Found A Homeless Billionaire Husband for Christmas – Episode 06
The registrar dismissed the possibility almost as soon as it had been raised. There was no way this man could be the nation’s richest. Appearance settled the question more quickly than the familiar name had opened it.
Victoria had no reason to argue about a billionaire she did not know. She was here for a marriage certificate. Once the formalities were complete, the arrangement she and Simon had discussed was official.
She thanked the registrar. Leaving the questions behind should have been a relief, yet the document left her with something larger to absorb. She had walked in with a friend and was leaving with a husband.
“So… we’re officially married.” Saying it aloud did not make it feel more ordinary. The future she had expected with Carl had vanished, and Simon was standing in its place.
“Victoria, there’s actually something I need to tell you.” He sounded careful. Once again, he seemed to be approaching an explanation he had not managed to finish.
“I’m not…” Victoria answered before he could continue. She believed she understood what he wanted to say and could spare him the embarrassment of saying it.
“You don’t have to explain, Simon.” His circumstances had never been a reason to dismiss him. She did not want him thinking marriage had suddenly made her ashamed of what she already knew.
She did not mind that he was down on his luck. Carl’s advancement had done nothing to make him faithful or decent. Money was not what she needed to feel safe beside someone.
“The only thing I care about is kindness and honesty.” Those qualities seemed both modest and enormous after the day she had endured. She needed to believe they were things she could still ask for.
“I cannot take any more lies right now.” The words exposed more hurt than she intended. She did not soften them, because there was no point pretending Carl’s betrayal had stopped affecting her.
Simon did not finish his explanation. Victoria turned toward the practical needs that came next. There was a home to return to and a chance to put a little distance between themselves and the day’s upheaval.
“Let’s go home.” She looked at him and added that he could probably use a hot shower. Helping with something ordinary was easier than continuing to talk about heartbreak.
Simon followed her, carrying the truth he had failed to tell. Her demand for honesty had made the confession more urgent and the timing feel more difficult. She was vulnerable; he told himself he should wait.
There would be a right moment to explain that he was a billionaire. He had not found it at the registrar’s office, and he did not find it on the way home. The secret came inside with them.
Victoria tried to settle into the apartment with the knowledge that she was married. The fact seemed too large for the familiar space. She hoped she had made the right choice.
Simon went to shower. From the bathroom, he called to ask whether she had any body wash. The small request gave her something immediate and uncomplicated to answer.
“Yes. I actually just bought some.” She found it and brought it toward the bathroom. For a moment, she was simply helping him get comfortable in her home.
“Simon, I’m coming in.” She announced herself before entering. Only then did the practical errand acquire a complication she had not fully considered: her new husband was already in the shower.