Rory Thompson stared at the stack of unpaid bills on her desk, her heart sinking with each passing moment. Her family's event planning business, Thompson's Events, was on the verge of bankruptcy. The phone rang, shrill in the silence.
"Thompson's Events, this is Rory," she answered, trying to sound cheerful despite the desperation creeping in.
The voice on the other end was a potential client, inquiring about a wedding package. Rory's hopes rose, but the client's budget was too low, and she had to decline.
As she hung up the phone, Rory felt a lump form in her throat. She couldn't bear the thought of losing the business her parents had built from scratch. She had always been proud of their accomplishments, and the thought of failing them was unbearable.
Rory's mind wandered back to the conversation she had with her parents the night before. They had sat down with her, their faces etched with worry, and told her that they couldn't keep the business afloat much longer. They had tried everything, from cutting costs to taking out loans, but nothing seemed to be working.
"We're sorry, Rory," her mother had said, her voice trembling. "We know how much this business means to you, but we can't keep going on like this. We're going to have to close the doors if things don't turn around soon."
Rory had felt a wave of panic wash over her at the thought of losing the business. She had always been determined to succeed, and the thought of failure was unacceptable.
As she sat at her desk, staring blankly at the stack of bills, Rory knew that she had to do something. She couldn't just sit back and watch the business fail. She needed to come up with a plan, and fast.
Meanwhile, in a high-rise office building across town, Elijah "Eli" Jackson, a wealthy businessman in his late 20s, sat behind his massive mahogany desk, staring out the window at the city skyline. His assistant, Rachel, entered the room.
"Eli, you have a meeting with the Smiths in an hour. They're willing to invest in your company, but they want to meet your wife first."
Eli's eyes narrowed. He didn't have a wife, but he needed the Smiths' investment to secure a major business deal. He thought for a moment before responding.
"Rachel, I need you to find me a wife. A fake one, of course. Someone who can play the part for a few months, until the deal is secured."
Rachel raised an eyebrow. "You want me to find you a fake wife? Are you sure that's a good idea, Eli?"
Eli's expression turned cold. "Just do it, Rachel. I need this deal to go through, no matter what it takes."
Rachel nodded and left the room, leaving Eli to his thoughts. He knew that finding a fake wife wouldn't be easy, but he was willing to do whatever it took to secure the Smiths' investment.
As the clock ticked closer to his meeting with the Smiths, Eli couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that he was taking a risk by hiring a fake wife, but he was willing to do whatever it took to succeed.
Little did he know, his life was about to take a dramatic turn.