Latest / Martin Animations / They thought I was their son_s girlfriend_ so I played along. Now he asked me to stay

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They thought I was their son_s girlfriend_ so I played along. Now he asked me to stay · Martin Animations

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: They thought I was their son's girlfriend, so I played along.
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Now he asked me to stay. The text came at 9.47 p.m.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: on a Friday night from a number I didn't recognize.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Thank you for agreeing to this. My parents arrive at
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: 10 a.m. tomorrow. I'll Venmo you the $ 500 we discussed.
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: Address below. I stared at my phone, confused. I hadn't
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: agreed to anything. I didn't know this person. This was
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: clearly sent to the wrong number. I should have texted
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: back immediately explaining the mistake. Instead, I screenshot the message
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: and sent it to my best friend Kai with three
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: question marks. She called within seconds. Are you secretly doing
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: weird gigs now? This was sent to me by accident.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: But $ 500, though. For what, like, four hours of work?
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: She was reading the message I'd forwarded. It says brunch
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: with parents. Pretend to be girlfriend. Keep conversation light. No
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: physical contact beyond hand-holding. I read it again. Someone was
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: paying a stranger $ 500 to fake being their girlfriend for
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: one meal with their parents. That's insane, I said. That's
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: rent money, Kai countered. I'm not pretending to be someone's
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: girlfriend for money. You're pretending to be a functional adult
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: at your job every day for way less. She had
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: a point. But this was different. This was fraud. Deception.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: Definitely illegal in some way I couldn't articulate. My phone
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: buzzed again. Same unknown number. Also, my mom will ask
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: about your job. You're a teacher. Elementary school. We met
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: at a coffee shop six months ago. I spilled my
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: drink on you and bought you a replacement. We've been
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: inseparable since. Keep it simple. See you tomorrow. Another text
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: came through. Venmo sent. $ 500. Thank you again. I checked
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: my Venmo. Sure enough, $ 500 from someone named Nathan Gallagher
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: with a note that said, brunch tomorrow. Oh my God,
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: I said to Kai. He just sent me the money. What?
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: He thinks I already agreed to this. He sent $ 500
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: to the wrong person and doesn't realize it. So text
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: him back and explain. I looked at my bank account, $ 127.
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: Rent was due in five days. I'd been picking up
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: every freelance design job I could find, but this month
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: had been slow. $ 500 would mean I could pay rent
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: and still eat something other than ramen. Lily, I can
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: hear you thinking, don't. What if I just did it?
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: One brunch. Four hours. I give him his money back
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: if it doesn't work out. That's a terrible idea for
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: so many reasons. She started listing them, but I was
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: already texting Nathan back. See you tomorrow. Send me your
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: parents' names and any other details I should know. His
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: response came immediately, like he'd been waiting by his phone.
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: Mom is Catherine. Dad is Gerald. They think we've been
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: dating six months. You're 26, elementary school teacher. You grew
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: up in Portland but moved here three years ago. You
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: have one brother, younger. You like hiking and reading, keep
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: answers vague. They tend to fill in gaps themselves. Thank
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: you for doing this. You're saving my life. I screenshot
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: everything and sent it to Kai. I'm doing it. You're insane.
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: I'm broke. There's a difference. That night, I barely slept.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: I kept rehearsing the fake backstory. Teacher, coffee shop, meet cute.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: Six months. Hiking and reading. When my alarm went off
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: at 8am, I almost texted Nathan to cancel. But $ 500.
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: I got dressed carefully. Not too casual. Not too formal.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: I wanted to look like someone who'd put in effort
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: for meeting their boyfriend's parents but wasn't trying too hard.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: I settled on a blue dress and cardigan. The address
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: Nathan had sent was a restaurant downtown, upscale brunch place.
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: I arrived 15 minutes early and waited outside, wondering what
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: Nathan looked like, wondering if I'd be able to pull
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: this off, wondering if this was the worst decision I'd
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: ever made. At 9.58 a.m., a guy approached me, late 20s,
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: dark hair, nice face, wearing khakis and a button-down like
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: he was attending a job interview. Lily? He asked. Nathan?
