Husband's Deception, Wife's Awakening

This was the third time I had tried to kill myself. Each time, my brother-in-law, Dustin Martin, found me and saved me.

But then, I found his watch, a Patek Philippe I' d commissioned for my husband, Evertt, who was presumed dead in a plane crash. The engraving on the back read: "H&E, Forever." My heart stopped. Why did Dustin have Evertt' s watch?

A cold dread filled me. I had to know. I had to find out the truth. I stumbled out of my hospital room and heard voices from the waiting area. It was Kylee, Dustin' s pregnant fiancée, and a man' s voice I knew better than my own. It was Evertt' s voice.

I peeked around the corner. "Dustin" was holding Kylee in his arms. "Evertt, what if she finds out?" Kylee whispered. "What if she realizes you' re not Dustin?" "She won' t," Evertt said, his voice cold and indifferent. "Her grief is too deep. She sees what she wants to see."

The man who had saved me from suicide, the man I thought was my brother-in-law, was my husband. My living, breathing husband. And he had watched me suffer, letting me drown in grief, all for his dead brother' s fiancée.

My entire world had been a lie. A cruel, twisted joke. But then, a new thought, cold and sharp, cut through my pain. An escape. I would be strong enough to destroy him.

Chapter 1

This was the third time I had tried to kill myself.

The first time, I used sleeping pills. The second, I slit my wrists. Each time, my brother-in-law, Dustin Martin, found me and saved me.

This time, I stood on the balcony of the Martin family villa, the wind whipping my hair across my face. It was a long way down.

Just as I was about to jump, a strong arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back.

Dustin' s voice was rough with exhaustion. "Helen, stop this."

I woke up in the stark white room of a hospital. The smell of disinfectant filled my nose.

The door opened and Dustin walked in, his face drawn and tired. Kylee Armstrong, his pregnant fiancée, followed him, her hand resting protectively on her stomach.

"Helen, how many more times?" Dustin' s voice was low, filled with a weariness that cut deep. "Evertt is gone. You have to accept it."

I stared at the ceiling, silent. My throat was too tight to speak.

Kylee stepped forward, her voice soft and gentle. "Helen, we' re all grieving. But you have to think of us, too. Dustin is exhausted. I' m pregnant. We can' t keep going through this."

I remained silent. Their words were just noise, fading into the background of my own immense pain.

Dustin reached out as if to touch my shoulder, then let his hand fall. He sighed, a sound of complete defeat.

"Just get some rest, Helen."

He turned and walked out of the room, Kylee following close behind, her hand in his. The door clicked shut, leaving me alone in the silence.

That' s when the grief hit me again, a physical weight pressing down on my chest.

My eyes wandered to the window. Outside, a grand oak tree stood against the sky, its leaves rustling in the wind.

I remembered a day with Evertt, my husband, under that same tree. We had a picnic.

He had carefully peeled an orange for me, making sure to get all the white pith off because he knew I hated it.

Another time, he filled our bedroom with hundreds of gardenias, my favorite flower, just because I' d had a bad day at the art gallery.

Tears streamed silently down my cheeks.

How could a life so full of love and happiness turn into this empty, gray existence?

The news report said his private plane had crashed in the mountains. A sudden storm.

They found only one survivor: his younger brother, Dustin. Evertt, the celebrated tech mogul, my husband, was presumed dead.

I couldn' t accept it. I wouldn' t.

The world without Evertt was a world without color, without meaning. I had tried to follow him.

Life was pointless now.

A sudden urge moved me. I had to get out of this bed, out of this room.

As I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my foot knocked something on the floor. It was a man's jacket. Dustin must have left it.

I bent to pick it up, and something heavy in the pocket slid out and fell onto the floor with a soft thud. A watch.

My heart stopped.

I knew this watch. It was a Patek Philippe I had commissioned for Evertt' s 30th birthday. It took me two years and a trip to a remote temple in the mountains to get the master artisan to bless the metal.

My fingers trembled as I picked it up.

On the back, the custom engraving was unmistakable: "H&E, Forever."

My whole body started to shake. Why did Dustin have Evertt' s watch? The watch that Evertt never took off.

A cold dread filled me. I had to know. I had to find out the truth.

I pulled myself up and walked out of the room, my legs unsteady.

Down the hallway, I heard voices coming from an empty waiting area. I stopped, hidden by the corner.

"...can' t believe she tried it again. She' s so fragile." It was Kylee' s voice, but without the gentleness. It was sharp, annoyed.

"She' s stronger than you think," a man' s voice replied. A voice I knew better than my own.

My blood ran cold. My body went completely still.

It was Evertt' s voice.

I peeked around the corner. "Dustin" was standing with his back to me, holding Kylee in his arms.

"Evertt, what if she finds out?" Kylee whispered, her head on his chest. "What if she realizes you' re not Dustin?"

