The Wife He Chose

Amara’s POV By the time I got off the bus, the sun was already beginning to disappear behind the tall buildings of Blackridge. I adjusted my handbag on my shoulder and looked down at the folder in my hand. My résumé was still inside, along with copies of my certificates and every other document I had carried around all day. Another day. Another round of interviews. Another collection of polite smiles and empty promises. “We’ll get back to you.” I was beginning to hate those words. Three months ago, I had a job. It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but I was grateful for it. I worked as a secretary at a small consulting company in downtown Blackridge, and for the first time in a while, I felt like my life was finally settling down. Then the company shut down. There was no warning. One day, we were working as usual, and the next, we were being told that the company could no longer continue operating. Since then, I had been looking for another job. Today had been no different. I had visited four offices and sent my résumé to three more companies. At one place, they told me they were looking for someone with more experience. At another, they said they would contact me if they decided to move forward. I already knew what that meant. I wasn’t getting the job. I walked through the familiar streets of West End, trying not to think about the empty space in my bank account. Our neighborhood wasn’t one of the fancy parts of Blackridge. It was quiet and modest, filled with small houses, roadside shops and the occasional sound of children playing outside. It wasn’t perfect. But it was home. I finally reached our house and pulled out my keys. The moment I opened the door, I knew something was wrong. It was too quiet. “Mia?” No answer. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. “Mia?” Still nothing. Usually, my seventeen-year-old sister would have called my name before I even took off my shoes. She had a way of making sure I knew exactly what was happening in the house, whether I wanted to hear it or not. I dropped my handbag on the small table beside the door and walked toward the sitting room. “Mia?” “I’m here.” I followed the sound of her voice and found her sitting on the couch. The television was on, but she wasn’t watching it. She was staring at the screen with her hands folded tightly in her lap. I stopped. Something was definitely wrong. I walked over and sat beside her. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” I frowned. “Mia.” She looked at me. “I’m fine.” “You’re not.” She gave me a small smile. “I said I’m fine.” “And I said you’re not.” Her smile disappeared. I studied her face. My younger sister had been living with a heart condition for years. We had grown used to hospital appointments, medication and the occasional day when she felt worse than usual. But I knew her. And right now, she was scared. I reached for her hand. It was cold. “What happened?” She looked down. “The hospital called.” My stomach tightened. “What did they say?” “They want to move my procedure forward.” I stared at her. “What?” “They don’t want me waiting until next month anymore.” “Why?” She hesitated. “Mia.” “They said my condition has been getting worse.” For a few seconds, I couldn’t speak. I looked away and took a slow breath. “How soon?” “Two weeks.” “Two weeks?” She nodded. I swallowed. “And the money?” She didn’t answer. “Mia, how much?” She finally told me. My heart sank. “That much?” “I’m sorry.” “Don’t apologize.” “But—” “Don’t.” I squeezed her hand. “I’ll figure it out.” She looked at me with a sadness that made my chest hurt. “You don’t even have a job.” “I’ll get one.” “You’ve been looking for three months.” “And I’ll keep looking.” “What if you can’t?” I forced a smile. “Then I’ll look harder.” She stared at me for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh. “You always do this.” “Do what?” “Act like you have everything under control.” “I do have everything under control.” “You’re lying.” “Maybe.” She rested her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her. For a few minutes, neither of us spoke. I could feel the weight of the promise I had just made. I didn’t know how I was going to raise that kind of money in two weeks. But I couldn’t let Mia see me panic. She had enough to worry about. “We’ll be okay,” I whispered. “Promise?” I looked down at her. “I promise.” ⸻ Later that night, Mia went to bed early. I stayed in the sitting room with my laptop open in front of me. The house was quiet again. I checked my bank account. The balance made my stomach twist. I closed the page. Then opened it again. As if the numbers would somehow change. They didn’t. I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my tired eyes. Two weeks. I needed a job. Not next month. Not next week. Now. My fingers brushed against the silver bracelet around my wrist. I looked down at it. I had worn it for years. My father had given it to me when I was younger, and even though I couldn’t remember the exact day he’d put it around my wrist, I remembered what he’d told me. “Keep this safe.” That was all. I had never understood what he meant. I ran my thumb over the small engraving before letting my hand fall. My phone vibrated on the table. I picked it up. An email had just arrived. I opened it. PRIVATE EVENT STAFF NEEDED — IMMEDIATE PAYMENT I frowned. I didn’t remember applying for anything like that. I read through the message. A private event. One evening. Immediate payment. And the amount they were offering was enough to make me sit up straight. It wasn’t enough to solve everything. But it could cover part of Mia’s treatment. Maybe that was all I needed right now. A start. I read the message again. Something about it felt unusual. I hadn’t applied directly for the position, and the email didn’t say much about the people hosting the event. Still, I couldn’t afford to be picky. I looked toward the hallway. Mia was asleep. I looked back at my phone. My thumb hovered over the reply button. I hesitated. Then I typed: “I’ll be there. Please send me the details.” I stared at the message for a few seconds before pressing send. The email disappeared from my screen. I had no idea who was hosting the event. I had no idea who I would meet there. And I certainly had no idea that accepting that job would change my life forever. At that moment, all I knew was that my sister needed me. And I was willing to do whatever it took to help her.