The Perfect Love, The Perfect Deception

The Perfect Love, The Perfect Deception

Rabbit

5.0
Comment(s)
68.9K
View
27
Chapters

My life with Liam Goldstein was a fairytale, a perfect love story plastered across every magazine and TV screen in Manhattan. He'd even unveiled the "Maya's Horizon" necklace, a multi-million-dollar cascade of sapphires, celebrating our perfect devotion. But fairytales are just that – tales. Then came the burner phone, the hushed calls, the screenshots, and hotel receipts that screamed 'affair'. I watched him live-stream gifts to his young mistress, Ava Sinclair, calling her his "queen," only to later find her visibly pregnant in a hospital, flaunting our engagement necklace and talking about a "situation" with me. His friends, the same ones who toasted our "perfect love," smirked as he publicly kissed Ava and joked about his "side action," assuring her I'd "never find out." Every grand gesture he'd made, from donating a kidney to cultivating a white rose garden, flashed before my eyes, revealing themselves as calculated performances. How could the man who saved my life, the one I vowed to, betray me with such grotesque audacity, in front of the world and his complicit inner circle? It felt like a sick cosmic joke, a public humiliation disguised as love. But I had given him a warning on our wedding day: "If you ever lie to me, truly lie, I will vanish from your life as if I never existed." Now, it was time to activate the Phoenix Initiative, erase Maya Goldstein, and leave Liam with nothing but ghost of a promise he had shattered.

Chapter 1 1

My life with Liam Goldstein was a fairytale, a perfect love story plastered across every magazine and TV screen in Manhattan.

He'd even unveiled the "Maya's Horizon" necklace, a multi-million-dollar cascade of sapphires, celebrating our perfect devotion.

But fairytales are just that – tales.

Then came the burner phone, the hushed calls, the screenshots, and hotel receipts that screamed 'affair'.

I watched him live-stream gifts to his young mistress, Ava Sinclair, calling her his "queen," only to later find her visibly pregnant in a hospital, flaunting our engagement necklace and talking about a "situation" with me.

His friends, the same ones who toasted our "perfect love," smirked as he publicly kissed Ava and joked about his "side action," assuring her I'd "never find out."

Every grand gesture he'd made, from donating a kidney to cultivating a white rose garden, flashed before my eyes, revealing themselves as calculated performances.

How could the man who saved my life, the one I vowed to, betray me with such grotesque audacity, in front of the world and his complicit inner circle?

It felt like a sick cosmic joke, a public humiliation disguised as love.

But I had given him a warning on our wedding day: "If you ever lie to me, truly lie, I will vanish from your life as if I never existed."

Now, it was time to activate the Phoenix Initiative, erase Maya Goldstein, and leave Liam with nothing but ghost of a promise he had shattered.

Chapter 1

Maya Evans dialed the number.

It was a number she knew by heart, a lifeline to an ending.

"Phoenix Initiative," a quiet, professional voice answered.

"Client Nightingale," Maya said, her voice even.

She stood by the large window of her Manhattan penthouse, looking down at the city that had been her stage.

"We are prepared to activate upon your confirmation, Nightingale."

"Confirm," Maya said. "Full protocol. Erase Maya Goldstein."

There was a pause, then, "Understood. Activation in progress."

The call ended. Maya lowered the phone, a burner, and dropped it into a glass of water on the sleek, modern countertop.

It was done. The first step.

A news report played softly on the oversized television in the living area.

Liam Goldstein, her husband, was on screen.

He was at a charity gala, charming, handsome.

The report replayed the moment from last week: Liam unveiling the "Maya's Horizon" necklace.

A cascade of sapphires and diamonds, a multi-million dollar spectacle.

The newscaster gushed, "A testament to their perfect love, a love story for the ages."

Maya watched, a bitter taste in her mouth.

Perfect love.

If only they knew.

The news segment continued, a montage of Liam's devotion.

"Four years ago, Mr. Goldstein donated a kidney to his then-fiancée, Maya, saving her life."

Footage of Liam, looking weaker but smiling, beside a recovering Maya in a hospital bed.

"He cultivated an award-winning white rose garden at their Hamptons estate, simply because white roses are her favorite."

A breathtaking shot of the sprawling garden.

"And who can forget the privately published 'Book of Us,' a collection of their most cherished moments, a true romantic gesture."

Close-up of a beautifully bound book.

Maya felt nothing watching it now, only a cold, hard knot in her stomach.

The public saw a saint. She knew the devil.

Her mind went back. Her parents' divorce.

