The Affair of Secrets

Chapter 2

The Secrets We Bury

It's been weeks since they got married, the golden walls of the Thompson estate gleamed under the morning sun, but to Lily Grant, they were nothing more than a cage wrapped in luxury. She sat quietly in the dining room, her hands trembling slightly as she wrapped them around a porcelain teacup. The fragrance of jasmine teased her senses, but it did little to calm the storm inside her.

Across from her, Nathan Thompson was already dressed in his usual sharp suit, phone glued to his ear, barely sparing her a glance while he answered all manner of calls. That had become their routine. Just polite nods, awkward silences, and the occasional command disguised as conversation. It had been a month since their wedding, and each day, Lily felt like she was slowly fading into someone she didn’t recognize.

He hung up the call and stood. “I’ll be back late tonight. There’s a fundraiser at the Peninsula.”

“Should I come with you?” Her voice came out softer than she intended.

He looked at her, paused for a second, then shook his head. “Not this one, it's just a one on one business.”

And like that, he was gone as usual. No kisses, no smile, no hugs. Just the sound of his polished shoes echoing through the marble floor.

Lily exhaled and placed the teacup down. She had agreed to this marriage out of duty, not love and she knew it. But it didn’t make the loneliness any less painful.

Once she was sure Nathan had left, she rushed upstairs and locked the bedroom door. Pulling her phone from the nightstand, she dialed Catherine.

“Hey,” Lily whispered the moment Catherine picked up.

“How are you holding up?” Catherine’s voice was filled with concern.

Lily bit her lip. “Same. Nothing is getting any better. He barely speaks to me unless he has to. I feel like I’m living with a stranger and not a husband.”

“It’ll get better, Lily. Just give it time, it is just a month. And I am sorry I haven't come to check up on you even when I couldn't show up at your wedding” Catherine soothed.

Then, after a beat, Lily asked “Have you seen Alex?” Her heart clenched at the name.

“Yes. I visited him yesterday. He’s growing so fast. He asked about you, and he said he misses you so much.” Catherine said warmly.

“He deserves to know the truth one day.” Catherine added.

“I know, Catherine but not now. Not while I’m still figuring this all out.”

There was a pause.

“Lily,” Catherine said gently, “You know I’ll always keep your secret. But you need to be careful. Hiding Alexander from Nathan... it could backfire. Maybe you should just open up to him.”

Lily’s chest tightened on hearing that, she knew that she was playing a dangerous game. Every day felt like walking on glass.

“I will think about it.” Lily answered as they wrapped up the call.

After ending the call, she looked at a small framed photo she kept hidden in her closet. It was a photo of her and a toddler—her son, Alexander. His chocolate brown eyes and mischievous smile always filled her with both warmth and ache. No one in the Thompson household knew he existed. Not even Nathan.

Because Alexander wasn’t his.

He belonged to another man, Ryder. A man Lily had once loved blindly. A man who had abandoned her the moment he realized she was pregnant.

She hadn’t planned on keeping the child, but the moment she held Alexander in her arms, everything changed. She chose to raise him in secret, with Catherine’s help, away from the chaos and judgment. When her parents' business collapsed and the arranged marriage surfaced, she had no choice but to agree. It was the only way to save her family.

But she never imagined the weight of living two lives. Every smile at a social event was a lie. Every night in the Thompson mansion felt like a betrayal.

And now, things are starting to shift.

Nathan, the cold-hearted CEO, had made her life more difficult. He looked like he knew about her past and just decided to torment her. The way his gaze lingered on her a little longer than usual. Last week, he had even asked her to stay in the house without going anywhere without his approval.

Lily didn’t know what it meant but somehow she felt he may have known but wasn't saying anything with words just with actions.. But she also knew she couldn’t afford to let her guard down. Not when she had so much to lose.

That evening, she dressed in a soft beige silk gown and wandered into the study, pretending to be looking for a book. Nathan walked in, surprised to find her there.

“You look... different,” he said.

She turned, startled. “Is that a good thing?”

He stared at her a moment too long. “Yes.”

Silence fell between them again.

“Lily,” he began, his voice lower than usual. “Do you ever regret marrying me?”

The question hit her like a brick on the head.

She looked away. “I don’t regret saving my family.”

He nodded slowly. “Hmmm, Fair answer. Though I would make you regret marrying me” he gave an evil laugh and turned to leave.

As he walked close to the door, she called out, “Nathan?”

He stopped.

“Why do you treat me this way?”

His silence said more than words could, then he eventually turned and left.

Later that night, Lily stood by her window, looking out into the city lights. Her heart felt like it was being pulled in every direction. She missed her son so much but she was helpless. She could hear his tender and innocent voice in her head all day long. But she feared the truth being exposed. And now, she didn’t know what Nathan felt and what he wasn't saying.

But deep inside, a quiet voice whispered, "Secrets don’t stay buried forever."

And she knew—one way or another, her truth would rise.

And she would no longer be able to hide any longer.