Holiday Hoax: A Fake Marriage Billionaire Romance (The Cartwright Family Book 1)
Holiday Hoax: Chapter 27

A Week Before Christmas

Sebastian never stops contacting me. He texts, calls, and sends gifts with notes. I should block his number, send his email directly to spam, and refuse the gifts.

But every time I try, I stop myself. I just can’t. I don’t know why. I know it’s the best thing for me. If I’m ever going to get over him, I need to stop thinking about him. Yet I can’t seem to push the buttons.

The gifts started arriving earlier in the week. He’s sent an array of things, all of which surprised me.

He sent me a bag of sugar and roses on the first day, along with a note.

Georgia,

I miss everything about you.

Your scent is fading off your wedding dress. I keep trying to recreate it, but I can’t seem to.

I miss you so much and wish we could talk, Sunshine.

I love you,

Sebastian

I read it so many times that my tears smeared the ink. And it doesn’t matter that I can no longer read it. The words are imprinted on my mind.

The thought of my wedding dress, and Sebastian smelling it, got to me. I had a hard time not calling him. Somehow, I found the strength not to.

The next day, silicone cupcake molds arrived. They were in several different sizes. There was another handwritten card.

Georgia,

I saw these online. Then I went to the store to make sure they weren’t crap. They seem to be good, but I’ll let you be the judge of that.

I miss you more than you’ll ever know, Sunshine.

I love you so much,

Sebastian

Like the first note, that one too became unreadable and etched into my mind.

Then business cards with the Grammy’s Cupcake logo were left in front of my door…all six sets.

Each box has a different name for me.

The first says, Georgia Cartwright, CEO.

The second reads, Georgia Peach, CEO.

The final box has cards with Georgia Peach Cartwright, CEO.

Each card had georgia@grammyscupcakes.com on them.

Boxes four, five, and six have the exact same writing as boxes one, two, and three, except for one thing.

They include a business phone number.

Sebastian hand wrote a quick note.

Georgia,

I’m hoping you pick one of the cards with Cartwright on them.

I love and miss you,

Sebastian

All that did was compound my confusion. On January 2nd, we’re annulling our marriage. What is the point? He can’t possibly mean he wants to stay married.

It’s all a trick to make me help him secure his CEO role.

He can stop worrying. I’m not telling his family.

The next day, another six sets of cards were delivered. These cards had a black background instead of white. There was a new note.

Georgia,

I’m not sure what version you like better.

I wish we could talk. I could ask you these things.

I’m so proud of you, and I know you’ll crush everything you set out to accomplish.

It hurts how much I miss you.

I love you.

Your husband,

Sebastian

Of course the waterworks started again.

But today is a new day, and I’m determined to not cry. I force myself to not stay in bed until ten a.m. by setting my alarm for five o’clock.

When I wake, my eyes are swollen from crying myself to sleep. I give myself a pep talk and make myself get up. I shower, put on fresh clothes, and don’t look at my phone. If I do, I’ll see Sebastian’s messages.

It’s getting harder and harder not to text him back or pick up the phone when he calls. Several times, I almost went to his office. Each day I wake up and haven’t, I pat myself on the back. Then the pain comes back, and the vicious cycle starts again.

I brew coffee and fill my mug. I add sugar and cream. It’s the only thing I can seem to stomach these days. I know I need to eat, but I just can’t seem to force myself to. Every now and then, my stomach growls, but when I try to eat food, it just makes me feel ill.

I’m about to take a sip of my coffee when the doorbell rings. My stomach flips. I quietly go to the door, expecting to see Sebastian.

I glance out the peephole, and my breath catches. My pulse increases, but it’s not Sebastian.

Ruby and Evelyn stand on the other side. I freak out, and I take so long that there’s a knock.

Ruby calls out, ‘Georgia, sweetheart. Can we barge in? We really want to see you. Please?’

