I’ve seen a lot of crazy things in my life, but nothing tops accidentally getting married to a complete stranger in Tuscany. And let me tell you, that’s not an exaggeration.

The day started innocently enough. Tuscany was every bit as beautiful as the brochures had promised—sun-kissed vineyards stretching as far as the eye could see, rustic villas nestled among olive trees, and the scent of fresh basil and blooming flowers hanging in the warm air. I was excited to be here, ready to celebrate my childhood friend Lily's wedding and maybe snap a few artsy photos to spruce up my portfolio. But life, as it turns out, had other plans.

I double-checked the wedding invitation as the taxi pulled up in front of "Villa Rosa." The name matched, so I paid the driver, grabbed my bag, and headed inside. The villa was breathtaking, all old-world charm and romantic elegance. A sense of unease gnawed at the back of my mind—probably just pre-wedding jitters, I thought, dismissing it. After all, how often do I get to attend a wedding in Italy?

As I walked through the entrance, I noticed a few guests milling about, none of whom I recognized. Weird, but Lily had a lot of friends I didn’t know. I chalked it up to the wedding’s guest list being more extensive than I’d imagined.

“Scusi, signorina,” a harried-looking woman in a headset waved me over. “You’re late! Come with me, please.”

“Late? I thought the wedding didn’t start for another—”

“No time! Hurry, hurry!” She grabbed my arm and practically dragged me down a corridor before I could protest.

She led me into a small room filled with mirrors, flowers, and a massive white dress that looked suspiciously like a wedding gown. My stomach flipped. I tried to speak, but the woman—who I quickly deduced was the wedding planner—started fussing over my hair.

“I don’t think—”

“Signorina, please! We’re already behind schedule. Just breathe, relax. Everything will be perfect.”

The sinking feeling in my gut intensified. “But I’m not—”

“Shh!” She silenced me with a finger to her lips. “Stage fright, I understand. Don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal. Now, take a deep breath.”

Before I could get another word out, she ushered me back into the hallway and toward a pair of grand doors. My pulse quickened. Something was very, very wrong. But the planner pushed the doors open, revealing a room full of guests who all turned to look at me.

And then, the officiant’s voice rang out, loud and clear.

“Signore e signori, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the bride and groom—Mia Thompson and Ryan Collins!”

Wait. What?

For a moment, time stood still. The kind of still where your mind goes completely blank as it tries to process the impossibility of what’s happening. My eyes darted around the room, searching for Lily, searching for an explanation. But all I found were hundreds of eyes on me, applauding like I was the star of the show.

No. This couldn’t be happening. I wasn’t the bride—Lily was supposed to be the bride!

I turned to look beside me, only to lock eyes with a man—a very handsome, very bewildered man—who I’d never seen before in my life. His expression mirrored my own: shock, confusion, and a hint of dawning horror.

“Who the hell are you?” I blurted out, forgetting my manners in the face of sheer disbelief.

The man blinked, his sharp blue eyes narrowing as he seemed to finally find his voice. “Ryan Collins. And you?”

“Mia Thompson,” I whispered back, barely able to believe the words coming out of my mouth. “But I’m not supposed to be here!”

“Neither am I!” Ryan snapped, his voice low and urgent. “This is a mistake—a huge mistake!”

The room erupted in applause, drowning out our protests. Before I knew it, the wedding planner, whom I now mentally dubbed “Madame Miscommunication,” was at my side, beaming as if she’d just orchestrated the most beautiful union in history.

“Congratulations!” she gushed, completely oblivious to the panic in our eyes. “You two look so perfect together!”

I opened my mouth to correct her, to scream that this was all wrong, but she misread my wide-eyed terror as bridal nerves.

“Everything is under control,” she whispered, giving me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Just take it one step at a time. You’ll be a married woman before you know it!”

I spun around to face Ryan, desperate for some semblance of sanity. “We need to stop this—now.”

