His Fake Wife Shattered Vows and Sweet Revenge

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The boy I'd loved since childhood, Darren Farley, finalized his divorce and proposed to me the very next day, right there in front of everyone.

He dropped to one knee, his eyes brimming with sincerity and devotion.

Jules, she and I were nothing but a business arrangement. There was never any real feeling between us.

"I'm done lying to myself. You're the one I truly love. Will you marry me?"

The whole world called me a homewrecker, said I was the other woman who'd clawed her way in. But those two sentences were all it took.

I ignored every whisper, every accusation, and married him without looking back.

Darren was like a teenager drunk on first love. For an entire week after the wedding, he barely let me out of bed.

After yet another round, he curled around me from behind, his fingertips tracing lazy circles on my lower belly, his voice thick with anticipation.

"Baby, do you think there might already be a little piece of us right here?"

I smiled, about to answer.

The phone on his nightstand lit up.

"Honey, today's the last day of Juliana Henson's fertile window. Go a few extra rounds and make sure she conceives."

"Give it your all, but don't you dare catch feelings for the surrogate!"

I knew that profile picture better than anyone.

It belonged to Darren's ex-wife, Kitty Sullivan.

...

The words hit me like a bucket of ice water, shocking me out of the warmth I'd been drowning in.

Darren shot upright and snatched the phone away.

The arm that had been wrapped around my waist was already gone. A chill crept across my bare skin where his warmth had been.

He stared at my back, a careful edge to his voice.

"Jules... what did you see?"

I could feel the scrutiny in his gaze. Slowly, I rolled over.

I rubbed my eyes as if I'd been half-asleep.

"Hmm? I must've dozed off."

"What's wrong? Who messaged you? Someone placing a dessert order?"

Darren's shoulders loosened, the tension draining out of him so subtly it was almost imperceptible.

He smiled, leaned down, and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"Nothing. Just spam."

"You must be exhausted. Get a little more rest. I'll hop in the shower, then run a bath to clean you up."

I watched him leave, phone clutched tight in his hand, his pace just a fraction too quick.

My heart sank, slow and heavy, like a stone settling into deep water.

He'd deleted Kitty from his contacts right in front of me once, a grand gesture to prove his sincerity, to keep me from overthinking or getting jealous.

So what had I just seen?

Water hit the bathroom tiles, the sound sharp and distinct.

Instinct told me Darren wasn't actually showering.

After a moment's hesitation, I reached for the laptop on the nightstand.

He'd stayed up too late on a video call the night before and had forgotten to log out of WhatsApp.

Probably because I never touched his things, the screen wasn't locked.

I tapped the icon, and the breath stalled in my chest.

Since the wedding, Darren had only ever called me by my nickname, Jules, whether in conversation or in his contacts.

The only time "baby" slipped out was in the heat of the moment.

But his name for Kitty in his contacts was Wifey.

The chat window was still refreshing, their conversation updating in real time.

"Honey, why aren't you answering me? Don't tell me you've actually caught feelings sleeping with that little tramp?"

"Don't forget, Juliana Henson's marriage certificate with you is FAKE. I'm your wife. The one the law actually recognizes!"

Half a minute later, Darren replied.

"Stop being paranoid. Why would I fall for someone who's been throwing herself at me?"

"I only went the extra mile to get her pregnant faster. If you could carry a child yourself, I wouldn't need her as our surrogate, and I wouldn't have had to stage a divorce to keep my parents off our backs."

"Once the baby's born, she's served her purpose. I'll drop her the second it's over."

Only then did Kitty calm down, placated enough to send a kissing emoji.

"Hmph, who told her to cling to you since they were kids? She should take a good look in the mirror."

"I want Juliana to know that a parasite like her, someone who latches onto the Farley family using her parents' sacrifice, is only good enough to be our breeding tool."

"But babe, every time I think about you being with her, I get so mad... How about I mess with her a little? Let me blow off some steam, okay? Otherwise I'm going to stress myself into a tumor."

A moment later, Darren's reply stabbed into my eyes.

"Whatever. Just don't actually hurt her. Can't have it affecting her ability to conceive."

