Jake’s words hit me harder than I expected. I felt tears welling up as I clinked glasses with him. My parents beamed, thinking that this was an authentic relationship.

Even my sister looked taken aback.

After the toast, I pulled Jake aside.

“Thank you,” I said softly. “You’re an amazing actor, but I don’t know how I can ever repay you for that.”

Jake took my hand, his eyes softening.

“Lara,” he said, matching my tone. “I wasn’t acting, you know. Everything I said was true. I’ve been falling for you since the moment we met.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding.

“But we only met because I hired you for this night,” I said.

He shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Yeah, life is funny like that, isn’t it?” he said. “Sometimes these things happen when we’re not looking for them. I’d like to try things officially. With you, I mean.”

I nodded, smiling.

“I’d like that too.”

We joined the family and sat down to eat large slices of cake.

A birthday cake on a table | Source: Midjourney

Even now, months later, Jake and I are still together and happy. We never quite told the family that I hired Jake. To them, he was the boyfriend who showed up and swept me off my feet. And in a way, that was true.

“You’re telling me that only I know the truth?” Kate asked as we sat in my living room with face masks.

“Yes!” I replied. “Jake and I didn’t want to tell my family the truth because you know how Emily is. She’ll have a field day about this. Her pathetic younger sister who couldn’t find herself a boyfriend, so she hired him.”

“But you did find a boyfriend,” Kate pointed out.

“I did,” I admitted. “And he has also left the agency as well. So, he’s serious about this. That’s new for me.”

A few weeks later, I went home to my parents’ house for tea. For once, I wasn’t dreading being there, because they knew about Jake.

But it was there that Emily revealed something to me. We were in the kitchen, doing the dishes when my sister turned to me.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so nasty,” she said. “And I didn’t mean to be so harsh with Jake when he came over for Dad’s birthday. It brought up some stuff for me.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I didn’t tell you this, but I broke up with Paul. He wasn’t away for work during Dad’s birthday. Our engagement has been broken off for months. I’ve been bitter about your happiness.”

I couldn’t understand why my sister carried the burden by herself, but at least she was open to talking to me now.

I don’t know how long this new, vulnerable version of my sister will last, but let’s see what happens next.