The Lies That Broke Us

I was selling used furniture on a resale platform when a girl messaged me to haggle:

Could you lower the price a bit?

I haven't graduated yet. I just had a fight with my roommate and moved out of the dorm. My boyfriend found this place for me.

He's really wealthy and says we'll get married after I graduate, but I don't want to burden him too much.

"Could you take twenty dollars off? I can pick it up myself!"

When I was dating Marcus during college, I was extremely frugal too, so I agreed.

That evening, two people showed up at my apartment complex gate.

The girl said proudly: "I'm pretty amazing, aren't I? Got a washing machine that's almost brand new for less than a hundred bucks!"

The man looked at her adoringly: "Yes, my baby is the most amazing. But I'm the CEO of the Murphy Groupyou think I can't afford to take care of you? I make money just to spend it on you. Stop pinching pennies from now on."

The man looked up with a smile. When I saw his face clearly, I froze in place.

It was my notoriously frugal boyfriend, Marcus.

The air fell silent. I could clearly see panic and shock written across Marcus's face.

I opened my mouth to speak, but then I saw the warning in Marcus's eyes.

Celeste didn't notice anything unusual between us. She pouted playfully: "I don't want to be a parasite! What if you don't want me anymore someday?"

"What are you looking at? Why aren't you answering me?"

Marcus snapped back to attention and ruffled Celeste's hair: "How could I ever not want you?"

Following his gaze, Celeste looked toward the washing machine beside me. "There's nothing wrong with it, right?"

I came back to my senses and introduced it with a forced smile.

Marcus suddenly spoke up: "Why are you selling furniture? Short on money?"

I froze for a moment.

When it comes to money, is there ever enough?

Before I could answer, Celeste punched Marcus's arm. "Don't say things like that!"

"Don't mind him. My boyfriend's like thisjust because he has money, he doesn't understand us regular people's struggles."

She shot Marcus a reproachful glance and rolled up her sleeve, revealing a diamond bracelet.

"For my birthday, I wanted a bracelet. I had to save up half a year's worth of living expenses to afford it. He just went and gave me an entire season's worth of new collections! I still have unopened packages in my closet!"

Last summer, I spotted a dress I liked. After the discount, it was three hundred dollars.

Marcus wanted to pay for it, but I stopped him.

I smiled as if it didn't matter: "I can't wear it to work anyway. It'd be a waste to buy it. Wouldn't it be better to save that money toward our house fund?"

It wasn't that I didn't want itit's just that two days earlier, Marcus had complained about being docked three hundred dollars for being late to work.

"I had a fight with my roommate. I was just going to find some random shared apartment near campus, but he went and bought an entire penthouse and put it in my name!

Eighty thousand per square foot! I could work my whole life and only afford the bathroom!"

When I was apartment hunting, I argued with the landlord until we were both red in the face over an extra hundred dollars in utilities.

When Marcus saw how upset I was, he wanted to break the lease immediately, but I refused no matter what.

Only because this apartment was close to Marcus's company, cutting down his commute time so he could sleep a little longer each day.

"And I love going to concerts, so he took me to the front row of the main floor! Oh my, now that I think about it, I really am his parasite!"

Celeste complained on the surface, but her tone was full of happiness.

And I stood there, my face growing paler and paler.

Marcus cleared his throat lightly.

Celeste slapped her forehead, looking a bit annoyed:

"Don't take it the wrong way. I wasn't trying to show off. Let's add each other on SnapChat! If you have more used furniture to sell, remember to contact me!"

Marcus tried to stop her, but Celeste quickly scanned my QR code: "I'm not relying on you for this! I'm going to be self-sufficient!"

The black Bentley was parked nearby. Marcus looked helpless:

"At least ride in my car, okay? I don't want to walk down the street like an idiot carrying a washing machine."

When I was apartment hunting, I also bought secondhand furniture from the platform.

To save on delivery fees, I refused the moving company and carried the heavy sofa and cabinets up to the fourth floor by myself.