My fingers clenched so hard they went white. My whole body shook and wouldn't stop.

I still remembered how I'd felt the day Darren handed me that marriage certificate.

Like a dream coming true. So happy I couldn't sleep the entire night.

Under the warm glow of the bedside lamp, I'd traced my fingers over it again and again, so carefully, like it might crumble if I held it too tight.

And now I was being told it was all fake.

The proposal. The confession. The months of tenderness and devotion.

All of it, an act.

I was nothing to him but a vessel to carry his and Kitty's child.

By the time Darren came out of the bathroom, I'd already put the laptop back in its place.

I watched him do what he always did, gently wiping my body down with a warm towel, attentive, caring.

And yet a bone-deep cold crawled over me. I flinched away before I could think.

Darren froze. He looked at me, confused.

"Jules, what's wrong? Is the towel too hot?"

I hugged my knees to my chest and shook my head, then asked softly:

"Do you ever lie to me?"

Guilt flickered through his eyes, gone in a flash. He let out a helpless little laugh.

"Silly girl. When have I ever been willing to lie to you? Not once, our whole lives."

He ruffled my hair.

"Didn't you stop calling me 'big brother' when you turned fifteen?"

"Good girl. From now on, call me 'husband.' Don't worry. Your husband will only ever love you and protect you."

If I hadn't seen those messages, I think I would have been moved.

But now, all I tasted was bitterness.

When I was eight, my parents died in an earthquake, crushed under rubble while saving Darren's life.

The Farleys took me in out of gratitude and raised me as their own.

And Darren had held me like something precious, promising he'd protect me forever.

But he hadn't just broken that promise. He'd woven this nightmare around me with his own hands.

After breakfast, I drove to my dessert shop.

I loved baking, and I'd never wanted to be a freeloader under the Farleys' roof. So after college, I'd used the money my parents left me to open this place.

When I arrived, a crowd had gathered out front.

I walked closer, puzzled, and found seven or eight thugs grinning as they sprayed graffiti across the door and floor-to-ceiling windows.

Words like homewrecker and whore in neon paint.

I frowned, about to speak.

An entire bucket of red paint came crashing down over my head.

Kitty stood there with one hand on her hip, sneering at me.

"Oh, look who showed up! Everyone, come see! This is the tramp who's been after my husband since she was a little girl."

"Less than a year after our wedding, she crawled into my husband's bed and forced him to take responsibility. He had no choice but to divorce me!"

"Tell me, doesn't a homewrecking slut like this deserve every drop? And the parents who raised a daughter like this, didn't they deserve exactly what they got?!"

People are quick to pick sides, even when they don't know the truth.

The women passing by started piling on immediately.

"Exactly! A grown woman could do anything with her life, but she's that desperate for a man? Why not just sell herself on the street? Shameless!"

"She always looked so quiet and innocent. I thought she was a decent person. Turns out she's rotten to the core!"

I stared at the smug expression on Kitty's face.

It hit me all at once. This was what she'd meant in her WhatsApp message. Blowing off steam.

Kitty had never liked me, because she knew I'd had feelings for Darren. After they got married, I'd kept my distance. I spent most of my time living at the shop just to avoid any appearance of impropriety. On the rare occasions we crossed paths, I called her "sis" like a good girl and never once stepped out of line. I even swallowed every passive-aggressive jab she threw my way without complaint.

But now? They'd used my feelings. Played me for a fool.

So why should Iwhy should my familybe the ones dragged through the mud?

For the first time, I didn't want to back down.

I raised my hand to strike, but someone seized my wrist in a crushing grip.

Darren swept a glance over the paint splattered across my body, then frowned at Kitty.

"What the hell is wrong with you now?"

There was no real bite to it. No anger. Meanwhile, his grip on my wrist was iron-tight, as though he were terrified I might actually hit someone.

Kitty pointed at me, her voice dripping with wounded innocence.

"Darren, she's the one who wrecked our marriage. She forced you to divorce me and marry her. All I did was splash a little paint to vent. That's not unreasonable, is it?"

"And then she wouldn't even admit it. She was about to hit me."

