The Accidental Fiancé

Chapter 12 — The HR Meeting

The HR office always smelled like new files and intimidation.

Jenna sat stiffly in her chair, Samuel beside her. HR Manager Mrs. Williams adjusted her glasses and began flipping through a folder filled with printouts.

Printouts of pictures.

Screenshots.

Gossip posts.

Memes.

Jenna wanted the floor to open up and swallow her.

Mrs. Williams cleared her throat. “We’ve received… concerns.”

Samuel sat upright. “Concerns about what exactly?”

“About public displays of affection,” the woman replied.

Jenna nearly choked. “Public what?!”

Mrs. Williams slid a picture across the desk – a blurry photo of Samuel brushing a piece of lint off Jenna’s shoulder.

Jenna gasped. “THAT IS NOT PDA. THAT IS LAUNDRY.” She all but shouted.

Samuel coughed to hide a laugh.

Mrs. Williams remained unbothered. “Office gossip has become disruptive. Employees are distracted. Someone tried to take bets on your wedding date.”

Samuel frowned. “That is inappropriate.”

“Yes. So we need clarity,” HR continued. “Is this relationship real or not?”

Jenna and Samuel exchanged a glance.

A terrifying, heart-stopping glance.

This was the moment.

The fork in the road.

The point of no return.

If they said ‘no’, everything would end – the story, the pretending, the closeness.

If they said ‘yes’…

Jenna took a breath.

Samuel watched her, waiting.

She opened her mouth to say something–

—and the door flew open.

It was Mr. Okoye.

“Ah! You’re still here.” He said. “Good. Come with me.”

They stared at him, confused.

HR frowned. “We are in a meeting—”

“Yes, yes. Very important, I know,” Okoye interrupted. “But the client is waiting downstairs and they insist on meeting Samuel and his fiancée.”

Jenna nearly fainted. “Why?!”

“Because,” he said, “they found that engagement post and now they think you two represent ‘authentic, modern love’ and want to use you as inspiration for the new campaign.”

Jenna’s soul left her body.

“Yes! Couple goals. I don’t entirely see it,” Okoye added bluntly, “But the client loves it.”

HR pinched the bridge of her nose. “This does not resolve the boundary issue.”

Okoye waved dismissively. “Talk about it later. You both, come first.”

He ushered them out before HR could react.

In the hallway, Jenna whispered, “Samuel. What do we do?”

“We breathe,” he said. “We go downstairs. And we figure it out together.”

She nodded weakly.

As they approached the lobby, Samuel gently took her hand.

Not pretending.

Not fake.

Not for show.

Just… holding it.

Her heart almost burst.

“Are you okay?” he murmured.

“No,” she whispered. “But I trust you.”

He squeezed her hand. “Good.”

The lobby doors opened.

Cameras flashed.

People clapped.

The client said out loud, “Our favorite couple!”

And Jenna realized:

The lie was now officially too big to escape.

And her feelings?

Even harder.