Guilt fills me. I can’t turn them away. After all, it’s not their fault that Sebastian did what he did.

What do they know?

‘Auntie Georgia!’ Isabella calls out.

‘Doesn’t she want to see us?’ Emma asks.

My heart pounds harder. Why are the girls here?

I fight the emotions lodging in my chest and reach for the lock. I unlatch the chain and open the door.

Isabella and Emma shriek, ‘Auntie Georgia!’ They fly past the doorframe and jump up on me.

I crouch down and hug them, laughing but also crying. They hug me tighter, and I’m suddenly sobbing.

Isabella retreats, puts her hands on my cheeks, and asks, ‘Auntie Georgia, are you okay?’

I swipe at my tears. ‘Yes. I’m just so happy to see you. I missed you.’

‘We missed you too,’ she says.

‘What are you doing here?’ I inquire.

Emma says, ‘We get to go to the zoo. We’re going to see lions and monkeys and bears.’

Isabella claims, ‘And parrots! They talk!’

I laugh again and wipe my eyes. ‘Well, that sounds really exciting.’ I glance up at Evelyn and Ruby.

Evelyn states, ‘They have a class field trip. Their friends’ mom is chaperoning and downstairs. She’s going to take them over to the zoo. My mom and I thought that we could take you to breakfast?’ A hopeful look fills her expression.

I almost say no, but Ruby steps forward and hugs me. I start to cry again. She tightens her arms around me and softly asserts, ‘Let’s go to breakfast. We can catch up, okay?’

I sniffle. ‘Okay, let me get my coat.’ I grab it and my purse, and we all go downstairs.

The girls give me another hug, get into a minivan, and I watch it pull away. I take a deep breath, then turn and get into Ruby’s truck.

She asks, ‘Where’s a good place to eat?’

‘There’s a diner right down the street.’

‘Sounds perfect,’ she answers and turns on the engine.

Silence fills the cab.

Evelyn turns in her seat. ‘So, how have you been, Georgia?’

‘Okay,’ I lie.

She gives me a look like she knows I’m not telling the truth. She adds, ‘My brother’s an asshole.’

‘Evelyn,’ Ruby reprimands.

‘Sorry, but he is.’

‘Yes, he is, but let’s cool it a bit,’ Ruby orders, which I’m grateful for. I don’t want to sit and bash Sebastian in front of his family or at all, really. I just want to figure out how to get over the pain he caused me.

We pull up to the diner and go inside. Since it’s so early, it’s not very busy. Ruby points to a booth in the back and announces, ‘We’re going to sit back there.’

The hostess nods, grabs menus, and says, ‘Follow me, ladies.’ She leads us to the back booth.

We slide in, and she sets the menus down. She states, ‘Your server will be with you shortly.’ She leaves.

We study the menu. I’m suddenly starving but can’t seem to make up my mind about what to order. Maybe it’s the nerves about Sebastian’s family being here and not knowing what he’s told them about our situation.

Ruby puts her hand on mine, ‘Georgia. Have you been eating? You look really thin, dear.’

I open my mouth but close it. There’s no point in lying to Ruby.

She adds, ‘Let’s get some food in you. Okay?’

I nod and then look closer at the menu. All I can see are pancakes, which remind me of Sebastian. I’m not a super big pancake fan. I prefer French toast or waffles, but all I suddenly seem to want are pancakes.

The server comes, and Ruby orders eggs and bacon. Evelyn chooses a Denver omelet, and I order the pancakes. They bring us our coffee, and we settle into the booth.

Evelyn leans forward. ‘My dad’s really angry with Sebastian.’

I freeze, wondering again what they know. I choose my words carefully, before I say, ‘It’s not all his fault.’

‘Yes, it is. He told my parents what he did,’ she claims.

My insides quiver. I gape at her, then clear my throat. ‘What do you mean?’

Ruby interjects, ‘He admitted that he created a deal with you for you to become his wife…his fake bride,’ she says in disgust, but sympathy fills her face.

