It was our wedding night, a night I had imagined would be filled with joy and romance. But as Scott leaned in for a kiss, I couldn’t shake the exhaustion from the whirlwind of the day. Gently, I turned my head away, hoping he’d understand. And he did. With a soft smile, he wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close. We lay in silence, but sleep was hard to come by.
In the dead of night, I woke to a strange feeling—the bed was shaking. At first, I thought it was just the breeze or my imagination, but the shaking continued. Still groggy, I turned over to see what was happening. My heart froze in my chest at the sight before me.
Scott was kneeling beside the bed, his face tense, cradling a baby. My eyes widened, confusion flooding my mind. What was going on?
“Scott,” I whispered, my voice shaking with surprise. “Who is this?”
Scott looked away, his face clouded with something I couldn’t place. “This is Ella,” he murmured, his voice soft and hesitant. “She’s my niece. My stepsister, Maya…she passed away a few weeks ago.” His words hit me like a punch, and my head spun with questions.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. The shock was settling in, but the weight of the revelation was heavier than I could have imagined, especially on our wedding night.
Scott lowered his head, guilt taking over his expression. “I was scared, Everly,” he said, his voice strained. “I was scared you’d walk away if you knew.”
The room felt so quiet after that, like the world had gone still. We spent the rest of the night in silence, me trying to process everything. The next morning, we left for Scott’s estate, bringing Ella along as if it was the most natural thing in the world. It felt like an unspoken decision had been made, and I was being swept along in the current of Scott’s choices. I couldn’t voice my concerns, not yet.
Days went by, and I struggled with a growing unease. I loved Scott, but the secrets he kept were starting to eat away at me. I could see that he was trying to be a good man, a good partner, but what was he hiding? What else didn’t I know?
One evening, I was holding Ella in my arms, my thoughts swirling, when I finally decided to ask Scott more about Maya. “Why did you feel the need to raise Ella?” I asked, my voice soft but determined. “Why not someone else? Why her?”
His answer was vague, as if he was avoiding something. He gave me a look, like he was trying to make it sound simple, but it didn’t add up. He didn’t mention anything about Ella’s father, and that made me suspicious. What wasn’t he telling me?
Frustrated and desperate for answers, I waited until Scott went to work. As soon as the door closed behind him, I made my way to his study, knowing it was the only place where I might uncover the truth. There, on his desk, was a photo of Scott standing proudly next to a pregnant woman, his smile wide and beaming. The woman was Maya. And the moment I saw the photo, everything he had told me fell apart.
When Scott came home that evening, I didn’t waste a moment. I held up the photo, my hands trembling as I demanded answers. “She’s not your niece, is she?” I asked, my voice breaking. “She’s your daughter.”
Scott’s face paled, and his shoulders slumped. He didn’t even try to deny it. “I didn’t want you to know, Everly,” he said, his voice quiet with shame. “Ella is my daughter. I kept it a secret because I didn’t want to ruin our marriage before it even started.”
The words hit me like a blow. I was torn—torn between my growing attachment to Ella and the trust Scott had shattered. I felt betrayed. I suggested that maybe Ella should go live with a foster family, someone who could give her a fresh start, away from all the lies. Scott’s face twisted with horror. “No,” he said firmly, his voice rising. “She stays with us.”
An argument broke out between us, but I stood my ground. I couldn’t ignore the betrayal. The pain in my chest was overwhelming, and I needed space. I left that night, feeling lost and uncertain.
I found myself on the beach, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. It was the only place where I could think clearly. But as I stood there, trying to collect my thoughts, a woman approached me. Her eyes were sharp, studying Ella, before locking onto me with an unsettling gaze.
“Is that Scott’s daughter?” she asked, her smile thin and knowing.
I nodded, taken aback. “How do you know Scott?”
The woman’s smile faded, and her voice dropped to a cold whisper. “Be careful. Scott’s not the man you think he is. There are secrets you don’t know.” She turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding.
Confused and shaken, I confronted Scott that evening, but he brushed off my concerns. “There’s no more secrets between us,” he said, his tone defensive. But I didn’t believe him. Something was off, and I couldn’t let it go.
Days later, I met the woman again, this time at a café. Her eyes were full of urgency, and she spoke with a sense of fear I couldn’t ignore. “You need to leave, Everly,” she urged, her voice shaking. “Scott’s past is darker than you realize. He’s tied to people who could ruin your life.”
I was stunned, unable to comprehend what she was saying. My mind raced with the implications, the fear growing like a shadow in the back of my mind. And just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, I realized something else—I was pregnant.
Walking through our silent house, Amanda’s warning echoed in my mind. Could I truly trust the man I had married? Or had I unknowingly walked into a life filled with dark secrets, lies, and dangers I couldn’t even imagine?
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