The Lies We Marry For

The Lies We Marry For

Gavin

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The white lace of my wedding dress felt heavy on my shoulders. This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Then Mark' s voice, a mere whisper, shattered everything. "I can't do this, Chloe." He stood there, perfectly tailored, his eyes avoiding mine. "I'm sorry," he finally managed, "I love Ashley. We're already married." The world tilted. My bouquet fell, scattering petals on the cold stone. A mechanical voice, only I could hear, boomed in my head: `[System Alert: Primary Life Mission 'Marry Mark Johnson' has failed.]` `[System Failure initiating... Host life functions will terminate in 60 seconds.]` I collapsed, a crushing pain in my chest. Mark just stared, frozen in cowardice. Ashley, my stepsister, rushed in. Not to help me, but to pull Mark away. "Mark, let's go! She'll be fine," she snapped, a look of pure triumph on her face. They left me to die on the church floor. `[30 seconds remaining.]` My world was almost dark. Suddenly, a stranger burst in, desperate to help. He threw himself over me as a chandelier crashed down. He saved me, but lost his legs. Three years later, I was married to him, Ethan Miller. Out of gratitude, I gave him my life. Tonight, our anniversary, I overheard him talking to his friend. "Tell her what? That I'm the best actor in the world?" Ethan laughed, his voice cold. "What happens when she finds out your legs are perfectly fine?" Ashley had put him up to it. My life, my sacrifice, was all orchestrated. My salvation was a lie. My marriage, a cage. The pain was worse than any system countdown. I looked at the man I married, the hero I thought he was. A stranger. A liar. A conspirator with my sister. This had to end. I would burn it all to the ground.

Introduction

The white lace of my wedding dress felt heavy on my shoulders.

This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

Then Mark' s voice, a mere whisper, shattered everything.

"I can't do this, Chloe."

He stood there, perfectly tailored, his eyes avoiding mine.

"I'm sorry," he finally managed, "I love Ashley. We're already married."

The world tilted. My bouquet fell, scattering petals on the cold stone.

A mechanical voice, only I could hear, boomed in my head: `[System Alert: Primary Life Mission 'Marry Mark Johnson' has failed.]`

`[System Failure initiating... Host life functions will terminate in 60 seconds.]`

I collapsed, a crushing pain in my chest. Mark just stared, frozen in cowardice.

Ashley, my stepsister, rushed in. Not to help me, but to pull Mark away.

"Mark, let's go! She'll be fine," she snapped, a look of pure triumph on her face.

They left me to die on the church floor. `[30 seconds remaining.]`

My world was almost dark.

Suddenly, a stranger burst in, desperate to help. He threw himself over me as a chandelier crashed down.

He saved me, but lost his legs.

Three years later, I was married to him, Ethan Miller. Out of gratitude, I gave him my life.

Tonight, our anniversary, I overheard him talking to his friend.

"Tell her what? That I'm the best actor in the world?" Ethan laughed, his voice cold.

"What happens when she finds out your legs are perfectly fine?"

Ashley had put him up to it. My life, my sacrifice, was all orchestrated.

My salvation was a lie. My marriage, a cage.

The pain was worse than any system countdown.

I looked at the man I married, the hero I thought he was. A stranger. A liar. A conspirator with my sister.

This had to end. I would burn it all to the ground.

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My world revolved around Jax Harding, my older brother's captivating rockstar friend. From sixteen, I adored him; at eighteen, I clung to his casual promise: "When you're 22, maybe I'll settle down." That offhand comment became my life's beacon, guiding every choice, meticulously planning my twenty-second birthday as our destiny. But on that pivotal day in a Lower East Side bar, clutching my gift, my dream exploded. I overheard Jax' s cold voice: "Can't believe Savvy's showing up. She' s still hung up on that stupid thing I said." Then the crushing plot: "We' re gonna tell Savvy I' m engaged to Chloe, maybe even hint she' s pregnant. That should scare her off." My gift, my future, slipped from my numb fingers. I fled into the cold New York rain, devastated by betrayal. Later, Jax introduced Chloe as his "fiancée" while his bandmates mocked my "adorable crush"-he did nothing. As an art installation fell, he saved Chloe, abandoning me to severe injury. In the hospital, he came for "damage control," then shockingly shoved me into a fountain, leaving me to bleed, calling me a "jealous psycho." How could the man I loved, who once saved me, become this cruel and publicly humiliate me? Why was my devotion seen as an annoyance to be brutally extinguished with lies and assault? Was I just a problem, my loyalty met with hatred? I would not be his victim. Injured and betrayed, I made an unshakeable vow: I was done. I blocked his number and everyone connected to him, severing ties. This was not an escape; this was my rebirth. Florence awaited, a new life on my terms, unburdened by broken promises.

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