I Married Him To Save Our Sick Son

Andy Jennings crossed his arms, fixing the slimy man with a look of pure disgust. "Who sent you? How much are they paying you?"

The man feigned innocence. "I have no clue what you're talking about. You need to leave, or I'm calling the cops."

"Go ahead. Call them," Andy shot back with a confident smirk. "The woman inside is my girlfriend. You drugged her in broad daylight to assault her. Let's see who ends up in cuffs first."

The man's eyes darted nervously toward the door. "Tell me who sent you, or I'm calling them myself!" Andy's smile vanished, replaced by a hard, steely glare.

Panic flooded the man's face as he stammered, "Please, spare me! I was forced… they made me do it…"

He inched toward the door, and when Andy's attention flickered for just a second, he bolted. Andy took off after him but lost him in the chaos. Not wanting to leave me alone for too long, he decided to drop it and headed back to the room.

I was still on the bed, lost in a deep sleep. My long lashes lay still, and my pale skin seemed to glow softly in the dim light, giving me an almost ethereal look. The sight made Andy's heart race. He quickly yanked open the curtains, then grabbed a wet towel and gently dabbed my face, eager to rouse me.

The cold towel jolted me awake. Blinking my eyes open, I found a handsome young face hovering over me. "Wha… what are you doing here?"

Andy raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eye. "I told you we'd meet again, didn't I?"

My head was still spinning from whatever they'd slipped me, and my body felt like lead. Slowly, the events leading up to this moment came swimming back. Rage surged through me. "Did you spike my drink and drag me to this hotel?"

Andy put on a wounded expression. "A guy can't even be a good Samaritan without getting accused these days! Miss, I just saved you. You were drugged and almost assaulted. They were even planning to film it."

I stared at him, still skeptical.

Andy snatched the camera off the nightstand and played back the footage. "See for yourself. Don't jump to conclusions."

As I watched, horror and disbelief flooded through me.

Realizing I'd misjudged Andy, a wave of gratitude washed over me. "I'm sorry, I misunderstood. Thank you for saving me. I can't even imagine what would have happened…" Who could hate me enough to stoop to something so vile?

"It's nothing, really," Andy said with his usual nonchalant shrug. "Do you need me to call someone for you?"

"No, thank you!" I shook my head quickly, knowing this was something I absolutely couldn't let the Murphys find out about.

"How about I take you to the hospital? You don't look so good," Andy offered, noticing how I kept rubbing my temples.

"No need, thank you. I'll just splash some water on my face," I said, still woozy. I managed to stagger off the bed and head to the bathroom.

After splashing cold water on my face, I felt a little more alert. I dried my face hastily, desperate to put this whole ordeal behind me.

"Thank you for everything. I have to go now. My friends are waiting," I said to Andy politely.

He gave me a curious look, as if I were a delicate angel standing by a tranquil lake, radiating beauty and vulnerability.

As I left the room, a lingering sense of shame clung to me. I was in no mood to go back to Sophie's party, so I stepped outside instead, gulping the fresh air like I'd narrowly escaped death. Who would do this to me? I frowned, thinking hard. The only person who came to mind was Fiona Murphy. That venomous bitch! I seethed internally, but without proof, I had to just chalk it up to shitty luck.

Just then, my phone rang. Forrest Murphy.

Seeing his name flash on the screen, a wave of vulnerability crashed over me, and tears welled in my eyes. God, how I ached to tell Forrest what just happened, to have him hold me and whisper that it was all okay. I took a shaky breath and answered, fighting to keep my voice steady. "Hello?"

"Where are you?" His deep voice carried that familiar edge of authority, even beneath its warmth.

The words snapped me back to reality, dousing my fleeting fantasy like ice water. I gripped my coat tighter, steadying myself. "I'm at a friend's birthday party."

"My sister's son is back from overseas. There's a family dinner tonight. Be home by five."

"Okay, I will."

And just like that, he hung up.

Standing there, surrounded by bustling strangers, reality hit me with a fresh wave of pain. The man I loved so deeply, my husband, remained cold and distant when I needed him most—just out of reach, like always.