"So go ahead, tell everyone right now. Is she the other woman or not? Clear it up, so nobody thinks I'm making this up!"

The crowd murmured in agreement.

"Yeah, you're the one involved. Who's telling the truth here?"

I lifted my eyes and met Darren's gaze.

A flicker of hope stirred in my chest.

But then he spoke.

"That's a private matter. No comment."

He turned to Kitty, his tone laced with indulgence and mild exasperation.

"You've had your fun. Go home. Don't let it happen again."

Kitty clung to his arm, simpering, and shot me a triumphant look.

"Fine, fine, I get it."

She turned to the crowd, voice pitched loud enough for every last person to hear. "See? He basically admitted it. He's just not saying it outright to save a certain tramp a shred of dignity."

"Boys, tear this homewrecker's shop apart!"

Darren pulled me into the car. He took a wet wipe and started cleaning the paint off my face.

Through the window, I watched the shop I'd poured my heart into being destroyed. Smashed beyond recognition. The same customers who had once smiled at me were now spitting at the entrance.

I turned away, slowly.

"Why didn't you tell them I'm not the other woman?"

Darren's hand paused. He reached for mine.

"Kitty cares about her image. If I'd said that, it would've been like slapping her in the face in front of everyone."

"Our marriage already hurt her enough. You've always been so understanding. Can't you just let her have this one? Please?"

"Don't worry. I already warned her. There won't be a next time."

Right. Every time Kitty was in a bad mood, she found some new way to nail me to the cross, to brand me the other woman all over again. And every single time, Darren fed me the exact same lines.

What a performance.

When I said nothing, he took my silence for surrender and softened his voice.

"It's fine. I'll have someone redo the shop for you. Maybe a fresh look, a new style."

I didn't answer. Let him say whatever he wanted.

I was leaving anyway.

Back at the villa, Abner Farley and Sophia Farley took one look at the state of me and froze.

They rushed over, demanding to know who'd done this, insisting they'd make it right.

I caught the flicker of panic in Darren's eyes, and I smiled.

"It was my own fault. I wasn't watching where I was going and tripped over a paint bucket."

"Dad, Mom, I'm going to go wash up."

Darren stared at me, something unreadable shifting behind his expression.

When I first came to live with the Farleys, I'd accidentally knocked over an antique vase. Darren had taken the blame for me.

Consider us even.

It took nearly an hour of scrubbing before every last trace of paint finally washed away.

When I came out, Darren was still awake, as if he'd been waiting for me on purpose.

He saw the raw, broken skin on my arms and something like guilt flickered in his eyes.

"Jules, thank you."

Although it was a business marriage, his parents had never really warmed to Kitty's personality. From the very beginning, the daughter-in-law they wanted was me.

But Darren had insisted on marrying her, even defying his parents to do it.

Back then, I thought I'd never have a chance.

So when he proposed to me later, I felt like the luckiest woman alive, like I'd won the lottery.

Now I knew how stupid I'd been.

Darren gently took my hand.

"Tomorrow's the anniversary of your parents' passing. Let me go with you to visit them."

I didn't say anything. Just nodded. I had to see them before I left.

The irony was almost too perfect. Darren and Kitty's wedding anniversary fell on the same day as my parents' death anniversary.

Every year, Kitty would cling to him, demanding he celebrate with her, and I'd go alone.

The next day, on the road to the cemetery, Darren's phone rang.

He hung up, slammed the brakes, and turned to me with fury blazing in his eyes.

"Juliana Henson, you called the police about yesterday?!"

"Do you have any idea that the cops took Kitty in for questioning last night?!"

I shook my head, bewildered.

"I didn't"

"Enough." Darren cut me off, his voice ice-cold. "And here I thought you were sweet and sensible. Turns out you're just calculating."

"Get out. Take a cab the rest of the way."

"Kitty's never been humiliated like that in her life. She's been crying nonstop. I need to go see her."

I froze. It was twenty-something below zero outside. Snow drifted past the windows.

"The cemetery is still over ten miles from here. We're in the middle of nowhere. Where am I supposed to find a cab?"

He scoffed, a mocking smile curling his lips.

