He hesitated, and for a moment, I thought he might refuse. But then he nodded, as if making a decision. “It’s complicated. My family… they have enemies, people who would hurt me to get to them. After the accident, my father thought it was best to let the world believe I was paralyzed. It was supposed to be temporary, just until things settled down, but…”

“But it wasn’t temporary,” I finished for him.

“No. I never intended to drag someone else into this mess, least of all through marriage.” He paused, looking at me with a mixture of regret and sincerity. “I’m sorry, Lila. I never wanted this for you.”