet. She wasn\u2019t ready to deal with how that might affect her own plans.<\/p>\n
When they arrived at Evelyn\u2019s house for the big dinner, the house glowed with warmth and the smell of food.<\/p>\n
Evelyn greeted them excitedly.<\/p>\n
\u201cSteven, I\u2019m so happy to meet you,\u201d she said warmly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, Mrs. Johnson,\u201d Steven replied politely.<\/p>\n
Steven charmed everyone at the table. He told funny stories and fit in easily.<\/p>\n
Sophie, though, acted distant. Her warmth from the lake house was gone. She barely looked at Steven.<\/p>\n
Later, Evelyn noticed and pulled Sophie aside.<\/p>\n
\u201cSteven seems to really care for you,\u201d she said quietly. \u201cDon\u2019t hurt him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie forced a smile. \u201cEverything\u2019s fine, Grandma. He might even propose soon,\u201d she lied.<\/p>\n
Evelyn didn\u2019t fully believe her.<\/p>\n
Steven returned, holding snacks, and had likely heard the whole thing. The rest of the night, he was quiet and withdrawn.<\/p>\n
He left without saying much\u2014just a nod\u2014and Sophie felt his silence deeply.<\/p>\n
The next day, the office felt empty. Sophie found out Steven had quit. He came by to get his things.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought we were growing close,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Steven sighed. \u201cI thought we had something real after the lake house. But you went back to treating me like just an employee.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie looked down. \u201cI got scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t keep doing this,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m not taking your money.\u201d<\/p>\n
He walked out, leaving her alone with her guilt.<\/p>\n
On the morning of Evelyn\u2019s birthday, Sophie carefully chose her clothes. She thought about Steven nonstop\u2014the laughs, the talks, and finally, the heartbreak.<\/p>\n
At the party, she froze when she saw Steven among the guests. Evelyn had invited him.<\/p>\n
Sophie walked over, nervous.<\/p>\n
\u201cSteven,\u201d she said, \u201cI\u2019m so sorry. I missed you. What started as pretending became real for me. I care about you\u2014a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steven softened. \u201cI forgive you. I agreed to pretend because I\u2019ve had feelings for you too. I hoped we\u2019d find something real.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn, listening nearby, walked over with a gentle smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie, you\u2019ve finally understood what matters. That\u2019s why you\u2019ll get the inheritance. I was never going to give it to you just for marrying. I only wanted to push you toward what really counts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steven then added, \u201cAnd by the way, I opened my own bakery. I even made tonight\u2019s birthday cake. Hope you\u2019ll all stop by sometime.\u201d<\/p>\n
The evening became joyful, full of laughter and celebration. Evelyn looked at Sophie and Steven, content that her plan had led to something meaningful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sophie was enjoying a pleasant evening with family when her grandmother, Evelyn, made a shocking announcement. Evelyn\u2019s news wasn\u2019t just surprising\u2014it was life-changing. To receive her inheritance, Sophie had to get married within a month\u2014right before Evelyn\u2019s 70th birthday! The living room buzzed with chatter as the family gathered at Evelyn\u2019s big, old-style home. Dressed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29846"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29847,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29846\/revisions\/29847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}