"So what?"

"Go ahead and run to my parents. Have them beat me to death. Or better yet, call the cops on me too, so you can stop saying I owe you."

He yanked me out of the car, impatient, and drove off without a backward glance.

The ache in my chest was beyond words.

The wind cut through me, and I couldn't stop shaking.

I'd barely pulled my collar tighter when two luxury cars came screaming down the road.

Kitty stepped out, flanked by a group of thugs.

"No cameras out here. Beat this shameless tramp until she can't stand."

"Oh, and don't touch the stomach. I still have plans for that."

One of them kicked my phone out of my hands before I could dial.

Kitty grabbed a fistful of my hair and slapped me across the face, seven, eight times.

"Juliana Henson, did I give you permission to get comfortable? You've been stuck to Darren like a parasite since we were kids."

"You actually conned him into visiting your dead parents on OUR anniversary? Do those pathetic ghosts of yours even deserve it?"

"Today I'm going to teach you what it means to know your place."

Kicks rained down on my body. Cigarette butts were ground into my arms, each one blistering the skin. My clothes were torn open, and they took photo after photo.

Someone kicked a phone within reach. My hand trembled as I stretched toward it and pressed the speed dial for my emergency contact.

That spot had always belonged to Darren.

The line was busy.

A second later, Kitty's phone rang.

She glanced at me, smiled, and deliberately hit speakerphone.

Darren's cool, detached voice filled the air.

"Where are you?"

Kitty was so spoiled she didn't even bother hiding it. She whined, "Blowing off steam. She got me dragged in by the cops and stole you away from me. I had to get a little payback."

The dull thud of boots connecting with flesh must have carried through the speaker. Darren went silent for a few seconds.

"Didn't I come back to spend the anniversary with you? Jules has a weak constitution. Tell your people to show some restraint."

"That's enough. If someone actually dies, not even the Sullivans and the Farleys combined can protect you."

His tone was cold, but Kitty sounded delighted.

"Okay, okay, I know you're worried about me~"

"Be a good boy and wait for me at the hotel. I'm on my way. Friendly reminder: my lingerie today is very sexy~"

She admired the intimate photos of me she'd just taken, then tipped my chin up with the toe of her shoe.

"Juliana Henson. Some things you think you have? You never had them at all."

"Learn your place. Stop clinging to Darren, and maybe I'll let you play Mrs. Farley a little while longer. Understand?"

"Anyway, I'm done wasting my breath on you. Darren's waiting for me."

The world went silent. I lay curled in the snow.

Through the haze, a memory surfaced: the year I turned eighteen, when Darren had insisted on programming his number as my emergency contact.

"Jules, sometimes in an emergency, you only get the chance to dial one number. There's no time to call the police."

"But no matter when it is, no matter where you are, one call from you and I'll fly to your side to protect you."

I closed my eyes slowly.

He never kept that promise.

When I opened them again, I was in a hospital.

A nurse smiled at me. "You're awake! You have some frostbite, but luckily the baby's fine."

"Congratulations. You're pregnant."

She removed my IV, turned, and left.

I sat there alone, staring at nothing.

Once, I'd believed Darren truly wanted a child with me, a symbol of our love. I'd let myself hope for it in secret, let myself feel that quiet thrill.

But now that it was real, I didn't want it anymore.

A sharp slap echoed down the corridor.

I crept to the door and heard Abner's voice, thick with fury.

"Are you out of your mind? That Sullivan girl feeds you one lie and you swallow it whole?"

"When you said you wanted to divorce her and agreed to marry Juliana, I actually thought you'd grown up. And what have you done instead?"

"Sneaking around with your ex-wife, mistreating the woman you married. Juliana is pregnant, and you abandoned her in that godforsaken place. She's covered in injuries. Is this how you repay what her family did for you?"

Something in those words struck a nerve. Darren's eyes went red in an instant.

"Stop throwing that word at me! 'Repay.' Is guilt-tripping me all you people know how to do?"

"My entire life, she's been like a mountain chained to my back. Like I have to protect her, spoil her, marry her, have children with her. I can't even breathe!"