But in Marcus's eyes, I apparently looked like an idiot.

Only after they disappeared from my view did I feel like I could breathe again.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from Marcus: "It's cold outside. Go home first. We'll talk tonight."

I laughed bitterly and touched my rounded belly.

Marcus loved children. Just a few days ago, I was planning to surprise him.

Now it had turned into a joke.

Even though I knew Marcus was with Celeste right now, I impulsively called him.

First call: declined. Second call: declined. By the third call, his phone was off.

I looked down and realized my palm was bleeding from my nails digging in.

The wound was small, but my whole heart felt numb with pain.

When I got home, I accepted Celeste's friend request.

On her Ins, Marcus had taken her to see the Northern Lights, and even rented out an entire private island to celebrate their anniversary.

In all these places I could never afford to go, they looked so happy together.

My throat felt like it was being strangled. Even breathing became difficult.

It wasn't until late at night that I heard sounds at the door.

As soon as Marcus came in, he frowned: "Why is it so cold in here?"

Though the apartment complex was in the city center, the building was old and the heating was poor.

Other tenants couldn't stand the cold and moved out. I was the only one who stayed because of six months' rent reduction.

The door was ajar. I didn't say anything, just exhaled a puff of white breath.

Marcus went to the bedroom and brought out a comforter, wrapping it around me without asking.

His voice carried anger: "Is this how you take care of yourself when I'm not here? Evelyn, how can I feel at ease?"

I shoved him away: "Why are you putting on an act now? Is it fun lying to me?"

My pregnant body was clumsy. I stumbled a few steps before steadying myself.

In the past, when I lost my temper with Marcus, he would smile helplessly and raise both hands in surrender:

"It's my fault. I made Evelyn unhappy. You can punish me however you want."

Now Marcus's face was cold: "How long are you going to make a mountain out of a molehill?"

He paused: "Celeste is young. She can't handle a lot of things on her own..."

My emotions spiraled out of control: "She's young, so you play her boyfriend and take care of her? What about me? How pathetic am I that you'd pretend to be poor just to toy with me?"

Pain flashed through Marcus's eyes. He hugged me tightly from behind: "Evelyn, calm down!"

I used all my strength but couldn't break free. "Don't touch me!"

A soft soundthe ajar door was pushed open.

Celeste, appearing out of nowhere, looked at us with disbelief written all over her face. "You two..."

"Celeste? Why are you here?"

As if realizing something, Marcus's expression turned ice cold, his voice frigid: "Why did you come?"

Celeste's face was covered in tears:

"Didn't you install a tracker on your phone yourself so I could always find you? So what does this mean now? You want me to pretend I don't see you messing around with this old woman?"

She shoved me hard. "I trusted you so much. I never thought you'd be shameless enough to seduce my boyfriend!"

I almost fell. Marcus quickly caught me and glared furiously at Celeste. "Stop it!"

Celeste broke down even more: "Marcus, you liar! You said you'd marry me!"

She turned and ran out crying.

Marcus immediately moved to chase her. I grabbed his hand: "I need to tell you something..."

But he shook me off violently: "Let go! What if Celeste runs into danger this late at night?"

Marcus left without looking back. I was thrown directly to the floor, my belly hitting the table corner hard.

Suddenly, a twisting pain shot through my abdomen. I felt wetness below.

I reached downblood!

The sharp pain made my head swim. Instinctively, I called Marcus: "Help me... my stomach hurts so much..."

The last thing I heard before losing consciousness was Marcus's impatient voice:

"You're at home. What danger could there be? I just got Celeste calmed down. Stop throwing tantrums."

When I opened my eyes, I was in the hospital.

My whole body felt like it had been run over by a truck. I forced myself to sit up:

"The baby... how is it?"

The nurse looked at me with pity:

"If your neighbor hadn't seen the door open, you'd be dead.

Even if you didn't want the baby, you should've come to a proper hospital for the procedure. How could you deliberately ram your belly to cause a miscarriage?"

