Doubly Betrayed

While my husband was chatting with his friend at the dining table, his friend suddenly spoke in Italian. “You married Lyra to write a pardon letter for River. You’ve been showing more concern toward Lyra, but you’re still lying to her and saying that the contraceptives are antidepressants. Don’t you think Lyra will break down if she learns the truth?”

My husband wore a complicated expression as he chuckled bitterly and said, “Why let a child be born if I don’t want it? As for Lyra, so long as she doesn’t interfere with River’s happiness, I’ll keep my promise and protect her for life.”

No one knew that I had already learned Italian to keep up with my husband.

I stood in the living room with fresh hickeys on my neck. In my hand, I held the “antidepressants” and felt a chill run down my spine.

So, my husband’s love for me had been fake?

My salvation had actually been a meticulously planned lie?

In that case, I would help them fulfill their wishes.

I no longer hesitated and took the contraceptives. It was far more bitter than any other time I took them.

Meanwhile, those two men continued talking. Mark Green, my husband’s friend, felt the knowledge of this weighing heavily on his conscience.

“Let’s set aside the fact that you gave her contraceptives for now and talk about River jumping in the river three years ago to take her own life. Lyra’s mother did her best to save her, but she thrashed around and stepped on Lyra’s mother until she drowned. Dale, anyone who saw that video knows she did it on purpose. It’s only logical for Lyra to sue her.

“But you became Lyra’s legal guardian so that River wouldn’t go to jail. You even signed the pardon letter behind Lyra’s back. Yeah, River is fine, but Lyra has severe depression. She keeps blaming herself. If she discovers the truth one day, she’ll lose her mind.”

Dale Quinn, my husband, looked irritated. But he remained cold and firmly said, “River didn’t do it on purpose. She was drowning, and she did all those things subconsciously. She regrets that Lyra’s mother died because of her too.

“I also kept that pardon letter well-hidden. Lyra will never know the truth. Besides, I treat her well, and I’ll make it up to her for the rest of her life by giving her a home. She’ll forget about her pain and get better.”

Mark sighed. “Calm down. I just pity Lyra. You showed up during her darkest hour, and she began to love you, but the one you truly love is River… Forget it. I hope that you can continue hiding this and you won’t regret it.”

Dale drank his wine and firmly said, “I won’t.”

Those two words made me lose my composure. I fled from the house that I had treated as my sanctuary like a loser.

New Year’s Eve was going to arrive in two days, and a celebratory air filled the streets.

This morning, Dale made love to me. During the throes of passion, he kept saying that he loved me.

However, his declaration had turned into the sharpest blade. It stabbed me in my heart and left me bleeding all over.

I ran to the park and slumped down. Tears spilled from my eyes.

The memories I had pushed to the back of my mind resurfaced just as I became disillusioned with love.

The day I was engaged to my ex, Lucius Lane, River could not accept it because she loved Lucius. She left behind a will and jumped into the river.

She was actually a good swimmer. Even so, my mother still jumped into the river to save her, although she was my father’s illegitimate daughter.

Many people took videos of it, and I saw my mother pull River up. However, River pushed down on my mother’s shoulders and stepped on her head to drive her into the water.

Just like that, my mother drowned.

When I rushed over, River was wailing at me, “I was just incredibly upset and afraid. Don’t blame me, River. When Mom saved me, she wanted me to keep living.”

I broke down and demanded why she made my mother drown, even though she knew how to swim. She just kept crying and saying that she did not do it on purpose.

Nevertheless, I sued her for premeditated murder.

Then, Lucius canceled his engagement with me to marry her.