But before Ryan could respond, a stern, commanding voice cut through the chaos. “Ryan, my boy! A splendid match!”

A tall, distinguished man who had to be Ryan’s father appeared beside him, clapping a firm hand on Ryan’s shoulder. The resemblance was uncanny—same piercing blue eyes, same strong jawline—though where Ryan looked panicked, his father was radiating approval.

“You’ve done well,” Mr. Collins said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “This union will benefit both our families greatly.”

Ryan opened his mouth to protest, but his father’s grip tightened, a silent warning that now was not the time for objections. I glanced at Ryan, silently pleading for him to do something, anything to fix this mess, but the poor guy looked as trapped as I felt.

Then, to make matters worse, I spotted my parents pushing their way through the crowd. My mom had tears in her eyes, and my dad’s face was beaming with pride.

“Mia, sweetheart!” My mom threw her arms around me, squeezing me tight. “I can’t believe it! You’ve gone and married such a fine young man!”

“No, Mom, it’s not—” I tried to explain, but she wasn’t listening. Nobody was listening.

“You didn’t tell us you were getting married!” my dad added, clapping Ryan on the back with enough force to make him stagger. “But I always knew you’d find someone special.”

“It’s a mistake!” I finally managed to shout, breaking free from my mom’s embrace. “I’m not supposed to be here! This isn’t my wedding!”

The room fell silent for a heartbeat before erupting into laughter. The kind of laughter that said, “Oh, she’s so nervous, how adorable!” My protests were brushed off as some sort of endearing pre-wedding jitters.

Ryan ran a hand through his hair, clearly at a loss. “This is insane,” he muttered under his breath. “We need to find a way out of this.”

I nodded vigorously, but the guests had already started moving forward, congratulating us, offering well wishes, and completely disregarding the truth of the situation.

I was swept away by a tide of well-meaning relatives, friends, and complete strangers, all eager to celebrate a wedding that wasn’t supposed to happen. Ryan and I were separated by the crowd, and I could only watch helplessly as he was pulled in the opposite direction, his protests similarly lost in the sea of celebratory chaos.

For a moment, I considered making a break for it, just running out the door and leaving the whole mess behind. But then I caught sight of Lily’s parents across the room. They looked utterly bewildered, clearly wondering why their daughter wasn’t the one in the spotlight. And that’s when it hit me.

I couldn’t just leave. If I bolted now, I’d not only ruin this wedding, but I’d also ruin my friendship with Lily—and who knows what kind of mess Ryan would be left to deal with.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to smile as I was pulled toward a makeshift stage where Ryan was already standing, looking like a man on the gallows. The DJ started playing some romantic tune, and I knew there was no escaping the next phase of this debacle: the first dance.

“Ready?” I asked Ryan as I reached him, my voice thick with irony.

He sighed, offering me his hand. “Not even a little bit.”

We moved to the center of the dance floor, and the music swelled around us. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on us, but all I could think about was how absurd this whole situation was. There I was, dancing with a stranger who had somehow become my accidental husband, in front of a room full of people who thought this was the happiest day of my life.

As we swayed awkwardly to the music, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. The whole thing was just too ridiculous. Ryan raised an eyebrow, glancing down at me.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

I shook my head, still chuckling. “Just thinking about how I’m going to explain this to Lily.”

Ryan snorted, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. “And I’m wondering how I’m going to explain this to my boss.”

We both laughed then, the absurdity of our situation hitting us full force. For a moment, the tension between us eased, and we were just two people caught up in a bizarre, surreal moment.

But as the dance ended and the guests cheered, reality came crashing back. We were in deep trouble, and I had no idea how we were going to get out of it.

As we pulled apart, I caught Ryan’s gaze and saw the same mix of determination and desperation that I felt.

“We need to figure this out,” I whispered, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.

