Married at First Sight – Episode 13
Summer stared at the photograph on the television. Christian’s body was angled protectively toward her, one hand carrying her box while the other guided her into the car. The image looked intimate because the moment had been intimate, though neither of them had recognized it beneath the anger and confusion.
The report offered no proof, only speculation. Viewers were reminded that Christian had announced his marriage during Summer’s interview and that he had rarely visited small publications before. Her sudden access, his attention, and their departure together formed a story the public was eager to complete.
Summer reached for the remote, but Christian stopped her from turning off the screen. Avoiding the story would not make it disappear. His communications team had already received dozens of requests for confirmation, and photographers were gathering outside the building. By morning, someone would search marriage records deeply enough to find their certificate.
She asked whether they should deny the report. Christian replied that denying a true marriage could create legal and personal complications, especially with his grandmother. More quietly, he admitted he did not want to deny her. The sincerity of the statement left Summer with no easy answer. It was far simpler to fear public judgment than to confront the private hope his words awakened.
Their original agreement had never covered public exposure. Summer had expected a brief performance followed by a quiet divorce, not scrutiny of her clothing, career, and history with Vincent. Becoming Mrs. Norton could save her from Penny’s schemes while inviting a far larger world to judge whether she deserved Christian.
Christian proposed announcing the marriage on their own terms at the charity gala. They would release a short statement, refuse private details, and prevent gossip outlets from controlling the revelation. Summer heard the strategy, but also the choice beneath it. Once they stepped forward together, returning to anonymity would be impossible.
She asked what would happen when they divorced. Christian’s face closed slightly. He said they would handle that if the day arrived, refusing once again to name a deadline. Summer wondered whether his avoidance was strategic or whether the marriage had already begun to mean something he would not confess.
The next morning, the independent review overturned Summer’s suspension. System logs proved she had never accessed confidential contact records, while her recording exposed Vincent’s attempt to trade her job for release from his debt. Penny was placed on administrative leave pending a broader investigation.
The publication’s owner apologized and restored Summer’s assignment with full byline credit. He also offered her temporary responsibility for the feature desk, praising her professionalism during the interview. Summer accepted the opportunity without mentioning Christian’s involvement in preserving the evidence. The victory belonged to facts Penny could not erase. For once, her work opened a door instead of merely financing someone else’s future.
Vincent waited outside the building when Summer returned to collect her laptop. Anger had replaced his performance of concern. He accused her of using Christian to destroy his reputation and demanded that she retract the recording before Penny filed a complaint against him.
Summer told him his own words had caused the damage. Vincent stepped closer and insisted she had changed, saying the woman he loved would never have humiliated him publicly. She replied that the woman he loved had exhausted herself to support him, and he had mistaken her silence for weakness.
He noticed the car waiting at the curb and lowered his voice. The rumor about Christian could not be true, he said. Men like Christian did not marry women like Summer. The insult no longer wounded her as he intended, but it revealed how thoroughly Vincent had built his confidence on making her feel small.
Christian emerged from the car before Summer could answer. He had heard enough. Without raising his voice, he asked Vincent what kind of woman he believed was worthy of being loved. The quiet challenge made Vincent retreat a step, though resentment burned in his eyes.
Summer told Christian she could handle the confrontation. He nodded and remained beside the car rather than taking over. His presence offered support without stealing her choice, exactly as he had promised. She turned back to Vincent and demanded the twenty-five thousand dollars by the end of the month or she would pursue the debt formally. The deadline made her demand concrete, no longer an emotional appeal he could dismiss.
Vincent laughed, but uncertainty cracked the sound. He accused her of hiding behind a billionaire. Summer replied that the debt had existed long before Christian entered her life. Then she walked away, leaving Vincent with the realization that the woman he once controlled no longer needed his permission to stand tall.
Inside the car, Christian handed Summer an invitation embossed with silver lettering. The gala would attract investors, celebrities, and every major financial reporter in the city. At the bottom, someone—almost certainly Grandma Norton—had added Mr. and Mrs. Christian Norton in elegant script.
Summer agreed to attend and announce the marriage. Christian promised she could withdraw at any moment, but relief softened his face when she did not. Their hands met over the invitation, neither contact accidental nor entirely safe.
That evening, a garment bag arrived at the apartment with a note from Grandma Norton. Summer unzipped it and found a breathtaking gown selected for the gala. Beneath the note lay a second card in unfamiliar handwriting: ENJOY YOUR NIGHT AS MRS. NORTON. IT WILL BE YOUR LAST.
