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I Was Never the Wife
I Was Never the Wife
Author: Against the Flow

Chapter 1

Author: Against the Flow
In year two of my so-called marriage to Zachary Jurg, I tried applying for a joint bank loan to launch a business.

The bank guy kept flipping his eyes between our marriage certificate and his screen, looking more confused by the second. Finally, he said, "Ms. Arden, this marriage certificate's not valid. You're showing up as single in our system."

I blinked. "That can't be right. We got married—registered everything two years ago."

He leaned in, frown deepening. "The system has you as single. But Zachary Jurg? He's married."

Then he spun the monitor toward me.

"His spouse is listed as Cathryn Sludd. Because of that, I can't approve your loan."

I stared at the screen, frozen. "Cathryn Sludd"—her name cut through me like a knife. Every breath felt like it was slicing me open.

My head spun. Everything went black.

When I came to, the staff had already helped me into a chair.

I choked out a plea for them to double-check. They did.

And that broke me.

It was like drowning in ice-cold darkness, everything else just...gone.

Eventually, I got up and walked out. Somehow.

I wandered the streets like a leaf caught in the wind—empty, lost.

Then my phone buzzed.

It was Zachary.

[Baby, I skipped a big meeting just to see you. Got your favorite strawberries 'cause I missed you like crazy. Did you miss me?]

That was it. I broke.

Tears just poured.

Two years of texts like that. Two years of 'I love you.'

But now? I couldn't tell if any of it was ever real.

Zachary and I had history—like, childhood-level history. Everyone knew I was his girl. The one he loved. The one he was supposed to wait for.

Cathryn? She was just a placeholder while I was overseas. Or at least, that's what I believed.

But he married her. Married her. In secret.

Was it all one big lie?

I don't even know how long I wandered before I finally made it home, still dazed.

Just as I reached for the door, I heard voices inside—Zachary and his best friend, Ethan Chase.

"Is it serious?"

I peeked through the crack. Zachary was sprawled on the couch, looking slightly worried.

"It's just a stomachache. Some meds will fix it," Ethan said. "You should stay here with Sierra."

Zachary let out a breath, yanked off his tie, and kicked his feet up on the table like the weight of the world had just slid off his shoulders.

Ethan shook his head. "Man, watching you stress is exhausting. You clearly love Sierra. So why marry Cathryn?"

Zachary's face clouded. "At first, she was just a stand-in. But when she left, I couldn't stop thinking about her. So I brought her back—as my assistant."

He paused, then added, "I can't live without Sierra. But I can't let go of Cathryn either. So I gave Sierra my love in public and kept Cathryn hidden with the title. That's fair, right?"

Ethan sighed. "What if Sierra finds out? You know how she is. Even if you begged, she'd never forgive you."

Zachary's jaw tightened. "She won't. I can't lose her."

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  • I Was Never the Wife   Chapter 15

    I opened my eyes, grabbed a document off the table, and handed it to Zachary. "Sign it."He flipped through a few pages, then froze. "You want my company?"I leaned in, smiling sharp. "Yep. I'm gonna take everything—and tear it down, piece by piece."His hands shook as he clutched the papers, emotions twisting across his face."You don't have a choice," I said flatly. "You know your company's circling the drain. Sign or don't—I'll still watch it crash."As he struggled, the thrill wore off. I felt nothing."Sierra, you're my wife," he said quietly. "Do we really have to end like this?"Still clinging to hope, he fished out old photos—memories he thought could save him. "This was your birthday... when I kissed you. This was the gift I gave you. That was us on vacation..."I love you. I'll spend my life making it right. Don't leave me. Come back and the company's yours."I took the photos, tore them up one by one, and let the pieces fall."That girl's gone—naïve, stupid. I'm no

  • I Was Never the Wife   Chapter 14

    I shut off the video, laughing bitterly.Now he pulls this? Please.Cathryn had one thing right—maybe he never loved anyone.The second his perfect little world cracked, the mask dropped.Well, since her real face is out there now, I figured she deserved a present.I gave the cops the footage of her kidnapping me. She got cuffed fast.Thought Zachary would rush to save her, but nope.Guess that cold heart of his? Totally real.He said he loved her, but the second things got messy, he dropped her like nothing.Honestly, that's just who he is.***Once the truth came out, Zachary got ahold of my number and wouldn't stop blowing up my phone—calls, texts, full-on regret mode.He even parked himself outside my company for days, just trying to catch a glimpse.I didn't bother.I kept hammering his company, reaching out to shareholders and making it clear—I was buying in.Zachary might've been sharp, but I'd already snatched up most of his key partnerships fast. That shook the

