All Chapters of My Marriage Was Built on Lies: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Clara was already rattled beyond control.She would rather Daniel question her, even lash out at her, than sit there like this—calm and unreadable, as if nothing had happened.After the funeral, Daniel returned home without a word.Clara followed behind him carefully. “Daniel, can you at least let me explain?”The door closed, and whatever restraint he’d been holding onto slipped.He dropped onto the couch, drained, the cold in his eyes impossible to hide.He looked at her, his voice flat.“Go on.”Clara forced a smile.“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen…”“I know playing cards isn’t allowed. I didn’t dare let anyone find out. I was afraid it would reflect badly on you, Sophie, and the baby. So, I panicked. “I said the first thing that came to mind and pushed everything onto Sophie. I never thought it would turn out like this. But…”She shifted, her tone changing.“If you really think about it, this only happened because you were trying to stand up for me. It’s not my fault. “A

Daniel’s mind went blank.“What is this?!”Clara’s eyes widened. She lunged forward to stop him, but she was too late.He yanked the baby’s pants down, and bruises bloomed across the soft skin of his legs—dark, ugly patches.Daniel stared at them, stunned, as if something heavy had dropped into his chest, stealing the air from his lungs.Heat rushed to his head, his blood surging.He turned to Clara, his gaze sharp as a blade.“What happened?”Clara forced a smile. “He… he did that to himself…”“Don’t lie!” Daniel roared, cutting her off.“He can’t even walk yet. How would he do this to himself? Clara, did you do this? I’ll ask you one last time! Tell me the truth!”His voice carried a command she couldn’t defy.Clara flinched, her eyes reddening as tears spilled over.“Yes, I did it! But I only did it because of you!“Daniel, I don’t understand. You like me, so why can’t we be together? You push me away, you want me gone. That place you’re sending us to is awful. How is he supposed to

Clara was rushed into surgery and barely survived.But when she woke, she was no longer herself.She spent her days clutching a pillow, stroking it gently. “Shh… sleep, baby… Mommy’s here. No one’s going to take you away…”Outside the room, a nurse let out a quiet sigh.“She suffered a severe emotional shock, then a concussion. The stress never settled. Her nervous system’s been affected. That’s why…“If she stays, we can try medication and monitoring. There’s a chance she might improve. “Otherwise, she’ll have to be transferred to a psychiatric facility. And if that happens, this is likely permanent.”Daniel watched her through the glass, his expression cold.He didn’t hesitate.“Transfer her. I’ll cover the cost.”They were both responsible for Sophie’s death.For the rest of his life, he would live with that.And for Clara, losing her child and mind, this would be the last punishment he could give in Sophie’s name.After leaving the hospital, Daniel went straight to his superior’s

Sophie fell silent for a moment.So, Daniel still didn’t know about the divorce.Of course. He had never loved her, so nothing about her had ever truly mattered to him.But the Sophie now was no longer the woman who would break down in tears like before.Her expression remained blank as she spoke, as if she were telling someone else’s story.“The reason I disappeared so completely was because I had already passed the audition for an out-of-town performing arts company. “I used the company’s paperwork to file for a court-approved divorce. The decree’s already been finalized. I have my copy.“Yours is probably buried somewhere in a stack of documents in your office, or maybe it never made it to your unit. But whether you know it or not, our marriage is already over.“Congratulations. You can finally be with Clara Bailey and the child you have with her openly.”At the mention of the child that had never belonged to her, a sharp ache still pierced through her chest.“No…”Daniel’s eyes we

The moment she slipped into her room and shut the door, Sophie’s heart was pounding wildly.Her roommate caught sight of her flushed face and immediately leaned in, eyes sparkling with curiosity.“Sophie, what happened? Were you whispering something with Dr. Hayes? Or is it about that man who suddenly showed up on stage today? Who is he?”Sophie burrowed straight under her blanket. “Don’t ask! Just… not him, okay?”Her roommate tilted her head, thoughtful. “Then it’s Dr. Hayes…”Sophie pulled the blanket over her head, her thoughts drifting.The woman she used to be—the one who scraped by, counting every dollar, shaping her life around a man—would never have imagined she’d one day live a bright and youthful life again.That day, she dragged her battered body out of that wasteland and made it to the train station.Before roll call even reached her name, she collapsed from exhaustion.In her hazy memory, a young man rushed forward, tending to her wounds and bandaging her injuries.His mo