I stared at the messages popping up on the screen, then turned to look at Marvin, fast asleep in bed, snoring softly.
We'd been together eight years. Never married.
They'd been together two years. Already getting engaged.
In the darkness of the room, I typed out a reply with trembling hands.
Congratulations.
What's your name? I'll save your contact.
The reply came quickly. Lucy Dickerson.
I stood by the window until morning. I never slept.
I kept turning it over in my head. Marvin was with me every day. How had he managed to carry on a whole relationship with another woman?
The next morning, I acted like nothing had happened and saw Marvin off at the door.
Over the next few days, I used my time at work to send every piece of evidence to Nathan.
I studied the home purchase contract carefully. It was signed on December 5th.
The $98,000 bride price had been transferred on November 15th.
Which meant the money used to buy that house was very likely mine.
Marvin had used me to fund his entire marriage to another woman without spending a single cent of his own.
A few days later, Lucy finally got back to me.
My boyfriend doesn't want to sell. Sorry about that.
No surprise there.
They were about to get engaged, after all. Marvin wouldn't tolerate any variables at this stage.
The days slipped by quickly, and soon it was the third of the following month.
The day before, Marvin called me.
"Rosie, my mom fell in the field. I need to head back to Ridgemont."
"I'll be back in a few days."
He sounded frantic. His acting was flawless.
"Okay."
What he didn't know was that I was on the same express train to Ridgemont.
I wanted to see for myself the "wife" my $98,000 had paid for.
