Why To Lie

Bagi Bella, pernikahannya dengan Dave bukanlah pernikahan yang normal. Mereka saling mencintai, tetapi mereka sama-sama membohongi satu sama lain. Kehadiran orang-orang dari masa lalu, seolah mendukung mereka untuk terus memakai topeng. Bella tidak yakin, apakah pernikahan yang mereka jalani karena cinta?

The day I found out I wasn't really an Adelson, Sharon—their real daughter—stormed in and stabbed me—over and over. Just like that, my shot at being a mom? Gone. Chuck Benetton, my fiancé, lost it. My parents swore they'd disown her. To "comfort" me, Chuck proposed on the spot. My parents handed me the severance letter—Sharon officially disowned—and told me to just focus on healing. Later, they said Sharon had run off and gotten trafficked in Nyamara, some hotspot for scams and lost souls. They said it served her right. And yeah... I believed them. Six years into the lie, I saw her—very much alive, baby bump and all, curled up against my husband like she owned him. "If I hadn't snapped back then, Yasmine never would've married you, " she said. "Thank God you and Mom and Dad backed me. Otherwise, that imposter would've landed me in jail. "She probably never guessed I've been right here, carrying your baby. Once I give birth, just fake an adoption. She can nanny our kid forever. "Thanks for everything, Chuck." She smiled like he was her hero. And he blushed. "Don't thank me. Marrying her was the only way to protect you. I'd do it all again." So yeah. The guy I thought loved me? He was always lying. My "parents"? They only cared about Sharon. If that's love, I want nothing to do with it.

"Come on Haidan." Antoine murmured moving forward so that his face was getting dangerously close to mine. "I'm not that bad of a choice, am I?" "You..." I whispered as I felt a small flutter in my stomach at our close proximity. "You're getting too close." "Does it make you uncomfortable?" Antoine asked, allowing his breath to tickle my skin. "Or is it turning you on?" Meeting Antoine's gaze, I tried to determine the answer to his question myself. Was I uncomfortable? Or was I actually becoming turned on by this? If it was the latter, then was it because Antoine looked so much like Ashton? "I don't know." I responded as Antoine's face began to block out my vision. His lips touched mine with a feather-soft lightness, sending a tingle running through my body. Pulling away, his eyes began to search my face for any sign of argument against his actions. Satisfied that there was nothing there, he pressed his lips to mine again, this time much more firmly. Haidan had always found Ashton, the elder of the Alpha twins to be her knight in shining armor, especially after a near death experience when she was young. So enthralled she decided on a whim, to confess. That was the day her entire world came crashing down. Suffering from rejection, Haidan's best friend and the younger Alpha twin Antoine, proposes a deal to help Haidan forget her heartbreak. What will she choose? And would she come to regret that decision or thrive because of it?

เขารักคนพี่แต่ทำไมเขาต้องแต่งกับคนน้อง.. ไอ้สัญญาระหว่างพ่อกับเพื่อนพ่อถ้าเขาไม่ทำมันก็ถือเป็นการเนรคุณ ดังนั้นการแต่งงานที่ไม่เต็มใจจึงเกิดขึ้นแต่ไม่เป็นไรเขาจะทำให้เธอทนไม่ได้และหายไปเอง “ทำไมคุณพ่อทำกับหนูแบบนี้คะ? เงินนั่นคุณแม่เก็บเอาไว้ให้หนู.. มันไม่ใช่น้อยๆ เลยนะคะ.. แล้วไหนจะเงินเดือนที่หนูส่งมาให้อีก.. คุณพ่อใจร้ายกับหนูมากเลยนะคะ.. หนูไม่คิดเลยว่าทุกคนจะเอาเปรียบหนูได้ถึงขนาดนี้.. พี่มายด์ลูกสาวสุดที่รักของคุณพ่อก็อีกคน.. โตขนาดนี้แล้วทำไมไม่หัดทำงานทำการบ้างคะ จะต้องรอให้แก่ตายก่อนรึยังไงถึงจะคิดได้… หนูรู้ค่ะว่าคุณพ่อรักพี่มายด์มาตลอดแต่หนูเลือกที่จะปิดตาข้างนึงและปลอบใจตัวเองว่าหนูคิดมากไป หนูอาจจะอิจฉาพี่มายด์.. แต่นับวันเมื่อหนูโตขึ้นมันเริ่มไม่เป็นแบบนั้น คุณพ่อไม่แม้แต่จะโทรมาหาหนูและถามว่าหนูสบายดีไหม.. หนูเหมือนอยู่ตัวคนเดียว.. ถ้าวันนั้นหนูเลือกไปกับคุณตาคุณยาย..”

