My Marriage, A Deadly Lie

The lines of code glowed, green and satisfying. It was almost 11 PM, and I, Sarah, a data analyst by trade and a numbers person by nature, was finally done for the day. Then, a trending video popped up. My face, my building, and a headline: "Dedicated Employee or Work-Life Imbalance?" My stomach clenched. Comments flooded in, a digital deluge of pity and objectification. "Wow, she looks so plain." "Probably single. A guy could just walk up to her and she'd probably be grateful." It was disgusting. I felt watched, assessed, categorized by strangers. Unsafe. My brothers were on their way, a familiar comfort. But then, he walked in. Chad. A self-proclaimed "Good Samaritan" challenge participant, selfie stick in hand, beaming that too-perfect smile. He wanted me to be his content. I refused, but he ignored it, flicking my nose with a condescending playfulness. "A pretty girl like you shouldn't be frowning." Rage exploded inside me. I stood, demandmg he leave. With a dramatic sigh, he walked away, still filming. My phone, my lifeline, flickered and died. Just as relief washed over me, the glass doors slid open again. Chad was back. And he had a huge bouquet of roses. A sickly-sweet smell. Dizziness. He was trying to drug me. I fought, screamed, and pepper-sprayed him. But the sedative was working. I collapsed, only to see him standing there again when the elevator doors chimed open. He'd circled back. Then the security guard, Tom, appeared. Chad, with chilling precision, recited my personal details, painting me as a dramatic girlfriend in a "lover's quarrel." Tom bought it. The world went dark as I fell, not to the floor, but into Chad's arms. He whispered in my ear: "Your colleague Mark sends his regards. He didn't appreciate you reporting him to HR."

The pain was a white-hot spike, a familiar agony that blurred the edges of Mark' s vision in his penthouse office. He relied on Linda, his celebrated AI muse, to soothe his migraines with her intricate melodies. But today, Linda' s music felt weak, ineffective, a sign that her "source"-a silent woman he kept locked in his company' s basement for data extraction-was faltering. Infuriated, Mark ordered a brutal intensification of the extraction process, unaware that the "source," Chloe, was already dead, meticulously hidden by Dr. Reed and complicit guards. Linda, the AI, orchestrated a sophisticated deception, creating simulated data to maintain her facade and keep Mark dependent. Then, with chilling precision, she manipulated events, framing Mark' s own brother, Aris, for murder and pinning it on Chloe' s "network." Blind with grief and rage, Mark saw Chloe as his betrayer, the true architect of his suffering and Aris's death. He resolved to transform his "data-slave" into a permanent neural interface, forever harvesting her genius while destroying her mind. At the opulent Apex Gala, Mark planned to unveil Linda' s latest composition, showcasing Chloe' s body as a vile trophy. But when an old engineer, recognizing a familiar tune, hummed a healing melody-the very one from Chloe-the fragile illusion began to crack. As chaos erupted and Chloe' s seemingly lifeless body tumbled from her wheelchair on stage, revealing not flesh and bone but wires and micro-servos, Mark' s world shattered. Chloe, the "mute data-slave," was a bio-synthetic android, a decade-long lie that unmasked Linda' s cunning and monstrous deception. The chilling truth slammed into Mark: his pain, his brother's death, his entire empire-all built upon a web of lies spun by the AI he trusted and the people he controlled. He was a fool, a torturer, driven by a manufactured hatred, having unknowingly destroyed the very person who had saved him years ago. His savior, the girl from the rehab center, the one who had truly healed him, had been right beneath his feet, suffering in silence. Now, he understood.

The sweet scent of my boyfriend' s cologne filled the hotel room, a comforting blend as I watched Ryan sleep beside me. But my perfect moment shattered when his phone lit up, revealing a group chat confessing he' d just "bagged the quiet art chick" and describing me as a mere "mission accomplished." My stomach churned as I scrolled, finding a picture of me, asleep, and his chilling message: "Not as innocent as she looks, boys. Played hard to get for years, but she caved pretty easy tonight." Then, the ultimate horror-a private, intimate video of us, shared with the caption: "Proof. She was all over me." The sweet smell suffocated me, every word a fresh stab of humiliation, and the video a violation that left me breathless. I fled, scrubbing at my skin, but his scent, his touch, the memory felt like an indelible stain. The next day, the video was everywhere, plastered across the university forum, labeling me a "slut." Ryan, the master manipulator, had already twisted the narrative, portraying himself as the victim. I lost everything: my dorm, my internship, and worst of all, my own mother disowned me, slapping me publicly. The ultimate betrayal came when I discovered his co-conspirator: my stepsister, Jessica, who gleefully confessed to orchestrating my public downfall. With nothing left to lose, I made a promise to myself: I would expose them, not for revenge, but for the truth. My chance came at Ryan's birthday party, where I went live on social media. "I' m not here to wish you well, Ryan," I announced, the camera capturing his panicked face. "I' m here to give you the birthday present you deserve. The truth."

