CHAPTER
EIGHT: The Lie (Three Months Before the Wedding)
Leo came home
that night with takeout from Maya's favorite Thai restaurant. He set the bags on the counter and wrapped his arms around her from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder.
"Guess
what?" he murmured against her ear. "I got the promotion. Chief of
Surgery. Starting next month. The board voted unanimously. They said I was the
best candidate they'd ever seen."
Maya spun around,
genuine joy flooding through her. "Leo! That's incredible! That's everything you've worked for."
"I
know." He was grinning, boyish and proud, his whole face lit up with
excitement. "We should celebrate. Let's go away this weekend. Just the two
of us. Somewhere quiet. A bed and breakfast, maybe. Just us, no phones, no
wedding planning, no stress."
Maya's smile
faltered. "I can't. I have a vendor meeting on Saturday. And Rachel—"
She stopped, horrified.
Leo's brow
furrowed. "Rachel? Who's Rachel?"
Maya's mind
scrambled for cover. "A client," she said quickly. "A bride I'm
working with. Her name is Rachel. She's really demanding. High-maintenance. I
have to meet with her this weekend. She's been difficult about every single
detail."
Leo's expression softened. "You work too hard. Can't she reschedule? Can't someone else handle her?"
"I'll
try," Maya said, forcing a smile. "But I'll make it up to you. I
promise. We'll celebrate your promotion properly next weekend. Just the two of
us."
He kissed her forehead and went to unpack the takeout, humming happily about his promotion. Maya stood frozen in the kitchen, her heart pounding so loudly she was certain he could hear it.
*Rachel. You
just called Rachel a demanding bride. You just lied to your fiancé about his
ex-girlfriend. You just pretended she was a difficult client instead of the
woman he almost married.*
She was
losing herself in this web of deception. Every lie made the next one easier.
Every secret made the next one heavier. She was becoming someone she didn't
recognize—a woman who lied to the man she loved, who manipulated his
ex-girlfriend, who had turned her own life into a spy novel.
And she
still hadn't told him about the videos.
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