The Wife He Designed

For three years, I'd worn the shroud of a grieving widow, clinging to the memory of my hero firefighter husband, Mark, who supposedly died saving lives. Every diner shift, every sniff of stale coffee, was a testament to my struggle, ensuring our son Leo had shoes on his feet, his father's heroism the only legacy I could offer. But on the third anniversary of the fire, a single overheard sentence ripped my world apart: "You took his name, Mark! What about Olivia? What about your own son, Leo?!" My Mark, the man I'd cried myself to sleep mourning, the brave dad Leo revered from faded photos, was alive. He hadn't died a hero; he'd faked his own death, letting us believe he was gone, letting me struggle alone, all while living a comfortable lie under his late twin brother's identity. The grief I'd carried, the unwavering loyalty I'd sworn to a memory, transformed into a searing, white-hot rage. He wasn't just a liar; he was a coward who chose debt and another family over his own flesh and blood. Three years of my life, a cruel, elaborate joke, built on his monstrous deceit. I stumbled away from that house, away from that lie, knowing one thing with absolute clarity: I wouldn't waste another day on a ghost. It was time to burn down the past and build a truth for Leo and me, even if it meant setting fire to everything I once held sacred.

My beloved grandfather's "routine" surgery didn't just end in death; it unveiled a nightmare. Then I found it: "MD <3 VA"—Mark Davidson and Victoria Ainsworth—carved into his liver, a sickening love note from my own husband and the surgeon who had killed him. Mark, the Chief Medical Examiner, covered up her crime, then publicly sided with Victoria's powerful, elite family in court, systematically discrediting and financially ruining me. I lost everything: my home, my reputation, my hope, even enduring a brutal beating from their thugs. The horror escalated when Victoria, in cold blood, murdered my bedridden mother, then gloated, revealing Mark's decades-old betrayal that had also led to my father's death. How could the man I loved for so long be complicit in such monstrous evils, betraying my entire family, leaving me broken, destitute, and utterly alone? But in my deepest despair, a hidden letter from my mother surfaced, revealing a single, impossible name: my long-lost uncle, a highly influential U.S. General. The monumental fight for justice, finally, was on.

At fifty, my body broken and worn, I lay dying on a cold, stained mattress. Every ounce of my being had been spent on Ethan Vance, the man who now stood across the room in his expensive suit, callously discussing his future with Chloe Harrison – the stepsister who had effortlessly stolen the life intended for me, leaving me with nothing but exhaustion and regret. "Scarlett was just a means to an end," Ethan smoothly confessed to Chloe, his voice dripping with deceit. Then, adding to the crushing weight of betrayal, my supposed brother, Marcus Thorne, revealed the ultimate lie: "Scarlett, I was never your brother. I was adopted solely to protect Chloe, the true Harrison family heir in their privileged eyes." The double betrayal was a physical agony, yet I was too weak to even stir. My life felt like a cruel, wasted joke; my deepest love, a meticulously crafted illusion; my very family, a grotesque sham designed purely for my exploitation. As darkness finally consumed me, the profound weight of this ultimate deception was unbearable. How could I have been so astonishingly naive? How could I have sacrificed everything for those who, with chilling indifference, orchestrated my downfall and used me as a mere pawn? The burning injustice of my stolen identity, my sabotaged existence, ignited a furious despair that transcended death itself. Then, a sharp, life-affirming gasp. I bolted upright, my hands young, smooth, undeniably twenty-two again. This was the exact pivotal moment, the critical turning point that had led to my tragic past. But not this time. The past was dead, replaced by a fierce determination. I was alive, I remembered everything, and my destiny was mine to reclaim.

My life with Ethan seemed perfect, a carefully constructed dream built over years of quiet happiness. I believed in our future, our unwavering love. But then, his high school sweetheart, Jessica, died in a tragic accident. Weeks later, the chilling discovery of Ethan's suicide note: "Jessica was the only one. I can't live without her." My world didn't just crumble; it exploded into a million shards of brutal betrayal. Our entire marriage was a meticulously crafted lie, a painful performance. I was nothing but a stand-in, a convenient placeholder for the woman he truly loved. Every shared smile, every whispered promise, now felt like a cruel deception. The agony of that realization was a physical blow. Eight years, wasted. My heart was ripped open, not just by loss, but by the acidic burn of profound humiliation and the sickening injustice of being so utterly used and discarded. How could I have been so tragically wrong about everything? Then I woke up, gasping, back in my college dorm room, feeling the same nausea, seeing the same too-bright sunshine. My phone buzzed. A text from Ethan: "Sarah, we need to talk. It's about Jessica. I think I'm still in love with her. We can't do this anymore." The exact same words. But this time, my tears were gone. This time, I finally knew how to change my story.

