Chapter 1 Deceitful Marriage

Madelyn Miller's slender fingers gripped the bedsheet, her knuckles whitening as she teetered on the edge of ecstasy. She buried her face in the pillow, desperate to muffle the sounds she couldn't bear to let escape.

Jason Miller, her husband, brushed tender kisses along her neck and ear. In a hushed murmur, unable to restrain himself, he breathed, "Darling..."

Madelyn clamped down on the pillow, tears spilling freely, drenching the fabric. A tide of sorrow surged within her.

For years, every intimate moment they shared was infused with his passion. But only recently had she uncovered the cruel truth: it wasn't her who held a place in his heart during those moments of intimacy. All along, he had been thinking of another-his heart's true muse.

Afterward, she curled into herself, cocooned in the blanket, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears.

"Crying again?" Jason's voice was soft as he leaned to kiss her cheek. "I'll be gentler next time, I promise."

"There won't be a next time," Madelyn replied, her voice raw and unsteady.

Jason froze. "What?"

"Jason, I want a divorce." Despite the ache in her body, Madelyn pushed herself upright, her gaze unwavering as she met his eyes.

Clad only in a loosely tied robe that revealed the chiseled lines of his chest, Jason chuckled dismissively, "You're joking. Stop this nonsense." He turned toward the bathroom, as if Madelyn's words were a passing whim.

"Jason." Madelyn's voice rose, sharp with resolve. "When you're making love to me, who do you imagine I am?"

Jason halted, turning slowly, his handsome features etched with surprise.

Propped against the headboard, Madelyn clutched the blanket, her expression a poignant blend of vulnerability and determination.

"When we have sex, do you have me in your heart-or Rebecca?" Her voice grew piercing, almost an accusation.

"I found your burner account. You've commented on every single one of Rebecca's posts. You've been in love with her for a decade, and marrying me? That was just a ploy to keep her path to happiness clear."

The discovery of Jason's burner account the previous week had shattered Madelyn's world. It revealed the fact that Jason's true love was her adopted younger sister, Rebecca Clark. Her marriage, she now realized, was nothing but a cruel joke.

"On my birthday, you claimed work kept you late, but you were fetching cupcakes for Rebecca from her favorite bakery," Madelyn continued, each memory a fresh wound. "On Christmas, you said you had a client meeting, but you were spending time with her."

Jason's expression darkened, yet he offered no defense.

"And when you married me..." Madelyn's voice broke, her throat tightening. "The Powell family's heir was promised to the Clark family's eldest daughter. When I returned to the Clark family, the arrangement shifted to me. But Rebecca still coveted that alliance. You married me to ensure I wouldn't stand in her way, so she could marry the man she loves."

Tears streamed down her face as she spoke.

Even a week after uncovering the truth, voicing it felt like a blade twisting in her chest.

She had believed her marriage was born of love, only to learn she had been played for a fool.

"What's the point of dredging this up now?" Jason finally spoke, his tone as cold as a winter wind, as if his tender whispers in bed belonged to another man. "The past is done. Why not let sleeping dogs lie?"

Madelyn's bitter laugh mingled with her tears. "So you feel no remorse?"

Her voice cracked as she continued, "When I was brought to the Clark family at eighteen, I was a naive outsider, a country girl out of her depth. Every brother fawned over Rebecca, treating me like an intruder. But you-you were kind to me. You made me feel seen. Was it all a charade?"

Madelyn straightened, the blanket slipping to reveal her delicate shoulders.

She had once believed her marriage was her refuge, her salvation.

When the Clark family reclaimed her, she had thought about resisting coming back to them.

But after Ashley Howard, the daughter of the couple who had raised her, died because of her. Everything changed.

Though they still held love for Madelyn, her presence stirred memories of their lost biological daughter, weaving affection with grief in a way that pierced their hearts.

The weight of their sorrow was too much for Madelyn to bear, so she consented to rejoin the Clark family, hoping for a fresh start.

Yet the Howards, believing she had chosen a life of opulence, grew embittered. Resentment festered, and Madelyn, unable to bridge the misunderstanding, watched their bond fade into silence.

Within the Clark family, she found no warmth-only cold indifference. Jason's kindness stood out like a beacon, and she clung to the belief that he was her sanctuary, her one true haven.

How bitterly she had been deceived.

Their marriage, she now saw, was nothing short of a waking nightmare.

Her words hung in the air, met only by Jason's impatience, as though she were the one being irrational. "That was ages ago, Madelyn. There is no point in dragging it up now."

"You're right," Madelyn said, her voice steady despite the ache. "Today is our third wedding anniversary. Do you even remember?"

Jason's silence was answer enough.

A wry, pained smile curved Madelyn's lips. "Let's get a divorce."