All Chapters of The Orchestrated Lie: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

“Adrian isn’t the only one who’s been keeping secrets”Stephanie's words cut through me like a dagger, each one piercing and deliberate. She stood on my doorstep, holding a baby with bright blue eyes - eyes that clearly belonged to Adrian. I felt my stomach tighten as I gazed at her, at the existence she cradled in her arms. Is this actually happening? I tried to talk, but no words escaped my lips. The betrayal weighed heavily on the words, trapping them. Stephanie's lips were adorned with a victorious smirk that made me feel like screaming. However, I remained motionless, feeling a combination of anger and shock running through me. Stephanie continued, her voice filled with satisfaction, describing the expression on his face when she revealed she was pregnant. "He didn't think twice about picking me instead of you." The world whirled around me, my thoughts lagging behind as I tried to grasp the meaning of her words. How long? How long had they been carrying on behind my back? How

"You have a lot of audacity coming here." The hallway echoed with Adrian's chilling and sharp voice, sending a shiver down my back. I suddenly stopped, my hand freezing on the doorknob to my apartment. Adrian was the person I most wanted to avoid out of all the people. I hadn't seen him in days since we had a fight at home and I found out about his affair with Stephanie. However, he suddenly showed up in the corridor of my apartment, casually standing by the wall. He looked like the man I had previously admired - tall, with perfectly groomed dark hair, and sporting the identical cocky smile that I once found charming. Now it only makes my skin crawl."I can’t recall inviting you, Adrian," I stated with contempt, trying to keep my voice composed. "What brings you here?" He casually drifted from the wall and strolled over to me, his hands casually tucked in his pockets, as if we were long-lost friends reuniting. As he approached, my anger intensified. I felt outraged by his audacity

“I’m not signing those papers, Shania.”Adrian's voice came through the phone with a crackling sound, each word filled with defiance. I held onto the gadget firmly, sensing a combination of irritation and rage coursing through me. I thought he would oppose, but hearing him say the words infuriated me. I snapped while pacing around the kitchen, “You no longer have control over this. It’s over, Adrian. You’ve already done enough damage.”A bitter laugh echoed from his side of the line. “You think I’m going to let you walk away that easily? After everything?”I tightened my jaw, trying to remain composed, but the shaking in my hands betrayed my true emotions. “I don't need approval. The divorce is going to happen, regardless of your opinion.”A significant silence could be heard from the opposite side. When he ultimately talked, his attitude had changed to be severe and unfriendly. “You don’t get to decide that. You were mine first, Shania, and I’m not letting you run off with some rand

Chapter SevenMy fingers brushed over the thick, expensive paper of the envelope Stefan had left behind. I hadn’t opened it yet. A part of me felt the urge to destroy it, to show Stefan that I was not a mere pawn in his game. However, a persistent thought in my mind suggested that perhaps I should understand the situation first. With a deep breath, I opened the sealed document and retrieved a neatly written paper. As I glanced at the initial sentences, every word felt heavy, burdening me as I read. It was a contract, with all the stipulations Stefan had hinted at, but seeing it in black and white was like feeling cold iron cuffs snap shut around my wrists.“‘Hereby agrees to be the legal wife of Stefan Hunt in name and duty…,’” I read aloud in a low voice, my stomach twisting. I felt the urge to discard the paper, but I pushed myself to continue reading. Each sentence seemed more burdensome than the previous one, each request a signal that Stefan's kindness was merely a strategic mo

Chapter NineI paced the length of the guest room Stefan had assigned me. I could still feel the heat of his hand wrapped around mine, the finality in his words: “You’re mine, Shania. And I don’t let go easily.” It stirred something in me, something that had been buried beneath layers of anger, betrayal, and confusion.But the moment was still too raw, too complicated. I couldn’t deny the magnetic pull Stefan had, but a part of me still felt tethered to Adrian’s betrayal and all the years I had wasted on him. I’d spent so long being Adrian’s wife that even now, untangling myself from him felt like breaking free from chains I’d been wearing for years.A soft knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I hesitated, knowing it had to be Stefan. His presence was almost tangible even from the other side of the door. I opened it, meeting his piercing gaze.“Are you settled in?” he asked, his voice low, giving away nothing.I nodded, crossing my arms. “It’s… fine. Thank you.”He tilted