The Perfect Lie

The Perfect Lie

last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-15
By:  Blessing UdohUpdated just now
Language: English
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Lena Mercer makes a living off saving and believes that love can be saved no matter what. However, when a frightened woman named Claire Reynolds appears at her office door insisting she is being purposely murdered by her husband, Lena is hesitant to trust her. Days go by, and Claire vanishes into thin air. Worrying but brushing it off as coincidence, Lena attempts to pick up where they left off—until she uncovers unsettling information connecting Claire's life to her own. The same scent. The same coffee order. Even bruises in identical locations. And then Lena begins receiving ominous messages: "You know the truth. Don't look for me."

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The Woman in the Mirror

Chapter 1Lena adjusted the pearl earring with tight fingers, determined not to let her hand tremble. The woman in the mirror was Claire's blonde loveliness, Claire's slender face, and Claire's silk designer shirt. But it was wrong.The image was strangeBehind her back, Ethan's voice rumbled as he came into their bedroom, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You look gorgeous, sweetheart."Sweetheart. Not Lena. Not Claire.She swallowed. "Are you sure this is me?" Her voice was light and playful because it had to be.Ethan laughed, leaving a kiss on her temple. "Of course, love. You just need more sleep."But sleep wasn't the problem. Reality was.The house, the life, the husband-it was all too perfect. And perfection, she was starting to realize, was its kind of prison.---The scent of freshly ground coffee and toasted bread filled the kitchen, blending with the crisp morning air. Ethan sat at the breakfast table, reading the newspaper as he always did, a portrait of effortless dom...

