Chapter 4

The leather-bound journal felt heavy in my hands, a relic from a seemingly bygone era. I hadn't seen it since before our wedding. Alexander had always been private about his writing, claiming it held his deepest thoughts, too sacred for anyone but him to read. Now, a strange, morbid curiosity compelled me. I flipped it open, the brittle pages whispering secrets.

His elegant script filled the pages, chronicling our courtship, our early days. Haylie. Her smile lights up the room. Her passion for art rivals my own ambition. She is everything I never knew I needed. Each entry was a declaration of love, a promise of eternal devotion. He had written about my kindness, my intelligence, my "unyielding spirit." He had filled pages with visions of our future: a bustling home, evenings spent discussing art and business, and the quiet joy of growing old together. She is my world, my anchor, my soulmate.

Tears welled in my eyes, blurring the words, but they were not tears of sadness. They were tears of bitter, scorching irony. My world, my anchor, my soulmate. The words felt like a cruel mockery now, hollow and meaningless. This man, who had written such tender sentiments, was the same man who had just used me as a convenient cover for his sordid affair, who had poisoned my body, and who was now starting a family with another woman. The love he had professed, the future he had painted, was nothing but an elaborate, meticulously crafted lie.

My tears dripped onto the aged paper, smudging the carefully penned words. It was a desecration, a final insult to the ghost of the man I thought I knew. With a sudden, visceral surge of revulsion, I ripped out page after page, tearing his eloquent lies into confetti. Then, I walked to the fireplace, lit a match, and watched as the carefully constructed edifice of his love went up in smoke, curling black at the edges, then crumbling into ash.

As the last ember died, my eyes caught something else, tucked at the very bottom of the antique chest where the journal had been hidden. A small, intricately carved wooden box. It had a delicate clasp, almost invisible. I unlatched it, my fingers trembling slightly. Inside, nestled on a bed of faded velvet, was a photograph.

It was a picture of a young woman, impossibly beautiful, with long, flowing dark hair and eyes that sparkled with a mischievous glint. She was smiling, a radiant, uninhibited grin. She looked familiar. Too familiar. Then it clicked. It was Carson. Younger, yes, but unmistakably her.

My breath caught in my throat. I flipped the photo over, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. Her handwriting, looping and bold, covered the back. To my dearest Alexander, my forever love. Always and only yours. May 10th, 2012.

May 10th, 2012. My wedding date. My wedding date.

The world spun. My knees buckled, and I sank to the floor, the photograph falling from my numb fingers. May 10th, 2012. The day Alexander Pugh had stood before me, looked into my eyes, and vowed to love and cherish me for all his days. The day he had, by all accounts, started an affair with Carson Gibson.

It wasn't just a recent betrayal. It wasn't a moment of weakness. It was a calculated, long-term deception, stretching back to the very beginning of our marriage. My entire relationship, our entire life together, was a sham. A carefully constructed illusion designed to placate his family, to maintain his public image, while he lived a double life.

The realization was a punch to the gut, stealing my breath, leaving me gasping for air. All those years, all those dreams, all those moments of intimacy I had cherished – they were all built on quicksand. He hadn't just broken my heart; he had shattered my reality. I hated him. I hated his lies, his arrogance, his sickening pretense of love. And I hated myself, for being so gullible, so desperately eager to believe in a perfect love that never existed.

I crawled back to the bedroom, my body heavy with despair. I wanted to disappear, to vanish into thin air. I picked up my phone, my fingers numb. The screen lit up, showing my social media feed. And there it was. A post from Carson Gibson. A picture of her and Alexander, laughing, clinking champagne glasses. Celebrating our private little milestone. The caption was innocent enough, but the subtext screamed.

Then, a text message notification flashed on my screen. From Carson. A different number. I felt a cold dread, but clicked on it. It was a collage of photos. Alexander, in various intimate settings with Carson. Alexander kissing her. Alexander holding her hand. Alexander, his arm wrapped around her, his face beaming as he looked at her swollen belly. And then, a picture of a prescription bottle. "Holistic Fertility Supplements." A close-up of the label. The active ingredient: a potent, long-term contraceptive.

The accompanying message was short, brutal, and utterly triumphant: He' s always loved me, Haylie. You were just the placeholder. And that 'medicine' he gave you? It worked perfectly, didn't it? Enjoy your barren life. My son will be calling him Daddy.

My vision tunneled. A primal scream tore through me, but no sound escaped my lips. This was not just betrayal; it was a psychological assault, a systematic dismantling of my identity, my womanhood, my very purpose. He had poisoned me, gaslighted me, stolen my dreams, and then paraded his true intentions with the very woman he had been with since our wedding day.

I saved the photos, the messages, every damning piece of evidence. Then, with a chilling calmness, I blocked Carson's number. The rage that had consumed me was replaced by a cold, surgical precision. My heart was broken, yes, but my mind was clearer than it had ever been.

I lay down, the bed feeling vast and empty, the silence of the room a stark contrast to the cacophony in my head. I didn't sleep. I plotted. The grand birthday celebration Alexander had planned for me, his "surprise," would indeed be unforgettable. But not in the way he imagined.

The next morning, Alexander knelt by my bed, his face etched with concern, a perfect picture of a devoted husband. "Haylie, darling, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to leave you alone last night. That office issue was truly urgent." He reached for my hand, his touch sending shivers of revulsion down my spine. "Are you feeling better?"

His words, his touch, felt like sandpaper against my raw nerves. I felt nothing but a profound emptiness. "I'm fine, Alexander," I said, my voice flat. "Just a little... overwhelmed." I looked at him, truly looked at him, and saw only a stranger, a master of deceit.

"I know, my love," he said, his voice thick with what sounded like manufactured remorse. "I've been thinking. I've neglected you. I've been so focused on work. But no more. I promise." He squeezed my hand. "Anything, Haylie. Anything you want. Just name it."

A cold smile touched my lips. "Anything?"

He nodded eagerly. "Anything."

"Good," I said, sitting up. "I have three requests, then. First, I want access to the offshore account you set up for my gallery's expansion. I need to make some executive decisions. Second, I want a complete overhaul of the security systems in the penthouse. Third..." I paused, letting the silence hang heavy. "I want Mrs. Jenkins to have a month of paid leave. She's been working too hard."

He blinked, surprised, but then a relieved smile spread across his face. These were trivial requests, easily granted, a small price to pay for my apparent forgiveness. "Consider it done, darling! All of it. Anything for you." He beamed, clearly thinking he was off the hook. "Is that all, my love? Are we good?"

"Almost," I said, my voice soft, almost a whisper. "There's one more thing. For my birthday celebration tonight. I want something... special. A surprise for everyone. Especially for you."

He chuckled, reaching for me. "A surprise? What kind of surprise, my enigmatic wife?"

I pulled away, my gaze unwavering. "Oh, just the kind of surprise that will change everything. You'll see."