“No!”
Buy vitamins and supplements.
“You’re acting ridiculous!”
Those words stung like a slap in the face, like all those stories about husbands cheating on their wives. But I knew something was wrong, even though he denied it.
In a whirlwind of emotions and without answers, I left the mansion with Ella, seeking solitude on the beach near our house to reflect on the future. There, a mysterious woman approached me. Her lips parted slightly, looking at me and the baby, and she asked, “Scott’s daughter?”
“No, she’s his niece. Who are you? How do you know Scott?” I asked, holding Ella even more protectively.
The woman laughed… cruelly. “His niece? She’s his spitting image,” she said, smiling before her humor faded and her eyes met mine.
“Run for your life,” she whispered, and then walked away.
“Wait!” I yelled, but he didn’t turn around.
I took a deep breath, looking out at the ocean, then at Ella. What secrets had been with her since birth? And what danger lurked in the shadows of Scott’s past?
“We need to talk,” I suggested as I walked through the door later.
Scott looked up, his lips pressed tightly together. “Everly, I’ve told you everything. There are no more secrets,” he insisted, but his voice no longer sounded so confident.
I couldn’t help feeling frustrated. “No, Scott. There’s something you’re not telling me. She’s not your niece, is she? She’s your daughter,” I challenged him.
Scott choked on his own saliva and stood there for a few minutes, recovering before bowing his head. “Yes, Everly. She’s my daughter,” he finally admitted.
“How could you lie about your child? How could you betray our trust like that?” I screamed.
“I thought if you loved her like my niece, we could finally become a family,” he explained.
Furious and heartbroken, I demanded honesty about Maya and her past, which led Scott to reveal more about his relationship with Ella’s mother, who wasn’t her half-sister, and his desperation to give Ella a stable life.
“You haven’t just betrayed me,” I said, bursting into tears, “but you’ve also betrayed your daughter by starting our marriage this way.”
I cried for days, not knowing what to do. I loved Ella with all my heart, but I didn’t know if I could survive being married to a liar. A few days later, I found myself face to face with my husband again.
“I’m leaving. I can’t take it anymore,” I announced. I had already packed my things.
Scott lunged at me and grabbed my arm. “Please, Everly, think of Ella. She needs you,” he pleaded, but I stood firm.
“Ella is your daughter, Scott. Not mine,” I explained. I knew my words would hurt, and they hurt, because Scott let go of me and let me go.
Continued on the next page
