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Get the APPThe lie that us tore us apart
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Jilted Girlfriend? I Am The Tycoon's Wife
Cara Lewis sat quietly as her boyfriend of three years pushed a plate of dessert across the table, wearing a rehearsed mask of sorrow. He claimed he had to break up with her for her own good, blaming his lack of connections on Wall Street and insisting he couldn't give her the life she deserved. He acted like a martyr making a tragic sacrifice, waiting for her desperate tears and trembling denial. Instead, Cara calmly pulled out a stack of glossy photos and an elegant engagement invitation. She exposed his secret affair with the wealthy Hailie Lewis, completely dismantling his hypocritical social climb. Leaving the cheating narcissist pale and humiliated, Cara paid the bill and walked out, thinking the trash had finally been taken out. But her newly single evening took a chaotic turn when a teenage gaming partner called in a panic. He begged her to crash his elite prep school and pose as his aunt to save him from expulsion. Cara agreed, flawlessly playing the role of the secret new wife to his uncle, a notoriously ruthless Wall Street titan. She was thoroughly dominating the snobby school board when the office doors suddenly swung open. The real billionaire uncle, Beck Greer, walked into the room. Cara's heart dropped into her stomach as his glacial eyes locked onto her, knowing her social existence in New York was about to end. Caught in a terrifying, inescapable lie, Cara made an insane calculation. She stepped forward, firmly hooked her arm through the billionaire's, and smiled sweetly. "Honey, what took you so long? Julian and I were being bullied." She waited for the executioner's axe to fall, but the untouchable tycoon simply covered her hand with his and played along.Across the white tablecloth of Serafina, Bradyn Hubbard—Cara Lewis's boyfriend of three years—set his wine down and leaned forward. He pulled a thick, cream-colored envelope from his jacket and slid it across the table until it rested in front of her.
Cara looked down. The gold foil lettering was fresh from the press.
Engagement Gala
Groom: Bradyn Hubbard
Bride: Hailie Lewis
Venue: The Lewis Estate, Long Island. Next Saturday.
"Cara, let's be realistic," Bradyn said, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. "Hailie is my ticket to the top. Marrying her is the only shortcut for a guy like me to get a seat on the board. I don't love her—she's just the ladder I have to climb for my career."
Cara stared at the card, then lifted her cold amber eyes to meet his. "So you're proposing what, exactly?"
Bradyn gave a smug, self-satisfied smile.
"We break up publicly. But in private? Nothing has to change. You funded my MBA and paid my rent for three years—I haven't forgotten that. Stay quiet, be my little secret on the side, and once I secure the Lewis assets, I'll make sure you're taken care of in luxury."
Cara stared at his shameless face, her voice dropping into a dangerous, silky calm. "You sold yourself as a kept man to my stepsister, and you expect me to be your dirty little secret?"
"Don't make it sound so ugly, Cara," Bradyn scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "That's how men get ahead in Manhattan. Be realistic, Cara. You're broke and you have no one. Who else is going to take care of you? Don't be stupid. Just take the deal."
Cara looked at him for one quiet second, her lips curving into a razor-sharp smile.
"In your wildest dreams, Bradyn."
Without a second's hesitation, Cara picked up her crystal tumbler and threw the cold bourbon and ice straight into his face.
The freezing liquor drenched his styled hair and soaked the collar of his designer shirt. Bradyn gasped, shooting up from the velvet booth in sheer shock, frantically wiping his stinging eyes.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" he snarled, glaring at her as neighboring tables turned to stare.
Cara set the empty glass down with a quiet, deliberate tap.
Without breaking eye contact, she reached into her Saint Laurent bag, pulled out a thick manila folder, and dropped it heavily onto his soaked lap.
"Open it, parasite," Cara said calmly.
Bradyn's hands shook as he ripped the folder open.
A thick stack of forensic-grade photographs spilled across the table. His breath caught in his throat—the photos showed him and Hailie completely naked, tangled in the satin sheets of a suite at the Baccarat Hotel.
Taped right behind the prints was a notarized invoice.
Columbia MBA Tuition & Fees: $186,000.00
Tribeca Penthouse Lease Subsidies: $94,000.00
Bespoke Wardrobe & Networking Tabs: $62,000.00
TOTAL REIMBURSEMENT DUE: $342,000.00
Bradyn's face turned an ashen, sickly gray. "You... you tracked me?"
