The Price Of His Double Life

I spent two years as the perfect, dutiful wife to Foster Baird. I was his unpaid PR consultant and his emotional punching bag, enduring his mother’s snide comments about my orphan background all for the sake of a "marriage" I thought was real. But when I went to the City Clerk’s office to replace a damaged document, the clerk looked at me with genuine pity. "There is no record of a marriage license for you and Foster Baird. Legally? You aren't married." The betrayal went even deeper. I returned to our penthouse to find Foster’s mistress on our sofa, alongside a five-year-old boy who shared Foster’s exact features. Foster hadn't just cheated; he had a secret family that predated our entire relationship. He had even bribed a doctor to lie to me about being infertile just to keep me docile and focused on his business. When the mistress moved into my guest wing the next day, Foster demanded I act as their hostess and serve them dinner. I watched them play happy family in the home I built, realizing I was never a wife—I was just "cheap labor" he intended to discard once his company stock stabilized. He thought I was a barren charity case with nowhere to go. He was wrong. That same afternoon, I received a call from the executor of the Arthur Kensington estate. I wasn't a nobody; I was the long-lost biological daughter and sole heir to a five-billion-dollar fortune. While Foster was busy planning my replacement, I was accessing the Kensington Trust. I didn't scream, and I didn't cry. I simply bought a fifty-million-dollar mansion and hired a team of forensic accountants to dismantle the Baird Group from the inside out. I crushed my old phone under my designer heel and looked at my new security detail. "Let's get to work," I said.

On our fifth anniversary, I waited alone at "La Lune," the restaurant of our first date, a single white rose and a velvet proposal box in my pocket. But she never showed. No text, no call, just a creeping coldness in my chest. This wasn't like Sophia. Then I saw it on Instagram: a flashy video from a tech expo. My girlfriend, Sophia Chen, laughing, handing a birthday cake to her new assistant, Leo Davis. The caption: "#BestBossEver." She hadn't forgotten; she'd chosen to celebrate him. Anger, hot and sharp, burned through me. She rented an entire expo hall for him, but for me, not even a text. My world stopped. The rose, the ring, everything felt stupid. I walked out, leaving the rose, dropping the ring into a trash can. The feeling of loss was immense, but a hard resolve replaced it. This wasn't a mistake; it was her choice. Now, I would make mine. I remembered all the red flags I'd ignored. Her growing admiration for Leo, the son of a rumored tech mogul. Her late nights, her defensiveness, her distant voice. The jealousy, the arguments, the feeling of being an obstacle to her success, not a partner. Each incident, each public display of her and Leo's "teamwork" while I was relegated to the sidelines, gnawed at me. She never corrected them. She just let the narrative build. "You're obsessed with feelings, Ethan," she once said. "Success isn't about feelings. It's about power. It's about winning. It's a shame you'll never understand that." She chose what she thought was status and power over five years of my love and sacrifice. Overwhelmed, I packed a bag. Just as I zipped it shut, she walked in, cheerful and oblivious. "Ethan? You're still up?" she asked. I delivered my final blow: "Happy anniversary, Sophia." Her face went pale. On her phone, a notification from Leo flashed: "Tonight was amazing. Can't wait for our next 'celebration.' ;) You're the best, Soph." The winking emoji sealed my fate. I made the call. "Dad," I said, my voice steady. "Is the offer still on the table? The one concerning Olivia Hayes? Yes. The arranged marriage. I accept."

My mother was dying, her last wish for me to be settled, to be married. I rushed to my girlfriend, Olivia, the woman I' d loved for six years. "Let's get married. Now," I pleaded. For twenty-seven agonizing days, I begged, each day met with a new excuse. On the twenty-seventh day, she finally agreed. I waited at the courthouse, a bouquet of my mother' s favorite flowers in hand, hope surging through me. Then my phone buzzed. An Instagram notification. A picture of Olivia, grinning, a marriage certificate held high, Noah Peterson's arm possessively around her. The date on the certificate? The very first day I had started begging her. My world shattered. My phone rang again. It was the hospital. My mother was gone. She had died alone, her last wish unfulfilled, while I was waiting for a woman who had been lying to me for a month, already secretly married to her childhood friend, Noah. The betrayal was absolute. The casual intimacy between Olivia and Noah, the excuses, the constant prioritization of his fabricated problems over my dying mother' s last days-it all flooded my mind. I was a fool, blind to the truth that had been hiding in plain sight. I pulled out my phone, typed a single, final message, "Olivia, never again," and blocked her. I left the city, cutting off everything, ready to rebuild my life, honor my mother, and finally, honor myself.