A public, ugly mess. Infidelity splashed across tabloids.

It had made her terrified of commitment, of being fooled.

Liam had pursued her for three long years.

Relentless, charming, seemingly sincere.

He learned she coveted a rare first-edition book.

He found it at a high-stakes, underground auction.

There was a scuffle, an accident. Liam was badly injured, almost died, all to get her that book.

That grand, dangerous gesture. It had finally, foolishly, convinced her.

He had proposed then, in the hospital, pale but triumphant, the book on his bedside table.

She remembered her words, clear and precise, at their lavish wedding.

A vow that was also a warning.

She'd looked him in the eyes, her hand in his.

"I can forgive many things, Liam," she'd said, her voice soft but firm in the silent church.

"But not deceit. If you ever lie to me, truly lie, I will vanish from your life as if I never existed."

He had smiled, kissed her hand, promised her eternal honesty.

A promise he had shattered.

Three months ago. That was when her world had cracked.

Late nights Liam claimed were "investor meetings."

Hushed phone calls he'd take on the balcony.

A burner phone, hidden deep in his gym bag, discovered by chance.

And then, the undeniable proof.

Screenshots, messages, hotel receipts.

An affair with Ava Sinclair, a young, ambitious influencer.

Maya had felt the ground disappear beneath her.

She had meticulously gathered more evidence, planned her exit.

Yesterday, she signed the divorce papers.

She placed them neatly inside the velvet-lined "Maya's Horizon" necklace box.

The real necklace was probably still with him, or with Ava.

Liam came home late, just as she finished with the Phoenix Initiative.

He claimed it was a "business trip to Chicago."

He looked tired, but his eyes held a familiar spark of excitement she now knew wasn't for her.

Faint, almost invisible scratches, high on his neck, disappearing into his collar.

He tried to kiss her. She turned her head slightly.

"Long trip," he said, trying to sound casual.

He pulled out the actual "Maya's Horizon" necklace. It glittered under the lights.

"I had it cleaned," he said, his voice smooth. "For our anniversary next week."

Liar. He'd probably been showing it off to Ava, letting her touch it.

The thought made Maya feel sick.

She picked up the identical, but empty, necklace box from the coffee table.

The one with the divorce papers inside.

"I have an early anniversary gift for you too, Liam," she said, her voice carefully neutral.

She handed him the box.

He looked surprised, then pleased. "For me? You shouldn't have."

"Open it in two weeks," Maya said. "On our actual anniversary. For maximum impact."

Liam, ever confident, ever oblivious, grinned. "Mysterious. I like it."

He kissed her forehead, then headed for the shower, humming.

Maya watched him go. Two weeks.

By then, Maya Goldstein would be a ghost.

Continue Reading

Other books by Rabbit

More
My Alpha's Heartless Contract Wife

My Alpha's Heartless Contract Wife

Werewolf

5.0

"Anya, a 'wolfless' in a world of powerful werewolves, was invisible, drowning her sorrows and desperately lonely. One drunken text, a desperate cry for attention, accidentally reached the Alpha, pulling her into his terrifying orbit. Now, she's trapped, a pawn in his game, forced to warm his bed while he waits for his true mate, her heart breaking with every stolen moment. As a 'wolfless' in the Blackwood Pack, Anya felt like an outsider, always yearning for a connection. One night, in a drunken haze, a misdirected text meant for her best friend landed in Alpha Declan Blackwood's inbox: ""Send me something hot."" Minutes later, the most powerful, terrifying man in the Pack stood at her door, claiming her with a possessive kiss that ignited a dangerous, unwanted fire. The next morning, his cold indifference shattered her world. Publicly humiliated and instantly fired, Anya became a pariah. Her dying mother's urgent need for a million-dollar heart transplant left her with an impossible choice: accept the Alpha's cold, transactional marriage proposal or watch her mother die. She became his ""placeholder"" wife, a contract, not a partner, all while battling a confusing attraction to the man who treated her as property. Why did he demand her, only to remind her constantly of her worthlessness, especially when everyone knew he waited for his true mate? Her world crumbled when she overheard Declan tell his returning ""true mate,"" Kristin Larsen, that Anya was ""just a substitute."" Despite the crushing betrayal and a strange, unyielding pull, Anya, fueled by her mother's desperate need, vowed to survive this gilded cage and reclaim her life before she lost herself completely."

