The Scars That Made Us by Inda Herwood

Ultimatums suck.
I should know. I was handed one on my eighteenth birthday by my mogul of a father. And it’s all because he refuses to believe that I can take care of myself, that I don’t need a man to fall back on in case my college dreams fail. But as much as I hate to admit it, his doubt comes from a logical place. It all stems from the nightmare incident that happened to me when I was seven years old. An event that has left scars of both the physical and emotional variety on me, leaving my body weaker than most.

But what is the ultimatum, you ask?
I either marry a man of his choosing for a stable financial future, or else I don’t get his check to go to college and complete my dreams of becoming a doctor.
Tell me, how do you trust a man who only wants to marry you for the check your father is so obviously writing him? The answer is you don’t.

But when Jagger Wells, my ridiculously gorgeous intended, explains the real reason behind his going along with this scheme, I begin to see the man beyond the pretty face; a guy just trying to do right by his family. And I decide that maybe there’s a way we can both get what we want without having to sign a marriage certificate in the process. All it would require is a little acting on our part and a couple of well-placed lies.

After a while, though, it doesn’t feel like we’re tricking our families anymore, but ourselves. That’s when lines blur, feelings become something real, and the truth is ultimately questioned.
In the end, I discover that I’m not the only one with scars.