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: He looked relieved. Thank God you actually came. I was
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: worried you'd back out. I considered it. I really appreciate this.
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: My parents can be intense, but they mean well. Just
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: follow my lead and we'll get through this. Why couldn't
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: you just tell them you're not dating anyone? Because I
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: told them six months ago I was in a serious
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: relationship to stop them from setting me up with every
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: single woman they know. And I kept building on the lie.
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: And now they're visiting from Boston specifically to meet you.
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: And if I tell them you don't exist, my mother
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: will have a breakdown. Before I could respond, an older
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: couple approached. The woman's face lit up when she saw us.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: There you are. She pulled Nathan into a hug, then
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: turned to me. And you must be Lily. Oh, Nathan
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: was right. You are beautiful. I shook her hand. Mrs. Gallagher,
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: it's so nice to meet you. Please call me Catherine.
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: We're practically family. Gerald shook my hand with a firm grip.
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: Nathan's told us a lot about you. Good to finally
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: put a face to the name. We went inside and
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: were seated at a table near the window. Catherine immediately
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: started asking questions. How did we meet? I launched into
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: the coffee shop story Nathan had provided. He'd spilled his
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: iced coffee on my laptop bag and felt so terrible
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: he'd insisted on buying me breakfast to apologize. We'd talked
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: for two hours. He'd asked for my number before I left.
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: That's exactly something Nathan would do, Catherine said, beaming. He's
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: always been clumsy, but thoughtful. Gerald asked about my teaching job.
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: I made up details about my fictional elementary school, about
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: the kids in my fictional classroom, about lesson plans I'd
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: never written. The lies came easier than I expected. Maybe
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: because I'd spent weeks earlier in the year interviewing for
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: teaching positions before settling on freelance design work. The rejection
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: letters had included enough details about what they were looking
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: for that I could fake it convincingly. Nathan played along perfectly.
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: He'd add small details that made the relationship sound real.
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: He'd mention that time we went hiking and got lost
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: for three hours. And I'd jump in with, because someone
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: insisted we didn't need a map. His parents laughed. They
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: were eating it up. An hour into brunch, Catherine excused
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: herself to the restroom. Gerald leaned forward. Can I be
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: honest with you, Lily? My heart stopped. He knew. Somehow
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: he'd figured it out. Of course. Nathan's last relationship ended badly.
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: Really badly. She cheated on him with his best friend.
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: He was devastated. We didn't think he'd date again for years.
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: I looked at Nathan. He was staring at his plate.
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: So seeing him happy again, seeing him with someone who
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: clearly cares about him, it means everything to us. Whatever
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: you're doing, keep doing it. He deserves someone good. The
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: guilt was crushing. Thank you. I managed. Catherine returned and
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: the conversation shifted to lighter topics. They asked about my family.
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: I told them the truth about my parents, my brother.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: No reason to lie about things that didn't connect to Nathan.
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: They asked about our future plans. Did we see this
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: relationship going somewhere serious? Nathan and I exchanged glances. We're
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: taking it day by day, he said. But yeah, I
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: could see a future with Lily. The way he said
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: it sounded almost real. Like he'd practiced this answer. Like
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: he'd actually thought about what he'd say if someone asked.
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: Brunch ended after three hours. Catherine hugged me goodbye. This
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: was wonderful. We should do dinner before we fly home
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: on Monday. Are you free Sunday night? I looked at Nathan.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: We hadn't discussed this. One brunch? That was the deal.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: We'll check our schedules, Nathan said smoothly. I'll text you.
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: We walked his parents to their car. They drove away waving,
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: and Nathan and I were left standing on the sidewalk.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: Sunday dinner, I said. I know. I'm sorry. She surprised me. Nathan,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: this was supposed to be one meal. I'll double the payment. $ 1, 000
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: total for both meals. Please. They leave Monday morning. After that,
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: you never have to see them again. I should have
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: said no. Should have taken my $ 500 and walked away.
