Nothing But Lies

Sam and Paxton, the two men who claimed to love me, were both lying to my face. I wanted to laugh, but my eyes burned. When I reached up to wipe them, my fingertips were wet with tears.Forget it. I didn’t want anything anymore. Right now, the only thing that mattered was staying alive.Paxton didn’t seem suspicious. He was still as patient and gentle as ever, but I had no intention of staying by his side anymore. I packed my things, and when he came home from work that evening, I told him I wanted to break up. He froze for a moment. Then, in that same affectionate tone, he coaxed me like always. “What’s wrong? Did I do something to upset you, my Leah?”He pulled me into his arms, his fingers gently rubbing my earlobe.I stared at him in silence. His acting was flawless. It was no wonder I hadn’t seen through him before. But now, all I saw was deceit.“Paxton, do you love me? Or do you love Georgina?”His expression stiffened as he hadn’t expected me to bring up her name so dir

I had no home, and I had no love.After the surgery, they placed me in the hospital room right next to Georgina’s. The walls weren’t soundproof. I could hear everything—laughter, comforting words, and soft reassurances. Sam and Paxton promised Georgina they’d take her on a trip once she was discharged, while her parents doted on her, gently telling her to take better care of herself. Everything I had once desperately longed for was right there, but for some reason, I no longer cared.During my hospital stay, Sam and Paxton came to see me once, and I pretended to be asleep. They didn’t bother waiting. After standing at my door for barely half a minute, they went back to Georgina’s room.I spent nearly the entire recovery period alone, and when I was finally well enough to leave, I got up quietly, ready to disappear. However, just as I stood, an unfamiliar scent filled the air. A strange dizziness washed over me. My limbs went weak, and the next moment, everything went dark. By th

The kidnappers were caught just as they were about to board a ship. Now, they were kneeling on the ground, trembling.“M-Mr. Paxton, this has nothing to do with us! That woman– She jumped on her own!”Sam’s expression darkened. He took two quick steps forward, grabbing the kidnapper by the collar, his teeth clenched. “What did you just say?”“The woman who was left behind… She jumped off the cliff herself…” the kidnapper stammered, his whole body shaking as if terrified of taking the blame.Paxton felt his legs go weak. His heart sank.“Who sent you?”Sam’s hand tightened around the kidnapper’s throat, his voice trembling despite himself. The kidnapper hesitated, struggling to form an answer.“Speak!”“I-It was… Miss Summers…”Sam’s grip tightened. The kidnapper’s face turned red as he struggled for air.Miss Summers was Georgina. The mention of the name left Sam and Paxton so stunned that they lost their balance..“That’s impossible…” Paxton muttered, his eyes dazed.Sam l

“If you can’t remember your name right now, would you mind if I give you a new one for the time being?”I shook my head to show I didn’t mind. Christina thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. “Let’s call you Meredith. It means a protector from the sea.”I repeated the name silently in my mind and then smiled, nodding at her, accepting the new name. Just like that, I became a part of Christina’s family.Christina was a doctor and said she noticed I wasn’t in good health when she found me. Hence, she took care of me while working, making sure I took my medication, preparing nutritious meals for me, and often making time to take me and Holly out for fun.Holly, with her sassy attitude, always acted like a grown-up. She would cling to me, wanting me to watch cartoons, do crafts, or draw with her. Christina noticed my talent for drawing and called in some of her professional friends to help me develop it. After some practice, I even achieved some recognition and held a small exhibi

In the end, I wasn’t taken away, after all. Due to some business setbacks, Sam and Paxton had to go back to handle things, so they didn’t have the time to bother me for a while.“Thank you, Christina,” I said as I hugged Christina and couldn’t stop the tears from falling.Holly teased me for being a crybaby, while Christina patted my back and shot a glare at the little brat.“Why thank me? You're family. Of course, I’ll protect you.”The next time I heard about Sam and Paxton was two weeks later.After returning, Sam lost his patience and, without caring about the company, went a little crazy, driving through the night to find me. Unfortunately, his tire skidded, and the car flipped. He was rushed to the hospital and barely survived, but he would be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.Paxton, still holding on to some sanity, had begun to crack after hearing my words. With the company facing an unprecedented crisis, his focus wavered, and finally, the stress broke him. The G