Chapter 10: The Marriage That Was Built on a Lie
For the first time in eight years, I questioned every memory.
Not just the painful ones.
The good ones too.
That was the cruelest part.
When someone betrays you, you don’t only lose the present.
You lose the past you thought you owned.
I sat in my old bedroom that night surrounded by photographs.
There was one from our wedding day.
Adrian and I stood beneath a white arch covered in flowers.
He was smiling.
I was smiling.
Everyone who saw that picture believed they were looking at a couple who had found something rare.
Love.
Trust.
Forever.
But now I stared at that photograph and wondered.
Was he happy?
Or was he just successful?
Was I the woman he loved?
Or was I simply the door that opened into a world he wanted?
My fingers tightened around the frame.
I wanted to throw it.
I wanted to destroy every reminder of him.
But I didn’t.
Because those memories belonged to me too.
Even if Adrian had lied.
My happiness had been real.
My love had been real.
Only his wasn’t.
A knock came at my door.
Marcus entered quietly.
“You haven’t slept.””
I looked away.
“Neither have you.””
He smiled sadly.
“That’s because I’m your brother.””
I laughed softly.
A real laugh.
The first one in days.
He sat beside me.
“Elena, you need to know something.””
“What?””
“When I first met Adrian, I didn’t trust him.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
Marcus sighed.
“I never told you because you were happy.””
My heart sank.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because I thought my opinion was unfair.””
He looked down.
“I saw ambition in him. I saw someone who cared too much about status.””
I whispered.
“But you thought he loved me.””
Marcus didn’t answer.
That was enough.
The silence said everything.
“I defended him,” I said.
“Yes.””
“I argued with you.””
“Yes.””
“I told you that you didn’t understand him.””
Marcus’s eyes softened.
“And I was happy to be wrong.””
That hurt.
Because my brothers had not wanted to be right.
They weren’t waiting for my marriage to fail.
They were waiting for me to be happy.
The next morning, Julian discovered more.
And this time, the truth was worse.
Adrian’s family had financial problems before he met me.
Huge problems.
His father’s company was close to collapse.
Investors were leaving.
Banks were refusing loans.
Then Adrian appeared in my life.
And suddenly everything changed.
Because marrying me gave him access to something much bigger.
The Whitmore family reputation.
The connections.
The trust.
The doors that opened because of my last name.
I stared at the documents.
“He used me.””
Julian nodded.
“I think so.””
I closed my eyes.
For years, I believed Adrian married beneath his status.
I believed he was the one taking a chance on me.
The truth was the opposite.
He had been chasing something I never knew I had.
My name.
My family.
My influence.
My entire identity.
“He never asked about my dreams,” I whispered.
Nobody spoke.
Because they knew.
I continued.
“He asked about my family.””
Julian looked at me.
“Exactly.””
The pieces came together.
Every conversation.
Every question.
Every moment I ignored because I wanted to believe in love.
Then another message arrived.
This time from Adrian.
*We need to talk. Alone.*
I stared at the screen.
I didn’t want to see him.
But something inside me needed answers.
So I agreed.
We met at the same restaurant where we once celebrated our first anniversary.
The irony wasn’t lost on me.
Adrian arrived early.
He stood when I entered.
For a second, I saw the man I used to love.
Then I remembered the truth.
“Sit down,” I said.
He obeyed.
That alone shocked me.
Adrian Whitmore never obeyed anyone.
Not before.
Not until now.
“I know what you found.””
His voice was quiet.
I looked at him.
“Do you?””
He swallowed.
“Yes.””
“Then don’t waste my time.””
A painful expression crossed his face.
“You really hate me.””
“No.””
I surprised myself.
“I don’t hate you.””
He looked hopeful for one second.
Then I continued.
“I pity you.””
That hurt him more.
“Why?””
“Because you spent your entire life chasing things that could never love you back.””
He looked away.
“I made mistakes.””
I shook my head.
“You keep saying that.””
“Because it’s true.””
“No.””
I leaned forward.
“You say mistakes because mistakes are accidents.””
My voice lowered.
“You made decisions.””
His eyes filled with something I couldn’t identify.
Regret.
Shame.
Fear.
“I did love you.””
I almost believed him.
Almost.
Then I asked the question I had been afraid to ask.
“When?””
He froze.
“What?””
“When did you love me?””
Silence.
“Before you knew my family?””
Nothing.
“Before you knew my last name?””
Still nothing.
“Before you realized what I could give you?””
His silence became the answer.
I nodded slowly.
“Thank you.””
He looked confused.
“For what?””
“For finally telling me the truth without saying a word.””
I stood.
“Wait.””
I stopped.
“There’s something else.””
I turned.
His expression changed.
A warning.
A fear.
“What?””
He looked down.
“Your father.””
My heartbeat changed.
“What about him?””
Adrian hesitated.
“I didn’t know everything.””
“What does that mean?””
“It means…”
He looked at me.
“Your father wasn’t just my target.””
May you like
A chill moved through me.
“He was my enemy.””
