Novel & Cerita Lies You Never Told Me

He put a hand on the door. Martha and Francis called out to him again, and he finally squashed down the anxiety in his heart. “Come to me before the wedding starts. I have something to tell you.” Joy said nothing. She just looked down. But Samuel wanted to get confirmation from her. He repeated himself, “It’s really important. You have to come to me!” It seemed like he would not leave unless she said yes, so Joy lied by nodding. “I understand. I will.” The anxiety in Samuel’s heart faded away because of Joy’s words. He let go of the door and left.

The second she hung up, it felt like my chest had been hollowed out and filled with ice. That's when it hit me—I'd been played the whole time. Her promises to save my money? Total lies. From the start, she'd planned to use my savings for Chad's house. That night, I cried until I physically couldn't anymore. Then I begged, borrowed, and scrambled until I finally scraped together the ten grand I needed for treatment. The next five years were absolute hell. The pain was relentless, gnawing at me every night, leaving me clutching my pillow just to keep from screaming.

Badly. I poured a glass and took a hesitant sip, grimacing as the burn trailed down my throat. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. I had to tell Liam. If I kept postponing it, he might find out from someone else. The thought alone made my stomach knot. I took another gulp, forcing it down my throat. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Frowning, I pulled it out. It was a message from an unknown number. I dismissed it as spam and meant to delete it, but my finger slipped.

When she patted my shoulder, everything I'd been holding back finally broke loose, and I broke out into deep, uncontrollable sobs. I was exhausted and half-asleep when my phone buzzed with a new message. I tapped on it and noticed it was from Harvey. [Calm down and think about it for a few days. I'll come get you once you've thought it through. Don't overthink, honey.] At some point, he had unblocked my number, but it was now my turn to block him. What was the line between truth and overthinking, really? The first time I came across Cassie's name was years ago at his parents' house, when I had been cleaning his room filled with traces of his youth.

And the Liam I knew would never apologize for forgetting. This man says “I’m trying.” Liam never tried. When he walks away, I exhale shakily and sit back down, heart racing. Something is coming. I can feel it, a storm gathering just beyond the trees. And when Jordan gets here, I’ll have to decide: expose the man who made me feel safe for the first time in years—or let myself fall for the only lie that’s ever loved me. --- By late afternoon, I’ve folded every blanket in the house, wiped down spotless counters, and organized the spice rack alphabetically—twice. I keep busy to keep my hands from shaking, to keep my thoughts from spiraling.

“You’re lying.” “Am I?” I quirked an eyebrow at him, reveling in the fact that I had the upper hand for once. “Where. Is. It? I had to go to school without showering this morning. I’m already pissed. Don’t make it worse for you.” “I told you it’s around.” “Julian.” “Asher.” He bumped his chest against mine, and my back hit the door. “Tell me where it is. Now.”

"How could this be? This isn't real!" Liam ignored his phone as it slipped from his hand when he got up, rushing to check Cecilia's urn. "Liam, as your wife, I had no choice but to accept that you fell in love with someone else. But as a mother, I will hate you forever, and I will never forgive you." I stepped aside, blocking his way. "You are not worthy of touching my daughter." "Don't be like this, Sofia. I had no idea. Why didn't you tell me? You should have told me—this is a serious matter!" Liam stammered, his words incoherent.

What I thought was my happiness was nothing more than a cruel, elaborate lie. I collapsed to the ground in despair and, without thinking, answered the phone that suddenly rang. "Zoe, the butler said you left for the hospital again today. You haven't rested in days! Come home and take a break. You don’t look well, and it's worrying me." My mom’s gentle, concerned voice came through, as warm as ever. However, now that I knew the truth, listening to her only made my heart sink into a pit of ice. My mom wasn’t worried about me. She was just afraid I'd run into Issa and discover everything.

I groan and lean back in my chair while Emily keeps grinning like an evil matchmaker. Then— My phone buzzes again. A message. Unknown Number. I already know who it is. Against my better judgment, I open it. Eat the cheesecake, Sia. You stress-eat when you’re angry. My breath catches slightly. Because— He’s right. Slowly, Emily notices my expression. Her grin fades a little. “What?” she asks softly. I stare at the message again. At the way he still remembers things nobody else notices. Tiny things. Insignificant things.

Neva had sent the message from a different phone. That was the first thing Corinna noticed. Different number, same unmistakable cadence. Her mother wrote texts the way she said everything else. No contractions. No softening. Just the precise minimum required to convey the information. I have it. Three words that meant Neva had known exactly what she was carrying for four years and had said nothing. Three words that meant the man who answered her phone either didn't know she had already moved the document — or had let her send the message deliberately.