“Agreed,” Ryan replied, his expression grim. “But first, we need to survive the rest of this wedding.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath as we were once again swept up by the crowd. Somehow, someway, we were going to have to untangle this mess. But for now, all we could do was play along and hope that the next twist in this crazy day didn’t make things even worse.

I stood in the middle of the reception hall, the chaotic energy of the celebration buzzing around me like a swarm of bees. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. How had I gone from being a guest at my best friend’s wedding to accidentally becoming someone else’s bride? I raised my hand, waving frantically to get someone’s attention, but my voice was drowned out by the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd.

“Excuse me! Wait, this is all a—” Before I could finish my sentence, a woman with curly hair and a bright smile pulled me into a tight hug.

“Oh, Mia, what a romantic way to start a marriage!” she gushed, squeezing me so hard I could barely breathe. “It’s so spontaneous and exciting! You two are just perfect together!”

“Actually, I think there’s been a—” I tried again, but she was already moving on to congratulate the next person, leaving me standing there, mouth agape, completely lost.

I glanced across the room and spotted Ryan Collins, the man who was now, apparently, my husband. Ryan stood a few feet away, looking as stiff as a board, his jaw clenched and his expression unreadable. He wasn’t saying a word, just standing there like a statue while his father pounded him on the back, laughing heartily.

“Ryan, my boy! You always were full of surprises,” Mr. Collins boomed, his laughter echoing through the hall. Ryan’s lips twitched into a tight smile, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. He was as unhappy with this situation as I was, but for some reason, he wasn’t doing anything to fix it.

What is wrong with him? Why isn’t he saying anything? I wondered, my frustration mounting by the second. My gaze darted around the room, searching for anyone who could help us straighten out this mess, but instead, I was met with more smiling faces, more congratulations, and more confusion.

“Mia, darling!” My mother’s voice cut through the noise as she made her way over, her arms wide open. She was a petite woman with wild, silver-streaked hair and a wardrobe that looked like it had been stolen from a bohemian art studio. She enveloped me in a warm hug, her eyes twinkling with joy. “My little girl, married! And to such a handsome man!”

“Mom, this isn’t—”

“Shh, shh,” she interrupted, placing a finger to my lips. “No need to explain, sweetie. I can see it in your eyes. You’ve found your perfect match.”

I stared at her in disbelief, wondering how she could possibly think that this was anything other than a colossal mistake. But before I could correct her, she was already moving on to Ryan, who looked like he was desperately trying to disappear into his suit.

“And you must be my new son-in-law!” my mother exclaimed, pulling him into a hug. Ryan’s eyes widened in surprise, and he awkwardly patted her back, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden affection.

“Uh, thank you, Mrs. Thompson,” he muttered, his voice strained. He cast a quick glance in my direction as if silently pleading for help, but I was as clueless as he was.

“Please, call me Mom,” my mother insisted, beaming up at him. “We’re family now!”

Ryan’s expression shifted from confusion to a sort of resigned politeness, and he managed a weak smile. “Right… Mom.”

I wanted to scream. This was a nightmare. How had things spiraled so far out of control in such a short amount of time? And why was everyone acting like this was normal?

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, Ryan’s parents approached their expressions a mix of curiosity and approval. Mrs. Collins, a tall, elegant woman with sharp features and an air of authority, looked me up and down, her gaze piercing. I could feel her sizing me up, evaluating every detail from my slightly disheveled dress to the nervous way I was fiddling with my hem.

“So, you’re the woman who’s stolen my son’s heart,” she said, her voice smooth and polished. “I must say, you’re quite a breath of fresh air.”

“Um, thank you?” I replied though it came out more like a question. I had no idea what to say to this woman, and her scrutinizing gaze was making me even more nervous.

Ryan’s father, on the other hand, seemed more interested in the potential business benefits of this union. He nodded approvingly as he looked between Ryan and me, already calculating how this marriage could work to their advantage. “This could be very beneficial for both our families,” he remarked, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

“Wait, what? No, this isn’t—” I started to protest, but the words got stuck in my throat as Mrs. Collins smiled at me, a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“You’ll be a wonderful addition to the family, I’m sure of it,” she said, dismissing my attempts to clarify the situation.

