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The Lies I tell Myself

Author: Valentina
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-29 19:38:26

The gala ended, and I didn't see him again. It was like he was never even there to begin with. Wilbet came hurrying down to meet me, his tie noticeably askew. I wouldn't say anything to him—I was mentally drained.

After saying our goodbyes, we made our way outside, where the limo was waiting. I entered first, sitting back and settling into the seat. Wilbet shut the door with a soft click as the driver wordlessly pulled out of the parking lot. Hopefully, he wouldn't say anything, and this ride would be a peaceful one.

Outside, the city went by in a beautiful blur of colors. I opened my eyes to admire the view, feeling Wilbet’s gaze on me intently.

Then he broke the silence.

"What were you doing with that man?"

I fixed my gaze outside, not giving him an answer. Maybe if I ignored him, he would leave me the hell alone.

His fingers tapped along the side of the car in a slow, deliberate rhythm. He was waiting. But I still didn’t answer.

"Aziza," he said, quieter this time. Too quiet. "I asked you a question."

"We were just conversing."

The words had barely left my mouth when I felt his hand across my cheek. My head snapped to the side, the sting blooming hot against my skin. For a moment, everything went silent—even the soft hum of the engine seemed distant with the way my ears were ringing.

Wilbet straightened his cuffs like nothing had happened. "So you know who that man was?" he asked, as if he had not just hurt me.

I blinked back the tears, willing myself not to cry. Wilbet hated the sight of my tears.

Forcing myself to breathe, I shook my head.

"That is Malcolm Laurent," he scoffed, as if the name irritated him. "A very powerful man. Some say he has affiliates with the Mafia, and you were standing there chatting with him like a damn fool."

I curled my fingers into my palm, feeling my nails dig into the flesh there.

Wilbet turned to me harshly, grabbing my face. "Tell me, dear wife, did you embarrass me?"

I knew "embarrass" was code for Did you tell him I hit you?

So I swallowed. "No. No, I didn’t."

He said nothing at first, then leaned back with a satisfied smile, running his hand through his hair. "Good girl."

The rest of the drive was silent. Wilbet didn’t speak, and I didn’t dare to. The only sound came from the car.

We soon arrived at our sprawling mansion, my stomach dropping with dread.

The driver stepped out in a hurry to open Wilbet’s door. He stepped out with ease before turning to my side. I stepped out to join him—he hated it when I wasted too much time.

The night was warm, but a chill ran through me as I followed him up the stone stairs that led to the main door. The house was dim, with no lights on save for the huge hallway chandelier. The staff knew better than to wait up for us when we returned late.

I reached the top of the stairs when he grabbed my arm.

"You know why I did that, don’t you?" His voice was quiet again. "Why I had to do what I did?"

I nodded numbly. My throat was too tight to speak. There was no reason for what he did. After all, he disappeared with Emile for the whole night, yet you didn’t see me slapping the fuck out of him. But I couldn’t say all that, now could I? So I settled for nodding.

His grip relaxed just a fraction as he leaned in, pressing a kiss to my temple. I shuddered with disgust, as if this kiss would magically make everything alright.

We both walked in. I made my way to my room, ready to just call it a night, as long as I didn’t have to spend another minute in his presence.

I walked into my room, leaving the lights off. Stepping into the bathroom, I shed my clothes and stared at my hollow reflection. My cheek throbbed from where Wilbet had hit me earlier in the car, the outline of his fingers beginning to show on my skin. I pressed my fingertips to it, wincing slightly at the pain.

I stepped into the shower, washing away the stress of the day. I wished I could just lie down and soak in the tub, but Wilbet had all the tubs in the house removed after I tried to drown myself once.

Stepping out of the shower, I did my usual routine, pulling on a silk nightdress, ready for bed. I pulled down the sheets and got in, remembering how I used to love reading before bed. But now, the sheer exhaustion of living this life never allowed me the luxury of reading.

I had barely closed my eyes when I heard my door creak open. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing him to go away. But he didn’t. Instead, he padded softly to my bed and climbed in beside me.

He pulled the covers and rubbed my shoulders.

"You really embarrassed me today, you know," he said in a casual tone, as if we were discussing the weather.

"Flirting with another man right under my nose. And you said you were just discussing? I’m guessing that discussion is what led you to stay outside alone with him, huh?"

I stilled, not giving him an answer.

The slap came fast and hard, sharp and unforgiving. I gasped immediately.

"I think I should remind you what your place is, shouldn’t I?"

I didn’t move. I didn’t react when he grabbed me. I had learned a long time ago that fighting him only made matters worse.

