THE STRANGER SHE BECAME

More Lies

Jace stood at the door, not ready to go in. Just standing there felt like forever. He knew he had to explain where he’d been all night. But lying to Elena again? He couldn’t do it.

He took a deep breath and slowly rang the bell.

A few seconds later, Elena opened the door. He looked at her, trying to stay calm, and stepped inside.

“Where have you been?” she asked, her arms wrapped around herself.

She didn’t need to hear his answer. She could feel something was wrong.

The way he smelled. The way he moved. Something was off.

And then she saw it. Clear as day…a faint lipstick mark on his cheek.

“I was at a friend’s place,” Jace said, trying to keep his voice steady. “He needed help with something, and it got really late… so I just crashed there.”

Elena didn’t say a word.

She just walked past him slowly, forcing herself to stay calm. She leaned against the couch, tilting her head as if trying to understand a puzzle she already knew the answer to.

“Your friend’s house?” she asked, her voice quiet but sharp.

Jace nodded too quickly. “Yes… I’m sorry I didn’t call.”

Elena let out a small, bitter laugh. Her heart was thudding like a drum in her chest. She could feel the lie in his words, but she didn’t want to break. Not yet.

Could she really ignore it with everything going on?

She quickly pulled out her phone.

Jace’s stomach dropped.

Lucius picked up on the second ring.

“Good morning, Lucius,” she said softly.

Jace’s eyes widened. Panic rushed through him. He could hear his own heartbeat.

“Did my husband spend the night at your place?” she asked.

There was a pause.

Then Lucius replied, “Yes, he did. We had some things to take care of.”

That wasn’t the answer she expected. It threw her off. If Jace really was there… then where did the lipstick on his cheek come from?

She ended the call without another word.

Turning to him with cold, unreadable eyes, she stared for a moment…then walked away in silence, her heart aching with confusion, pain, and growing doubt.

****

“That was close,” Jace muttered under his breath, tossing his car keys on the bedside table.

But something didn’t sit right.

Why would Lucius lie to Elena? Why cover for him?

Confused and restless, Jace picked up his phone and called his friend.

Lucius answered quickly. “Hey, man… what’s going on? Your wife called me.”

Jace sighed. “It’s a long story. I just wanted to say thank you for covering for me. I’ll explain everything later.”

Knowing too well his wife could walk in any minute, he couldn't say much.

After the call, he walked over to the vanity table. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, frustration filled his face.

That’s when he saw it. Faint, but still there.

Lipstick on his cheek.

“What the hell…” he whispered, leaning closer.

It was enough to prove he’d done something… something he couldn’t take back.

But Elena said nothing.

She didn’t ask questions. She didn’t accuse him.

She just stayed quiet, like she didn’t notice.

But deep down, Jace knew… she did.

Inside Hannah’s cozy store, Elena sat quietly on a chair, a deep frown on her face.

Hannah sat across from her, watching with concern. “You’ve been so quiet. What’s going on? Talk to me.”

Elena shook her head slowly. “I’ve been such a fool.”

“Why would you say that? Did something happen?” Hannah asked gently.

Elena let out a long sigh and finally looked up at her friend, pain in her eyes.

“Jace has been playing me all this while and I blindly fell for it.”

“What are you talking about? Do you even hear yourself?” Hannah asked, raising a brow. “Jace is the last person I’d expect to hurt you.”

“I used to believe that too… but I was wrong.”

Hannah leaned forward. “Elena, stop beating around the bush. Just tell me what’s going on.”

Hannah wasn’t just a friend, she was like family. Elena trusted her more than anyone. She knew everything about Elena’s life.

Her secrets. Her plans. Everything.

Elena had always bragged about how amazing Jace was…from the time they started dating to when they got married. That made it even harder to open up to Hannah about what was really going on now… how broken and messy everything had become.

But she couldn’t keep it in anymore. She had to talk to someone, and Hannah was the only one she trusted.

So, she told her everything.

Hannah’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh my God… I can’t believe this!” she said, her voice rising. “How could Jace do this to you? After everything you’ve been through together?”

Tears filled Elena’s eyes, her lips trembling as she forced the words out.

“He has a son.”

Hannah froze, then suddenly slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet.

“No way. That can’t be true!”

“It is,” Elena said quietly. “And right now… I don’t want a divorce. I want him to feel the pain he put me through. A divorce would be too easy. Hurting him the way he hurt me, that’s what I really want.”

Hannah let out a long breath and walked over to her, gently placing a hand on Elena’s shoulder.

“I get it,” she said softly. “But don’t let your anger burn you out. You need to be smart about this. Take it slow.”

“Take it slow?” Elena snapped, gritting her teeth. “How can I take it slow after everything?”

“Because if you rush, you’ll only hurt yourself,” Hannah said. “But if you move wisely… you’ll hit where it hurts the most.”

Elena paused. The words made some sense, but she still didn’t understand.

She blinked, confused.

“What exactly are you saying?”

Hannah gave a slow, sly smile. There was fire in her eyes. Half anger, half thrill.

“You’ll see,” she said. “But first, we do this my way.”