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: But standing there, watching him look so desperate, I thought
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: about Gerald's words. About Nathan's ex cheating. About his parents
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: just wanting him to be happy. Fine. One more meal,
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: but that's it. Thank you. Really? You're amazing at this,
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: by the way. They completely believed everything. Yeah, well, I'm
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: an excellent liar, apparently. He laughed. Can I buy you
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: actual lunch? As a thank you? Not fake dating. Just
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: two people eating food. I hesitated. Just lunch. Nothing weird.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: We went to a sandwich shop a block away. Without
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: his parents watching, Nathan relaxed. He told me the truth
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: about the fake girlfriend. About how his mom had been
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: relentless after his breakup. About how the lie had spiraled.
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: I kept thinking I'd tell them eventually, but every time
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: I tried, my mom would say something about how happy
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: she was I'd found someone, and I couldn't do it.
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: You're going to have to tell them eventually. I know.
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: After they leave, I'll say we broke up. Mutual decision.
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: Still friends. It'll be fine. We talked for an hour.
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: He asked about my actual life, my actual job. I
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: told him about freelance graphic design, about struggling to find
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: consistent work, about how $ 500 was literally the difference between
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: paying rent and not. I'm sorry. I didn't realize I
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: was texting someone who actually needed the money. I thought
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: I was hiring an actor or something. How did you
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: even find that number? Craigslist ad. Someone posted offering services
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: as a fake date for events. I texted what I
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: thought was their number. Well, you got a broke graphic
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: designer instead. who is apparently excellent at improv. He smiled. Seriously,
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: thank you. You saved me today. Sunday dinner was at
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: a restaurant Catherine had researched. Upscale Italian place with candles
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: and wine lists. Nathan picked me up from my apartment
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: because Catherine had asked how we were getting there. The
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: car ride was quiet. I'd spent the previous day working
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: on actual projects, trying not to think about the fact
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: that I was getting deeper into this lie. Dinner started
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: the same way brunch had. Questions, stories, laughter. But halfway through,
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: Catherine dropped a bomb. Gerald and I have been talking.
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: We'd love to fly you both to Boston next month.
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: Show Lily where Nathan grew up. Maybe meet your family too, Lily?
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: I froze. Nathan jumped in. That's really generous, but Lily's
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: schedule is pretty packed with school. It would be during
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: summer break, Catherine countered. Perfect timing. We'll definitely think about it,
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. Under the table, Nathan's
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: leg was bouncing like it had at brunch. After dinner,
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: his parents headed back to their hotel. Nathan and I
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: sat in his car in the parking lot. Boston, I said.
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: I know. Nathan, this is getting out of control. I'll
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: tell them we broke up before then. I promise. You
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: said that about Sunday dinner? I know. I'm sorry. I'm
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: a coward. We sat in silence. Can I ask you something?
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: I said. Why haven't you just met someone for real?
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: You're not bad looking. You seem nice. Why fake it?
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: He was quiet for a long time. Because everyone I've
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: tried to date, I compare to her. To my ex.
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: And I'm terrified of getting hurt like that again. It's
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: easier to be alone. But my parents don't understand that.
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: So you invented a perfect girlfriend who can't hurt you? Yeah.
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: He looked at me. Except you're not invented. You're real.
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: And you've been kinder to me in two days than
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: my actual ex was in two years. Something in his
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: tone made my chest tight. Nathan, I'm not hitting on you.
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: I know this is fake. I just mean, thank you,
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: for seeing me spiral and still showing up. The next morning,
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: Catherine texted me. Not Nathan. Me. It was so wonderful
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: meeting you, Lily. Nathan is lucky to have you. We
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: hope you'll come to Boston soon. I screenshot it and
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: sent it to Nathan. Your mom has my number now.
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: She asked for it at dinner while you were in
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: the bathroom. I couldn't say no without being suspicious. This
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: is a nightmare. I'm sorry. But the texts from Catherine
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: kept coming. Photos of Nathan as a kid. Recipes she
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: thought I'd like? Questions about my favorite flowers? She decided
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: I was part of the family and there was no
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: stopping it. Two weeks later, Nathan called me. I need
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: to ask you something and you can absolutely say no. Oh, no.