A seventeen years old Sera Calix was never meant to set a foot in Virelade Academy, the country's most prestigious elite all boys school. But a paperwork error gave her a chance to escape a life of serving the masters and she'll do anything to hold onto it. Even if it means disguising herself as a boy!. The plan was to keep her head down, graduate and disappear but the problem was Kael Ashbourne, her new roommate, her worst nightmare and on top of that he's the son of the president, the same man where her mom works for. As secrets build, Sera struggles to survive a world that was built to shut her out. But the biggest danger wasn't being caught but it's the way Kael looks at her like he already knows she's lying.

One immigration application ended my marriage— and erased me from my husband’s world forever. I was Arabella Ashford— the wife of the man everyone wanted to marry. An Italian mafia heir—Born into power, wealth, and fear. A bloodline successor watched by international law enforcement, forbidden to cross borders, permanently barred from U.S. territory. They said he adored me— built me a private estate so I’d never hear the city, sent me flowers for no reason, just to make me smile, remembered every little thing I liked, every habit and quirk, No one saw the truth. And while the world called him perfect— he was putting another woman in my place, and another life in her womb. So I made my choice. I filed for permanent residency overseas. With that one signature, I erased myself from his world. From that moment on, he would never find me again. This was the price of his betrayal. He didn’t realize I was losing him that day. When he discovered the woman he betrayed was already beyond his reach. That was when he lost everything. He gave up his position. Walked away from his inheritance. Turned his back on a throne men would kill for— all to cross an ocean he was never allowed to enter.

I'm on track to be a top student, but I end up taking the SAT twice. The first time, I score high enough to get into Westbridge University. The second time, my score qualifies me for Northfield University. Each time, I score over 1500. Yet when the admissions teams see my name, not a single school admits me. At first, I think it must be some kind of background check, certain they've found something in my record. But my parents are honest, hardworking people. They've never broken the law. They wouldn't even harm a fly. So I try a third time. My SAT score is 1580, and my GPA is still perfect. This time, I apply to Crestwood University, thinking I finally have it in the bag. The Crestwood University admissions officer arrives full of cheer, but the moment he sees my name, he freezes, immediately realizing there is no way I will be accepted. I rack my brain, trying to figure out what is wrong with my name. Why does seeing it make every school hesitate, even though my scores are perfect?

Six years ago, a corporate acquisition deal I handled went up in flames, and 50 billion dollars vanished into thin air. Bankrupt investors spray red paint all over my front door for a year straight. Dad died from a stroke, and Mom lost her mind and disappeared. I ended up doing six years in prison for embezzlement. After I got out, I changed my name and started delivering food in downtown, running myself ragged for a few bucks per delivery. But then my ex-wife, Shirley Pearce, showed up, and the entire delivery station ground to a halt. She had become a financial powerhouse, a regular on the covers of business magazines. Reporters blocked my delivery scooter, shoving microphones in my face. "Mr. Marcus Quinn, Ms. Pearce has been single for six years, paid off all your debts, and she's been waiting for you to come home!" I stared at that perfectly made-up woman with her adoring eyes and felt nothing but disgust. That so-called "devoted" ex-wife of mine? Six years ago, she had forged company seals to help her boy toy short the stock market. Then, when everything fell apart, she threw me under the bus to save herself.

Nadine Sullivan doesn't come home to have dinner with me on my birthday. Instead, she transfers 100 dollars to me and sends me a text, saying, "I love you." Coincidentally, a resident doctor at her hospital updates his social media with a photo. It's a screenshot of her transferring 10,000 dollars to him. She's also texted him, "I love you to the moon and back." I don't throw a tantrum or kick up a fuss. All I do is leave the city without hesitation. The first day after my departure, I hear that Nadine is unfazed. She says, "He'll be back after a few days." The first month after my departure, Nadine calls me. "I'll transfer 100 thousand dollars to you, alright? Can you come back now?" I've never wanted her money, though.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, my mother-in-law Mary came to visit us from Ohio. I took her to my husband Liam's new spa in Manhattan, Apropos. We enjoyed a basic facial treatment together, which I had purchased for $9.90 on an e-commerce platform. Right after the treatment, the beautician slapped a high-priced package down in front of us. She glanced at us contemptuously and said: "Do you really think you can enjoy our premium services with a $9.90 coupon?Stop kidding. You two look like you’re here to freeload. A single facial here costs thousands of dollars. This isn’t some free trial for cheapskates like you." I suppressed my anger and said coldly: “We have already paid for the basic treatment. How can you call this taking advantage for free?. Go get your manager.” A flashy woman walked over. Her arms were crossed. She looked down her nose at us. “I’m the Boss lady of this place.You and this old hag are just trying to get something for free, aren’t you? Let me be clear. You're buying this five-thousand-dollar hydration treatment today. Or you're not walking out that door.” A five-thousand-dollar hydration treatment? So this was it. This was why Liam suddenly got into the beauty industry. He didn't open a spa. He opened a scam shop to bankroll his mistress. I was about to call Liam, but she beat me to it, dialing a number. “Darling, you need to get down to the spa, right now. I've got a couple of hicks from the sticks making a scene, trying to get free services!”