You'll also like

Flash Marriage To My Best Friend's Father

Flash Marriage To My Best Friend's Father

Madel Cerda
4.5

I was once the heiress to the Solomon empire, but after it crumbled, I became the "charity case" ward of the wealthy Hyde family. For years, I lived in their shadows, clinging to the promise that Anson Hyde would always be my protector. That promise shattered when Anson walked into the ballroom with Claudine Chapman on his arm. Claudine was the girl who had spent years making my life a living hell, and now Anson was announcing their engagement to the world. The humiliation was instant. Guests sneered at my cheap dress, and a waiter intentionally sloshed champagne over me, knowing I was a nobody. Anson didn't even look my way; he was too busy whispering possessively to his new fiancée. I was a ghost in my own home, watching my protector celebrate with my tormentor. The betrayal burned. I realized I wasn't a ward; I was a pawn Anson had kept on a shelf until he found a better trade. I had no money, no allies, and a legal trust fund that Anson controlled with a flick of his wrist. Fleeing to the library, I stumbled into Dallas Koch—a titan of industry and my best friend’s father. He was a wall of cold, absolute power that even the Hydes feared. "Marry me," I blurted out, desperate to find a shield Anson couldn't climb. Dallas didn't laugh. He pulled out a marriage agreement and a heavy fountain pen. "Sign," he commanded, his voice a low rumble. "But if you walk out that door with me, you never go back." I signed my name, trading my life for the only man dangerous enough to keep me safe.

Reborn Heiress: The Wolf's Vengeance Deal

Reborn Heiress: The Wolf's Vengeance Deal

Sibeal Sallese
5.0

I lay paralyzed on stiff white sheets, a prisoner in my own skin, listening to the rain lash against the window like nails on a coffin. My father, Elmore Franco, didn't even look at my face as he checked his clipboard. He just listened to the steady, monotonous beep of the heart monitor-the only thing proving I was still alive. Without a hint of remorse, he pulled a pen from his pocket and signed the Do Not Resuscitate order. My stepmother, Ophelia, stepped out from behind him, wearing my favorite pearl necklace and smelling of cloying perfume. She leaned close to my ear to whisper the truth that turned my blood to ice. "It was the tea, darling. Just like your mother. A slow, tasteless poison." She chuckled as she revealed that my fiancé, Bryce, had a two-year-old son with my sister, Daniela. My inheritance had been funding their secret life for years, and now that the money was secure, I was an inconvenience they were finally scrubbing away. As my father yanked the power cord from the wall, the beeping died, and the darkness swallowed me whole. I was being murdered by my own flesh and blood, used as a bank account until I was no longer needed. I died in that sterile room, drowning in the realization that every person I ever loved was a monster who had been waiting for me to take my last breath. Then, I gasped. I woke up in a luxury hotel suite surrounded by silk sheets, five years in the past-the very morning of my wedding. Next to me lay Basile Delgado, the "Wolf of Wall Street" and my family's most dangerous enemy. In my first life, I ran from this room in a panic and lost everything. This time, I looked at the man who would eventually destroy my father's empire and decided to join him. "I'm not leaving, Basile. Marry me. Right now. Today."

He Thought I Was A Doormat, Until I Ruined Him

He Thought I Was A Doormat, Until I Ruined Him

SHANA GRAY
4.5

The sterile white of the operating room blurred, then sharpened, as Skye Sterling felt the cold clawing its way up her body. The heart monitor flatlined, a steady, high-pitched whine announcing her end. Her uterus had been removed, a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding, but the blood wouldn't clot. It just kept flowing, warm and sticky, pooling beneath her. Through heavy eyes, she saw a trembling nurse holding a phone on speaker. "Mr. Kensington," the nurse's voice cracked, "your wife... she's critical." A pause, then a sweet, poisonous giggle. Seraphina Miller. "Liam is in the shower," Seraphina's voice purred. "Stop calling, Skye. It's pathetic. Faking a medical emergency on our anniversary? Even for you, that's low." Then, Liam's bored voice: "If she dies, call the funeral home. I have a meeting in the morning." Click. The line went dead. A second later, so did Skye. The darkness that followed was absolute, suffocating, a black ocean crushing her lungs. She screamed into the void, a silent, agonizing wail of regret for loving a man who saw her as a nuisance, for dying without ever truly living. Until she died, she didn't understand. Why was her life so tragically wasted? Why did her husband, the man she loved, abandon her so cruelly? The injustice of it all burned hotter than the fever in her body. Then, the air rushed back in. Skye gasped, her body convulsing violently on the mattress. Her eyes flew open, wide and terrified, staring blindly into the darkness. Her trembling hand reached for her phone. May 12th. Five years ago. She was back.

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book