The Price of a Perfect Lie

candal broke, he went on national television, his face a mask of sorrow. He swore I was the only woman he

la. I saw him speaking quietly with his mistr

actually believed

dle." He promised Holly that he would break me slowly, first my heart, t

an elaborate, cruel lie. Across the room, his eyes met mine, not with panic, but with cold calculat

saw a monster hiding in plain sight. He leaned in close

. The whole wor

oon as the ceremony ended, I slipped away and booke

pte

, the man whose name was synonymous with power and success, had a secret. A five-year affair. A son. The city w

famous interviewer, his face a mask of sorrow and regret. He spoke of a terrible mistake, a mom

a. She is my rock, my soul, the only woman I have ever truly lo

band, a man who had strayed but was fig

ompson' s wife. I believed in the perfect marriage we had built, in the love t

f shattere

llroom of The Plaza Hotel glittered. Crystal chandeliers dripped light onto the city' s elite. I stood by the grand staircase, a

toward a quiet corner of the room. My eyes followed his gaze. A

promised me she would be gone, out o

nd a large marble pillar. I just needed to see. As I got

at speech?" Holly' s voice was a saccharine whisper. "Sh

ace. Now, it made my stomach turn. "Of course she did. Isabella bel

oy' s hair. "When are you going to tell her he'

, her heart. Then, her spirit. When I' m done, the Thompson

d was deafening in the sudden silence of my world. My body went numb. I couldn' t fee

n. She had "accidentally" spilled a scalding cup of coffee on my hand, just moments

He had held me, his eyes full of concern, and promised he would never let anyone hu

side my husband, holding the hand of his son. The woman who ha

nking of the shards echoed the splintering of my heart. My perfe

cond. There was no panic, no guilt. Just cold, calm calculation. He excused himself,

silk. He raised his glass. "I' d like to propose a toast. To my beautiful, tale

ining with admiration for this devoted man. They saw a gra

lass, my hand trembling so badly I could barely hold it. I had to get through this. I had

thousand pairs of eyes on me, but the only

us. He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. "

e heavy crystal award, my hands numb. I gave a speech I don' t remember writing. The words came out, b

was swarmed by well-wishers. I slipped

Will be home late. Don' t

lie in an endle

ave the driver an address-a penthouse apartment Gregory owned on the

ity lights blurring through my tears. An hour later, a black town

lly wrapped her arm around Gregory' s waist. They walked into

ilding, my hand shaking as I used my master key. The elevator ride

on the wall. Gregory, Holly, and Jaden, all smilin

hoes were by the door. On the coffee table, a framed photo of Jaden taking his first steps. The walls were painted a warm, bu

nd' s life. A ghost peering into

bled back into the elevator, my hand fumbling for the button. Onc

o voicemail. The second, the third, the tenth. Silence.

t' s late." His voice was g

egory?" I whispere

tors. It ran late. I' m

in the background, small and sleep

A long, h

awyer, Jevon Salazar. "Greg, we' r

ine. Jevon' s kid is with him tonight. Look, Isabe

hun

he lies, the gaslighting, the public performance of devotion. It wasn'

thought was love. "From this day forward," he had vowed, "you will never be alon

laughed. A hollow, broken sound that was swallowed by the

d again. A tex

week. I have a surprise for you. It' s

s planning a surprise. The only surprise left was how

od, but by a bond forged in childhood that was stronger than any blood tie. He was i

. The first one o

helped build. But it was no longer sa