The Lies Behind Her Marriage novel Chapter 1

Serena Kline built her life around the man she called her husband, her love, her anchor, her choice. But after six years, he repaid her devotion with divorce papers and a cold dismissal. That was the moment her world broke, yet somehow she found the strength to walk away.

***

It took only two months for everything to collapse.

Serena’s husband, Nathaniel Thorne, had completely ignored her.

He became CEO of Kline BioSolutions.

Her father was arrested for patent fraud and murder.

Her mother died from the shock.

At present, Serena was at Velmon City Memorial Park, about to bury her mother, Roselind Kline.

She wasn’t grieving the way others expected her to. She had never been close to her parents, a truth she rarely voiced. Not even her husband knew just how much. Her heart had always looked for comfort elsewhere, and she thought she found it in Nathaniel, her husband… until the recent months proved her wrong.

The sun began to set, and the very few guests who attended her mother’s funeral started to whisper. They had been waiting for two hours, but there was no sign of Nathaniel Thorne.

“How long are we going to wait?”

“Will he really come? Didn’t he just put Serena’s father behind bars?”

“I saw the trending feed on social media. Nathaniel is attending the award show with Vanessa Holt, the actress. See?”

Serena’s eyes fluttered. Her hands trembled as she searched online. True enough, her husband was with Kline BioSolutions’ brand ambassador, Vanessa Holt. Together, they looked like the perfect pair.

She couldn’t deny the pictures and videos that were taken of her husband.

Nathaniel was the kind of man who drew eyes without trying. He had broad shoulders, flawless posture, and dark hair that never fell out of place. Confidence radiated from him, even through a mobile screen.

Why did she even bother waiting for him?

Despite everything, she had hoped. After all, she and Nathaniel were not just a married couple, but they were college sweethearts, at least, that was what she thought.

Nathaniel had not returned home since her father’s arrest. They had never really discussed it. All her calls went to voicemail, and because of her mother’s recent health issues, she hadn’t been able to see him at the office either. However, it was evident that her husband came after her father, Victor Kline, for revenge.

“Let’s bury her,” Serena’s voice came through, trembling.

An hour later, her mother’s coffin was fully buried. The guests offered their final respects, but only one person wept. It was her mother’s loyal assistant.

Her parents weren’t really the best people in the world, even to her, their own daughter. The Klines were good to Nathaniel because he was talented and driven, someone Serena’s parents had entrusted the company with. If they only knew, Nathaniel had meant to snatch it all away from them.

When everyone else had left, Serena finally wept, not because she lost her mother nor the fact that her father is behind bars, but because of the weight of everything that was happening around her, the lies, the humiliation, and the betrayal.

“Serena, what will you do now?” Alice Hartley, her old college friend, asked.

“I had already accepted the situation with my parents,” Serena replied.

“But what about Nathaniel?” Alice asked.

Serena looked down and softly answered, “I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t know.”

Nathaniel did not come home that night. Serena never expected him to. So the next day, she went straight to the office and finally settled the score.

On the fifteenth floor, her husband's assistant tried to chase after Serena. “Miss Kline, you can’t enter the CEO’s office.”

“Why not? Am I not his wife?” Serena snapped.

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