His Beautiful Lies, My Shattered World

tle producer who saw the magic in me, the quiet songwriter behind the scenes

y younger sister, the pop star Aria. He was stealing my songs and my art,

ed a fall, the sound of my husband screaming her name was filled with a raw, despera

his eyes cold, and his

built on his beautiful lies, shattered completely. I wasn't his wife;

for my thirtieth birthday, I

acht. Just the two of us.

had no idea it was the stage for my disa

pte

re'

y, I was going to disappear from the face of

parture clicking into place like the lock on a coffin. The quiet confirmation, "Everything is

the one Gabriel had bought her last Christmas. He kept a bottle of it on his dresser, claiming it reminded

e you

ialize in the dark glass of the sound booth window. He was handsome in that effortless, devastating way, his dark hair art

my love?" he murmured, his

id. The lie slipped out, easy and practiced. I ha

n, a public-facing display of affection that photographers loved.

d, his voice laced with that familiar, patronizing ten

ngly supportive. Everyone said so. Our friends, our family, the glossy magazines that featured

g I was the luckiest woman in the world. I was the quiet, behind-the-scene

e care, his constant vigilance over my health and well-being, wasn' t to protect me. It was to protect the

ng on my waist, "Aria' s gallery opening is toni

triumph. Her painting had been selected as a finalist in a presti

sensing the thought forming in my mind. "You

illed with shared longing. "We need to take care of you, especia

dn't want a child with me. He had told Aria as much, in a hushed, late-night phone call I wasn' t supposed to ov

s spotlight. He didn' t want the brilliant songwriter sister standing anywhere near

ous to the storm raging insid

day," he whispered, his voice full of manu

his eyes in the reflecti

one yet,"

e. I placed a hand on his cheek. "Actually, I was thi

inkling in that way that used to m

want to go out on the yacht. Just the

was a simple request, one that kept me isolated

y love. Whatev

ld satisfaction took root. He would give me whatever I wanted. Good