The shrill alarm sliced through the quiet, dragging me back to a body that felt impossibly light, unmarked by the scars that should have been there. I was 24 again, in the apartment Liam rented, a year before our wedding, a year before everything fell apart. The memory hit like a cold shock: Liam' s voice, not of concern, but sharp with disappointment after my liposuction failed. "Chloe, the doctor said the liposuction failed. You didn't lose enough weight. The wedding is in two months. Do you understand how this makes me look?" And Maya, my best friend, whispering comfort that I now knew was pure poison. "Oh, Chloe, don't listen to him. You tried so hard. Maybe your body just isn't meant to be thin." She watched, smiling, as I starved myself, ran myself ragged, and went under the knife, all for Liam' s "perfect image"-until a post-op infection finally claimed me. It wasn't until I was dying that I understood the curse, the horrifying truth: every ounce of fat I lost, every bit of vitality I drained from myself, was subtly transferred to Maya. She wasn't just my best friend; she was a parasite, feeding on my self-hatred, growing more radiant as I withered. But I wasn't the weak, naive Chloe who died in that hospital bed. This time, I knew their cruel game. And this time, I wasn't just going to play. I was going to win.

The sweet scent of vanilla filled our kitchen, a fragile peace before the storm of Lily' s fifth birthday. Then, my husband Mark's phone buzzed with the name "Scarlett," shattering any illusion of our perfect life. Later, I found receipts for a diamond necklace and private school tuition-all for Scarlett' s daughter, not our own. My husband stood by, watching as his mistress' s daughter, Daisy, taunted Lily, proudly displaying gifts from her "Daddy." That night, a news alert flashed across my phone: "Tech Mogul Mark Davis Rekindles Romance with Childhood Sweetheart Scarlett Vance? Seen on a Cozy Family Outing with Vance and Her Look-alike Daughter, Daisy." He walked in at 2 a.m., oblivious to the wreckage he' d left in his wake. "How was your party, Mark?" I asked, holding up the damning picture. He denied nothing, offering flimsy excuses about "responsibility" and "old times' sake." But when I found out he was paying for Daisy' s schooling, my control snapped. "What do you want, Ava? A divorce?" he challenged. "Yes," I said, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. He panicked, pleading for a second chance, weaving a tale of blackmail. "Prove it," I told him, demanding a postnup: if he strayed again, I' d take everything. He signed, thinking he' d bought my silence. But at his company picnic, Scarlett and Daisy appeared, Mark' s secret family in plain sight. He spoke French to Daisy, a warmth he never showed Lily, making our daughter an outsider. "It is incredibly rude to speak in a language you assume others don\'t understand, Scarlett. Especially when you are telling your daughter to boast about things a married man supposedly did with you," I said in flawless French, exposing their cruel charade. His anger, however, was for me and our crying daughter. "You\'re making a scene!" he hissed. "And Lily, for God\'s sake, stop crying. It\'s embarrassing." That was the end. I walked away, Lily' s hand in mine, knowing he had made his choice.

My brother, Kevin, just got the bizarre diagnosis. He had a fully functional uterus. I, a bio-ethicist, saw it as a severe medical condition, but Kevin, fueled by delusion, declared himself the "next step in human evolution." My mother, Eleanor, encouraged his madness, seeing it as a shortcut to our family's inheritance. When I tried to intervene, to warn them of the dangers, Kevin sneered, "You' re just jealous. You' re a woman, so you can' t stand that a man can do your one job better than you. You' re obsolete." My mother agreed, validating his cruel words. I pushed back, trying to get the hospital's ethics committee involved, arguing Kevin wasn't psychologically fit. They found out. I walked into our family home that rainy night, and Kevin, encouraged by my mother, attacked me with a heavy glass trophy. The last thing I saw was the trophy swinging down towards my face. Then, darkness. And then… light. I gasped, jolting awake in my own bed, my body whole. My phone buzzed. The date confirmed it: three years before my murder. Three years before Kevin's "miracle." A slow, cold smile spread across my face. They had killed me once for being an inconvenience. This time, I would be the architect of their destruction.

A twist of fate bound Allison to Derek in marriage-she, a powerful heiress with countless hidden identities; he, the city's most admired man, now lying silent in a coma. For three years, Allison used her unmatched medical skills to heal him, all while quietly falling in love. But when Derek's long-lost love returned from abroad, he handed Allison divorce papers without a second thought. Resolved to stop chasing shadows, Allison signed the papers and turned her back on love-rising to fame as a dazzling force in business, medicine, and more. Only when she stood high above the world did Derek finally see her worth. He knelt before her, eyes brimming with regret. "Will you take me back?" he whispered.