My dad vanished four years ago on Widow's Peak, a notorious trail. I thought I'd finally found closure when rangers declared him dead, burying his ruined journal in our backyard. But then, late one night, the back door creaked open, and he was back. Not really. He was a horrifying shell of a man, caked in dirt, radiating a preternatural chill, and grinning with an empty, fixed smile. My mom, Linda, took one look at him and whispered, "That is not your father," before fleeing, leaving me alone with it. Desperate, I unearthed Dad's journal, its water-damaged pages filled with warnings, and a chilling photo of Carol, my biological mother, dead near a cave. His last legible entry, scrawled in what looked like blood, screamed: "MAYA! LINDA ISN'T YOUR MOTHER!" My world shattered. Who was Carol? And if Linda wasn't my mother, then who was she, the woman who raised me, now possibly a betrayer? I had to unearth every dark secret the Appalachian mountains held, from the chilling 'Hollow Man' in my living room to the twisted truth of my family, even if it meant confronting the woman who sacrificed everything for me.

I was Dr. Evelyn Hayes, a surgeon at the top of my game, fresh off a miracle save – Jake Riley, his body shattered from an industrial accident. My innovative techniques, honed under Colonel Miller, had snatched him from the brink of death. But then, the whispers started. Whispers from my ambitious junior, Dr. Chad Becker, and my beloved fiancé, Leo Maxwell. They fed doubts to Jake's parents, leading them to disregard my strict post-op plan. Predictably, tragically, Jake developed a fatal complication. Mrs. Riley, consumed by grief, screamed I had killed her son, accused me of experimenting. Leo, the man who promised me forever, stood by Chad, leaking falsified records to the press. Headlines screamed, "Surgeon's ambition kills patient!" Jake's father, a broken man, found me near the parking garage. His grief-fueled rage left me bleeding, the world turning to darkness. Chad stood over me, his voice chillingly smooth: "This department needs a leader who doesn't take wild risks. Leo helped show everyone the 'truth.'" The vicious smear campaign, the monstrous online hate – it all killed my elderly parents, one after the other. My life, my reputation, my family – all destroyed by betrayal and lies. How could the man I loved conspire with my rival to ruin everything? The searing pain, the immense injustice, the burning question of why consumed my last breath. Then, blinding light. I gasped, feeling for bruises that were eerily absent. The ER monitor displayed the date: the very day Jake Riley was first admitted. I was back. This time, armed with foresight, things would be terrifyingly, powerfully different.

Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.

The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.

Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!

Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"

Two years after her marriage, Ximena lost consciousness in a pool of her own blood during a difficult childbirth. She forgot that her ex-husband was actually getting married to someone else that day. "Let's get a divorce, but the baby stays with me." His words before their divorce was finalized still lingered in her head. He wasn't there for her, but he wanted full custody of their child. Ximena would rather die than see her child call someone else mother. As a result, she gave up the ghost on the operating table with two babies left in her belly. But that wasn't the end for her... Years later, fate caused them to meet again. Ramon was a changed man this time. He wanted to keep her to himself even though she was already a mother of two children. When he found out about her wedding, he stormed into the venue and created a scene. "Ramon, I died once before, so I don't mind dying again. But this time, I want us to die together," she yelled, glaring at him with hurt in her eyes. Ximena thought he didn't love her and was happy that she was finally out of his life. But what she didn't know was that the news of her unexpected death had shattered his heart. For a long time, he cried alone due to the pain and agony. He always wished he could turn back the hands of time or see her beautiful face once again. The drama that came later became too much for Ximena. Her life was filled with twists and turns. Soon, she was torn between getting back with her ex-husband or moving on with her life. What would she choose?

It was a big day for Camilla. She looked forward to marrying her handsome groom. Unfortunately, he abandoned her at the altar. He never showed up throughout the wedding. She was made a laughingstock in front of all the guests. In a fit of rage, she went and slept with a strange man on her wedding night. It was supposed to be a one-night stand. To her dismay, the man refused to let her be. He pestered her like she had stolen his heart on that night. Camilla didn't know what to do. Should she give him a chance? Or just stay away from men?