Married by Mistake

Chapterone

Chapter one :The. Mistake

Evelyn Carter stared in disbelief at the neatly typed paper the clerk had just handed her. She read the bold letters at the top of the page twice, her mouth falling open as the words refused to make sense.

Her heart thudded in her chest. She hadn’t come here to get married; she’d come to finalize paperwork for her and Jake's engagement! A bead of sweat formed on her forehead as she imagined her boyfriend's reaction.

"Excuse me," she said sharply, catching the attention of the clerk behind the counter. "There’s been a mistake."

The clerk, a middle-aged woman with a stern expression, glanced at the papers. "Your name is Evelyn Carter, correct?"

Yes, but

And the other party, Liam Dawson?

Who the hell is Liam Dawson?

Present,came a voice from behind her. Evelyn turned to see a tall man with tousled dark hair and a confused grin on his face.

She felt her irritation spike. "Are you kidding me? How did this happen?"

Liam chuckled. "Looks like we’re married. Evelyn's eyes widened as she took in Liam's nonchalant demeanor. "This is not a joke," she snapped, feeling the panic rise in her throat. "I didn’t sign up for this!"

Liam raised his hands defensively. "Hey, neither did I. I just came here to get some documents processed for my new job, and now it seems I’ve got a wife instead.

The clerk sighed and adjusted her glasses, her expression softening just a bit. "Let me check the system again," she said, tapping away at the keyboard. Evelyn waited, her nerves fraying with each passing second. The entire room seemed to close in around her.

After what felt like an eternity, the clerk looked up. "I see the problem," she said. "There’s been a data entry error. Somehow, your information got mixed up with Mr. Dawson's. I’ll need both of you to fill out some forms to rectify this.

"Hey, no hard feelings," Liam said, his tone teasing. "It’s not every day you accidentally get married to a stranger."

"Don’t get too comfortable," Evelyn retorted, grabbing the forms the clerk handed her. "This will be sorted out in no time.

As they sat down at a small desk to fill out their respective paperwork, Liam leaned over slightly, a playful glint in his eye. So, Evelyn Carter, tell me about yourself. What do you do when you're not accidentally marrying strangers?

She shot him a withering look. "I’m a corporate lawyer," she said, keeping her voice cold. "And I'm very good at unraveling mistakes like this. So don’t get any ideas.

Liam chuckled. Noted. I’m a journalist, by the way. And for the record, I’m not thrilled about this situation either."

They worked in silence for a few moments, the tension between them a strange mix of frustration and an odd, undeniable curiosity.

The silence was finally broken by the clerk clearing her throat. "Once you both complete these forms, I’ll process them immediately. The marriage certificate will be annulled, and this will be nothing more than an unfortunate mistake."

Evelyn nodded, determined to put this whole ordeal behind her. But as she finished the last of the paperwork, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this bizarre encounter was only the beginning of something she hadn’t seen coming—a twist that might just change everything to meet you, wife.

Evelyn’s fingers gripped the pen a bit too tightly as she scrawled her name on the last form, her mind still buzzing with a mix of disbelief and frustration. How could something like this happen? Her life was meticulously planned, every step of her career, every moment with Jake. Yet here she was, accidentally married to a stranger who looked like he found the whole situation amusing.

She glanced at Liam. He was leaning back in his chair, his long legs stretched out as if he were lounging on a beach instead of dealing with a bureaucratic nightmare. How could he be so calm?

What? he asked, catching her stare.

Nothing,she muttered, looking away quickly. But Liam wasn’t deterred.

He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. “You know, you don’t seem like the type to make a mistake like this.”

She shot him a glare. “I’m not. That’s why I’m going to make sure this is sorted out as quickly as possible.”

He smirked. “I’d expect nothing less from a corporate lawyer.”

Evelyn couldn’t tell if he was mocking her or genuinely impressed. “And what about you? You don’t seem too concerned for someone who just got married by accident.”

Liam shrugged. I’m a journalist. I’ve seen worse mistakes than this—though I have to admit, it’s a first for me too.

The clerk returned, interrupting their exchange. “I’ve filed your forms. It will take a few days for the annulment to be processed officially. In the meantime, I suggest you both avoid any legal entanglements. This should be cleared up by the end of the week.

A few days? Evelyn’s voice rose an octave. I can’t wait that long! I have a fiancé—I mean, this could ruin everything!

The clerk raised an eyebrow. Unfortunately, that’s the best we can do under the circumstances. The system needs time to update, and we have to go through the proper channels.

Evelyn opened her mouth to argue, but Liam touched her arm lightly, surprising her into silence. Let it go, Evelyn, he said softly, his tone surprisingly gentle. We’ll get it fixed. No need to make a scene.