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BENEATH THE LIES
BENEATH THE LIES
Author: Richard freeman

ALORA'S POV

last update Last Updated: 2024-12-31 19:46:40

001

The setting sun painted the sky in hues of amber and violet as I walked home from the supermarket. The plastic bags in my hands cut into my palms, but I barely noticed.

Life with Ryan wasn’t perfect after I left my father's house, my mother begged me not to leave but I did.

Ryan and i didn't have much. We scraped by on my earnings as an author, stretching every dollar, but it was enough. We were enough. We had a roof over our heads, food on the table, and love—wasn’t that what mattered?

I climbed the porch steps and reached for the door, but something made me pause. A glint of black caught my eye.

A pair of black heels sat by the entrance.

I frowned. Those weren’t mine.

My grip on the grocery bags tightened.

Ryan had company, but that made no sense. He knew how I felt about unexpected guests, especially women.

I pushed the door open, stepping inside.

The first place my eyes landed on was the table.

A pair of panties lay draped over the edge, delicate lace with tiny heart-shaped designs.

My stomach dropped.

I knew those panties.

Not because they were mine—because they weren’t.

Ryan had bought me a similar pair months ago, but these were a different size. A different fit. Not mine. Someone else’s.

My gaze quickly snapped to the bedroom door, slightly ajar as muffled sounds trickled through the crack—soft, breathless gasps mixed with deep, guttural groans.

My blood ran cold.

Just then a high-pitched moan escaped from the room.

"Oh yes, Ryan! Don’t stop!"

My entire body locked up.

No, I whispered to myself

My mind rebelled against what I was hearing, but the proof was all around me.

"Ugh, that’s so good. Keep going," Ryan’s voice rumbled—deep, familiar, unmistakable.

I staggered forward, my heart pounding against my ribcage like it was trying to escape.

I reached the door. Stopped. My hand hovered over the knob, trembling.

I didn’t want to see it. I didn’t want to know.

But I already did.

With a sharp intake of breath, I pushed the door open.

And my heart shattered.

There, tangled in the sheets of our bed, was Ryan. His body slick with sweat, his hands gripping the hips of the woman straddling him. Her head was thrown back in pleasure, lips parted as she rode him like he belonged to her.

A strangled sound left my throat before I could stop it.

The woman gasped, scrambling for the sheets to cover herself.

Ryan, on the other hand, didn’t move. Didn’t panic. He just lay there, his gaze meeting mine—calm, detached. Like this wasn’t the destruction of everything I had built with him.

“Why, Ryan?” My voice barely came out, raw and broken.

He exhaled, tilting his head. “So now you’ve lost your manners, Alora? You barge in without knocking, you intrude on my privacy, like, who the hell do you think you are?”

I flinched, my eyes widened in shock, who the hell am i?, intrude on his privacy?, what privacy?, I asked myself.

My house, my bed and yet I'm the intruder?

I folded my fist in anger as something inside me snapped, walking towards him I slapped him hard across the face.

You're a cheat Ryan!!, I yelled, a good for nothing cheat.

Ryan clutched his cheek then he gave me a deadly stare, Before suddenly his vicious face was replaced by laughter.

The kind that made me sick.

I couldn't quite get why he was laughing. He only made me more angry but Before I could say another word, he slapped me hard across the face and I fell on the bed due to the impact.

My cheek burned but I forced myself not to cry, just then my eyes landed on the woman who was still on the bed, her face covered with the sheets leaving only her eyes and hair visible.

My anger intensified and I stood up from the bed, I glared at Ryan and without wasting a minute I began walking towards the woman.

The woman shrank back. But then I recalled those eyes, they were familiar, it was then I remembered the face

My breath hitched.

I stumbled back a step, as more tears rolled down my cheeks.

“Ash?”

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Comments (6)
goodnovel comment avatar
carolsplain6
why is the beginning so sad
goodnovel comment avatar
praisesogechi89
this is so sad, poor Alora
goodnovel comment avatar
sonicviper32889
All these dumb ass Male leads. ...
VIEW ALL COMMENTS

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  • BENEATH THE LIES    ASH

    002Ash was my best friend. The only friend I had after leaving my father’s house.We met at the park—heartbroken, she sat alone, crying after the man she loved dumped her for another. I consoled her, knowing all too well how it felt to lose someone you love. Ever since that day, we had been inseparable.I never thought she’d be the one to betray me like this. The one to come after my man. My Ryan.My fingers curled into fists, nails biting into my palms. Without hesitation, I walked toward her, my footsteps heavy with anger. She sat on the bed, oblivious to what was coming.The slap echoed through the room.Ash’s head snapped to the side, her dark curls shielding her face. Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating."You of all people?" My voice trembled with fury. "You disgust me, Ash! Do you remember the day we met? When I held you as you cried over that jerk who dumped you? And now, you're after my man? Shameless!" My voice rose, thick with betrayal.She didn’t answer. Te

