All Chapters of A Lifetime Sealed by a False Oath: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I stared at the reflection in the bathroom mirror, my eyes red and swollen from crying. Memories of the past seven years with Chandler flashed through my mind.When we first got together, he used to wait half an hour in the freezing winter nights just to drive me home from work, often surprising me with macarons I'd once casually mentioned liking.We started our business from scratch. When funds were tight, he turned our tiny rented apartment into an office. For six months after that, he slept curled up on the couch while insisting I take the only single bed.After the company went public, life finally got easier. The day he proposed, he rented out an entire theater and prepared a surprise I'd remember for the rest of my life.When I was pregnant, he never let me lift a finger. All day, he cared for every detail of my life with a private doctor and nutritionist arranged just for me. I'd never doubted his love or wondered if it was all an act. Now, I understood that his love was g

I started packing.After seven years with Chandler, nearly everything in the house carried a memory of us together. I selected essentials for my suitcase and threw everything else away. Pictures of me and Chandler, every gift he'd given me, souvenirs from our travels, matching couple's pajamas and slippers… I figured that once Heather moved in, they wouldn't want to see any of it anyway.As I was sorting through my belongings, there was a knock at my door. I opened it to find Alfie standing outside."The room next to mine is really noisy, Mom. I can't sleep."If I remembered correctly, the room next to his was Grandma's."You can sleep with me tonight, sweetheart," I said. Alfie obediently climbed onto my bed, and I hummed a lullaby until he drifted off.Once he was asleep, I quietly slipped out of the room and approached Grandma's room. As I drew closer, I could unmistakably hear heavy breathing and muffled sounds from within."Not so loud, Chandler… What if someone hears?"

Four years ago, Chandler and I were accidentally locked in the company warehouse overnight. I'd always suffered from claustrophobia, and back then, I was so terrified I could barely breathe. It was Chandler who held me tightly, comforted me, and promised he'd find a way to get us out. But now, it seemed he'd forgotten entirely about my claustrophobia.I was locked in a dark, damp basement. My phone was taken away, cutting me off from the outside world entirely.Time lost its meaning as I drifted in and out of sleep in the darkness and spent every waking moment crying in a breakdown.I couldn't understand how Chandler had turned into a man like that. He used to love me so much, but the moment Heather appeared, it was as though he'd been bewitched to shower all his love and trust on her instead. Or perhaps, the scale deep within his chest had always been tilted in her favor.Was it just because her parents were gone, and she had no one else to rely on? I couldn't make sense of

When I woke up, I found myself lying in a hospital ward. Chandler, whose eyes were bloodshot, was sitting by my side."Oh, you're finally awake! Thank heavens!"He looked as though he hadn't slept for days, with dark circles under his eyes and a thick bandage still wrapped around his head. Clutching my hand desperately, he covered it with kisses as if on the verge of tears."I thought I was going to lose you, my love. It's such a relief that you're fine... If anything had happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself…"Listening to the tremor in his voice, I instinctively pulled my hand back. "I'm tired. I just want to rest."Assuming I was still upset with him, he planted a doting kiss on my forehead and said, "Rest well, my love. I promise to make it up to you once you've recovered."As he was leaving, he paused at the door. "Oh, and our wedding anniversary is next Saturday. I booked the largest opera house in the city to celebrate and promise to make it an unforgetta

Chandler's head snapped up. "My love, you're finally here—"His words came to an abrupt halt, and his expression froze mid-smile.Heather opened the doors and stepped in. She'd dressed meticulously for the occasion, wearing a stunning lake-blue couture gown that made her stand out in the crowd.But Chandler frowned. "What are you doing here?"Heather rushed toward him in small, hurried steps and grabbed his hand with a coquettish pout. "You said today's an important day, didn't you? Of course, I had to show my support."Chandler took a subtle step back and instinctively pulled his hand away. "I told you to stay home today, didn't I?"Still oblivious to the shift in his mood, Heather continued to whine as she always did. "Come on, I just want to watch and won't cause any trouble. Besides, am I not your real wife?"At that, a chill ran down Chandler's spine as he reflectively stepped back. "No. We agreed it was just on paper, and Danielle will always be my true wife in name."Wit