I watched him go, still shaken by what he had said to me.

Lilah slept on. Now was the time I usually caught up on a few chores, taking advantage of her nap. But I was so rattled by what Finn had said to me that I made myself a cup of coffee and walked out onto the balcony, sitting down at a wrought iron table. I stared over the manicured lawns and gardens, but I saw nothing.

I had to decide by the end of this week. The amount he had offered me had blown me away. It was more than enough to get me back on track with my studies. But it wasn’t just about the money.

Could I live a lie, pretending to everyone that I was engaged to be married to Finn? He had stipulated that I wouldn’t be able to tell a soul. Not even my best friend, Cara. Not even my mother or my father. Nobody. Otherwise word might leak back to the Morgan’s - and then it would all be for nothing.

I thought about how I would tell my parents and Cara, acting all excited. Would they see through me? I had done a bit of acting in high school, but no performance had ever been Oscar worthy. I wouldn’t be giving Meryl Streep a run for her money any time soon.

I bit my nails, an old habit that resurfaced when I was stressed. It seemed to be happening a lot. Then there would be pretence with Finn. He wouldn’t expect me to sleep with him, obviously, but we would have to act like a loving couple whenever we were around other people, or out and about. It would be very odd having to suddenly act intimate with my boss. Although, acting intimate with Finn wouldn’t be too hard. He was such an attractive man – I wouldn’t have to fake it.

Jesus, could I do it? I mean, really?

I was a San Francisco girl who had surprisingly got into Harvard Law School, against all odds. My family could never in a million years have afforded the tuition. I wasn’t from what you would call a wealthy family, my mom is an office clerk, my dad a construction worker. They had saved for college for me and that had helped, but I still had to beg and borrow to get through the first couple of years.

Then it had all turned to shit. My aunt Natalie had developed cancer, and she didn’t have the medical insurance to cover it. I lent her the last of my savings, so that she could start her treatment. I had to give her a chance. She was my aunt, after all, and we had always been close.

I found this position through a college job website, desperately trying to find a job that would pay relatively okay so that I could start saving again. This had been the highest paying out of all of them. I mean, what else could I do? Working double shifts at the local diner wouldn’t have even paid my rent at Harvard.

I had squirrelled away most of my earnings, but that wasn’t hard. I didn’t know anyone here, so it wasn’t as if I had a social life. Finn and Erin had paid for my airfare. Board was covered, and so was my food. I had been doing quite well.

But Finn’s offer would boost my nest egg, magically. I would be able to comfortably afford my tuition. I shifted on the seat, staring up at the sky. It was a grey day; it looked like it might rain. And I was still no closer to a decision.

I would be stupid to refuse, wouldn’t I? I would have to pretend to be Finn’s fiancée. So what. I could do that. I was already close to Lilah, so that wouldn’t be an issue.

It was too good to refuse. That was the truth.

“Amber?” A little voice disturbed my thoughts. I looked around. Lilah was standing at the balcony door, clutching her favorite teddy bear.

“Well, hello, little miss!” I jumped up, picking her up. She leant her head against my shoulder and rubbed her eyes.

I walked back into the house with her. The mansion in Toorak that was my home. Of sorts. I glanced at it with fresh eyes.

Finn’s fiancée. Lilah’s stepmother-to-be.

I looked again at the framed photo of the family, back when they had been one. Erin gazing at her daughter adoringly. Finn happy and laughing. Lilah the centre of their universe.

What would Erin think, of me pretending to be Finn’s fiancée? Would she understand? Would she be smiling down benevolently upon us, barracking for Finn to keep their daughter by whatever means available? Would she get that I would be doing it for the money?

Or would she shake her head despairingly, wonder what had got into her reckless husband and how on earth sensible, level headed nanny Amber had let herself be talked into such a crazy scenario?

We would never know, would we? Erin was gone. And Finn was fighting for what was left of his family.

As soon as that thought entered my brain, I knew what my decision was.