His Secret Wife, My Broken Heart

of a quiet marriage to Carter Leon, we were finally havin

rtificate, I was told there was no record of our marriage. Instead, Carter was legal

ld sha

e than a mistress

and wished to die as Carter's wife. I refused, revealing my pregnancy, only to be locked away by my f

, like a fool, kept believing his lies. Until I overheard Erlene and Carter. He confessed he ha

ed move. I was a pawn, and so was my baby. The pro

I have bee

d he be

lf, and my child,

ned to leave t

pte

eart pounding in my chest. Four years. Four years of a careful,

thing that cemented us, th

ficate for the hospital pre-registration," I told

and smiled. It was a real smile, the kind that reach

Go to the county clerk's office tomorrow

I had devoted myself to him, tended to his home, soothed his moods, and slowly, painstakingly, I had

n my purse. The building was old and smelled of paper and dust. I waited in a short line, m

t read 'Brenda', took my document. She typed my name,

't find a rec

t be a mistake. We were married f

ecord of a marriage license issued to

ut. "That's impossible. We hav

a thousand times. "Sometimes people get those novelty certifi

again. "I do have a recor

me. "See? It must

were filled with a pity th

t. "To an Erlene Fulton. The license was issued

ne F

who had been Carter's high school sweetheart. The woman who left him st

idly. The panic in my father's eyes, my stepmother Clemma's frantic whispers about the

eir eyes had

leaded. "Just for a little while. To save us from this

ved Carter from afar for years. In that moment of chaos, I saw a chanc

sle. I stood beside a cold, stone-faced Car

oned. I was there for him when his business deals went south, and I celebrated with him when they succeeded. Slowly, he began to soften.

e," he had said, his voice a low mur

n the life we were building, in the

it wa

around me. A four-year marriage. A baby. And I was not

ne rang. It was my

a strange mix of excitement and drama. "

e an outsider. Erlene was there, looking pale and fragile in a cashmere throw, her han

nnounced, dabbing at her dry eyes with a

at me with pleading eyes, "is to be wit

ll of them. "What are

a said smoothly. "Let them have a ceremony. It

voice shaking.

ther snapped. "D

? I have given four years of my life to this.

eyes wide. Erlene's fragile facade cracked for a second,

Carter w

er grabbed my arm. "We'll discus

ocked the door. "Think about what you're doing

d the door. His face was calm, re

t's just... Erlene is dying. We have to grant her this last wish

my future. This means nothing. It's just a ceremony.

ke marriage certificate, Brenda's words at the clerk's office... I

aming down my face. "Ok

tunning white gown, looked more radiant than any dying woman I had ever seen. Carter stood by her s

t night. He would call me during the day. But his time was increa

" he would say. "It won

fool, kept b

ting. I was planning to make his favorite dinner, a s

man named Chloe, looked f

. Leon is in a very

e, I'll just wai

she said, a lit

st her and walked toward his office door. I co

y ear to th

ne's voice was sharp, not at al

us, Erlene," Carte

Is it because you've forgotten what you wrote

od ran

g my pathetic, love-sick stepsister was the perfect plan. That seeing her in my p

inside the office, like

pposed to read tha

urred. "And it worked

s voice, low and raw with a depth of emoti

you, Erlene. It has

r years of my life, my devotion, my love... all a calculated move in his

stifle a sob. I couldn't breathe. The promises, the so

that had been a lie. It was over. I had to leave. I had t