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18 Chapters
The Woman in the Mirror
Chapter 1Lena adjusted the pearl earring with tight fingers, determined not to let her hand tremble. The woman in the mirror was Claire's blonde loveliness, Claire's slender face, and Claire's silk designer shirt. But it was wrong.The image was strangeBehind her back, Ethan's voice rumbled as he came into their bedroom, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You look gorgeous, sweetheart."Sweetheart. Not Lena. Not Claire.She swallowed. "Are you sure this is me?" Her voice was light and playful because it had to be.Ethan laughed, leaving a kiss on her temple. "Of course, love. You just need more sleep."But sleep wasn't the problem. Reality was.The house, the life, the husband-it was all too perfect. And perfection, she was starting to realize, was its kind of prison.---The scent of freshly ground coffee and toasted bread filled the kitchen, blending with the crisp morning air. Ethan sat at the breakfast table, reading the newspaper as he always did, a portrait of effortless dom
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-18
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The Missing Pieces
Chapter 2Lena jolted awake. She panted for breath in sharp little gasps, the escape of a dream fading away between her fingers like sand. She could have sworn for a single, fleeting second that she'd been elsewhere-somewhere ordinary, but not quite. When she pushed the blankets off to sit up, however, and took in the four walls above her, however, reality fell firmly into place.Ethan's house. No-their house.That's what he called it. Home, life. She had woken up in this bed for weeks, but something inside her twisted whenever she heard the words. She didn't recall choosing this location. Didn't recall the first time she crossed the threshold.The memories would come back, Ethan explained to her. It was only a matter of time. She had been involved in a terrible accident, and her mind was ill recovering.The more she tried to find her past, the more she realized how much was lost; the bits that were remaining didn't match.Lena slid out of the bed, her toes curling against the cold ha
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-18
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The First Crack
Chapter 3Lena stepped out, the cold morning air brushing against her skin. The world beyond the house stretched out vast and wide, a picture of serenity-too perfect, too still. The trees on the path swayed gently, their whispering leaves the only break in the silence.Ethan kept pace with her, his hand resting lightly at the small of her back. It was a comforting touch, but to Lena, it was an anchor-a subtle reminder that she was never truly alone."We used to love taking walks like this," Ethan said, his words smooth, practiced.Lena nodded, but the phrase had no meaning for her.She had no memory of having ever walked this path before.No memory of laughing with him as they strolled under the huge oak trees.And yet, Ethan said it with such certainty that she almost wished she could believe him.She forced herself to breathe, drawing a deep breath as they strolled along the sidewalk. The subdivision was oddly quiet, the houses tucked far back, each one a pristine replica of the las
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-18
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The First Lie
Chapter 4Lena sat on the edge of the bed, her gaze locked on the woman who looked back at her in the mirror. She was a stranger-wide-eyed, uncertain, lost.Her fingers traced the edge of the wooden top, icy and smooth against her fingertips. The memory of the woman on the street lingered with her like a promise on the edge of her tongue. That flash of recognition, the curl of her gut in response, was significant.Who was she?The thought bothered her. The way the woman had looked at her wasn't mere politeness. It was something more, something more profound. She had seemed cautious.She had felt the subtle rise in his tension, the shift of his body toward her as if shielding her.From what?Lena swallowed, tearing her gaze from the mirror. There were more questions than answers, and the only person who could help her fill in those answers was the one she was finding herself trusting less and less.The approaching footsteps made her tighten up.A heartbeat after that, Ethan appeared at
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-18
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The Vanishing Past
Chapter 5Lena woke before dawn, her body still tense from the night. The journal was concealed beneath her dresser drawer, but it weighed on her chest like a rock. She had slept little, replaying Ethan's reaction in her mind, the way he'd stood in the doorway, watching her.Couldn't sleep?Those words had been offhand, so simple. But his smile-it had been calculated.She turned her head to glance at him. Ethan lay next to her, his breathing slow and even, one arm flung across his chest, lying Peacefully.She crept silently out of bed, her feet barely making a sound on the hardwood floor. She breathed shallowly, her ears tuned for the merest variation in Ethan's breathing.Nothing.He was still asleep.Swallowing, Lena crossed the room, her heart pounding as she knelt in front of the dresser. Her fingers found the false panel, pressing softly until it sprang open. The notebook was still there, just where she'd left it.She hesitated, glancing back at Ethan one last time.Then she turn
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-18
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The Name in the Dark
Chapter 6Lena's mind was reeling as she absorbed the name: Noah Graves. That Ethan was not who he claimed to be had shattered the delicate reality she had been clinging to. She had to find Noah, but she could not be reckless. Ethan was cunning, and one mistake could provoke him to take notice of her growing awareness.Ethan's weekend adventure hung in the background, and to Lena, it was a challenge and a possibility. She wanted all the facts before they set out. As Ethan had to work, she had some hours to herself.She booted up the laptop in Ethan's office, praying that he hadn't put any sort of monitoring on it. The desktop contained no personal files, only standard applications and an empty background. She opened the browser and typed "Noah Graves" into the search box.There were thousands of hits that covered the screen. She filtered her search to her location, hoping to get more specificity. A few of the entries jumped out at her:Noah Graves – Local Business Owner: Owner of Grav
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-18
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The Picture
Chapter 7Lena clutched the picture in her trembling hands, her heart beating so fiercely she was certain the walls of the cabin could hear it. Noah Graves. The name she had scribbled in her diary before her memory had been erased. The name that had lingered in the back of her subconscious mind like a whisper she couldn't quite hear.And here he was now, staring back at her from the old photo-standing beside her, close enough that there was no doubt they were together.The ramifications sent a shivery chill down her spine. If she had known Noah before if they had meant anything to each other, then why would Ethan have gone and erased all trace of him?Her heart was racing with a terrifying realization. Ethan hadn't just kept Noah from her-he had destroyed him.Lena quickly tucked the photo into the pocket of her hoodie. She wasn't sure how much time she had before Ethan returned from gathering firewood, but she needed to hurry.Her eyes darted back to the bookcase, hunting for anythin
last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-11
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The Return
Chapter 8 Lena sat in the passenger seat, her hands crossed tightly in her lap, her back stiff despite the heater blasting warm air through the car. Ethan drove in silence, his hands wrapped around the steering wheel with practiced familiarity, his gaze on the road ahead. The winter trees flashed by the window, long bare limbs stretched out over the bottomless white. The drive home from the city was supposed to be a homecoming, a move toward freedom. It was a creeping advance toward something terrible. Lena had practiced all morning words, every glance, every breath so carefully under control. She couldn't afford one misstep. She was acting the part of the ideal wife, the loving mate with no doubts, no covert plans of flight. But her mind was racing inside. She knew Ethan was observing. He always was. "Happy to be going back?" His tone cut through the silence, smooth as always, but Lena saw through it. There was something under it. Something in waiting. She smiled at him, maki
last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-12
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The Trap
Chapter 9There was silence between them, thick and uncomfortable.Lena's hand tightened around her phone as her heart pounded against her ribs. Ethan's stare was intense, holding her there, trapped, her breath caught in her throat.He took a step closer, the second phone-a burner she'd hidden weeks ago-dangling loosely from his hand. The air in the room shrunk, compressing around her as his eyes blackened to an immeasurable depth."Lena," he repeated, his voice lower now, more controlled. "Who are you calling?"Lena's mind reeled, scouring her brain for an excuse, a lie, anything to diffuse the situation before it got entirely out of control.But she was trapped.He had her cornered and there was no turning back.She faked a shaky smile, raising her phone slightly. "I was just checking my voicemail. I haven't had my phone all weekend."Ethan made a sound, his eyes never leaving her face. "And this?" He raised the burner, his face unreadable. "You've been carrying a second phone?"Len
last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-12
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The Paper Trail
Chapter 10The door slammed shut with a click, the sound echoing through the stillness of the house like a gunshot.Lena's heart pounded against the inside of her head as she gripped the creased, folded square of paper in her hand. Her fingers, slippery with sweat, were curled hard around it, the thin sheet of paper folding at the least pressure.Motionless behind her stood Ethan, a looming presence like a shadow."Wrong address, huh?"Lena forced herself to turn around, her face carefully serene. "Yeah," she murmured, stuffing the note into her sweater pocket. "He was confused."Ethan didn't react. Didn't move.But she felt that small tension in his jaw, the tightening of his fingers at his side.Lena knew him too well. She knew he didn't believe her."You should've let me reply," Ethan finally said, voice smooth, trained. "Strangers on our porch this late at night. It's not safe."The threat was there, woven into the worry.Lena gulped. "I didn't think it mattered."Ethan studied he
last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-12
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