Wedded Lies: The Perfect Trap

f images and sounds. I needed to get out of that house.

ld had been Clara. My life revolved around her s

ily. I neede

he would understand. She had lost Mom

wheel so hard my knuckles were white. I didn't call.

oor when I heard voices from her open livin

, Sophia. He asked to

Men get weird before they get married." Sophia's voice was

of a large potted plant. My h

ting worse. The doctors say we don't have much time. Th

m. I'll remind him how much he loves you.

ed and broken, shattere

ter. My only r

und my shoulders. "We'll get through this, Liam," she had sobbed. "Tog

all a

with a strange longing, "we'll take him abroad. Get him the best reh

od ran

Clara's voice was

had a crush on me, you know. I turned him down because he was yo

ld stop it. A crush. That's all it took for

voice dropping to a near-begging tone I'd never heard fr

ogether." Then she sighed. "Liam loves you

I have to be. To protect Ryan. But he has to understand I can't... I

esn't

time as husband and wife to be special." She scoffed. "He bought it. He thinks I'm some kind of saint."

ons, the promises of a "special" wedding night. All lies to cov

s?" Soph

sets we accumulate, my share of the O'Connell fortune... it will all go into

en from me before they even existed, pr

. A walking bank account and

d to storm in there, to smash everything,

t. My body was heavy, paralyzed by

d with tears. The cold night air felt warmer