Chapter 2Seven Years of a Lie

Seven years ago, I stood on a stage in a pristine white dress, my hand outstretched, ready to begin the rest of my life. Instead, Julian, my groom-to-be, took the microphone and shattered it.

He threw the diamond ring that was meant for my finger to the floor. "I gave you so many chances to be honest with me, Elara, but you kept lying!"

I was bewildered. "Lying about what?"

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced to the stunned crowd, "I regret to inform you that the wedding is off. It seems Ms. Hayes here has found comfort in another man's arms. The child she is carrying is not mine!"

With that, he flung a stack of photographs at my face. They scattered across the floor at my feet—intimate, compromising pictures of me in bed with a man I had never seen before.

A gasp rippled through the guests. Julian’s parents wore masks of fury, while my own parents’ faces burned with shame.

"Those aren't real!" I pleaded, my voice trembling. "I don't know that man!"

But Julian’s eyes were cold steel. "The Vances have a legacy to protect. I will not marry a woman with a divided heart, and I certainly won't raise another man's bastard child!" He turned, took his young assistant’s hand, and walked off the stage.

The groom was gone. The wedding was over. My parents, after slapping me hard across the face, rushed after the Vances, leaving me alone amidst the scattered lies, the target of a hundred pairs of judging eyes.

The day before I left New York for good, Julian’s mother requested a meeting.

She surveyed me from across a small café table, her expression unreadable. "Julian's behavior was in poor taste," she began, her tone measured. "This was a private matter that should have been handled discreetly, not turned into a public spectacle." She paused, taking a sip of her tea. "And yes, we know the photos were doctored. Julian is a good boy, but he can be naive. He was manipulated. His father and I have taken him to task for his outburst."

Her tone shifted, becoming sharp as glass. "However, the damage to his reputation is done. You know Julian is the sole heir to the Vance Corporation. He cannot afford the slightest hint of scandal. He needs a partner who supports him, who is unimpeachable."

I understood her meaning perfectly and said nothing.

She slid a bank card across the table. "This is three million dollars. Get rid of the baby."

I stared at the card. "What does he think?" I managed to ask.

A small, thin smile touched her lips. "My son? Did you see his assistant at the party? Melissa Monroe. A Cambridge PhD. She will be Julian's future wife. As you know, our family has traditional values. We cannot have a daughter-in-law with your… history."

But I knew. It wasn't about my manufactured history. It was about securing a powerful alliance. Even if it meant sacrificing their own grandchild.