Page 56 of More than Paper

When her friend suggested I marry her to solve her problem, I didn’t think twice. At twenty years old, I didn’t even analyze it.

Our marriage allowed her to stay in the United States. It stopped her father from marrying her off. It allowed her to live her life the way she dreamed instead of in hell, which is what going back to Colombia and into a forced marriage would be for her.

The plan involved a three, four-year-tops marriage. I’d had no intention of being married anytime soon, so I never saw the big deal. It was just a piece of paper in my mind that gave Valeria her freedom.

I had no idea it would take away mine.

Our plan backfired. When Alejandro found out we were married, he flew into New York and gave us a lecture on how sacred marriage was and then made me convert to Catholicism so we could have a proper wedding in Colombia.

I went along with it because the guy not only scared the wits out of my twenty-year-old self, but Valeria said there was no getting out of it. If we admitted the marriage was false, her father would tell the government so they could deport her back to Colombia. Then he could marry her off.

Alejandro flew my family and Chase, Noah, Xander, and Matt, another friend who we don’t talk to anymore because he was sleeping with Chase’s girlfriend, in for the wedding. We all had to stay at his house, which was an actual compound, complete with guards securing the perimeter with machine guns.

It was then I realized that I had gotten myself into a situation that was bigger than just a few-year commitment to help out a friend.

In Alejandro Gómez’s family, you did not dare divorce.

So, fifteen years later, I’m still married to Valeria. We are good friends and love each other but not in a romantic way. Since day one, we have lived our separate lives, whether dwelling under the same roof or not.

And besides the kiss, after we said our nuptials two times, we’ve never done anything else.

Over the years, Valeria has become a well-known star. She’s a leading actress in many feature films and has numerous modeling and sponsorship gigs. We have kept it under wraps that we are married and convinced her father that it’s better for her career.

She lives in California with her girlfriend Cindy when she isn’t working. Her father thinks she lives in New York with me. When she comes into town, she stays with me, but she’s so busy, I see her a lot less than I used to.

The guys are all friends with her and know the situation. We all like Cindy as well.

Besides Alejandro Gómez, Valeria and I have both created our dream lives and are happy. We’ve made tons of money, have careers we love, and there is no drama. Both of us would do anything to protect or help the other out.

I’ve never told anyone I’ve dated about Valeria and my situation. There’s never been anyone I’ve wanted to marry or even live with, so besides Chase, Noah, Xander, and Cindy, no one knows. It’s too dangerous.

Valeria was with Cindy for two years before she told her about our situation.

As I’m walking out of the airport to get into the taxi, I have a feeling I’ve never had before.

You should tell Quinn.

Slow down. You’ve only known her a little over a week. You can’t put Valeria in danger.

Until I know for sure where this is going with Quinn, I can’t make any dumb moves like when I was twenty.

12

Quinn

It’s Friday afternoon,and my boss called a staff meeting at 4:45 p.m.

Leave it to him to send us off for the weekend with positivity.

I walk into the conference room and sit in a chair next to my co-worker Tim.

He leans toward me. “What do you think he’s going to yell at us about now?”

“No idea. You’re guess is as good as mine.”

Bill Atwood, nicknamed in the office behind his back as “Half Dick,” struts into the conference room and slams some folders on the desk. “There’s a mutiny on this ship.”

Mutiny? Oh jeez. What is he talking about?

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