Embarrassment floods me. My cheeks heat. ‘It was stupid of me to agree to it. I’m sorry we lied to you.’

Ruby puts her hand over mine again. ‘This is Sebastian’s fault, not yours, honey.’

‘I did agree to it,’ I state.

‘It’s not your fault,’ she reiterates.

I glance away, trying to gather my thoughts. It doesn’t seem right for Sebastian to take all the heat for this. He couldn’t have done it without my involvement.

Ruby continues, ‘Jacob is very angry, but he’s angry with Alexander and Sebastian.’

Surprised, I question, ‘Why would he be mad at Alexander?’

She glances at Evelyn, then answers, ‘Alexander’s refusing to become CEO. He doesn’t want to move to Dallas with the kids. And to be honest, I’m glad he doesn’t want to. I don’t think it’d be good for them, but he also doesn’t want to commute and be away from them all the time.’

My heart pounds in my chest. ‘What about Sebastian? He’s supposed to be the CEO.’

Evelyn shakes her head. ‘Dad will not name him CEO after what he did to you.’

‘But that’s not fair,’ I claim.

Ruby admits, ‘Well, Jacob sees it as a character flaw.’

My chest tightens.

She adds, ‘It’s fine. Alexander will figure out how to do this without having to move.’

I blurt out, ‘Sebastian deserves the position. He’s brilliant at what he does. And Alexander told me he doesn’t want to be CEO. This isn’t right.’

Compassion fills Ruby’s face. She leans closer. ‘You know how Jacob is when he gets an idea in his head.’

I disagree, declaring, ‘But Sebastian’s worked his whole life for this.’

‘Well, sometimes there are consequences to our actions,’ Ruby asserts.

‘This seems extreme,’ I say.

‘He hit a new low. There’s no reason he had to lie to all of us. And gosh, to put you through what he did. I mean, he’s a monster,’ Evelyn proclaims, then takes a sip of her coffee.

I don’t know why I stick up for Sebastian, but I don’t like hearing Evelyn talk bad about him. And nothing will convince me he’s not meant to be CEO. ‘Sebastian only created a fake marriage because everybody in town talks about him.’

‘So? He should deal with it like a real man,’ she asserts.

Her answer only upsets me further. I spout, ‘He is a real man. And have you ever heard the gossips talk about him? Even in front of his face? Because I have.’

Evelyn tilts her head, questioning, ‘What do you mean?’

‘We couldn’t even go to a restaurant without women talking about him, knowing we were right there. They said horrible things and not just about him, but me too. That has to get old after a while. I mean, Sebastian has feelings too,’ I declare.

Evelyn scoffs. ‘Does he?’

‘Yeah, he does,’ I reply, glaring at her.

‘Of course he has feelings. Don’t talk about your brother like that,’ Ruby reprimands. She takes a deep breath and refocuses on me. ‘Georgia, it’s not up to me who becomes CEO. That’s Jacob’s business.’

‘But this isn’t right,’ I add.

She slowly shrugs. ‘It is what it is, dear. No one’s going to change Jacob’s mind.’

Silence fills the air.

The server places our food on the table. I stare at it, thinking about how I made Sebastian pancakes and figured out a recipe he actually enjoyed. It makes tears well in my eyes.

Ruby taps her fork on my plate. ‘You need to eat, Georgia. Go on, take a bite.’

I glance at her, then back at the pancakes. To appease her, I cut a piece off and shove it in my mouth, but I can barely taste it. Several minutes pass while everyone eats in silence.

Ruby clears her throat and drills her eyes into mine. ‘We’d love to have you for Christmas. And I don’t think Sebastian will be there, but I can also tell him not to come if he plans on it.’

Shock fills me. I tear up again but say, ‘Sebastian’s your son. If anyone deserves to be at your house at Christmas, it’s him.’

