“Sir, could you possibly act as if you are my husband… just for a day?” the white woman whispered urgently to the black man sitting in the crowded café.
Derrick Carter, aged thirty-eight and a history teacher at an Atlanta high school, nearly choked on his coffee. While grading papers and awaiting his order, a stranger suddenly approached his table. Her blonde hair was hastily tied back, breathing short and rapid, hands trembling as she clutched a leather bag.
“Excuse me?” Derrick asked, lowering his glasses.
“My name is Emily Lawson,” she spoke quickly, glancing nervously towards the glass windows. “Please—don’t think I’m crazy. I just need you to play along for a little while. My father is outside. He doesn’t know I filed for divorce, and he would never accept that I left my husband. If he sees me alone, he’ll force me to go back with him to Ohio.”
Derrick furrowed his brow. There was no reason for him to get involved—it wasn’t his problem. He had endured enough complicated relationships himself, and the last thing he wanted was to get entangled in someone else’s drama.
Yet, the desperation in her eyes unsettled him deeply. Emily seemed out of options.
Before Derrick could respond, an imposing older man in a dark coat entered the café. His presence filled the room, his suspicious gaze scanning the area. Emily gripped Derrick’s arm tightly. “Please,” she whispered.
Her voice held a plea—one both earnest and resolute—that caused Derrick to nod almost instinctively.
Emily straightened and forced a smile. “Dad,” she said, “you remember Derrick, don’t you? My husband.”
The man fixed his eyes coldly on Derrick. A heavy silence seemed to swallow the café, as if the world had vanished around them. Derrick stood, extended his hand calmly, and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
The father’s grip was cold, his intense stare assessing Derrick as if measuring whether he was worthy—or a fraud.
The exchange felt tense and uneasy. Charles Lawson, Emily’s father, pressed carefully calculated questions. What did Derrick do for a living? Where did they reside? How long had they been married?
Derrick, skilled in the art of storytelling, relied on improvisation. He recounted meeting Emily during a literacy volunteering program, their shared love of books, and their marriage three years earlier. Emily complemented his story smoothly, as if rehearsed internally many times.
Still, Charles remained unconvinced. “Emily, you’ve always struggled with choosing the right people. Are you certain this is the life you want?”
Emily’s knuckles whitened around her coffee cup. “Yes, Dad. I’m sure.”
Derrick noticed her hand trembling beneath the table. He gently placed his palm over hers—steady but tender. To his surprise, she didn’t withdraw. Even this small contact, though part of the act, brought her some comfort.
Charles sighed. “Marriage is hard work. I just hope you’re not making another mistake.”
Once Charles left, Emily exhaled so deeply it seemed her entire body relaxed. Derrick pushed his coffee aside and leaned in.
“Would you like to tell me what is really going on?” he asked softly.
Tears welled up in her eyes. “My father doesn’t believe in divorce. To him, a woman must obey no matter what. I married young to a man who controlled everything—my job, my friends, even what I wore. I left him six months ago. But if my father finds out, he’ll try to force me back.”
Derrick rubbed his temple. “So you needed a stand-in husband.”
Emily nodded. “I’m sorry for putting you in this position. I panicked when I saw him.”
Derrick could have walked away. Yet, Emily’s courage—daring to seek divorce despite her father’s grip—moved him. He thought of his own mother, who raised him alone after escaping an abusive marriage. Perhaps that was why he agreed without hesitation.
“Listen,” he said, “I don’t know your whole story. But if you need someone to have your back—at least for today—I’m here.”
Relief softened her eyes. “Thank you.”
Neither of them realized their little charade would change their lives.
The next day, Emily called Derrick to apologize again for involving him in her personal battle. She insisted on treating him to dinner as thanks. Against his cautious nature, Derrick accepted.
Over a barbecue at a modest southern restaurant, their conversation flowed openly. What began as small talk deepened into hours of dialogue. Emily revealed that she studied art history but had abandoned her passion because her ex-husband belittled her. Derrick shared how he almost quit teaching, wearied by the system, but stayed to provide students with the hope he once needed himself.
- They found laughter between them; Emily teased Derrick’s obsession with baseball statistics.
- Derrick joked about her habit of staining shirts while eating ribs.
- Gradually, walls of guardedness and fear crumbled.
Weeks passed with repeated meetings, no longer pretending. The role of fake husband lost meaning. Derrick supported Emily’s journey toward independence, encouraging her to apply for a downtown gallery job. In turn, she urged him to publish the civil rights history book he had long kept secret.
One evening, leaving the gallery where Emily had just been hired, she paused on the steps and looked at him gratefully.
“Isn’t it funny?” she said. “I asked you to pretend to be my husband for a day. Yet you were more present than the man I actually married.”
Derrick smiled, shaking his head. “Life is full of surprises.”
Months later, Emily introduced Derrick to her father once again—this time genuinely. Charles examined him with the same cold scrutiny, but Emily stood tall, poised, and unwavering.
“This is Derrick,” she declared firmly, “not a pretend husband, but my partner.”
Her unexpected conclusion was not just that she had found someone new. More importantly, she had reclaimed her voice, her choices, and her freedom. Meanwhile, Derrick discovered a love grounded not in pretense, but in authenticity.
In summary, what began as a simple request to shield Emily from an oppressive parent blossomed into a transformative journey for both. Their story highlights courage, renewal, and the power of genuine connection to overcome adversity and rebuild lives.