My grandfather, Arthur, was a poison. He sucked the air out of every room he entered, leaving a trail of broken people, including my grandmother whose heart gave out too soon, and my father and aunt, constantly torn down by his biting criticism. At his 80th birthday party, despite my optimistic efforts-a magnificent cake and a thoughtful gift-he publicly humiliated me, sneering at my bakery and calling me a "cripple," then physically shoved me to the floor, injuring my arm. This act finally broke my father' s decades of suppressed rage. He roared, sent my carefully baked cake flying against the wall, and vowed to kill Arthur if he ever touched me again. The family, witnessing his monstrous cruelty, finally united against him, with Aunt Carol sobbing and calling him a monster, especially after he cruelly mocked the memory of Uncle David, who died saving Arthur' s life. I was stunned, then enraged, watching his self-pitying performance. How could a man so toxic, so utterly devoid of empathy, continue to inflict such pain on the people who were supposed to love him? With nothing left to lose, we cut him off entirely, expecting his retaliation. What we didn' t expect was for him to take his malice public on a livestream, only to be exposed by an unexpected truth-teller, leading to his swift, ironic downfall.

The warehouse air bit deep, the night before my engagement party. I was Noah Miller, a tech prodigy, about to marry Emily Stone. Now, I lay broken on a frozen concrete floor, limbs shattered, a final blow to my head fading the world to red and black. Men sent by my own fiancée did this. Left for dead, I survived on frozen concrete, only to find myself in a hospital with my mother, Susan Miller, CEO of Miller Corp, vowing revenge. But her words turned arctic as I overheard her: "He and his father were getting too ambitious. They were a threat to Alex' s position." Alex, my adopted brother. The son she truly cherished. They plotted to install Alex as my replacement, to marry Emily and take over the company. My mother casually dismissed my critical injuries, stating my ability to have children was "irrelevant" since I wouldn' t inherit anyway. She chose to let me be crippled. The family I thought I had was a snake pit. The devastating truth hit me - my own mother orchestrated this, all for Alex, and for his biological father, Robert Davis, the man who swapped us at birth. She knew the truth, yet embraced the lie, denying me the love and privilege that should have been mine. My life was a lie. My future, gone. What was the point of surviving? My very existence became a testament to their cruelty. But somewhere deep inside, a flicker of outrage ignited. A hidden phone, a forgotten contact-Leo, a ghost from my street past. He picked up. "I need your help," I rasped. This wasn't about hope. It was a cold, hard promise of revenge.

The "Dreamland Adventures" carousel flashed, a stark contrast to the bruised purple sky. It was my twins' fifth birthday, a day meant for joy, but dread tightened in my stomach with every distant thunder roll. Sophia, my neurodivergent daughter, pointed at the Ferris wheel, her voice pure happiness: "Daddy, look! Can we go on that one next? Please?" Leo, always more sensitive, clutched my hand. "It' s getting loud, Daddy." My wife, Olivia, a busy CEO, had insisted on this flashy park, then vanished. This was her grand gesture, now she was nowhere. My tenth call finally connected. "What, Ethan?" Olivia' s voice was sharp, impatient, a loud cocktail party behind her. Mark Jenkins, her ex, laughed nearby. I pleaded, "Olivia, where are you? The storm is getting worse, the park is shutting down rides. The kids are scared." "Don' t be so dramatic. It' s just a little rain." Her lie, so blatant, left me breathless. "I can' t just leave, Ethan. Mark is having an emergency. His father is ill. I need to be here for him." I held Sophia' s hopeful gaze. Olivia' s dismissive sigh echoed: "Sophia will be fine. You' re there, aren' t you? That' s your job. Just take them on one more ride to shut them up and then go home." My heart screamed no, but her words pushed me into a corner. "Okay, sweetie," I said, my voice tight. "One last ride." "This is the best birthday ever!" Sophia shouted as the Cosmic Rocket lurched upward. It was the last thing I ever heard her say. The ride groaned, a metallic screech ripped the air, and her car detached. It just… fell. My world ended. Hours later, on the wet pavement, I received a notification. Olivia' s social media: a picture of her and Mark, champagne glasses raised. "To new beginnings and rekindling old flames! Best night ever." She was celebrating. While our daughter lay dead and our son was broken, she was celebrating. A black, icy rage washed over me. It wasn't an accident. It was the direct result of her choice. Sophia is dead. "Ethan, this is not the time for your melodrama. I told you I' m dealing with something serious. Stop trying to get my attention." Her phone call followed, syrupy and annoyed: "Honestly, Ethan, you need to grow up. I have a real crisis on my hands. Just handle the kids. I' ll send you some money. Buy them something nice." Then, muffled, "Sorry, honey. Just Ethan being needy again." Needy. For telling her our child was gone. My father-in-law, Richard Hayes, arrived, crumpled and old. "My little Sophia." I showed him Olivia' s texts. He heard the voice note. His face shifted from grief to disbelief, then to a deep, terrible fury. "That… woman. She is no daughter of mine." He looked at me, eyes clearing. "I' m so sorry, Ethan. I' m sorry I ever let you marry her. I was a fool." The doctor' s words echoed: "He' s not speaking, Mr. Davis. Selective mutism." Olivia hadn' t just abandoned them. She had destroyed them both. In that sterile hallway, my decision was made. Not about grief, but justice. "I want a divorce. She will never see Leo again." Richard nodded. "Whatever it takes. I' m with you."

