The Proposal (Male Margaret x reader)

Chapter 22

Garrett is now standing up at the alter, adjusting his tie bar nervously.

The music starts playing and you walk out with Gammy. When you look at Garrett by the alter, you see him staring at you in wonder.

You look beautiful in the tailored dress your grandmother wore on her wedding day. It hugs your body perfectly with the sewed adjustment Gammy made. Stopping before him, she gives you a kiss on the cheek and you turn to him.

Garrett reach out his hand and you lay your hand on his open palm. His fingers gently wrap around your hand and his fingers stroke your knuckles.

"Everyone, please be seated.. We are gathered here today to give thanks and to celebrate one of life's greatest moments. To give recognition to the beauty, honesty.. and unselfish ways.. of Yn and Garrett's true love.. in front of family and friends.." Ramone says. You and your groom glance at each other. "For it is their family and friends who taught Yn and Garrett to love. So it is only right that family and friends are all.."

Ramone stops talking when Garrett raises his hand. You frown at your groom.

"Do you have a question, Garrett?" He asks him.

"Huh? Uh, no.."

"Your hand is up."

"Oh, it's, uh, not a question.. But I have something I need to say."

"Garrett." You whisper.

"Can it wait till after?"

"Uh.. No."

Garrett then slowly turns to face the crowd. You sigh, turning around, clutching the bouquet in your hands.

"Hi there." He awkwardly says, looking at all the guests in the barn. "Thank you all so much for coming out. I, uh.. have a bit of an announcement to make, about the wedding. Uh, a confession, actually.."

"What are you doing?" You ask him, mouth in a tight line. He doesn't acknowledge your question.

"Uh.. I'm a Canadian. Yes, from Canada.. With an expired visa, who was about to get deported.. And because I didn't want to leave this wonderful country of yours.. I forced Yn here to marry me."

"Garrett, stop it."

"See, uh, Yn has always had this extraordinary work ethic. Something I think she learned from you." He says looking at your father. Joe then looks at you. "And for three years I watched her work harder than anyone else at our company.. And I knew that if I threatened to destroy her career.. she would, uh, she would do just about anything." He sighs. "So, I blackmailed her.. to come up here and lie to you.."

You don't dare look at your family as you just clench your jaw and look at the floor.

"I thought it would be easy.. to watch her do it, but it wasn't.. Turns out it's not easy to ruin someone's life, once you find out how wonderful they are.. You have a beautiful family." He looks at them. "Don't let this come between you. This was my fault."

"Garrett.."

"Yn, this was a business deal, and you held up your end, but now the deal is off." He says and walks down. "I'm sorry." He apologises as he passes your family. Walking past Gilbertson he addresses him. "And you, meet me at the dock. You're giving me a ride to the airport." He tells him and leaves.

  Everyone starts murmuring. Gert looks up at you sympathetically. Your mother and grandmother walk up to you.

"What were you thinking?"

"I, uh, I don't know." You shake your head slightly.

"Yn, you lied to us."

"Let me just get my head straight, okay? I'll explain everything later."

You throw the bouquet on the nearest chair and pull your wedding dress up a bit as you walk out of the barn.

...

Getting inside the house, you go up to your bedroom. Only to find it empty, only the tie bar on the bed. Beside it there's a manuscript and a note, you pull off the note and read it.

You were right. This book is special. I lied because I knew publishing meant I'd lose you as an assistant, but you have an extraordinary eye. I'll make sure we buy this before I leave.
Have an amazing life. You deserve it.
Garrett.

You close the letter just as Gert walks in. "Well, that was.. crazy." He chuckles and you scoff a humourless laugh. "You know, people are gonna be talking about this forever."

"Yeah." You nod and look down at the letter again.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah.. No, uh.." You say and inhale deeply. "I just feel.. You know what the problem is?" You then ask, turning to him. "The problem is that this man.. is a gigantic pain in my ass."

Gert smiles with a small chuckle.

"First, there's the whole leaving me at the alter thing, I can understand that. It's a sham wedding, it's kind of stressful. But then he goes ahead and he leaves this note.." You say gesturing to the paper. "Because he doesn't have the decency.. the humanity to do it to my face.. Three years! Three years I work with this.. this terrorist! Never once has he had a nice thing to say to me, and then he goes ahead and he writes this crap!"

You crunch the paper and throw it across the room.

"Yn."

"But none of that matters, because we had a deal!"

"Yn." He says again and you close your eyes with a sigh.

"Sorry, I'm sorry. I just.. He just makes me a little crazy." You admit and he chuckles.

"Yeah, I can see that." He chuckles. "So.. You're just gonna let him go?" Gert gives you a knowing look.

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