CChapter 3
Megan’s POV
I walked back into that ballroom like I hadn’t just heard my marriage being gutted behind a closed door.
Jaxon, my husband of three years, was plotting to frame me for infidelity, my sister and sister–in–law cheering him on.
They didn’t know I’d heard every word.
And tonight, they were going to toast over my grave.
I moved through the crowd on autopilot, clutching a half–empty glass of champagne I didn’t remember picking up. Every sound scraped my nerves raw, the tinkling laughter, the polite applause, the hollow compliments.
Someone clinked a glass beside me. “Megan, you look lovely tonight!”
“Thanks,” I said, not turning.
My dress felt like a costume now. Something picked to look like I belonged, even though I never had.
Near the bar, Jane stood huddled with two of Jaxon’s board members, whispering something that made them laugh. She looked over and raised her glass to me, eyes gleaming.
God, she was enjoying this.
And Mellan?
She was draped in gold like a goddess, posing for photos with our mother, who hadn’t smiled at me that widely in years. Jaxon stood just behind her, drink in hand, gaze locked on her like she was gravity itself.
I forced myself to look away.
Every second I stayed here was a second I wanted to scream.
But I wouldn’t. Not yet.
Let them think I’m oblivious.
Let them think I’m still playing the quiet wife.
Until, the music softened. Glasses clinked. A hush swept through the crowd as Jane made her way to the stage, her designer gown catching the spotlight like she planned the moment to the second.
This was it.
She gripped the mic like it was a weapon.
Thank you all for being here tonight,” she said, smiling wide. “We’re here to celebrate two
Chapter 2
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beautiful women–Megan and Mellan Sage. Sisters, yes, but so different.”
There it was.
I knew her tone. I’d heard it for three years. Honey–laced with venom. She wasn’t just setting up a toast, she was laying a trap.
“Megan,” she continued, turning her gaze to me, “you’ve always been so gracious, so… quiet. The kind of woman who sacrifices for family. The kind of woman who doesn’t seek attention.”
A few polite chuckles floated through the room.
I gripped my champagne glass tighter.
“But tonight, I’m afraid we have to address something… difficult.”
She looked toward Jaxon, who stood just behind the DJ booth, stone–faced.
“Megan,” Jane said, “I wanted to believe you were loyal. That you honored the vows you made to my brother. But unfortunately, something came to light tonight that makes that… impossible to ignore.”
A ripple moved through the crowd. My heart dropped:
This was it.
The setup.
Jane motioned toward the projection screen behind her. “I wish we didn’t have to do this here, but lies have a way of staining everything they touch. And our family deserves the truth.”
The screen lit up.
A screenshot. Enlarged, crisp, framed in white.
A text conversation. Fake. Completely fake.
Between me and a man I’d never met.
MEGAN: Can’t stop thinking about last night. He was asleep in the next room.
UNKNOWN: You’re wild. Let’s do it again. Tonight?
MEGAN: Tell me when and where.
Lies. All of it.
Gasps. Murmurs. A woman whispered, “Is that real?”
A man behind me muttered, “Damn. In her own house?”
I felt the heat rise up my throat like bile.
“Megan,” Jane said, voice thick with performative regret, “you were family. We tried to protect your dignity. But Jaxon deserves honesty and he deserves better than betrayal.”
She stepped aside.
Jaxon walked forward.
And that bastard, he looked sad.
“I didn’t want this to be public,” he said. “I begged them to keep it private, but… there comes
a point where silence becomes acceptance.”
He turned to the crowd.
“I loved my wife. I did everything I could. But trust… once that’s gone, what’s left?”
He looked at me then. Straight in the face.
“There will be a divorce.”
There it was.
Their finale.
A room full of witnesses. A carefully crafted lie.
And the quiet girl made out to be the villain.
People were already pulling out phones. Whispering. Judging.
I didn’t speak.
I didn’t flinch.
But inside, everything cracked.
And then Mellan stepped forward, like she couldn’t resist twisting the knife herself.
“I told you she was too cold for him,” she said, loud enough for people to hear. “No wonder she went looking somewhere else.”
She smiled at me. Smiled like she’d won. “It’s okay, Meg. You were never built for a marriage like this. Not with someone like him.”
My body went still. My hands trembled.
And just when I thought it couldn’t get worse-
A new voice sliced through the noise.
“That’s enough.”
It wasn’t loud.
But it hit.
Everything stopped.
Like someone pressed pause on the world.
Heads turned.
Mine included,
At the far end of the ballroom, a tall man stepped into the light. The crowd parted for him without a word, like instinct knew better than to block his path.
Black suit. Blacker eyes. Controlled. Sharp. Like a blade sheathed in calm.
He was looking at me.
Not Mellan.
Not Jaxon.
Me.
The man who will help me with my divorce was looking at me.
“Elijah Vale?” Mellan’s voice cracked. She blinked like she’d seen a ghost. “What the hell are
you doing here?”
