Page 16 of The Substitute Fiancée

He heads to the kitchen, opens the fridge, and pulls out two beers. I take mine without hesitation. We sit down by the fireplace. The flames crackle. Oliver takes a sip before asking the question that’s been burning his lips.

“And you… how are you holding up?”

I let out a humorless laugh.

“I feel like a complete idiot.”

That’s the understatement of the year.

I tell him everything.

The recent decision to take things to the next level with Kristel.

Buying the ring—with Sam’s help.

Showing up at Kristel’s place unannounced.

The scene in the bedroom.

The night wandering the streets.

Sam opening her door to me.

Oliver listens without interrupting. His jaw tightens little by little. When I finish, he mutters a curse.

“Wait… you’re telling me she not only cheated on you, but she’s blackmailing you on top of that?”

“Yes.”

He exhales, runs a hand through his hair.

“Jesus… she’s got some nerve.”

“I don’t know if she’s speaking out of anger or if she’s serious, but if she follows through on that threat—less than two months before the IPO—it could do serious damage.”

Oliver frowns, eyes narrowed, already calculating the fallout.

“If I understand correctly, you haven’t officially proposed yet, and publicly, no one even knew you were together.”

“That’s where it gets complicated,” I sigh.

I take a breath.

“David and I let a few things slip to investors. Nothing official, just hints. We wanted to project stability. Maturity. It was Kristel’s idea, actually.”

I pause.

“After all, what’s more marketable than the CEO of a dating app who’s found love himself? We even started planting clues on social media: ‘The CEO of MatchMapping has found his soulmate…’ See the irony?”

“I see the problem now,” he says finally. “I’m surprised you managed to keep the relationship quiet for so long.”

“Kristel wanted it that way. She knew the strongest lever in any network isn’t visibility—it’s implicit endorsement. I never introduced her as my partner. I just introduced her. And in that silence, everything happened: if he brings her in, then she’s trustworthy. I became her guarantor without even realizing it.”

“She’s smart,” Oliver admits.

“Yes. And methodical.”

I tighten my grip on the bottle.