"She won' t," Evertt said, his voice cold and indifferent. "Her grief is too deep. She sees what she wants to see. And this is what Dustin would have wanted. He asked me to take care of you and the baby."

"I just worry," Kylee murmured, snuggling closer. "I can' t lose you or this life."

Tears blurred my vision, silent and hot.

I stumbled back to my room, my hand pressed against my mouth to stifle a sob.

The man who had saved me from suicide, the man I thought was my brother-in-law, was my husband. My living, breathing husband.

And he had watched me suffer. He had let me drown in grief, believing me to be a fragile doll he could manipulate. All for his dead brother' s fiancée.

I collapsed onto the bed, the sobs finally breaking free, raw and agonizing. My entire world had been a lie. A cruel, twisted joke.

My phone, lying on the bedside table, suddenly rang. I stared at it, my tears momentarily stopping. It was my mother.

I answered, my voice a hoarse whisper.

"Helen, honey? Are you okay? I heard what happened."

I couldn't speak, just listened to her worried voice.

"Helen, I know this is hard to hear," she said cautiously, "but maybe... maybe it' s time to think about moving on. You' re still young."

I was silent, my mind reeling from the betrayal.

"Daniel Campos called again," my mother continued, unaware of the bomb she was dropping. "He' s been asking about you for months. He' s such a good man, Helen. So successful. And his family is planning to move to Europe permanently."

Europe. Away from here. Away from this hell.

A new thought, cold and sharp, cut through my pain. An escape.

"Mom," I said, my voice surprisingly steady.

"Yes, honey?"

"Tell Daniel I' ll see him."

My mother was stunned into silence for a moment. "Really? Helen, are you sure?"

"I' m sure," I said, my voice hard as steel. "Tell him I' m ready to start over. But he has to handle everything. The divorce papers, the move. Everything."

I ended the call before she could question me further.

My eyes fell on the watch in my hand. The engraving glinted in the dim light. "H&E, Forever."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

Forever was over.

You wanted me to be strong, Evertt? I thought, my fingers tightening around the watch. Fine. I will be. Strong enough to destroy you.

I had just ended the call when a knock sounded at the door.

Evertt walked in, wearing Dustin's face, his expression one of weary concern. The same look he' d worn for months.

A wave of pain washed over me. It was so easy for him. He had his brother' s eyes, his brother' s build. But the way he moved, the slight tilt of his head-that was all Evertt.

I used to get lost in those eyes, thinking they were a reflection of his brother' s, a painful reminder of my husband. Now, I only saw the cold, calculating man underneath.

My hand tightened around the watch in my pocket, my knuckles white. My fingers trembled.

Slowly, I pulled the watch out.

"Dustin," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "Where did you get this?"

His eyes landed on the watch, and a bitter smile touched his lips. It was a familiar expression, one I had seen on Evertt a thousand times.

"Evertt asked me to give it to you," he said smoothly. "His dying wish. He wanted you to have it."

He ran a hand through his hair. "I' m sorry, Helen. With everything going on, I completely forgot."

I looked down, hiding the fury in my eyes. I ran my thumb over the engraving. "H&E, Forever."

"Do you know the story behind this watch, Dustin?" I asked, my voice soft.

He hesitated for a fraction of a second before shaking his head. "No. Evertt didn't say."

"I climbed a mountain for this watch," I said, my voice gaining strength. "Barefoot, on stone steps. I prayed for three days and three nights at a remote temple to have it blessed. For him. To keep him safe."

I looked up, my eyes locking with his. "I did it because I loved him more than anything."

His expression flickered. Just for a second, I saw a crack in his flawless performance.

"He knew," I continued, my voice quieter now, but each word was deliberate. "He held me for a whole night after I got back, telling me I was a fool, but his eyes... his eyes were so gentle."

His throat moved as he swallowed. A flicker of panic crossed his face.

"Why would you do something so... extreme?" he asked, trying to deflect.

"Because he was my world," I said, my gaze unwavering. "And I would have done anything for him."

His breath hitched. He looked away, unable to meet my eyes. The air in the room grew thick with unspoken truths.

Then, he spoke, his voice suddenly greedy. "Helen, since it was his, maybe I should hold onto it. For safekeeping. As a memory of my brother."

The pain in my chest was sharp, but my mind was clear. He was still acting. Still lying.

I replied calmly, "No."

"It didn't work anyway," I said, a bitter taste in my mouth.

He looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"If it was so blessed," I asked, my voice laced with a chilling coldness, "why is he dead?"

I let out a small, humorless laugh. My eyes were as cold as ice.

Then, right in front of him, I picked up the disposable lighter from the bedside table.

A tiny flame flickered to life, its light dancing on my pale face.

Evertt' s eyes widened in shock. "Helen, what are you doing?"

He reached for me, but it was too late. I held the watch to the flame. The leather strap caught fire instantly.