I turned my head as he pushed me down. The silk sheets were cool against my skin, but it wasn’t enough to stop the burning in my chest.

The pain barely registered. The way he forced himself on me, the way his breath was hot and damp against my neck—it was all a routine now. Keep quiet, and it’ll be done soon. My mind drifted, focusing on the ceiling.

It was over quickly. It always was.

Wilbet rolled off when he was done, sighing in satisfaction. He didn’t spare me another glance as he got up and left my room.

I lay still, staring blankly ahead. Slowly, I moved to the edge of the bed, slipping off and making my way to the vanity. Every part of me ached, my bruised side throbbing in protest as I moved.

I reached for a bottle of cream, dabbing it over my cheek. The routine was as familiar as breathing. I cleaned myself up mechanically, fingers working without thought.

When I was done, I climbed back into bed, curling up on my side as hot tears rolled down my cheeks. My sobs racked my body. I hated this. I hated my life. I needed an escape, but I was stuck here.

My mind raced with different possibilities until I gave in and slept out of sheer exhaustion.

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  • The Don's purchase    Pawn or player

    EMILE — POVHe rolled out of bed without a single word. Like he hadn’t just rearranged my guts.Classic Wilbet.If there’s one thing the man knows how to do, it’s fuck. I’ll give him that. Cold precision. Mechanical. Detached. But still—there’s a hunger to it. A need. I used to think it was about me. Now, I know better. It’s about control. About reminding himself that he still owns something—anything—in a world where everything else is slipping through his fingers.I stretched, letting the silk sheets pool at my waist, my skin flushed and sticky with the sweat of something that could never quite be called love. I watched him from the bed—back stiff, movements tense, shirt wrinkled from where it had been tossed across the floor last night. He didn’t glance at me. Didn’t say a thing.“You’re quieter than usual,” I murmured, voice low and drowsy, the kind of voice that invited secrets. “That wife of yours not letting you get any rest?”He paused for a fraction of a second, stiffened as

  • The Don's purchase    Cracks in Marble

    AZIZA — POVThere’s something about quiet that used to soothe me.Not anymore.Now, silence is just a breeding ground for dread.It started subtly—barely-there details I could’ve easily ignored if I wasn’t so attuned to lack. A maid I hadn’t seen in days. A driver replaced with a rental app. The fresh lilies that used to arrive every Tuesday from that overpriced florist in Victoria Island? Replaced with nothing. Just a lonely, empty vase on the dining room table, its glass catching the sunlight like it was mocking me.Wilbet doesn’t mention any of it. Not the missing staff, not the scaled-down dinners, not the canceled weekend getaway to countries that we never miss. He just moves through the house like it’s still filled with noise and people and champagne—like it’s still his.But I see the cracks now.The cracks in the marble floors. The chipped gold-leaf trim on the staircase. The way the lights flicker when the generator kicks in. Small things. But they add up.And then there’s the

  • The Don's purchase    The blue print

    EMILE — POVThey always assume I’m the villain.The bitter ex. The one who couldn’t keep him.But what they forget is—I built him.Before me, Wilbet was just another trust fund brat with charm and no compass. I gave him direction. I taught him how to hold a room, how to cut people down with a smile, how to weaponize silence. The slick suits, the cold ambition, the taste for control? All mine.I was the blueprint. The foundation. The one who shaped him into the man he is today. And now, he walks around like he invented power. Like he didn’t learn it in my bed, in my arms.They say he’s married now. That poor, quiet girl with the bruised wrists and wide eyes.Aziza.Even her name sounds fragile, like a whisper of a word that could easily be broken.She moves like a shadow, silent, careful. Like she’s always apologizing just for existing. She doesn’t talk much, but you can feel the fear in her posture, in the way she flinches before a room even notices her.She’s not a wife. She’s a poss

  • The Don's purchase    Too close too far

    MALCOLM — POVI had always prided myself on my restraint and control. It was something I had honed over the years—carefully cultivated through brutal discipline and relentless precision. I had immense experience when it came to handling people, especially women. I knew how to make them feel wanted, understood, even cherished, all while keeping my heart locked behind iron bars. But when it came to her… all those years of experience went flying out the window.I first saw her at a debutante ball. She wasn’t the one being celebrated—no, she was simply there to support her older sister, who was making her grand entrance into society. While the entire room buzzed over the elegance and poise of the beautiful, condescending older sister, my gaze landed elsewhere. On her. She was like a breath of fresh air in that stuffy ballroom, a vision wrapped in soft silk and mystery. Her discomfort was evident—like she’d rather be anywhere else but there. That alone was amusing to me. Unpolished. Authe

