Adeline sat cross-legged on a swivel chair, spinning it absently. Her phone was propped up on her desk, and on the screen, Evelyn's face filled the frame. The video call had started as a casual catch-up until Adeline told her why she had called.
From the other side of the call, the sound of loud coughing erupted. Evelyn was hitting her chest repeatedly, small tears forming in her eyes as she struggled to breathe. She finally managed to catch her breath, wiping at her watery eyes. "Wait, wait, hold on a second—" she wheezed, "she gave you the whole thing? Like, everything?"
Adeline sighed, pressing her palm against her face. "Keep your voice down," she muttered. "Nobody's supposed to know about the will for now, okay? I only told you because you're my best friend."
Realizing her mistake, Evelyn slapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry! Sorry!" she said, her voice muffled behind her fingers. After a few seconds, she removed her hand and let out a chuckle. "But, seriously, Addy. Your grandmother was like… a billionaire! And she left everything to you? That's insane!"
Adeline slumped deeper into her chair and groaned, rolling back and forth in lazy circles. "That's not even the worst part."
Evelyn tilted her head. "What do you mean?" she asked, grabbing her water bottle from the table beside her. She took a sip, her eyebrows furrowing in curiosity.
"There are conditions," Adeline said with a sigh, stopping the spin of her chair.
"Conditions? What kind of conditions?" Evelyn asked.
Adeline hesitated, unsure of how to explain it without sounding ridiculous. But Evelyn's expectant stare left her no choice. "Okay," she began, leaning forward. "I can only inherit everything if I get married. And I have to do it within a year."
The words had barely left her mouth when Evelyn choked, sputtering water everywhere. She pulled the bottle away, coughing violently as she tried to process what she'd just heard.
Adeline facepalmed, shaking her head at the sight of Evelyn choking on her water for the second time. "Put the water down, silly! You're going to choke to death!"
Evelyn waved her hand dismissively, still coughing, before finally composing herself. She closed the bottle with a quick twist and tossed it onto the couch behind her. Then she leaned so close to her phone that her big brown eyes filled Adeline's screen. "Marriage? That's the condition? That's basically like asking you to wrestle thirty men for the inheritance. Everyone knows you've never been into romance or dating!"
Adeline groaned again, throwing her arms up in frustration. "Exactly! It's absurd! I hate these conditions!" She spun her chair one more time, then stopped abruptly and let her head drop onto the desk with a thud. Her voice was muffled as she continued, "But what am I supposed to do? I can't let the inheritance go to my uncles and their families. They're horrible, and Grandma knew it."
Evelyn leaned back, her mind still going over the marriage part. "Damn. Marriage, Addy? That's… wow. That's a lot."
Adeline lifted her head slightly and nodded, resting her chin on the desk. "It's not just a lot—it's impossible." She groaned, letting her forehead hit the desk again. "Where on earth am I supposed to find a man to marry within a year? It's not like I can just pull one out of thin air!"
"Well, maybe you could try one of those dating apps. Or, hey, go out and trip in front of a hot stranger—you know, the usual rom-com stuff." Evelyn suggested, looking up and whistling innocently as if she already knew that Adeline didn't like what she had just said.
Adeline shot her a glare before letting out an unimpressed scoff. "This isn't a movie, Evelyn. This is my life. And besides, you know me. I can't fake that stuff."
Evelyn held up her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I'm just saying. You've got options… kind of."
Adeline sighed and leaned back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling as if the answer might magically appear there when suddenly, Evelyn snapped her fingers loudly with a mischievous grin on her face. "I've got it! Let's go to the club tonight and see if we can find you a guy."
Adeline scoffed again, rolling her eyes. "You know I don't do clubs, Evelyn. Why are you even suggesting that?" She grabbed her phone and raised her hand, ready to end the call.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Evelyn waved her hands frantically. "Just hear me out! Who knows? You might actually meet someone—someone who changes your mind about all this. I mean, nobody is completely immune to romance. And if you don't find anyone, that's fine too! At least we tried, right?"
Adeline stared at Evelyn in silence for a few seconds with a skeptical expression. Finally, she let out a long sigh. "Fine," she muttered. "There's nothing to lose anyway."
Evelyn squealed, clapping her hands together excitedly. "That's the spirit! I'll pick you up at eight. Wear something cute!"
---
The low bass music vibrated through the club as Adeline sat at the counter with her wine glass in hand. Evelyn had disappeared to the restroom, leaving her alone to keep an eye on their things.
She swirled the wine in her glass absentmindedly, watching the liquid intently. Just as she took another sip, someone brushed against her roughly, jolting her arm and nearly making her spill her drink.
"Hey!" she snapped, turning with a frown, expecting to see another drunk guy trying to hit on her. But the figure didn't stop or apologize. It was a man—tall and broad, clad in a thick leather jacket, his head slightly bowed as he walked toward the exit.
Adeline narrowed her eyes, placing her glass down on the counter and calling out, her voice cutting through the noise in the bar, "Excuse me! Aren't you going to say 'sorry' for that?"
The man didn't turn or even bother to slow down. He continued walking, weaving through the crowd until he pushed open the door and disappeared into the night.
Adeline stood there for a moment, irritated, and just as she took a step toward the door, a hand touched her shoulder, startling her. She turned to see Evelyn grinning at her.
"Whoa, where are you going?" Evelyn asked, chuckling.
She glanced at the door again before shaking her head and sitting back down on her chair. "Nowhere."
Evelyn took the seat beside her, oblivious to Adeline's distracted gaze toward the exit. The night didn't improve. Every man who approached Adeline was chased away by the death glares she gave them. She wasn't interested in forced conversation or awkward advances.