  • I Was Never the Wife   Chapter 13

    Cathryn's face went ghost-white the second she saw the video. She stumbled back, all wide-eyed and fake. "H-How could that be Ms. Arden?"Zachary's voice dropped—low, rough, like something straight out of hell. "You knew. You watched me beat her. You watched me cut off her finger."She backed up again, pale as death. "I didn't know. I swear."He stepped in close, grabbed her wrist. "You planned this, didn't you? If I catch you lying... that baby won't make it."His words hit like a lightning strike. She clutched her stomach—she was pregnant.After a few shaky seconds, with the proof staring her down and his threat hanging in the air, she cracked. Tears streamed as she trembled. "I'm sorry! I just loved you too much... I didn't mean for it to go this far. I didn't know what else to do."Zachary's eyes blew wide. Pain. Rage. Disgust. Helplessness. All of it slammed into him at once.He stood there, silent. Then finally let go. His whole face crumpled. He swayed, barely keeping upr

  • I Was Never the Wife   Chapter 12

    I leaned into Nathan's shoulder, smiling. "Yep. We're getting married."Zachary went stiff, then blinked like he couldn't believe it. His eyes locked on me, heavy with regret."I'm sorry," he said. "I screwed up. Just... let me explain."You've been gone a whole year, and I've missed you like crazy. I love you, Sierra. You're my wife."I just stared at him, blank. Not a word.Nathan wrapped an arm around me, voice sharp. "Mr. Jurg, everyone knows Cathryn Sludd is your wife. And now you're calling my fiancée your wife? That's rich. Keep causing a scene and we're out."Event staff swooped in, trying to defuse the mess, pulling Zachary aside and begging him to chill until things wrapped up. Ethan stepped in too, practically dragging him away.But the whole night, Zachary couldn't stop staring at me.The second it ended, his bodyguards pushed through the crowd—and he made a beeline straight for me.Nathan's guys stepped up too. Both sides squared off, tension crackling."Sierra,

  • I Was Never the Wife   Chapter 11

    Verityon Corp—my company.And Zachary's Magnaris Group.The bidding got brutal. When the numbers pushed past their cap, Magnaris folded.I won.After the auction, their rep walked over."Sierra, it's really you."Ethan. He looked completely wrecked.I stared him down, ice cold. "It's Elena. Not Sierra."He just stared, like he was trying to see through me. Totally rattled.I stood to leave. He stepped in front of me. "Sierra, come on. It's you. We're friends."I laughed—short, sharp, bitter.Friend? That ended the second he helped Zachary play me."You vanished and Zachary lost it," he blurted. "He called in every favor, offered a huge reward—nothing. You were just... gone."He retraced every memory—your college, the amusement park, some chapel, even the city you studied abroad in."When he couldn't find you, he cracked. Started drinking. He's a mess. He's been barely holding it together. He loves you, Sierra. Deeply."I raised a brow, face blank. "What's that got to do

  • I Was Never the Wife   Chapter 10

    Sunlight spilled through the hospital window, soft and annoying. I stared at the ceiling, half-wondering if I was still stuck in some twisted dream."You're finally awake."The voice was warm. Familiar.I turned. Same guy—calm eyes, steady presence.He was the one who pulled me out of the trash, literally.I'd been a wreck. He brought me here. Stayed, too.Swallowing that sewage messed me up bad. One lung got so infected, they had to slice out a whole lobe.I touched my chest without thinking.The pain hit hard. Cold sweat broke out instantly.He noticed. "Easy. You need rest.""Thanks," I muttered.If he hadn't shown up, I'd be gone.He gave me a faint smile. "I'm a doctor. Saving lives is kinda my thing. No need to thank me."Then he handed over a glass of water with a straw. "Nathan Quinn. This is my private hospital. Just focus on getting better."I took it, met his eyes. "Elena Arden."Sierra was gone. She had to be.For the first time, I felt safe.A few days lat

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