My Murderer Loved The Wrong Girl

The day I found out I was pregnant, my husband stripped away his mask.

The man who ruined your face? That was me.

The world-renowned specialist your mother died waiting for? That was me too.

And the high-profile attorney who framed your father and left him to die in prison? Still me.

He stood there, quietly admiring the way the color drained from my face, before adding another twist of the knife.

"Cassandra is your best friend, and shes carrying my child. I couldn't bear to see her unhappy, so I let your father take the fall for hers."

"I didn't go to treat your mother simply because Cassandra had accidentally scratched her finger that day."

"And ruining your beautiful face? Just a little gift so Cassandra could take the crown as the citys most beautiful socialite."

He cast a cold, indifferent glance at my stomach.

"In seven days, Cassandra and I are getting married. What you do with that thing inside you is entirely up to you."

I collapsed onto the cold floor, trembling violently as I looked up at him.

"If you loved Cassandra all along, why did you masquerade as my bodyguard? Why did you ever come near me?"

Matt wrapped his fingers around my throat, his grip tightening as a cruel smile spread across his face.

"Do you remember that little street urchin in Cape Cod?"

"He begged you for a few dollars, and in his desperation, he accidentally got dirt on your designer dress. You had your guards drag him into a dark alley and beat him half to death."

"If it weren't for Cassandra's kind heartif she hadn't saved meI wouldn't be standing here today, getting my revenge."

Air choked in my throat. I shook my head frantically, desperate to claw out the truth.

You have it wrong. It was Cassandra who ordered the beating. I was the one who saved you.

But his grip was a steel vise, cutting off my voice and leaving me in suffocating silence. Tears slipped from my eyes, hot and heavy, splashing onto his hand.

Matt recoiled as if burned, abruptly releasing me.

I collapsed, coughing violently, gasping for air.

He stood back, looking down at me with pure disgust.

"Did you really think you were still Debby Miranda, the darling of Boston's high society? The girl who could command any man with a single glance?"

"Are you trying to win my pity with tears? Look in the mirror, Debby. Look at that hideous, scarred face. It makes me sick."

I couldn't believe my ears.

Only three months ago, after my father's death and our family's bankruptcy, he had shielded me from the vicious debt collectors. He had carried me away to safety, held me close, and whispered that he loved methat he would protect me for the rest of my life.

On our wedding night, when I reached to turn off the lights, ashamed of my scars, he had stopped my hand. He gently traced the jagged, uneven marks on my face, his touch filled with nothing but tenderness.

"Don't hide, Debby," he had whispered in my ear. "You are, and always will be, the most beautiful woman to me. Even if the whole world turns its back on you, I will always be by your side."

But now, the man standing before me had eyes like absolute zero.

"For years, I poisoned your food daily, slowly wearing down your body. You were never supposed to get pregnant. But you're so desperate, aren't you? Just that one night, and you actually conceived."

A freezing dread crept up my spine, shaking me to my core. Matt leaned down, his breath warm against my ear, murmuring like a demon.

"Oh, and I forgot to mention... your mother's fatal heart attack wasn't an accident."

"She had the misfortune of walking in on Cassandra and me. I only intended to keep her bedridden, a quiet vegetable. Who knew she was so fragile? She took her last breath before I could even make it back to her bedside."

The last fragile thread of my sanity snapped.

With a feral scream, I lunged at him, wrapping my hands around his neck.

"Ill kill you! Ill make you pay for my mother! For my father!"

But a heavy boot slammed into my abdomen.

Matts voice roared above me, laced with fury. "Debby! Don't tempt me! Do you think I wouldn't kill you?"

My organs twisted in agonizing pain. I curled into a tight ball, breaking into a cold sweat as a warm, thick fluid began to pool beneath me. The world started to fade into a dark blur.

Through the haze of unconsciousness, I felt Matt lift me into his arms. He was shouting, his voice tight with panic.

"Where is the driver? Get the car ready now!"

"If anything happens to that child, you're finished!"

When I opened my eyes, the dingy, damp basement was gone, replaced by a lavishly decorated bedroom.

"Debby, thank God you're awake!"

Cassandra was holding my hand, her face a mask of sisterly devotion.

"Where... where am I?" I croaked, my voice barely a whisper.

"Matt's estate. He brought you back..."

I looked into her eyes. "You knew, didn't you? You knew who he really was. You knew everything he did to my family."

Cassandra slowly let go of my hand, turning her gaze away, unable to meet my eyes.

A profound, hollow sorrow settled in my chest. "Why?" I rasped. "If you wanted the spotlight, if you wanted to be Boston's darling, I would have stepped aside. I always did. When did I ever refuse you anything?"

"Your mother died when you were young, and my mother loved you like her own daughter. Have you forgotten who stayed up night after night, nursing you through that terrible fever when we were kids?"