"Three hundred and forty-two grand," Cara said, tapping the total with a manicured nail. "Wire it back to my account by Monday morning. If you don't, these photos go directly to Hailie's father and the Lewis board."
The shock on Bradyn's face instantly curdled into ugly fury. He slammed both hands on the table, leaning in with a desperate hiss. "You crazy bitch! You gave me that money willingly—that was trust money! You can't sue me for gifts!"
"I invested in a partner, Bradyn, not a freeloader," Cara said coldly. "You lived off my money for three years just to become my stepsister's leashed lapdog. Pay back every cent by Monday, or wear the collar in public."
"You fucking bitch—" Bradyn lunged forward, grabbing for her wrist.
Cara smoothly stepped back, out of his reach. She stood tall, smoothing the front of her tailored coat, looking down at him with absolute disgust.
Slowly, deliberately, she raised her hand and flipped him a clean, effortless middle finger.
"Congratulations on the engagement, Bradyn," Cara said softly. "You and Hailie deserve each other."
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The Lie That Lived With Us
Just a week after my son Leo was born, as I navigated the raw grief of losing my parents and the overwhelming exhaustion of new motherhood, a seemingly innocuous email landed in my inbox, poised to shatter the quiet sanctuary of my inherited Boston home. Addressed to "Ms. Sarah Connelly, parent of/0/71354/coverorgin.jpg?v=ce88d7be8b0993d9c81c0647c9e672a2&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Till debt do us Apart
With Cynthia's inability to secure a job due to her late father's debt to the well-known Mr. Richards' company, She resolves to accept the contract marriage proposal with Mike, the ruthless Billionaire son of Mr. Richard, as a means of paying off the debt and securing a job as his secretary. Howe/0/66049/coverorgin.jpg?v=f6db0b2136c27505afb1b9a5ff8a5837&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Till money do us apart
When high-powered attorney Bella Castillo crosses paths with ruthless billionaire Damon Westwood at a glittering charity gala, the sparks are instant and undeniable. Bella knows better than to fall for a man like Damon, he's everything she despises: arrogant, entitled, and used to getting whatever h/0/85039/coverorgin.jpg?v=695df8c8e2a9cd62a6bd249a48d6b356&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Betrayal That Broke Us
My life with Julian was a decade-long fairytale, a testament to building an empire from nothing. He was the charismatic face, I was the quiet strategist; together, we were Thorne Industries, a force to be reckoned with. Then, a call from a school nurse shattered it all. "Is this Mrs. Thorne?" she/0/81070/coverorgin.jpg?v=b232112d2947c22e1a0e52e2299551a9&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Report That Broke Us
Four months pregnant, I was floating on cloud nine. My husband, David, held my hand as we walked into Dr. Peterson' s office. Today was the day for our baby' s genetic screening results – a joyful formality, we thought, confirming our perfect future. But the moment David scanned the detailed report/0/84818/coverorgin.jpg?v=bd95f128f398c29ce2c6faca5088e306&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Divorce That Saved Us
The first thing I felt was a dull ache and a blinding white light. I was in a hospital, my wrist bandaged, my mind a blank slate. Then I heard the voices: "The guy in 302, Ethan, tried it again." "The one married to CEO Sterling? This is what, the third time this year?" My stomach turned. They som/0/85822/coverorgin.jpg?v=45cb87c30cc4972b78da912bed0db2d1&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Scarf That Broke Us
"Let' s get a divorce, Victoria." It was our fifth wedding anniversary, and for the ninety-ninth time, I heard those flat, bored words from my wife, Victoria, as she dismissed me for real estate analytics on her tablet. But then, she lowered the tablet, her beautiful, cold face mocking me: "Besi/0/80728/coverorgin.jpg?v=798ac1b4a3289ed5203b93f6c61d7ca9&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Watch That Broke Us
My 31st birthday should have been a joyful celebration, a moment of genuine warmth with my younger brother, Mike. He gifted me a luxury smartwatch, a gesture that, after years of my financial and emotional support for him, felt like a true acknowledgment of our bond. But the warmth turned to ice mo/1/133822/coverorgin.jpg?v=98e4a61729f8b6de0998ec9e0f51f90f&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Dam That Drowned Us
