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And just like that, my life took a turn I never could have imagined.
Three days later, I introduced him to my parents as my secret fiancé. To say they were shocked would be an understatement.
“Miley!” my mom exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
Stan, to his credit, played along beautifully. He charmed my parents with made-up stories of our whirlwind romance.
A month later, we were married.
He was funny, smart, and always ready to help around the house. We fell into an easy friendship, almost like roommates who occasionally had to pretend to be madly in love.
Whenever I asked Stan about his past, about how he ended up on the streets, he’d clam up. His eyes would cloud over, and he’d quickly change the subject. It was a mystery that both intrigued and frustrated me.