Five Years of Lies: My Secret Escape

For the next few days, there was always a hint of joy in Xavier's eyes. But the moment he saw me, his expression would turn frigid.My dad, Brock Joffrin, lived next door. He often came over to check on things. So, he quickly noticed that something was wrong.He hurriedly came over and asked, "Did you and Xavier have a fight?"I stayed silent, not wanting to respond.My dad anxiously tried to persuade me, "If he's upset, just appease him. What good can come from angering the Sullivan family?"I was so angry that my eyes reddened as I snapped back, "Does our entire family have to bend over backward to please him?"Five years ago, my dad's investment failed, so he ended up owing the Sullivan family millions of dollars. He cried and begged me to sign the marriage agreement to save him.After Xavier and I got married, my dad often said to me, "Now that you're married, take good care of Xavier. Do you know how many people dream of being a part of the Sullivan family? You've gotten lu

In Robert and Maisie's eyes, we were nothing more than lowly peasants they could beat as they pleased.When Xavier heard what my dad said, his anger flared even more. He picked up the kettle, lifted my dad's shirt, and poured boiling water onto his back ruthlessly.I grabbed Xavier's leg, begging him not to be so cruel. However, Elsa kicked me toward the door.My dad screamed in pain. He took one look at his own back and fainted out of sheer terror.Xavier left behind a check for ten million dollars and walked out with Elsa.After he left, Robert and Maisie reminded me that the marriage agreement that I signed was about to expire. They pressured me to sign the agreement renewal. Otherwise, they threatened not to treat my dad and let him fend for himself.The divorce agreement Xavier sent me sat quietly on the table in the hospital room. The Sullivans chose to ignore it and pretended that they didn't see it.As I touched my growing belly, I wondered how Xavier would treat this ch

The next day, I walked out of the airport alone, dragging my suitcase behind me. This place was too dangerous, so I left Athena in the care of a trusted friend.To avoid involving my mom, I didn't tell her I had returned. After renting a place, I spent day and night tailing Elsa and shadowing her every move.When she went on dates, I stood by a food stall helping an elderly lady grill skewers. When she went shopping, I hid behind billboards, observing her every step. When she went to try on wedding dresses, I borrowed a bear costume and pretended to hand out flyers from across the street.Suddenly, someone stood in front of me and forcefully tried to yank off my costume's headpiece. I resisted, ready to shout. But the moment I saw the familiar man, I froze.Xavier hadn't changed at all. He still had that sharp, hawk-like gaze that penetrated through everything.He sneered as he growled, "Stop hiding, Halyna!"I stood stiffened in place, allowing him to pull off the headpiece.Xa

"Just now, Xavier called me suddenly, asking where you were tonight," my mom said. "I sensed something was off from his tone, so I lied and told him we had just been on a video call for half an hour."I hadn't expected Xavier to figure it out so quickly.But did he not even suspect that the person he loved the most had killed his mother? How would he react once he learned the truth?The thought of Xavier's eventual breakdown made me feel a twisted sense of satisfaction.My mom seemed to have guessed much of what was going on but didn't press me for details. She simply said gently, "If you're back, come stay with me."Because of those words, I spent another half hour carefully applying makeup to cover up the cuts on my face and hands. I walked in front of the mirror ten times to make sure my limp wasn't obvious before finally heading back home.I greeted and hugged my mom, but she suddenly choked up and asked, "What happened to your leg? Why are you walking so weirdly?"I froze f

I stepped forward and grabbed the microphone from the officiant's hand.The moment the guests saw me, they all gasped in shock because I was dressed in mourning clothes.Elsa wailed and shouted at me, "You already took Xavier from me before! How dare you come here to ruin my wedding now?"With that one sentence, she turned the entire room against me.However, she had dirtied her hands so much that she could never pretend to be innocent.The screen behind us started playing the text messages she had sent me, along with images of her vicious expression whenever she looked at me.With her back to the screen, Elsa squeezed out fake tears. She tried to convince everyone how I had threatened her over the years. But the guests had seen it all. It took a moment for Elsa to realize something was wrong. But by then, the guests were already looking at her with mocking smiles.In an instant, she went from the proud princess to a ridiculous clown.Xavier suddenly spoke up. "Have you cause