Ashes floated down, like the remnants of our dead love.

His hand froze in mid-air, then fell uselessly to his side.

Just then, the door swung open again.

Kylee' s sweet, delicate voice filled the room. "Dustin, honey, what' s taking so long?" She wrapped her arm around Evertt' s, pressing herself against him.

Evertt' s expression shifted instantly, the shock replaced by a soft, loving look as he turned to her.

"The results are in," Kylee announced, her face glowing with joy. Her eyes swept over to me, a smug little smile on her lips.

"I' m pregnant."

She caressed her still-flat stomach, her voice dripping with sweetness. "It looks like the Martin family will have an heir after all."

The air in the room froze.

My fingers dug into the bedsheets.

Pregnant. The timing... it was just over a month since Evertt' s "death."

Slowly, I lifted my head and looked at the man I had married.

His expression moved from shock to pure joy, then to a look of overwhelming tenderness as he looked at Kylee.

He carefully guided her to a chair, his every movement filled with a new sense of purpose and care.

Kylee leaned her head on his shoulder, her voice a soft purr. "See, Dustin? This is a gift from Evertt. He' s watching over us." She shot a triumphant, sharp look in my direction.

I felt a smile curve my lips, a strange, hollow thing. "Congratulations," I said, my voice light and airy.

Evertt finally seemed to remember I was there. He helped Kylee sit down, his movements gentle.

I watched them, this perfect picture of a happy couple, and I felt nothing but a vast, chilling emptiness. My husband, mourning his own death by starting a new family with his brother's fiancée. How utterly absurd.

When I returned to the Martin villa, a sharp, shrill cry cut through the quiet afternoon.

My heart seized. I ran toward the sound, my steps quickening with a terrible sense of dread.

In the backyard, one of the servants was beating my dog, a golden retriever named Sunny.

"Stop!" I screamed, rushing forward and throwing myself between the servant and my pet.

Sunny whimpered, trembling, and crawled into my arms. I held him tight, my body shaking with rage. "What are you doing?" I demanded, my voice sharp.

I ran my hand over Sunny's fur, feeling the welts already forming. My heart ached.

"I told him to do it."

Kylee's soft voice came from behind me. She walked over, Evertt at her side. She clutched her chest, her face a mask of fear.

"He jumped on me, Helen. I almost fell. What if something happened to the baby?"

Evertt frowned, his cold eyes landing on me. "Sunny can't be around Kylee now that she's pregnant."

A chill went through me.

"He's never hurt anyone," I argued, my voice tight.

"He's an animal," Evertt said flatly. "He could hurt her. He could hurt the baby." He gave a slight nod to the servant. "Get rid of it."

I clutched Sunny tighter, my voice pleading. "No, please. I' ll send him away. Just don't hurt him."

For a moment, Evertt's cold gaze wavered, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the same detached indifference.

"No."

"Evertt!" I cried out, the name slipping out in my desperation and anger before I could stop it.

He didn't flinch. He remained perfectly still, his face an unreadable mask.

The servant pried Sunny from my arms. Another servant held me back, his grip like iron.

The sounds that followed were a nightmare. The thud of the stick, Sunny's terrified yelps, the servant's harsh shouts.

I sank to the ground, a raw, guttural sob tearing from my throat.

Evertt wrapped an arm around Kylee' s shoulders and led her away, not sparing me a single glance.

"Let' s take a walk, honey," I heard him say softly to her. "You shouldn't let this upset you."

I don't know how I made it back to my room.

I sat on the edge of the bed, my gaze sweeping over the space that was once our sanctuary. Photos of Evertt and me. His favorite books on the nightstand. The cashmere throw he bought me.

I used to find comfort in these things. Now, they were just monuments to a lie.

I picked up a framed photo of us, tracing the outline of his smiling face.

"You're so cruel, Evertt," I whispered, my voice breaking. "You have her now. You couldn't even leave me my dog."

The pain was still there, a dull ache in my chest, but the overwhelming urge to die was gone. It had been replaced by something else. Something cold and hard.

I pressed the call button for a servant.

A young maid appeared at the door.

"Pack up everything in this room that belonged to Mr. Martin," I said, my voice calm and empty. "And throw it all away."

The maid looked confused.

"Is there a problem?" I asked, my tone leaving no room for argument.

She shook her head quickly and began to work.

The noise brought Evertt to my door. He pushed it open, his face dark with anger.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

The maid froze, looking from him to me.

I offered him a small, chilling smile. "I'm cleaning."

"Who gave you permission to touch his things?" he snapped.

"You did," I replied evenly. "You're always telling me to move on. So I am."

I gestured around the room. "And since Kylee is pregnant, I've decided to start fresh. Getting rid of all this... stuff... feels like a good first step."

He stared at me, his eyes narrowed, searching my face for something. There was a flicker of confusion, of unease.

"You're really letting go?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.