The night I discovered my husband's whore was carrying his heir, I smiled for the cameras-and plotted his ruin. Scarlett was born a queen-heir to a powerful legacy, Luna of the Dark Moon Pack by blood and by sacrifice. She gave everything to Alexander: her love, her loyalty, her life. In return, he paraded his mistress before their pack... and dared to call it duty. But Scarlett won't be another broken woman weeping in the shadows. She'll wear her crown of thorns with pride, tear down every lie built around her, and when she strikes, it will be glorious. The Alpha forgot that the woman he betrayed is far more dangerous than the girl who once loved him.

For three years, Averie pushed herself through a secret marriage, waiting for the day she could finally wear a white dress and be seen as his wife. The night before she could finally walk down the aisle, he confessed without a hint of hesitation that he was marrying the woman who once rescued him instead. The "fake" divorce agreement she signed for him shattered into a real, icy breakup that finally freed her wounded heart. When he returned in remorse, begging for just one more chance, a ruthless business magnate pulled Averie close and muttered coldly, "You're too late. She's my woman now."

The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?

"You'll be my wife on paper only. You'll have everything-except my heart. You'll never be Marina." For five years, Lily lived as David's secret wife-his poised secretary by day, his invisible stand-in by night. Every cold touch reminded her she was just a replacement. Every whispered "Marina" cut deeper than the last. Their marriage was born from an accidental night-a mistake he turned into a contract. He wanted nothing but an image and a convenience, yet she foolishly gave him her whole heart. So when the real Marina returns, Lily knows her time as the placeholder is up. David's actions make it clear: she was only ever a convenient replacement. Without a fight, she signs the divorce papers and walks away, surrendering the position he always wanted to give to another. But why is it that the man who once swore he'd never love her... now refuses to let her go? David doesn't understand why Lily's absence haunts him. Why her quiet strength burns him in ways Marina never did. All he knows is that he's determined to get her back. By any means necessary. Even if it meant breaking her all over again. She paid the price for loving him once. Now, he'd pay for losing her forever.

"Let's get married," Mia declares, her voice trembling despite her defiant gaze into Stefan's guarded brown eyes. She needs this, even if he seems untouchable. Stefan raises a skeptical brow. "And why would I do that?" His voice was low, like a warning, and it made her shiver even though she tried not to show it. "We both have one thing in common," Mia continues, her gaze unwavering. "Shitty fathers. They want to take what's ours and give it to who they think deserves it." A pointed pause hangs in the air. "The only difference between us is that you're an illegitimate child, and I'm not." Stefan studies her, the heiress in her designer armor, the fire in her eyes that matches the burn of his own rage. "That's your solution? A wedding band as a weapon?" He said ignoring the part where she just referred to him as an illegitimate child. "The only weapon they won't see coming." She steps closer, close enough for him to catch the scent of her perfume, gunpowder and jasmine. "Our fathers stole our birthrights. The sole reason they betrayed us. We join forces, create our own empire that'll bring down theirs." A beat of silence. Then, Stefan's mouth curves into something sharp. "One condition," he murmurs, closing the distance. "No divorces. No surrenders. If we're doing this, it's for life" "Deal" Mia said without missing a beat. Her father wants to destroy her life. She wouldn't give him the pleasure, she would destroy her life as she seems fit. ................ Two shattered heirs. One deadly vow. A marriage built on revenge. Mia Meyers was born to rule her father's empire (so she thought), until he named his bastard son heir instead. Stefan Sterling knows the sting of betrayal too. His father discarded him like trash. Now the rivals' disgraced children have a poisonous proposal: Marry for vengeance. Crush their fathers' legacies. Never speak of divorce. Whoever cracks first loses everything. Can these two rivals, united by their vengeful hearts, pull off a marriage of convenience to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs? Or will their fathers' animosity, and their own complicated pasts tear their fragile alliance apart?

Maia grew up a pampered heiress-until the real daughter returned and framed her, sending Maia to prison with help from her fiancé and family. Four years later, free and married to Chris, a notorious outcast, everyone assumed Maia was finished. They soon discovered she was secretly a famed jeweler, elite hacker, celebrity chef, and top game designer. As her former family begged for help, Chris smiled calmly. "Honey, let's go home." Only then did Maia realize her "useless" husband was a legendary tycoon who'd adored her from the start.