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: My parents are coming back for my birthday next month.
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: They want to throw a party and they're expecting you
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: to be there. Nathan, no. This has to stop. I know,
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: you're right, but... But what? Can I see you? In person?
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: I'll buy you coffee. Real coffee, not fake date coffee.
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: I just need to talk through this. We met at
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: the same coffee shop where his parents had first grilled me.
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: He looked tired. I tried to break up with you,
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: he said, to my parents. I told my mom we'd
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: had a fight and needed space. What did she say?
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: She offered to fly back immediately to mediate. She started crying.
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: She said she couldn't handle me being heartbroken again. He
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: put his head in his hands. I'm trapped in my
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: own lie and I'm dragging you down with me. I
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: should have been angry. Should have told him to figure
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: it out himself. But instead, I said, how much is
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: the birthday party worth to you? He looked up. $ 2, 000. Deal.
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: But after that, you tell them the truth. You break
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: up with fake me. You do it gently, and you
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: don't blame me for anything. I promise. The party was
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: at a restaurant Nathan's parents had rented out. 30 people. Family, friends, co-workers.
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: All of whom believed I was his girlfriend. I showed
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: up in a dress Catherine had texted me about, saying,
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: This would look beautiful on you. She'd sent a link.
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: I'd bought it because I was already too deep in this.
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: Nathan introduced me to everyone. His college roommate, his work friends,
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: his aunt who grabbed my hand and said, Finally, someone
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: good for our Nathan. Every introduction felt like another layer
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: of deception. Another person I'd have to pretend for. But
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: the strangest thing was how natural it felt. Nathan and
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: I had gotten good at this. We'd synced up. We
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: could finish each other's fake stories. We knew which details
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: to emphasize. Halfway through the party, I went outside for air.
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: Nathan followed me. You okay? Your aunt wants to know
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: when we're getting engaged. God, I'm sorry. Everyone in there
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: thinks we're this perfect couple. They keep telling me how
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: lucky I am. You are a really good actor. That's
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: the thing, Nathan. I don't think I'm acting anymore. He
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: stared at me. What? I've spent a month pretending to
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: be your girlfriend. I've learned everything about you. Your parents
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: text me daily. Your friends like me. And somewhere in
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: all this pretending, I forgot it wasn't real. Lily, I
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: know this is insane. I know you hired me to
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: play a role. But I need to tell you this
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: before I keep lying to myself. I think I actually
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: like you. The real you. Not the you your parents see.
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: The you who panics about everything and feels guilty about
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: lying and buys me coffee to apologize for ruining my life.
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: Nathan didn't say anything. He just looked at me with
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: an expression I couldn't read. I'm sorry, I said. I
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: shouldn't have said anything. Let's just get through tonight and then...
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: He kissed me. Not for show. Not for his parents.
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: Just because we were alone outside and he wanted to.
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: When he pulled back, he said, I've wanted to do
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: that since the Sunday dinner when you made that joke
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: about my mom's recipe and she actually laughed. When I
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: realized you weren't just playing a part, you were actually
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: trying to make them happy. What does this mean? I
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: have no idea, but I don't want to fake this anymore.
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: We went back inside. The party continued. His parents gave speeches.
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: Friends shared embarrassing stories. Through it all, Nathan held my hand.
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: Not because he had to. Because he wanted to. At
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: the end of the night, Catherine pulled me aside. Can
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: I tell you something? Of course. I knew. My blood
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: went cold. Knew what? That first brunch. I knew something
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: was off. Little details that didn't match what Nathan had
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: told us. The way you two looked at each other
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: like you were meeting for the first time. Catherine, I'm
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: so sorry. We never meant to. Let me finish. She smiled.
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: I knew you weren't who Nathan said you were, but
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: I watched how you treated him, how you showed up
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: even though you were clearly terrified, how you learned about
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: us and cared enough to try. And I realized something. What?