"That's exactly why I chose Kitty in the first place. At least she didn't suffocate me. At least looking at her didn't feel like someone was collecting on a debt. She made me feel free!"

"Why should two lives from the Henson family cost me my entire existence? Did I ask them to play hero and save me? If I'd known this was the price, I would rather have died in that collapse!"

I slid down the wall, slowly, until I was crouching on the floor. Tears hit the cold tile one by one.

He'd finally said it.

So my very existence had been suffocating him all along.

But back then, he was the one who begged me to stay.

My hand drifted to my stomach. A sob caught in my throat.

"You shouldn't have come," I whispered. "Neither of us should have."

Darren and his parents fell into a cold war. I pretended I hadn't heard a thing.

Abner and Sophia asked me again and again who had done that to me in the snow.

I never told them.

Not to protect Kitty. The time simply wasn't right.

Whether it was guilt over misjudging me, or anger at himself for being manipulatedI wasn't sure which.

Darren took over all of my care for the duration of my hospital stay. He even declined Kitty's calls several times.

Once, when she called again, I caught the hesitation on his face.

I grabbed his hand and pressed it against my lower belly, looking up at him with the same wide-eyed dependence I'd perfected as a child.

"Darren, feel this. Our baby's sleeping right here."

"Don't worry, the baby's healthy. When they were hitting me that day, I made sure to protect my stomach, because I remembered you said you couldn't wait for us to have a child of our own. I wanted to make you happy."

"I don't like other people interrupting our time together as a family of three. So don't pick up, okay?"

Sometimes, a man's guilt is the most useful weapon there is.

Sure enough, Darren's eyes went red. Without a second of hesitation, he powered off his phone and pulled me into his arms.

"Jules, I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

"Kitty went way too far this time. I swear on my life, this is the last time. I will never let her hurt you again."

From an angle he couldn't see, my face was completely blank.

I already knew what happened when you believed promises and guarantees like those.

After Kitty couldn't reach Darren and I blocked her number, she finally lost her composure.

The next day, the large screen in the hospital lobby and the television in every patient room all began playing the same video.

It was footage of me pinned to the ground, my clothes being torn off.

Those thugs and their disgusting laughter.

A line of text scrolled across the top on repeat:

"Juliana Henson. Slut. Bastard factory."

Darren had gone to pick up food. When he came back, he found me curled up at the foot of the bed, shaking.

Every male patient in the room was eyeing me with lewd, undisguised stares.

"Damn, sweetheart, you really get around, huh? Does the bastard in your belly even know who its daddy is? How about you come keep me company after you're discharged?"

The women and their families spat at me, hurling every degrading name they could think of, telling me to get out.

Darren was livid. He smashed the television, demanded the hospital cut the feed immediately, and had me transferred to a private VIP room.

Even though Kitty played dumb, he tore into her until there was nothing left.

And right in front of me, he blocked her on everything.

This time, it was real.

Kitty had been spoiled by his indulgence for too long. She couldn't accept it. She snapped completely.

The following evening at dusk, she had her people drag me to the rooftop terrace on the fifth floor and forced me to my knees.

One stiletto heel slammed into the side of my head. Blood poured down instantly.

"You conniving bitch. You're using that pregnancy to play the victim, aren't you? Deliberately driving a wedge between me and Darren!"

"You think he actually likes you? Let me tell you something. When I suggested using you as a breeding tool, he agreed without even blinking."

"Because he despises that pathetic little good-girl act of yours. Always so agreeable, never angry, like you're the most selfless person alive and the whole world owes you something."

"He wanted to let you believe you were at your happiest, and then drag you straight to hell. Watch you cry and beg. Rip that fake mask right off your face!"

Kitty pulled out a paring knife, her eyes burning with hatred, and pressed the blade against my belly.

"But I've changed my mind. There are plenty of women in this world who can have babies. Worst case, we'll just adopt one."

"You will never use a child to come between my husband and me. I'll gut it right now!"

The words barely left her mouth before a figure came sprinting across the rooftop.

He kicked her so hard she flew backward, the knife clattering out of her hand.

"Touch her one more time and see what happens!"