Paper Widow

Kendra Solene stood by the window of her apartment, gazing out at the sprawling city below. The world outside seemed so alive, so full of opportunities, yet in this moment, it felt like an endless sea of memories that refused to fade. She had built walls around herself over the years, walls designed to protect her from the hurt and the lies, yet they were never enough to shield her from the betrayals that had pierced her heart time and time again.

The soft hum of the city was a constant reminder of everything she had lost. Her past life had been one of privilege, comfort, and security. She had once been the daughter of a powerful family, surrounded by people who loved her-or so she thought. But all of that had changed the moment she was forced into a marriage that was never meant to be.

Kendra had been young when her parents arranged the union with a man they considered suitable for their family's legacy. She had no say in the matter, her voice drowned out by their expectations and societal pressures. Her future, her happiness, was nothing more than a pawn in a game of power and wealth. At the time, she had been naive, eager to please her family, and desperate to believe that love could blossom from obligation.

But love had never been a part of the equation. Her husband, Lucas Devereux, was a man of status, a man whose wealth and influence had made him one of the most sought-after bachelors in the country. Yet, to Kendra, he was a stranger. From the moment they had been wed, there had been no warmth, no affection-only a cold, calculated partnership. He was always distant, always preoccupied with his own affairs, and whenever he did come home, it was as though she were nothing more than a shadow in the background.

She had tried, in vain, to make the best of their situation. She had tried to be the perfect wife, to fulfill her duties and expectations. She had dressed in fine clothes, smiled at the right moments, and hosted lavish events in their home. But all of it felt empty. Lucas had never once shown any genuine affection for her, and as the years went by, Kendra had slowly come to terms with the fact that their marriage was nothing more than a business arrangement-one that neither of them had ever wanted, yet both had been forced to endure.

And then came the betrayal.

Kendra had always known that Lucas was ambitious, driven by the need for power and control. But she had never imagined that he would go so far as to betray her in the most public and humiliating way. It had happened a year ago-an affair with one of his colleagues, a woman who was everything Kendra was not. Young, vibrant, and full of the life that Kendra had once hoped to have. It had been the last straw.

Kendra had confronted him in their grand, empty home, her voice shaking with a mix of anger and disbelief. Lucas had been unapologetic, his cold eyes not even bothering to meet hers as he casually admitted to his infidelity. He didn't care. He had never cared. The words she had heard from his lips that night had shattered the fragile remnants of the woman she had once been. She had begged him to love her, to show her even the slightest sign of affection. But his answer had been simple: "You were never meant to be more than a trophy on my arm, Kendra."

The betrayal had broken her, but it had also changed her. For the first time in her life, Kendra realized that she had been living someone else's dream, not her own. She had spent years trying to mold herself into the perfect wife, the perfect woman to fit into the world her parents had envisioned for her. But the reality was, no matter how hard she tried, she would never be enough for someone like Lucas.