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: Real girlfriends don't try that hard. But someone pretending to
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: be his girlfriend, someone being paid to show up who
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: still puts in that much effort, that's someone special. You
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: knew the whole time. Gerald didn't. He's not as observant.
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: But yes, I knew. She squeezed my hand. And I
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: watched my son fall for you over the past month.
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: Really fall for you. The way he looks at you
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: when you're not paying attention. That's not fake. I don't
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: know what to say. Say you'll stop pretending. Both of you,
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: whatever this is, make it real. Because I haven't seen
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: Nathan this happy in years. Two months later, Nathan and
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: I were still together. Really together. His parents knew the
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: truth about how we met. Gerald had been shocked, but
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: Catherine just said, I told you so, repeatedly. We told
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: his friends. They thought it was the funniest thing they'd
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: ever heard. One of them called us the worst rom-com
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: he'd ever seen. Nathan still felt guilty about the lying,
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: but less so now that we'd turned something fake into
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: something real. We were at his apartment on a random
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: Friday night. He was cooking dinner while I worked on
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: a design project at his kitchen table. Completely normal. Completely domestic.
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: Can I ask you something? He said, sure. What made
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: you show up that first brunch? Really? I thought about it.
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: I needed $ 500. He laughed. That's it? That's the only reason?
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: That's the only reason I said yes, initially. But I
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: kept showing up because I trailed off. Because I saw
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: you that first breakfast, panicking about disappointing your parents, and
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: I recognized it. I've spent my whole life trying to
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: be what people need me to be. And I saw
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: you doing the same thing. Is that why you lied
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: so easily? Probably. I'm very good at being who people expect.
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: What if I don't want you to be what I expect?
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: What if I just want you to be you? I
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: looked up at him. I'm still figuring out who that is.
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: Me too. He came over and kissed the top of
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: my head. but I'd like to figure it out together,
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: if that's okay. It's better than okay. Six months after
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: that first brunch, Catherine and Gerald visited again. This time,
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: there was no pretending. No fake stories. Just the truth.
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: We told them about the wrong number. About the $ 500.
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: About how I'd shown up thinking it was a one-time gig.
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: Catherine laughed so hard she cried. I knew something was off.
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: But this is so much better than I imagined. Gerald
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: was less amused. You paid someone to pretend to be
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: your girlfriend? I was desperate, Dad. And you agreed to
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: deceive us for money? He asked me. I was broke.
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: And also, your wife is very intimidating. Catherine gasped. I
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: am not. You asked me about my five-year plan within
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: ten minutes of meeting me. That's a normal question. Gerald
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: cracked a smile. She is pretty intimidating. We had dinner
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: together that night. Real stories this time. Real history. Catherine
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: wanted to know everything about how we'd actually fallen for
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: each other. It was the third fake date, Nathan said.
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: We were having coffee and you laughed at something, I said.
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: A real laugh, not a polite fake one. And I thought...
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: I want to hear that laugh for real. For me,
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: it was the birthday party, I said, when you introduced
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: me to your college roommate and he told that story
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: about you staying up all night to help him study.
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: And I realized you were actually the kind person you'd
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: been pretending to be for your parents. So the fake
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: version was the real version, Catherine asked. More or less,
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: Nathan said. I think we were both pretending to be
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: better versions of ourselves. And then we accidentally became those versions.
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: A year after that first brunch, Nathan and I moved
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: in together. Catherine sent a care package with kitchen supplies
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: and a card that said, for our favorite accidental couple.
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: She'd also included $ 500 cash with a note. Lily's original
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: fee returned with interest. Thank you for being brave enough
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: to show up that day. I called her immediately. Catherine,
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: I can't accept this. You can, and you will. You
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: gave me my son back. Not the one who was
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: hiding and lying, but the real one. The happy one.
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: $ 500 doesn't begin to cover that. He's pretty great. So
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: are you, sweetie. Now put that money towards something fun.
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: Take a real vacation together, not a fake one. We
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: used the money for a weekend trip to the coast.