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    004 My breath caught in my throat, the words echoing in my ears. “Excuse me?” I managed to whisper, my voice barely audible. “You heard me,” Stanley said, his tone oozing with confidence, his lips curling into a smirk. “You want to work for me? Then prove your worth. Show me what makes you indispensable.” My hands trembled as I clutched the phone. His words were calculated, laced with arrogance, and it threw me off balance. I had expected something else, not this unnerving proposition. When I didn’t respond, he chuckled—a low, knowing sound. “Cat got your tongue? Or are you rethinking that desperate declaration of ‘anything’? I thought you were serious.” Tears stung my eyes, but I swallowed them back. His composed yet biting words were harder to endure than outright cruelty. I clenched my jaw, humiliation searing through me. “Well?” he prompted, his tone sharp yet disturbingly calm. “The clock’s ticking. If you can’t handle this conversation, you’re already wasting my time.

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  • BENEATH THE LIES    YOU'RE NOT WORTH MY TOUCH.

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  • BENEATH THE LIES    A MAID.

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  • BENEATH THE LIES    FRAMED

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  • BENEATH THE LIES    YOU'RE AN EMBARRASSMENT.

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  • BENEATH THE LIES    GET OUT

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  • BENEATH THE LIES    A MAID PLAYING FIANCEE

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  • BENEATH THE LIES    FIANCEE.

    024I stared at her, my chest aching with anger and regret. Words tangled in my throat, refusing to come out. Without a second glance, I turned and walked away.The hallways felt narrower as I stormed back to my room. Lost in thought, I collided with Charles. I was too furious to speak, my expression hardening. I tried to brush past him, but he grabbed my hand.“Hey, I’m sorry,” he said, eyes earnest. “I know my sister said some harsh things. Don’t listen to her—she’s just jealous you’re prettier than she’ll ever be.”I didn’t smile. “Thank you,” I muttered. “But I have to go.”He released my hand reluctantly. I could see the disappointment in his eyes, but I ignored it. I couldn’t afford to get closer to him, not when he was starting to make advances. If I let him think I felt the same, it would only make things worse.I didn’t look back. My footsteps echoed in the silence until I reached my room.STANLEY’S POVI sank into the couch, trying to bury the anxious knot in my chest. The b

  • BENEATH THE LIES    EXCUSE ME?

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  • BENEATH THE LIES    YOU'RE GOING DOWN.

    021Clark’s words were a punch to the gut—an agonizing, paralyzing blow that left me gasping. My legs felt weak, and my grip on the cold metal bars tightened until my knuckles turned white. I stared at him, disbelief and desperation twisting inside me. He was the one person I thought I could count on, and now he was leaving me to rot.“No,” I choked out, my voice breaking. The lump in my throat felt like it was choking me. “You can’t just walk away. You can’t leave me here!”Clark’s eyes met mine, regret flickering across his face before he forced a mask of resolve. “Ryan, my hands are tied. This is above me now, I can only help you get a lawyer.”“That’s not good enough!” I shouted, panic creeping into my voice. “What if the lawyer doesn’t defend me well? What if he’s paid off or doesn’t care? I’ll be screwed!”Clark sighed heavily, running a frustrated hand through his hair. The deep lines etched into his face made him look older than usual, and for a moment, he seemed as tired as I

  • BENEATH THE LIES    RYAN'S POV

    020The cell was cold, the kind of chill that burrows deep into your bones. I shifted on the hard bench, feeling the weight of the morning sun pressing heavily on my shoulders. My head throbbed from hours of restless thoughts—Ash’s betrayal, the blood on my hands, Lucas’s lifeless eyes staring back at me. The image wouldn’t leave.The metallic clang of a door echoed through the narrow hallway. I looked up, weary eyes narrowing as Detective Clark strode in. His expression was unreadable, the kind of mask I’d come to associate with men in his line of work. Cautious. Calculating. Relentless. He stopped just outside my cell, crossing his arms.“Morning, Ryan,” he greeted, tone clipped.“Detective,” I rasped, my throat dry. I hadn’t slept, and it showed. “Back to accuse me of more crimes I didn’t commit?”He smirked, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. “Not today. I’m here because I believe you.”A laugh bubbled up, bitter and humorless. “You believe me? That’s rich. Yet, here I am.”

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