I looked at Ryan again, hoping he would finally step up and help me fix this disaster, but he remained silent, his expression locked in that same tight-lipped smile. It was like he was trapped in some unspoken agreement with his family, and he wasn’t about to break character, no matter how ridiculous this whole situation was.

Before I could think of what to do next, Ryan’s sister-in-law, Sarah, burst onto the scene, practically bouncing with excitement. She was a petite, bubbly woman with an infectious smile and a tendency to overwhelm people with her enthusiasm. She zeroed in on me like a missile, wrapping me in a bear hug that left me breathless.

“Mia! I can’t believe it! We’re sisters now!” Sarah squealed, pulling back just enough to hold me at arm’s length, her eyes sparkling with delight. “This is the best thing that’s ever happened!”

“Sisters?” I echoed, still trying to process everything. “But—”

“No buts!” Sarah interrupted, linking her arm with mine and dragging me away from the crowd. “Come on, we have so much to talk about! Wedding plans, family dinners, holidays—oh, I’m just so excited!”

I shot a helpless look back at Ryan, who was watching the whole scene unfold with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. He rolled his eyes slightly, as if to say, Welcome to my world, and I couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit of sympathy for him. If this was what his family was like on a normal day, I couldn’t imagine how overwhelming it must be to deal with them all the time.

Sarah continued to chatter excitedly as she led me to a quieter corner of the room, her words blending together in a blur of wedding advice, family traditions, and questions about our future. I nodded along, barely able to keep up with her rapid-fire speech, all the while trying to figure out how I was going to get out of this mess.

“This is all happening so fast,” I said, trying to find a way to slow her down. “Maybe we should take a step back and—”

“Fast? Pfft, nonsense!” Sarah waved off my concerns with a flick of her hand. “When you know, you know, right? And it’s clear that you and Ryan were meant to be. Just look at how well our families are getting along!”

I glanced over at the rest of the room, where my parents were chatting animatedly with Ryan’s parents. They were all smiles, completely oblivious to the fact that this entire situation was a colossal mistake. The more I looked around, the more I realized that everyone seemed to have bought into this ridiculous charade.

As Sarah continued to gush about how wonderful it was to have a sister, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. They were all so happy, so excited for this marriage that wasn’t even real. But at the same time, I knew that continuing the charade was only going to make things worse in the long run.

I needed to find a way out of this, and fast. But how?

Before I could come up with a plan, the wedding DJ’s voice rang out over the speakers, announcing that it was time for the newlyweds’ first dance. My stomach dropped as I realized what was about to happen.

“No, no, no,” I muttered under my breath, trying to back away, but it was too late. The crowd was already parting, creating a space in the center of the room for us to dance. Ryan and I were pushed together, and I found myself standing face-to-face with him, our predicament all too real.

“Guess we’re doing this,” Ryan said with a resigned sigh, offering me his hand. I could tell he wasn’t any happier about this than I was, but we were both trapped by the expectations of our families and the momentum of the celebration.

“Yeah,” I replied, taking his hand with a grimace. “Let’s just get this over with.”

The music started a slow, romantic tune that only made the situation feel even more absurd. We began to dance, our movements stiff and awkward as we tried not to step on each other’s feet. The crowd watched us with adoring eyes, completely unaware of the fact that we were strangers who had just been thrown together by a ridiculous mix-up.

As we shuffled around the dance floor, I couldn’t help but notice the way Ryan’s eyes kept darting around the room, as if he was looking for an escape route. He was clearly just as uncomfortable as I was, and for a brief moment, I felt a strange sense of camaraderie with him. We were both stuck in this mess, and neither of us knew how to get out of it.