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: Just us, no pretending, no parents. On the last night,
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: sitting on the beach, Nathan said, I have a question. Okay,
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: if you could go back to that morning, would you
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: still show up? I thought about it. Probably not. It
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: was objectively a terrible decision, but I'm really glad I did.
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: He pulled me closer. Me too. Two years after the
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: first brunch Nathan proposed, real proposal, real ring, real emotions.
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: Catherine and Gerald flew in for it. She cried. He
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: pretended not to cry, but definitely cried. At the engagement party,
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: Nathan's college roommate gave a speech. I've known Nathan for
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: 10 years, and I've never seen him as happy as
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: he's been since he accidentally hired his girlfriend on Craigslist.
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: Everyone laughed. I stood up. Small correction. He didn't hire me.
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: He sent a text to the wrong number. I showed
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: up anyway because I was broke and needed rent money.
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: More laughter. But somewhere between faking a relationship for his
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: parents and actually falling for him, I realized something. The
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: best things in my life have always come from saying
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: yes to the wrong things. Wrong number, wrong situation, right person.
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: Nathan pulled me down and kissed me in front of everyone.
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: Thank you for showing up that day, he whispered. Thank
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: you for asking me to stay. Three years after that
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: first brunch, we got married. Catherine helped plan everything. Gerald
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: walked me down the aisle because my own father couldn't
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: make it. During the ceremony, the officiant told our story
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: about mistaken identity and fake dating and $ 500 that changed everything.
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: about two people who pretended so well they forgot they
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: were pretending, about showing up for someone even when you're
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: not sure why. In his vows, Nathan said, I thought
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: I was hiring an actor. I ended up finding my person.
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: Thank you for being brave enough to lie to my parents,
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: and thank you for being honest enough to tell me
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: you'd stopped pretending. In my vows, I said, I showed
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: up that day for $ 500. I stayed for every moment after.
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: Thank you for asking me to keep showing up, even
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: when it's real, especially when it's real. At the reception,
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: Catherine pulled me aside. Can I tell you something I've
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: never told you? Of course. That first brunch, I knew
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: within five minutes you weren't who Nathan said you were.
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: You said you figured it out during the meal. I lied.
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: I knew immediately. But I also saw how hard you
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: were trying. And I thought, anyone willing to put in
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: that much effort for someone they just met is someone
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: worth knowing. You could have called us out. And miss
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: watching my son fall in love? Not a chance. She
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: hugged me. Thank you for saying yes to that wrong number.
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: Thank you for showing up. Thank you for staying. Five
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: years after that first brunch, Nathan and I were sitting
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: in the same coffee shop where we'd met his parents.
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: Our daughter, two years old, was eating a muffin and
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: getting crumbs everywhere. Do you remember that first breakfast nathan
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: asked every detail i was so terrified you didn't seem
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: terrified you seemed like you belonged i was an excellent
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: liar you still are i kicked him under the table
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: i'm kidding mostly catherine texted photo of her and gerald
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: holding a banner that said happy five-year wrong number anniversary
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: She'd been celebrating the anniversary of my first fake appearance
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: every year. Your mom is ridiculous, I said, showing Nathan.
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: She's the best. Our daughter looked up. Gamma Catherine? Yes.
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: We'll see Grandma Catherine this weekend. Tell story? Nathan and
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: I exchanged looks. She's too young for that story. She
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: asks every time. When she's older? I said. We'll tell
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: her when she's older? About the wrong number and the
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: fake girlfriend and how sometimes the best things come from mistakes.
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: That's basically our entire relationship. Best mistake I ever made.
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: Nathan reached across the table and took my hand. Best
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: wrong number I ever sent. Our daughter went back to
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: destroying her muffin. Around us, the coffee shop buzzed with
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: strangers living their normal lives. None of them knew our story.
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: None of them knew how we'd started. And that was fine.
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: Because we knew. We remembered. We showed up when we
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: didn't have to. We stayed when we could have left.
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: We made something real out of something fake. And that
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: was enough. Appreciate you watching this far, if you enjoyed it.
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: Drop a like, leave a comment, and subscribe so you
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: won't miss the next story.