My Secret Lover, Her Public Charade

The Texas heat shimmered, another ranch chore done. For years, strange comments floated in the air, a private, unsolicited social media feed just for me. Sometimes oddly accurate, sometimes nonsense. Then a woman and a girl appeared on our porch, clutching a fake DNA report. "She’s your daughter too," Maria Rodriguez declared, claiming my life. The air crackled. New comments hissed: "Here comes trouble. The real heiress arrives." My blood ran cold. I’d lived this day before. Last time, I followed the comments' treacherous advice. They said Ashley loved peanut butter cookies, so I baked them; she nearly died from a severe allergy. My parents' love turned to suspicion. Later, the comments screamed "Ashley’s in danger!" I rushed to help, only to be framed by Maria with fake texts and videos, making my parents believe I was a monster. Disowned, I was sent away, then found and brutally killed in a staged car accident. The comments, my supposed guides, were actually my undoing, twisting my actions, alienating my family, and sealing my doom. The horror of reliving this nightmare again and again was unbearable. But waking up today, with the sun on my face, the same day endless: I refused to be a puppet. This time, I would fight back, armed with the knowledge of their lies.

For four years, Emily was Kyler Hamilton’s self-proclaimed "human tranquilizer," a breathing sedative bought to soothe his crippling anxiety. To save her family from ruinous debt, she’d accepted the gilded cage of his mansion, enduring his disdain and emotional cruelty, constantly reminded she was nothing more than a paid function. But at a glittering charity gala, Kyler, in a twisted display of power, publicly announced he was "transferring her service contract" to a quiet librarian for a humiliating "one dollar." The casual contempt shattered her composure, reducing her value to a discarded, cheap commodity and leaving her utterly bereft, walking out into a future she hadn't dared to dream of. How could someone take such cruel delight in breaking another, in reducing her existence to an exchange? Would her worth forever be measured by the dollar that bought her freedom, or could an unexpected act of genuine kindness be the turning point that allowed her to reclaim a life, and a love, priceless beyond Kyler’s comprehension?

Our small house always felt heavy with unspoken things. Today, it felt sharp, like a shard of glass against my skin. Grandma Susan, my only comfort, hummed softly outside. A cold dread, my familiar "knowing," whispered of coming disaster. Then I saw it: a sleek cougar, yellow eyes fixed on Grandma. I called my father, a deputy, begging for help. He was at the fair with Jessica, his favored daughter, and scoffed. "You're just trying to spoil her fun," he laughed. The town watched as I fought alone, risking everything to save Grandma from the attacking beast. My own father never came. His furious colleagues returned, reporting his indifference. Jessica, my stepsister, gloated about *our* shared birthday, her annual cake mocking my lifelong neglect. Later, I found the cougar’s secret: a tiny cub, Jessica’s cruel trophy, hidden in our shed. I led the enraged mother cougar away, deep into the woods, knowing I was marked. Scratched and terrified, I returned only for my father to publicly grab and slap me. “You’re a disgrace, Emily!” he raged, just as the cougar lunged directly at *me*. Why did this beast hunt me? Why did my own father constantly poison my existence, always protecting Jessica’s malicious whims? Then, a crumpled envelope revealed a full university scholarship. He had hidden it. As his monstrous lies about Jessica, the cub, and a lifetime of dark family secrets unraveled, everything I believed combusted. My mother’s eyes, finally truly seeing me, filled with a dawning, terrifying horror. And then, the gunshots shattered the night.

My husband, Mark, and I had built a life on a promise: dual incomes, no kids. For our freedom, our shared dreams, he even urged me to get a hysterectomy. I agreed, believing it cemented our bond. Years later, he brought home two “orphans,” Kevin and Kate. They were small, dark-haired, and oddly resembled Emily White, his high school flame, now a rising exec in my own company. I played the loving mother, pouring my heart and billions into them for eighteen years. Then, at their fake graduation party—a party for a future they weren’t remotely qualified for—Mark cornered me. With a smug grin, he demanded I sign over my entire multi-billion dollar empire to Kevin and Kate. Emily White glided over, divorce papers in hand, her voice dripping with venom: “Thank you for taking care of Mark and *my* children. It’s time for our family.” My parents’ pleas and warnings were ignored as I signed away everything. I watched my life unravel, my legacy stolen by the people I cherished most. The children I raised, his own blood with Emily, mocked me. As I lay bleeding on the asphalt, victims of their orchestrated “accident,” Kevin even kicked me, “Stupid old bitch.” Kate laughed, “Thanks for the money, Mom.” Dying, the betrayal was unbearable, a sharp, cold satisfaction mixed with burning rage. Why? How could they? The injustice screamed, a silent vow forged in darkness. Then, light. I woke up. Back at that dinner table, years ago, where Mark first uttered the word “hysterectomy.” This wasn’t a second chance. This was my turn. My eighteen-year revenge began now.

