Broke College Kid Ties the Knot with a 71-Year-Old Millionaire, Then Gets the Shock of His Life a Week Later…

You’re serious? Why me? You don’t even know me. Eleanor leaned forward slightly. Exactly.

You’re young, unattached, and desperate enough to consider this. I don’t need love, Mark. I need a companion.

Someone to share my name, my estate, and nothing more. Think of it as a contract. Mark shook his head, his mind racing.

This is insane. What’s in it for you? Her expression softened for the first time. I’ve spent my life alone, Mark.

I have no children, no family left. I want companionship, even if it’s just for appearances. And I want control of my legacy.

A husband will help solidify that. He stood abruptly, the chair scraping the floor. I can’t, I need time to think.

Of course, she replied coolly. But don’t take too long. The offer doesn’t stand forever.

Mark walked home in a daze, the rain soaking through his clothes. That night he sat at the kitchen table with his mother, her pale face etched with worry. The cost of her treatments had drained them both, and his younger sister’s tuition loomed like a dark cloud.

Mark, his mother said softly after he explained Eleanor’s proposition, I know it sounds unthinkable, but if she’s willing to help, maybe it’s worth considering. Mark stared at his hands, torn between his pride and his desperation. You’re asking me to marry a woman I don’t love, just to solve our problems.

I’m asking you to save yourself, she said, her voice trembling. To save us. The following morning, Mark returned to the bistro.

Eleanor was already there, her demeanor as calm and composed as before. You’ve decided, she asked, not looking up from her tablet. Mark took a deep breath.

I’ll do it. She smiled faintly, setting down her tablet. Good.

The arrangements will be made immediately. A week later, Mark stood in a small courthouse, dressed in a suit Eleanor had provided. The ceremony was quiet, witnessed only by Eleanor’s lawyer and a notary.

As they exchanged vows, Mark couldn’t shake the unease in his chest. When the officiant pronounced them husband and wife, Eleanor turned to him with tearing with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Welcome to your new life, Mr. Davis.

As they left the courthouse, rain drizzling once more, Mark looked at his reflection in a puddle and wondered, have I just saved my family or sold my soul? The gates to Eleanor Brooks’ estate creaked open as Mark’s cab rolled up the long driveway. The house loomed ahead, a sprawling mansion that could easily pass for a museum. Its towering columns and pristine stone facade exuded old money, but its windows seemed dark and lifeless.

Mark stepped out, suitcase in hand, feeling like a visitor in someone else’s dream or perhaps nightmare. Eleanor greeted him in the foyer, her demeanor as polished as ever. Welcome, Mr. Davis, she said, the formal address sending a shiver down Mark’s spine.

I trust you’ll find everything to your satisfaction. Dinner is at seven. He nodded mutely, following a housekeeper who led him to his room…