Married A Lie

Scarlett’s POV

The world blurred as I ran.

My heels struck the marble floor in sharp, uneven rhythm, like the sound of a heart breaking. My breath came in ragged gasps, my pulse hammering so violently that it drowned out everything else.

 The corridors stretched endlessly ahead of me, lined with portraits that seemed to watch in silent judgment as I fled past them.

My chest burned and my eyes stung. I wanted to scream, to tear down the walls that held every memory of us, but I couldn’t. I just ran.

The sticky red wine still clung to my fingers, all dried up now. My reflection flickered in the glass frames I passed: pale skin, wild eyes.

The sound of another sharp footstep coming after me echoed through the hallway.

“Scarlett!”

Collins’s voice sliced through the hallway like a knife.

I stopped at the curve of the grand staircase, my breath catching in my throat. My hands trembled at my sides.

 I turned around slowly.

Collins stood there looking disheveled. He was half-dressed, his shirt hanging open, his belt unfastened, his pants hung loosely around his waist like he had hastily pulled them up. His hair was messy, his face flushed, but his expression wasn’t guilt. It was irritation.

Sienna appeared behind him, wrapped in a blanket, her long hair tangled over her shoulders. She stood a few steps behind, one hand resting over the small curve of her stomach.

I stared at them both. The sight of her beside him twisted something deep inside me.

“What,” I whispered, my voice trembling, “what is this?”

Collins exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair. “I’m done hiding, Scarlett. This…” he gestured between himself and Sienna, “this is the truth you’ve ignored for too long.”

My heart sank. “The truth?” I repeated, hardly believing him. “You call this truth? You were in my room, with my sister. Collins, you are having an affair with my sister.”

He cut me off, his tone sharp. “You knew where my heart was from the beginning. Don’t pretend like you didn’t know. I tried to play the part, for the families, for appearances. But I can’t keep living a lie. I can’t stay stuck with you for the rest of my life.” His eyes hardened. “If you can’t accept that, then leave. No one is forcing you to stay. It’s not like I wanted any of this anyway.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. The walls seemed to close in, and for a moment, I couldn’t find my voice.

Then Sienna moved closer, her lips curling into a faint smirk. “You should listen to him, Scarlett,” she said softly, her voice dripping with false sympathy. Her hand moved slowly over her belly, caressing it as if to remind me of what she had, what I didn’t. “It’s too late now. Collins and I—we are having a baby.”

Her words struck harder than any blow. My eyes lingered on the bulge on her belly for a long moment.

For a moment, I thought I might fall apart right there, scream, cry, beg for an explanation that would never come. But something in me hardened instead.

I straightened my shoulders, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I always knew his heart was elsewhere,” I said quietly, though my voice carried through the hall. “But to see it with my own sister…” I let the words hang, my gaze meeting hers. “That’s a cruelty I will never forgive.”

Collins’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing.

I turned away before my tears could betray me.

The stairs blurred beneath my feet as I descended, every step heavy. I could still hear their voices behind me, but I didn’t look back. I refused to give them that satisfaction.

The music from the garden grew louder as I reached the bottom of the staircase, cheerful, oblivious, as though the world hadn’t just shattered upstairs. The laughter, the clinking of glasses, the hum of celebration grated against the chaos inside me.

My grandmother stood among the guests, radiant and composed, greeting people with that practiced smile of hers. If only she knew she had ruined my life.

I walked straight toward her.

“Scarlett,” she began, her voice soft, but I cut her off.

“Turn off the music,” I said loud enough for everyone to hear.

She blinked, startled. “What?”

“I have an announcement to make, and I can’t do that with the music blasting.” My voice rose sharply, commanding enough that the band faltered. The sound of strings and laughter died into silence.

All eyes turned to me. I could feel the weight of their stares. Confusion, discomfort, and curiosity danced in the eyes of the guests.

I stood in the center of the garden, my pulse racing, my wine-stained hand trembling slightly at my side.

“You knew, didn’t you?” I asked, resting a deadly glare on my grandmother.

“Know what?” she asked. The slight clench of her jaw gave away her pretence of ignorance.

I scoffed first, then let out an awkward laugh. “Don’t play with me, grandmother. My husband is upstairs with my twin sister.” My eyes locked on hers.

Her face shifted, a flicker of guilt quickly replaced by composure. She sighed. “Scarlett, please, this is not the place. We will talk about this later.”

“It’s the perfect place,” I snapped. “You wanted a perfect evening, didn’t you?”

The crowd whispered.

Margarita’s lips tightened. “Fine. We knew,” she said finally, her voice low but steady. “We knew about the affair between Collins and Sienna. But we didn’t know how to tell you.”

The words hit harder than I imagined.

I stared at her, my mouth dry. “You knew,” I echoed, barely able to speak. “You let me marry him.”

“We didn’t expect it to go this far,” she said, glancing briefly at the Radfords. “But Sienna is pregnant, Scarlett. With twins.”

My breath caught.

The guests murmured louder now, whispers spreading like wildfire.

“Twins?” I repeated faintly.

“Yes,” Mr. Radford stepped forward from behind me. His expression was grave but unapologetic. “We understand how this must hurt, but the heirs must take priority. The Radford line cannot afford scandal. And moreover, we do not joke with our heirs.”

He hesitated, as if pitying me. “You’ll be taken care of, of course. But the only logical way forward is a divorce.” His gaze stayed steadily on me as the words rolled out of his lips like a business proposal.

I stared at them all—my grandmother and the Radfords.

The thoughts of my husband upstairs with my sister clawed at me.

Then I realized, in that moment, how utterly alone I was. I had no allies.