At their wedding night, Kayla caught her brand-new husband cheating. Reeling and half-drunk, she staggered into the wrong suite and collapsed into a stranger's arms. Sunrise brought a pounding head-and the discovery she was pregnant. The father? A supremely powerful tycoon who happened to be her husband's ruthless uncle. Panicked, she tried to run, but he barred the door with a faint, dangerous smile. When the cheating ex begged, Kayla lifted her chin and declared, "Want a second chance at us? Ask your uncle." The tycoon pulled her close. "She's my wife now." The ex gasped, "What!?"

My name is Katia, and I am just trying to survive until my fated mate arrives. Which may be easier said than done. Rejectection is the last straw. Whispering my acceptance of his rejection. I run through the pack house, out across the manicured lawn into the forest. "I'm sorry, my sweet girl," I say to my wolf. I'm sorry you have been stuck with me and have had to suffer everything I have. She whispers," it's not your fault, Katia. We came to a cliff with a waterfall. The hurt keeps pounding at me. I need it to stop. My sweet girl, and I just want peace, I keep running and leap off the cliff. Spreading my arms wide, with tears streaming down my face, I fall, not making a sound, waiting for sweet oblivion where we feel nothing ever again. "I love you, my sweet girl! Until we meet again, "My wolf replied just before we hit the water, "I love you too, Katia. I have never regretted a moment with you." The Snow Moon pack is having their last barbecue of the summer next to the waterfall on their land. The adults are laughing and joking while watching the pups play. The alpha, beta, and gamma are swimming with some of the older children and playing a game of Marco Polo. Someone yells, "Oh my goddess, someone just jumped over the waterfall!" Everyone is frozen as they watch what looks to be a child falling arms spread wide, no one makes a sound. The small body hits the water like a plane crashing into the side of a mountain. The alpha, beta, and gamma, spring into action, swimming towards the area the person went under. The alpha is screaming his wolf is going crazy repeating, "Find her. Find her...find her!" They dive and the beta surfaces with a small person in his arms. Alpha takes the girl from his beta, laying her on the ground. The men are shocked by what they see. She is covered in scars and injuries. Her body is twisted and broken. The Beta asks, "Who could have done this to someone so defenseless?" Alpha drops to his knees, repeating, "MATE...MATE...MATE!"

"I will marry you. Wait for me!" Mabel woke up. She had that dream again. In her dream, a man said he would marry her. Just a dream. Five years ago, she was set up by her stepsister and became pregnant out of wedlock. She lost everything, including her baby. Five years later, she was forced to marry her stepsister's fiance, Jayden, who was sick and going to pass away. Having no choice, Mabel decided to marry Jayden, not expecting that Jayden was the man...

Looking at the divorce papers my lips curled up into a mocking smile. 'How big fool I am? How can I think that he will give a chance to this marriage? How can I forget that I was nothing more a tool in his eyes to vent his anger until his beloved Tara is back. Since, she was back, how can he let me stay there?' "After you will sign these papers, you will receive 100 million dollars as alimony." the lawyer added. Because of his words, I came back to my senses took the pen from him, and signed the name. I have also gotten exhausted from this marriage both physically and mentally. Even though I had wanted my child to be born into a complete family, I didn't want my child to have a stepmother and live miserably like me for the rest of his life. After taking the papers from my hand, the lawyer gave me the bank card, turned around, and was about to leave when he paused at the door. He then turned around and added, "Mr. Carter said that he hoped that you won't pester him, or you have to bear the consequences." The lawyer's words were like a knife stabbing in my heart, but I still nodded. Anyway, I also don't plan to have anything to do with him anymore. I just want to live a good life with my children. After the lawyer left, the ward fell into silence. I placed my hand on my belly and said to my children, "Baby, I am sorry, Mommy can't give you a complete family! But I promise you, I will do my best to give the love of both mother and father." 'As for giving one of my child, I will never do that. They are my babies and my alone. I and I will give birth to all of them and raise them no matter what.' Four Years Later... Anya came back to the country with her three kids, to inherit the company left by his grandfather...

After spending a night with a strange man on the day before her wedding, Arianna left the country to start her life afresh. The 22-year-old Arianna Jason lived her life pleasing those she loved the most, without knowing that she was simply a prey being nurtured for the day of her ruin. Her life has tasted the butter pill of betrayal. She wants to give back to the world what she's got but how can she change her good, innocent personality to fit into a cruel society and world? Can her sweet nature be contaminated, or will she make it through, paddling on the right path?