ChapterSeven
1089 Words
NATALYA’S POV
I always prided myself in being a woman who gets what she wants. When I learned Richard was set to marry Natalie—a girl as bland and unremarkable as her name—I knew I had to act. It wasn’t for me, of course. It was for Jenna, my daughter, who deserved everything that life could offer, including a husband like Richard Temple.
Jenna would be perfect for him—poised, beautiful, and ambitious. But Richard was blind, ensnared by Natalie’s tedious charms. I couldn’t stand idly by. Fortunately, I had a trump card: Lana Temple, Richard’s mother, and her dirty little secret. And the wealth Harold had left behind which was now in my name.
Years ago, I stumbled upon the truth by sheer accident. Lana, the epitome of grace and elegance, had married Richard’s father for money. Her voice, normally syrupy and refined, was raw with urgency. I overheard her say it myself during a hushed conversation in the Temple library. “For the money, then,” she’d confessed, her voice trembling. At the time, I dismissed it as gossip fodder, but now, it was my weapon.
I confronted her in her garden, where she pruned her roses with mechanical precision. When she saw me, her polished smile faltered. She knew I wasn’t here for pleasantries.
“We need to talk,” I said, my voice cool and commanding. “In private.”
Her brows knit together, but she led me to the sunroom. Once the door closed, I wasted no time.
“I know why you married Richard’s father,” I said, watching her closely.
Her hand froze mid-air. “What nonsense are you spouting, Natalya?”
“Don’t play coy,” I snapped. “I heard you. You married for money, and you know it. Imagine what would happen if that little detail became public.”
Lana's face paled, but she quickly composed herself. “And what do you want in exchange for your silence?”
I smiled. She was quicker than I’d expected. “Convince Richard he was never engaged to Natalie. Make him believe it’s always been Jenna.”
Her lips parted in shock. “You want me to rewrite my son’s life?”
“Precisely,” I said. “Jenna is everything Natalie isn’t—elegant, capable, and worthy of the Temple name. She will elevate Richard’s life, not drag him down.”
Lana's mask of composure cracked. “And if I refuse?” and it was also evident in the tone of her voice as it was barely a whisper.
I leaned back, savoring the moment. “Then I tell the world the truth. About you, your marriage, and the facade your life is built on.”
She stared at me, her chest rising and falling in quick bursts. After a long, tense silence, she gave a slight nod. “Fine. But you’ll regret this.”
Lana’s warning meant nothing to me. All I wanted was for that b***h Natalie not to get Richard. Jenna deserved him more than anything. I just couldn't sit idly and watch such an opportunity pass me by, especially when I could do something about it.
Lana played her role to perfection. Slowly, she planted seeds of doubt in Richard’s mind, questioning his memories of Natalie.
Her maternal influence worked wonders. Within weeks, Richard began to see Jenna as his fiancée, erasing Natalie from his life entirely. Jenna, ever the dutiful daughter, stepped into the role seamlessly. She charmed Richard, his family, and even his friends.
Meanwhile, Natalie’s protests fell on deaf ears. Richard dismissed her as confused and overbearing, and Lana ensured she had no opportunity to set the record straight. It was as though Natalie had never existed.
Secrets are power. And I had wielded mine with precision.
LANA’S POV
I've always known the truth has a way of coming back to haunt you. For years, I kept mine buried, hidden beneath layers of charm, propriety, and the polished smile of a society wife. I thought it was safe. Until Natalya unearthed it.
Convincing Richard was easier than I’d expected. He trusted me implicitly, and I used that trust against him. Subtle suggestions, innocent questions—they were all it took to plant doubt in his mind.
“Are you sure you were engaged to Natalie?” I asked him one evening, feigning concern. “I always thought Jenna was the one you wanted to marry.”
He frowned, confused. “It was Natalie… wasn’t it?”. He pouted his lips as if trying to remember something and before he could utter any more words, I quickly brushed him off.
“You’ve been so stressed lately,” I said gently. “Maybe you’re just mixing things up. You and Jenna have always had such a special connection.”
Over time, the lie took root. Richard began to believe that his engagement to Natalie had been a misunderstanding, a product of misplaced affection. I ensured that Richard thought of Natalie as a delusional lady who was after the Temple’s property. Meanwhile, Jenna slipped seamlessly into his life, her charm and ambition filling the void I’d created. I had chosen myself and everything I had built over my son's happiness and could say I didn't feel much remorse.
“I’ll do it,” these words were bitter on my tongue. The thought of what happened that night haunts me. The thought of my years long secret being exposed
As I stood there, the weight of her ultimatum pressing down on me. What choice did I have? My reputation, my family’s legacy—it would all crumble if she revealed the truth. But the cost of protecting myself would be my son’s happiness.
Natalie tried to fight back, of course. She pleaded with Richard, insisting they’d been engaged. But he dismissed her as confused, and Jenna, ever gracious, assured him that Natalie would eventually move on. I hated what I was doing, but I couldn’t stop now. The risk was too great.
Everytime i felt even the slightest bit of pity or when I saw Natalie and the fond memories play like a tape in my head, I snapped back to reality by the very time I felt the ground shift beneath me when Natalya uttered those words which struck like thunderclaps in clear skies.. That long-buried moment, that whispered confession, had come back to destroy everything I’d built.
Secrets have a way of consuming you. And mine had finally claimed its price
- Writer