She smiles. ‘You deserve to be there too.’

I look away. This is all too much. I love the Cartwrights, but I’m not with Sebastian. I’m never going to be with Sebastian again. The longer I’m with them, the more this will continue to hurt. I reply, ‘Thank you for the offer. But I have other plans.’

‘Oh?’ she asks.

‘Melanie invited me over to her house,’ I admit.

Ruby pats my hand. ‘I’m sure that will be nice. We’ll miss you though.’

My heart hurts more. I confess, ‘I’ll miss all of you.’

We finish our breakfast, keeping the conversation to things that don’t have to do with Sebastian or me. They drop me off at my apartment, making me promise to let them know if I need anything or change my mind about Christmas. I go inside, relieved to be alone again.

All day, I can’t stop thinking about how Sebastian lost his CEO role. It’s not fair. By nighttime, I can’t handle it anymore.

Part of this is my fault. I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain. I ran out on Sebastian, and no matter what he was going to do or not, I was the one who left. I’m part of the reason he lost his dream. And I know how much I want my dream to happen with my cupcake franchise. So Sebastian’s no different.

Plus, Melanie told me he wasn’t thinking about a loophole anymore. Part of me wants to believe it because I thought I could see how much he had changed during our time together. But he’s already made a fool out of me. I’m not looking to do it twice, so I need to stay away from him.

Regardless, I pick up the phone and dial his dad.

He answers in his gruff voice, ‘Jacob Cartwright.’

I take a deep breath. ‘Jacob, this is Georgia.’

Silence fills the air.

‘Hello?’ I ask.

He recovers, softening his tone. ‘Georgia. How are you doing, sweetheart?’

I smile, blinking hard again, trying to hold down the emotions. ‘I’m good. How are you?’

‘Id be better if my son wasn’t such a moron,’ he declares.

I softly laugh. ‘Yeah. I guess we’re all morons sometimes. Right?’

Jacob doesn’t answer me. He finally asks, ‘To what do I owe the pleasure of this call, Georgia?’

I muster all my courage and assert, ‘No one’s more capable of running your corporation than Sebastian.’

‘Did he put you up to this?’ Jacob questions.

I talk fast, informing him, ‘No, I haven’t talked to him. I had breakfast with Ruby and Evelyn, and they told me that you were trying to make Alexander the CEO. And I know Alexander doesn’t want the role. Plus, I’ve seen Sebastian in action. He’s brilliant. He knows everything about your company. And he has all the relationships. Everybody respects him. He can negotiate better than anyone I’ve ever met.’

Jacob grunts. ‘I don’t know. I heard you’re a pretty amazing negotiator.’

Embarrassment floods me, but I also know he means it as a compliment. ‘Maybe so, but I know Sebastian deserves to be your CEO.’

More silence fills the air.

My stomach twists. I add, ‘Please don’t hold what happened between Sebastian and me against him.’

Jacob finally answers, ‘Georgia, I’ll take your words under advisement, but I can’t give you an answer right now. I’m not happy with how my son has acted. And character is a big thing in our family, as you know.’

I lift my chin. ‘Yes, I know, sir. However, I was part of this too.’

‘I can assure you, Georgia, that not one part of this is your fault.’

I don’t like how everyone keeps claiming I’m not at fault, because I am. It’s not fair to only blame Sebastian.

When I don’t say anything, Jacob inquires, ‘Will we see you on Christmas?’

I tear up again and manage to get out, ‘No, I have other plans, but thank you for the offer.’

He hesitates, then adds, ‘You’ll always be Ruby’s and my daughter-in-law, no matter what happens between you and my son, understand?’

My tears fall. My voice breaks as I say, ‘Thank you.’ I hang up because I can’t get anything else out, and I’m about to lose it.

I wish I could have Sebastian. I know that I can’t. So I wish we could have peace between us in this situation, yet I’m unsure how we’ll ever find it.