“So,” Ryan said after a long silence, his voice low enough that only I could hear. “Any ideas on how to fix this?”

“I was hoping you’d have some,” I admitted, trying to keep my voice steady despite the growing sense of panic in my chest.

“Right,” he muttered, his expression darkening. “Well, we’ll figure something out. We have to.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, though I wasn’t sure how we were going to manage that. “We just have to get through tonight, and then we can sort this out.”

“Agreed.” Ryan’s grip on my hand tightened slightly as if he was trying to draw some strength from the contact. “Just... try to keep smiling. The last thing we need is for them to start asking questions.”

I nodded, forcing a smile onto my face as we continued to dance. The music played on, and the crowd watched us with rapt attention, completely unaware of the chaos that was brewing beneath the surface.

The cool night air wrapped around me like a soft blanket, offering a brief moment of clarity amidst the chaos. I leaned against the stone railing of the villa's balcony, the sprawling Tuscan hills spreading out before me, bathed in the glow of the moonlight. It was breathtaking—exactly the kind of place where you’d expect romance to blossom. Too bad I was stuck here in a pretend marriage with a guy who looked like he’d rather chew glass than share a moment with me.

Ryan Collins stood stiffly next to me, loosening his tie like it was choking him. His suit—perfectly tailored, no doubt—was classic black, sharp against the night, but I could tell he hated every second of this. If his tense shoulders didn’t give it away, the way he kept rubbing the back of his neck did. I watched him for a moment, taking in his structured, almost too-polished appearance. You could practically smell the self-discipline radiating off him.

“So,” I exhaled, letting the cool breeze calm my nerves, “this is officially the weirdest day of my life.”

Ryan glanced over, his usually impassive face softening just a little. His lips twitched, almost but not quite smiling. For him, that was probably the equivalent of a belly laugh.

“You?” he asked, voice smooth and clipped like someone who never strayed far from business meetings. “It’s got to be close for me too.”

“Well,” I smirked, turning my body toward him, “I’ve never been married by accident before. So yeah, top of the list.”

He chuckled, and I could see him relax just a bit, the tension in his shoulders easing. His laugh caught me off guard. I mean, the guy looked like he had his emotions vacuum-sealed. Seeing him let go, even a little, was… nice.

I rolled my eyes and pushed the joke further, mimicking the officiant’s voice. “I now pronounce you strangers who met five minutes ago.”

This time, Ryan fully smiled—a real, honest-to-goodness smile. It was quick, like he caught himself before he got too comfortable, but it was there. He shook his head, leaning on the railing next to me.

“Quite the whirlwind romance,” he deadpanned.

For a second, I almost forgot we were two strangers playing house in the middle of someone else’s wedding. Almost.

“You seem oddly calm about this,” I said, narrowing my eyes playfully. “Is this, like, a normal Tuesday for you? Accidentally getting married?”

Ryan straightened, crossing his arms over his chest. “Let’s just say I’m used to unexpected situations. I deal with them one at a time.”

“Right,” I drawled, amused by how serious he seemed to be about everything. “Do you handle every disaster like a board meeting?”

He didn’t catch the joke, just nodded earnestly, which made me laugh harder than I should’ve. “Exactly,” he replied.

I had to press my hand to my stomach to stop laughing. “Oh God, Ryan, you’re hilarious. No wonder you’re so fun at weddings.”

Ryan shot me a look, halfway between amusement and exasperation, but I could tell I was growing on him—whether he liked it or not. He let out a slow breath, the remnants of his smile lingering.

“We can’t exactly tell our families now, not after they’ve invested in this whole thing,” he said, shifting the conversation back to the mess we were in. He rubbed the back of his neck again, clearly frustrated, but still composed.

I thought about it, realizing he had a point. My family, with their warm hugs and enthusiastic cheers, probably wouldn’t care too much once I told them this was a mistake. But his family? The Collinses looked like the type that planned everything down to the minute. Telling them the truth now would probably cause a minor societal scandal.