  • The Don's purchase    The price of a name

    WILBET — POVEvery man has his price mine thirty Million dollars And how do I intend on doing that Well it's very easy honestly See, I’m not some monster—I’m a product of my upbringing. I was raised to believe I deserved the finer things in life. Private schools. Tailored suits. Cuban cigars before I was legally allowed to smoke. I used to think wealth was a birthright, not something you worked for. But when you live like that without a plan? Without a fallback?You hit rock bottom.And believe me—I hit it hard.But I wasn’t going to beg. I had a reputation to uphold. A name. Wilbet Gregory doesn’t grovel. I had to be smart. Strategic. Marry rich—that’s always been the easiest con. That’s where Emile came in. God, she was everything I liked in a woman. Hot, leggy, toned as hell, and stupidly rich. She wore money like perfume. The kind of woman who bought islands for fun and never checked her bank balance.She was perfect.Except... she was wild. Fire in heels. Couldn’t tame her,

  • The Don's purchase    Paper Gods

    The rain hadn’t let up all morning. It was as if the universe was on the same page with my mood. It drummed against the windows with a rhythm too deliberate to ignore. The kind of rain that didn’t ask for permission—just seeped into everything. It filled the silence with something just loud enough to muffle guilt and expensive lies.The house was still. Sarah had gone grocery shopping. Wilbet, by some small miracle, had vanished hours earlier, muttering something about a board meeting and urgent calls. I didn’t care. All I wanted was silence.And the library—smug, dark, and lined with leather-bound delusions, Wilbet’s might I add—was the one place no one would dare look for me. The kind of room that existed for appearances, not use. The scent of old paper and wood was reassuring, if I didn’t think too hard about it.I ran a hand along the spines until I found a familiar title. The Economics of Prestige. Typical.Wilbet loved to decorate shelves with things he didn’t read. As if intel

  • The Don's purchase    Roses are liars

    The evening went surprisingly well—if we exclude the number of times Wilbet made a fool of himself.And as for Malcolm... well, if not for the people who saw us dance, I would’ve been sure I made the whole thing up.He didn’t say a word to me for the rest of the evening.Hopefully, he’ll let me go now.It was one thing dealing with silent abuse, but dabbling in infidelity wasn’t my forte, per se.The evening ended with Wilbet in high spirits, babbling away.I blame the never-ending flow of sparkling champagne.Not only could my husband not maintain a proper conversation, but he also had a pitiful alcohol tolerance.I ended up heaving the buffoon to bed—but that was fine with me.As long as he wasn’t going to touch me, I could live with it.I woke up to an empty bed the next morning.Wilbet’s side was very cold—an indication he had left a long time ago.Where to, you might ask?But honestly, I could care less.Sarah came into the room with a breakfast tray.“Good morning, miss.”“Good

  • The Don's purchase    Not yours to want

    "I’m all done, Mrs."Raya said as she excused herself to get her things ready to leave. As usual, she had done a stunning job—every bruise was efficiently covered, not a single trace left behind, like they had never existed at all. This was why Wilbet trusted her so much.And the dress… a work of art. A slender, simple silk gown from the archives of an ostentatious designer whose name escaped me. But it was breathtaking. Must have cost a pretty penny too. Anything to impress Malcolm Laurent, am I right?I stared at the woman in the mirror. She wasn’t me. She looked fearless. Stunning. The kind of woman people whispered about. The kind of woman others envied or wished they could be. But I was far—far—from that.I picked up the velvet box Wilbet had slid toward me earlier that morning at breakfast. Inside, nestled like temptation itself, lay the diamond necklace. I lifted the sparkling stones with careful hands and fastened them around my neck.It felt like a noose.A very expensive noo

  • The Don's purchase    Diamonds huh?

    The next morning, I sat at the long dining table, my hands wrapped around a delicate porcelain teacup. I wasn’t drinking—just holding it, letting the warmth seep into my fingers.Across from me, Wilbet was in high spirits. He spread marmalade over his toast, smiling to himself like a man who had just won the lottery."You’ll never guess who sent me an invitation this morning," he said, his voice carrying a smug edge.I didn’t answer. I kept my gaze trained on the teacup, watching the dark liquid ripple slightly with each movement of the table.Wilbet barely noticed my silence. "Malcolm Laurent," he continued, his voice swelling with satisfaction. "He’s invited us to a private dinner party at his estate. Can you believe that?"My stomach twisted.I didn’t need to ask why. I already knew.Malcolm wanted me there.The man had guts—I’d give him that.Wilbet grinned, taking a bite of his toast, chewing with exaggerated satisfaction. "I knew he’d take notice of me eventually. The Laurents d

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