My mind went blank.

Marcus had personally killed our child.

My phone suddenly vibrated frantically:

"Evelyn Hart, you're actually a homewrecker destroying someone else's relationship? You're fired!"

"Stealing a college student's boyfrienda shameless slut like you should just die!" "If you're that desperate, go sell yourself. Don't go around seducing people!"

The messages flooded infrom work, from strangers.

Celeste had posted online, accusing me of being the other woman!

My body was already weak from the miscarriage. Suddenly, a sharp pain swept through my entire body.

I clutched my chest, unable to hold back a cry of pain.

Just then, Marcus called.

My voice trembled: "Marcus, we've been together since seven years ago!"

My family was poor. During college, I constantly worked part-time jobs.

On the day he confessed, Marcus held a bouquet of flowers with complete sincerity: "Evelyn, I may be poor, but I'll do everything I can to give you a better life. I'll never let you suffer."

After we got together, even when we could only afford instant noodles, Marcus would give me the only boiled egg.

And now, he paused: "Celeste is young and insecure. She just posted to vent. Don't make such a big deal out of it. You're not home. Where are you?"

All the grievances I'd been holding in came pouring out. I choked up: "I'm at the hospital. Our..."

"Evelyn, you're too old to be pulling the 'running away from home' routine like a teenage girl. It's not cute anymore."

Before I could finish, Marcus cut me off impatiently.

His voice was casual:

"You've always been healthyyou could work three jobs in one day. How could you get sick so easily? Stop pretending. Celeste's emotions are unstable. Come apologize to her."

I couldn't believe it: "Celeste twisted the truth and got me cyberbullied, and you want me to apologize?"

"You want me to just watch Celeste get bullied into suicide?"

Marcus's voice suddenly rose.

When I stayed silent, it dropped again. "Evelyn, your mother's nursing home feesI'm the one paying them."

My heart trembled.

My mother's health was poor. She'd been in the ICU three times in one year.

Marcus saw how stressed I was and took the initiative to move my mom to a special care ward, covering all the expenses.

I'd been desperately saving and earning money, trying to pay Marcus back every cent he'd spent.

That way our relationship could be on equal footing.

Now he was using my mother to threaten me.

An unprecedented exhaustion washed over me. I suddenly felt there was no point in arguing anymore.

With tears in my eyes, I nodded and went to the address Marcus gave me in the villa district.

The weakness from the miscarriage made my legs unsteady.

I was barely forcing myself to move forward when the security guard stopped me. "I'm Marcus's girlfriend."

He looked me up and down suspiciously.

Only after calling Marcus did the guard let me through, his face full of contempt:

"Everyone knows Mr. Murphy's girlfriend is Miss Porter. I've lived long enoughthese days even mistresses dare to show up openly!"

When he saw me, Marcus's face showed an expected smile: "Be good, and I'll pay for your mother's medical expenses."

He brought me in front of a phone set up for recording: "We're going live in a moment. Tell everyone you're the mistress and apologize to Celeste."

I jerked my head up and stared at him: "You're saying I'm the mistress?"

Celeste laughed lightly: "Marcus already made our relationship official with me. If you're not the mistress, then am I?"

Marcus didn't answer my question.

Instead, he frowned at me and handed me a piece of paper: "Evelyn, be good. Just read this in a moment. Don't stress about it. It'll be over quickly."

The paper was filled with statements about how I was jealous of Celeste, so I deliberately seduced Marcus to destroy their relationship.

As soon as the livestream started, a flood of people poured in.

When they saw it was me, the comments exploded. Everyone was calling me a homewrecker.

Celeste acted magnanimous: "Everyone, please be kind. She's here to apologize today."

Under everyone's gaze, I pulled my lips into a smile:

"I'm Evelyn Hart, and I'm here to apologize to everyone today.

I should have just let Celeste, the actual homewrecker, steal my boyfriend of seven years and twist the truth to cyberbully me, instead of making a fuss!