My wedding day. Hundreds of guests, media vans outside. The Sterling family chapel, hushed, expectant. I was finally marrying Jackson Sterling, scion of a powerful political dynasty, the man I’d loved since childhood. It was meant to be my perfect happily ever after. Then he walked in. Not alone. A garish woman clinging to his arm, a wide, triumphant smirk on her face. "The wedding is off," Jackson announced, his voice steady. "I'm with Brandy now. We're leaving." My world shattered. Jilted at the altar, in front of everyone. The whispers rose, a tidal wave of shock, pity, and cruel amusement. I was Emilia Winston, the society joke. The humiliation was a physical ache. Jackson and his new "wife" continued to taunt, publicly disgracing me and demanding my inheritance, treating me like discarded property. How could the boy I adored become this arrogant, callous stranger? The endless insults, the blatant disrespect from him and his new flame. They sought to finish what they started, to grind me into dust and claim everything. I was left exposed, vulnerable, and furious. Just as I thought I was utterly ruined, a figure stepped forward: Senator Alexander Sterling, Jackson’s formidable uncle. He held out a document, his steady gaze meeting mine. "Perhaps you would consider marrying me instead?" A madness. Or a miraculous lifeline. I said yes. And that was just the beginning.

The Hayes estate was a gilded cage, ruled by Eleanor’s barbaric decree: the first to conceive would be the next Mrs. Hayes. I was Sarah Walker, once a daughter of privilege, now just one of Ethan Hayes’s many diversions. Last time, I was the one who got pregnant first, and Tiffany, his supposed true love, faked her suicide. The day my son was born, Ethan dragged me from the hospital bed, forcing me to kneel at her elaborate, empty grave. He screamed that I’d stolen her place, driven her to despair, and destroyed everything my parents left me. He knew about my blood disorder, yet he carved into me, watching the life drain out. This life, I wouldn’t play their sick game. This time, I switched my urine sample with Tiffany’s, and her pregnancy was announced. Ethan’s face lit up with manic joy, and he demanded the biggest wedding for Tiffany. Everyone shot me pitying glances, but a small, polite smile played on my lips. I thought I was finally free. But I was pregnant. And my hidden child would trigger a new, terrifying nightmare that would force me to confront his monstrous cruelty.

Vengeance is hers, not God's. Andrea Campbell's world is shattered when Thane, her ruthless CEO husband, divorces her. Left with nothing, she has no family, no money, no identity. But as fate would have it, she is reunited with her billionaire birth father, Mr. Campbell. Five years later, Andrea returns as a stunning, sassy businesswoman, fueled by a burning desire for revenge. She plans to pull Thane into a high-stakes business collaboration and then destroy him. Thane, consumed by his ex-wife's transformation, will stop at nothing to reclaim her. Unaware of their hidden twin children and Andrea's secret game. He becomes increasingly obsessed. As they dance around their explosive past, Andrea struggles to keep her emotions in check. Thane's determination ignites a risky game of cat and mouse, where old feelings resurface and new flames ignite. Will Thane's all-consuming love be enough to quench Andrea's fury, or will her thirst for revenge destroy them both? Can Andrea resist Thane's relentless chase, or will she succumb to the passion that once bound them?

“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”

Blinded in a crash, Cary was rejected by every socialite—except Evelina, who married him without hesitation. Three years later, he regained his sight and ended their marriage. "We’ve already lost so many years. I won’t let her waste another one on me." Evelina signed the divorce papers without a word. Everyone mocked her fall—until they discovered that the miracle doctor, jewelry mogul, stock genius, top hacker, and the President's true daughter… were all her. When Cary came crawling back, a ruthless tycoon had him kicked out. "She's my wife now. Get lost."

Rejected by her mate, who had been her long-time crush, Jasmine felt utterly humiliated. Seeking solace, she headed to a party to drown her sorrows. But things took a turn for the worse when her friends issued a cruel dare: kiss a stranger or beg her mate for forgiveness. With no other choice, Jasmine approached a stranger and kissed him, thinking that would be the end of it. However, the stranger unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You're mine!" He growled, his words sending shivers down her spine. And then, he offered her a solution that would change everything...

Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."

After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"