Ava sat on her bed with her pillow pressed to her face. She had spent almost the whole night thinking about what Ethan said. Cancel the certificate? No. Entertaining? Yes. Family waiting for marriage? Yes. And she was just stuck like a fly in honey.
"Why me?" she groaned, rolling to the side. "Why can't typos just stay as typos? Why did it have to become marriage certificate?"
Her phone buzzed. She ignored it. Then it buzzed again. And again. With a sigh, she grabbed it, ready to throw it at the wall. But when she saw the caller ID, her eyes widened.
Maddie.
Her best friend. Her trouble partner. The one who was there when she first got the crazy mail that started everything.
"Don't tell me you're calling to laugh again," Ava muttered before picking up. "Hello?"
"AVA!" Maddie screamed so loudly Ava almost threw the phone away. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
Ava sat up, confused. "Tell you what?"
"That you're engaged to Ethan Blackwood!"
Ava's brain stopped working. "I'm… what?"
Maddie was giggling on the other side. "Girl, you should see the way I screamed when I heard. A billionaire! Your boss! The Ethan Blackwood!"
Ava's hand started shaking. "Has it gone viral"
"Oh please, do you think secrets stay in this city? Someone at your office told someone, who told someone, and boom, it got to people. Don't worry though, I already told your family. They're so happy!"
Ava's whole world crashed. "YOU WHAT?"
"I told them," Maddie said, completely unbothered. "You know your mom, she was screaming into the phone. Your dad kept saying, 'Finally, my daughter will marry a good man.' And your little brother was asking if Ethan can buy him a car. They're already planning a small celebration dinner. Isn't that cute?"
Ava stood up and began pacing like a mad woman. "Maddie! I told you not to tell anyone! This whole thing is a mistake! A typo! Not real! Fake!"
"Engagement is engagement," Maddie sang. "Besides, are you crazy? If I had a billionaire in my grasp, I would glue myself to him with superglue. Why are you complaining?"
Ava wanted to cry. "Because it's not what you think! We are not really engaged! It was an accident!"
"Sure, sure," Maddie replied in that tone that clearly said I don't believe you. "Tell yourself that. Anyway, your mom said you must come home this weekend. They want to meet Ethan."
"WHAT?!" Ava shouted so loud the neighbor's dog barked.
"Yes, darling bride-to-be," Maddie teased. "Better start preparing your man. Byeee!"
The call ended. Ava stared at her phone like it was cursed. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she might faint.
Her family. Her lovely, dramatic family. They now believed she was engaged to Ethan. A billionaire. The coldest boss on planet earth.
"Oh no… oh no no no no," she whispered, pacing again. "This is a disaster. This is worse than disaster. This is apocalypse."
By evening, Ava was sitting in her parents' living room. She had gone there straight from work, her bag still on her shoulder, her nerves all over the place.
Her mom was already waiting at the door with the widest smile Ava had ever seen. "My daughter!" she cried, hugging Ava like she had just returned from a ten-year journey. "Why didn't you tell us sooner? Getting engaged to a man like Ethan Blackwood, ah, you've made me the proudest mother alive!"
"Mom, it's not what you think" Ava started, but her dad walked in with his reading glasses sliding down his nose.
"Well done, Ava," he said seriously, but his eyes were twinkling. "I was beginning to think you would never settle down. But Ethan Blackwood, hmm. That man is respected everywhere. You've done well."
"Dad, listen to me, it's not...."
Before she could finish, her little brother, Jason, jumped on her with a huge grin. "Sis! Congrats! When I told my friends at school, they almost fainted. You're engaged to the Ethan Blackwood. Now, can he buy me a car?"
Ava blinked. "Jason, you're fifteen."
"So? A small sports car is fine!"
Ava buried her face in her hands. This was madness. Absolute madness.
Dinner was even worse. Her mom kept talking about wedding dresses. Her dad kept talking about future grandchildren. Jason kept googling luxury cars on his phone and showing them to her.
"Mom, Dad, please," Ava finally said, dropping her fork. "You guys don't understand. This whole thing is a mistake. I didn't mean to...."
But Maddie, sitting there with her smug smile, interrupted. "Ava, stop pretending. You're glowing! Look at her, Mr. and Mrs. Scott, she's so shy she can't even admit she's in love."
Ava glared at her best friend. If looks could kill, Maddie would be ashes on the chair.
Her mom grabbed her hand. "Ava, sweetheart, we don't need explanations. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."
Her dad nodded. "And I already called your aunt. She's spreading the news to the whole family."
Ava almost choked. "You WHAT?!"
"Yes, yes," her mom said, smiling dreamily. "By next week, everyone will know that my daughter is engaged to the most eligible bachelor in the city. I can't wait to meet him."
Ava pushed her plate away. Her appetite was dead.
Later that night, as she lay in her childhood bed, Ava stared at the ceiling. She wanted to scream, or cry, or both.
Her family believed she was engaged. Her best friend was enjoying the drama. Ethan was laughing at her misery.
"This is getting out of hand," she whispered. "I need to stop this before it becomes an actual wedding."
But deep down, she knew things were already spiraling beyond her control.