I apologize for not keeping quiet, for not obediently playing the turtle hiding in its shell!"

Marcus quickly shut off the livestream, but it had already hit the trending topics.

The hashtag #CelestePorterHomewrecker was number one.

Marcus laughed in fury: "Evelyn, you'd better not regret this! Assistant, cancel all the nursing home payments immediately!"

My pupils shook violently. Stopping the payments now was sentencing my mother to death!

But Marcus grabbed my hand and shoved me into the car without another word. "To the hospital! I'll let you see with your own eyes how your mother pays for your willfulness!"

At the hospital, I cried and begged Marcus to spare my mother.

Seeing my tears, a trace of reluctance flashed in Marcus's eyes.

But he still turned his head away: "You've hurt Celeste so badly. There must be consequences!"

He paused, his voice hard: "Kneel and apologize to Celeste. When she forgives you, I'll restore the nursing home payments. Otherwise, prepare to collect your mother's body!"

My whole body shook. I bit my lip until it bled.

Under Celeste's mocking gaze, I bent my knees and knelt heavily before her. "I'm sorry. It was my fault."

I kowtowed numbly, like a dog without dignity.

Once, then again. My forehead was bloody.

Marcus's expression softened slightly. He stepped out of the room to take a call, leaving only Celeste.

Seeing him leave, Celeste's face instantly turned vicious: "You dare try to steal Marcus from me? You deserve to pay the price!"

Before I could react, she rushed to my mother's bed and directly pulled out the oxygen tube and IV line keeping her alive!

"No!"

I struggled to rush forward but was pinned to the ground by bodyguards.

The monitor sounded an alarm. My mother's face quickly turned blue-purple.

Until the last trace of life faded and her head tilted to the side.

My mother was dead.

I collapsed on the floor in despair, nearly crying tears of blood.

Celeste immediately messed up her own hair and ran outside.

She ran right into Marcus, who was coming back.

She cried pitifully: "Marcus, I just kindly wanted to help adjust your mother's blanket, and Evelyn suddenly rushed over and pushed me, saying I'm not worthy to be with you..."

Marcus's face immediately darkened: "Evelyn, is your dignity worth that much? Just to avoid apologizing, you'd ignore even your own mother's life?"

I laughed bitterly: "Life? My mother is dead. Celeste killed her!"

Celeste immediately denied it, and Marcus insisted I was lying. He laughed coldly: "You'd even use your own mother's death to lie. Since you won't apologize, then don't regret it!"

He left with his arm around Celeste.

Half an hour later, the Murphy Group's official account posted a statement:

"Mr. Marcus Murphy's relationship status was made public long ago.

His girlfriend is only Miss Celeste Porter. Miss Evelyn Hart suffered trauma as a student and has an abnormal mental state with cognitive impairment.

All her statements are false information."

In the video released with it, a girl stood in an office with an older man's hand on her waist.

My mind went blank.

In high school, I was the school's famous scholarship student.

A male teacher decided I had no power or influence and groped me in his office.

I didn't dare speak up because no one would stand up for me.

Even into college, I had severe psychological issues and attempted suicide countless times.

Marcus saved me.

He held me tightly in his arms, comforting me over and over: "Evelyn, don't let scum ruin your life. It's not your fault. I will always, always be with you."

This was my darkest past, something I'd only ever told Marcus.

But he ripped open my scars and used my blood and tears to whitewash Celeste.

So for Celeste's sake, he could go this far.

In complete despair, I smiled bitterly and threw a lit lighter toward the bed curtains.

Watching the flames rise before me, I pushed open the window and jumped.

Marcus, from now on, we have no future.

On the other side, Marcus was shopping with Celeste when he suddenly saw thick smoke rising in the distance!

An ominous feeling surged in his heart. He quickly called over a mall employee to ask what was happening.

"The hospital's on fire. I heard someone burned to deathsomeone in the special care ward!"