The water is lowering, and Rhys has two weeks to reach a drowned village only he remembers. For ten years he has kept its graves, its secrets and its last survivors safe behind a dam the world thinks is just concrete. Then a woman walks onto the exposed basin floor holding a brass compass that point/0/4454/coverorgin.jpg?v=a62b86667e597a74227b0d4cddd9b9b3&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Stories That Words Tell Us
Trajectory presents classics of world literature with 21st century features! Our original-text editions include the following visual enhancements to foster a deeper understanding of the work: Word Clouds at the start of each chapter highlight important words. Word, sentence, paragraph counts, and re/0/78822/coverorgin.jpg?v=ee4867e91ff917c6d0a7a2f326845a06&imageMogr2/format/webp)
TILL DEATH DO US APART EX WIFE
"Why were you flirting with another man?" Christian's voice thundered through the room. "Maybe you shouldn't have flirted with another woman," Jane shot back, her voice cold but trembling with suppressed hurt. For five long years, Jane and Christian endured a loveless marriage - one built on duty/0/74018/coverorgin.jpg?v=e6d15d5155ee0bd726957ebd9f1116f3&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Trouble With Us
Emery James has spent years building her dream café in a quiet coastal town, far from the chaos of big-city life-and even further from the heartbreak she left behind. But when her landlord sells the building to none other than Desmond Proctor, her former best friend and the man who once broke her he/0/77323/coverorgin.jpg?v=0a812f703fd9563a8d548ec7e3532385&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Sin Betwixt Us
Some secrets never stay buried. Some obsessions never die. The summer before senior year was supposed to be unforgettable for Tiffany-a dream birthday trip to Barcelona with her best friend, her first taste of freedom, and the man who awoke something inside her she never knew existed. A mysterious,/1/134040/coverorgin.jpg?v=b938c9a0320689c01a19f67026a34d1f&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Spring Between Us
Derya has been Luna for less than a month when the water runs out. Her mother is dead, her miners are restless, and the only spring for fifty miles belongs to the rival pack across the canyon. Her Beta wants her to poison it. Derya walks into the red rock alone to end the water war, and instead catc/1/134449/coverorgin.jpg?v=a922998df7e923acfe8b4ebae3b8ef1f&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Mine Between Us
I can fake the mate bond. I walk into a pack, breathe in a stranger's scent, and make their wolf believe I am the one fate chose. It is a filthy talent, but it is the only thing keeping my little sister alive. My pack sends me to Blackpine to pose as the fated mate of its blind Alpha, Silas, and del/0/91078/coverorgin.jpg?v=58e01b8093996b0e77510d3976b9377a&imageMogr2/format/webp)
THE LINE BETWEEN US
Autumn Simeons has loved Damian McLaren for as long as she can remember. From scraped knees in childhood to the whirlwind of high school, he was always her anchor, her safe place, her best friend. But Damian belonged to a world of wealth and privilege that Autumn never quite fit into-and eventually,/0/93139/coverorgin.jpg?v=01cd07f295a31581c83fca46382dbfcb&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Two of us
Kavya Kapoor has everything-beauty, wealth, and the ruthless drive that built her empire, Kavya's Glow, into one of Los Angeles' top beauty brands. She's flawless, untouchable... until her carefully curated life shatters with four little words from her mother: "You're getting married." The groom? G/0/61781/coverorgin.jpg?v=56af4ea46dbe6f402d209f962bbcba32&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Between Us
Though Bili had her own plans, life had others in store for her. Moving to a new city was her carefully crafted escape, a step toward leaving behind the scars of a failed relationship. But as she embarked on her path to healing, life surprised her with something unexpected and meaningful, even if it/0/43209/coverorgin.jpg?v=826938fa2d6147a359ff89b8580da6c0&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Before Us
Set in 90's times... Jennifer used to be a cold hot headed teenage girl. She was living a normal life, not until she met Akira, a college guy who spilled a 1peso worth of juice on her 7,000 worth of peso bag. She then ended up being in love and in a relationship with him. One night und/1/108425/coverorgin.jpg?v=6af34636868c06b1a30ab0dc738d7e01&imageMogr2/format/webp)