“Yeah,” I admitted, “you’re right. Telling them now would just make it worse.” I glanced back toward the hall where the party still raged on, a bubble of noise and joy completely disconnected from reality. “So… what do we do?”

Ryan took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing in thought. “We keep this up. Pretend we’re married until we get home, and then we can handle it quietly.”

I bit my lip, trying to suppress a laugh at how formal he sounded about it. “You make it sound like we’re negotiating a contract.”

His jaw tightened just a fraction. “This is a contract, in a way. We’re stuck in this together for now.”

I crossed my arms and leaned in. “Okay, Mr. Businessman. Let’s negotiate our fake marriage terms. How do we make this work without blowing our cover?”

He didn’t miss a beat, already back to being the polished, composed Ryan Collins. “We’ll have to agree on some ground rules. No obvious slip-ups, no contradicting stories. And we need to be seen together enough to make it believable. Appearances are everything.”

I nodded, though part of me wanted to roll my eyes. “Right, appearances. Well, since we’re already married,” I said with a smirk, “how about we skip the awkward honeymoon phase and just get right to the part where we ‘quietly divorce’ later?”

Ryan shot me a sidelong look, clearly unimpressed with my sarcasm. “This isn’t a joke, Mia.”

“I know, I know,” I said, holding up my hands in mock surrender. “But come on, it’s kind of funny, right? We’re in the middle of Tuscany, at someone else’s wedding, and somehow we end up married. If this isn’t a rom-com, I don’t know what is.”

Ryan’s expression softened, and for a second, I thought I saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes. “I suppose it is a little ridiculous,” he conceded.

“Thank you,” I said, placing a hand on my chest dramatically. “At least someone gets it.”

We stood there for a moment, the ridiculousness of it all sinking in. The night had taken on a quieter tone—the party still rumbled behind us, but here on the balcony, it was just the two of us. For the first time, it didn’t feel so strange.

I glanced at Ryan, who was staring out at the view, his suit jacket now unbuttoned, his tie loose. It was the first time he didn’t look like he was about to bolt. He actually looked… comfortable.

“You know,” I said, nudging him gently with my elbow, “you’re not so bad when you’re not in crisis mode.”

Ryan looked down at me, eyebrows raised. “Crisis mode?”

“Yeah,” I said, smirking. “That’s your default setting, right?”

He rolled his eyes, but I caught the hint of a smile playing on his lips. “I’m practical,” he corrected. “Not in crisis.”

“Sure, sure,” I teased, waving him off. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

We fell into an easy silence again, and for the first time since this whole mess started, I didn’t feel like I was on the verge of a breakdown.

“So,” I said after a while, “what’s the plan now? We just keep pretending until we fly home?”

Ryan nodded. “Exactly. It’s the easiest way to avoid causing a scene.”

I tilted my head, studying him for a second. He was so calm about everything, so methodical. It was almost impressive how easily he’d slid into the role of “accidental husband.”

“And what happens when we get back?” I asked, genuinely curious. “We just quietly disappear from each other’s lives?”

“That’s the plan,” he said, his voice steady.

I stared out at the rolling hills again, feeling a strange tug in my chest. It was all so simple, so clear-cut for him. But for me? I wasn’t so sure. Maybe it was the wine, or the fact that we were standing on a balcony in Tuscany pretending to be married, but something about it didn’t sit right.

“Well,” I said, extending my hand toward him with a playful grin, “here’s to our temporary marriage.”

Ryan looked at my hand, then at me, clearly unsure what I was up to. But after a second, he took my hand, shaking it firmly.

“To a temporary disaster,” he replied, smirking slightly.

And just like that, we had an agreement.

We turned back toward the party, walking side by side into the chaos, our fates accidentally and absurdly intertwined. I had no idea what would happen next, but one thing was certain—this was only the beginning.