Burried in Lies : The Sin of My Beloved

My steps halted in the doorway, my chest tightening at the sight before me. Archie sat on the sofa with a woman beside him—Claire. The very woman who had torn my household apart.

I shouldn't have been surprised. I knew this would happen. Yet, seeing it with my own eyes made my heart feel as though it were being crushed.

Claire sat gracefully, her sweet smile unwavering, as if she had done nothing wrong. In her arms, she cradled a baby—a baby that wasn’t just any child. It was Archie's. The child of the man who was still my husband.

As my gaze met Archie's, I saw the shock in his eyes. He immediately stood up and approached me, attempting to act as though this situation were entirely normal.

"Wendy, where have you been?" His tone carried a hint of irritation, yet his lips still curled into a smile, as if everything was perfectly fine.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t even want to acknowledge him at that moment.

Instead, my attention shifted to Claire, taking note of the way she looked at me—an expression difficult to decipher. There was pride in her eyes, as though she had just won something.

Archie, noticing where my gaze had landed, quickly spoke.

"Oh! Claire has just returned from Scotland," he said in a casual, almost excited tone. "She's here to see our son."

Our son.

The words echoed in my mind.

"That’s not our son, Archie," I said firmly.

Both Archie and Claire appeared taken aback, exchanging glances.

Before Archie could respond, I continued, "But if you want him to be part of this family, I don’t mind."

My words seemed to confuse them even further.

I didn’t care what they thought. I was done pretending.

I knew Archie wouldn’t find it easy to reveal Zac’s true identity.

"Welcome, Claire," I greeted her with a polite smile. "I hadn’t realised you were still in contact with my husband. Ah, I mean, your former lover—the one you left at the altar."

Claire’s smile faltered slightly, though she managed to maintain it. She gazed at me with that ever-pleasant expression, yet I could see something calculated lurking beneath.

"Yes, we’ve remained on good terms," she replied lightly. "Besides, weren’t we best friends before all that happened?"

Best friends, she said?

Yes, we had been. Archie, Claire, and I were once inseparable at school. Claire had always liked Archie, which had put a strain on our friendship. They had created their own world, shutting me out of it. And yet, fate had eventually made me part of Archie’s life instead.

And now, Claire had returned—after causing chaos at the wedding ceremony five years ago—acting as though she had done nothing wrong?

"Of course, I haven't forgotten," I said ambiguously. "If you want your world back, I'll gladly step aside."

Without waiting for a response, I stepped into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me. Pressing my back against it, I exhaled deeply, the tightness in my chest creeping back in.

Did they take me for a fool?

Did they truly believe I would welcome their child with open arms and love it as if it were my own? No. I would not waste my life. I would not waste a lifetime on them.

How could I love their baby when mine lay buried beneath the damp, dark earth?

Just as I was about to compose myself, my phone vibrated on the nightstand. I frowned as I saw Leon’s name flash across the screen.

[Tomorrow. Harvest Café. Nine o’clock. I’ve got what you need.]

My heart skipped a beat. He had done it.

A new identity.

An identity that would erase Wendy Clark from this world.