"And my fatherhe was an honest, gentle man. Yet he took the blame for your father's crime, dying in a prison cell with a ruined name. Cassandra, do you have any soul left in you?"

The silence in the room grew heavy enough to suffocate.

Suddenly, Cassandra stood up, her eyes flashing red with resentment.

"Stop acting so righteous, Debby!" she spat. "When we were children, I wanted the red dresses, and you wore white. Everyone praised you for your elegance and called my choices gaudy."

"So you 'generously' let me have the white dressesonly for everyone to praise how passionate I looked in red, while calling you classic and pure!"

"Even if you stepped down from the socialite galas, what difference would it make? As long as you had that face, I would always be the shadow to your light. I had to destroy it!"

Staring at the venom burning in her eyes, I realized I was looking at a complete stranger.

"And your mother!" Cassandras voice escalated. "She was the kind of saint who would nurse a stray dog. Her kindness to me was nothing but pity!"

"I was just the unwanted, illegitimate daughter of the Whitmores. If I didn't use your father's downfall to secure my place, my father would have never acknowledged me!"

"You and your parents always looked down on me from your high horse. So yes, I dragged you all into the mud!"

I choked on my words.

For twenty years, I had loved her. I had thought she was my sister. It had all been a pathetic, one-sided illusion.

The heavy oak doors swung open, and Matt stepped in, impeccably dressed in a tailored three-piece suit, a solid gold fountain pen tucked into his breast pocket.

"I saved the child, Debby," he said coolly. "Given your ruined health, if you lose this baby, you will never conceive again."

"So think carefully. You can keep the child and stay here as my mistress. Or, you can abort it, and I will have you sold to the sleaziest clubs downtown."

When I remained silent, Matt didn't press. Instead, he wrapped his arm around Cassandras waist, pulling her flush against his chest.

"Did the little one trouble you today?" he asked, his voice dripping with affection.

"He was kicking earlier," Cassandra whispered, leaning into him. "But he quieted down the moment his father walked in."

A tender smile touched Matt's lips. "Once we are married, Ill take a leave of absence. Ill stay here every day to keep you company and make sure the little rascal behaves. How does that sound?"

Cassandra buried her face in his chest, blushing. "You're so good to me, Matt. But... why do you smell faintly of copper?"

"Ah," Matt replied smoothly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "My cousin had an incident with a girl at a private club; she didn't survive it. I had to go handle the legal fallout."

His cold, threatening gaze drifted back to me.

I inhaled a shallow breath, holding his gaze. "I've made my choice."

"Oh?"

"Come closer. I'll tell you."

Matt walked over, his steps heavy with triumph. "You could have just said you'll stay. Trying to bargain using the baby? Clever girl..."

Before he could finish the sentence, I lunged forward. In a flash, I snatched the gold fountain pen from his breast pocket.

His face paled, but it was too late to stop me.

I drove the sharp gold nib deep into my own throat.

"I would rather die," I gasped, blood bubbling at my lips, "than live under your shadow."

Consciousness flickered in the dark.

In the haze, I was back home at the Miranda estate. My mother was in the kitchen, cooking my favorite honey-glazed ribs. My father was showing me boxes of exquisite jewelry he had bought just to see me smile. My little brother, Tommy, was running down the hall, calling out my name with a bright, gap-toothed grin.

And there was Matt, standing quietly by my side. Whenever our eyes accidentally met, he would look down, the tips of his ears flushing a brilliant pink.

I reached out, wanting to touch his cheek.

But the dream shattered, replaced by a nightmare.

The yellow police tape sealing off our family home.

My mother lying cold on a sterile hospital gurney, her chest utterly still.

My little brother vanishing into the chaotic night, leaving no trace behind.

And Matt, standing dressed in black in the courtroom, speaking with practiced, devastating eloquence as he presented the forged evidence that condemned my innocent father to death.

I bolted upright, gasping for breath, my back drenched in cold sweat.

"Why, Debby? Why you?"

Cassandra's voice, dripping with poison, pierced the quiet of the room.

"Matt nearly killed himself giving you a blood transfusion. He actually risked his own life to save yours. What is it about you that makes everyone lose their minds?"

I stared at her blankly, my mind still trapped between the past and the present.

She stepped closer, her eyes gleaming like a cornered predator. "I won't allow it. I stole credit for saving his life, yet he still fell for you anyway. You've always been ahead of me, Debby. But not this time."

Before I could react, she grabbed my hand and violently forced me to push her away.

Right at that moment, the door burst open.

Matt stepped in, only to see Cassandra crashing heavily onto the floor, weeping, while my hand was still outstretched.

"Debby! Have you lost your mind?"

Matt rushed over, scooping Cassandra up before turning and delivering a stinging slap across my face.

My cheek burned, the sharp pain finally dragging me back to reality.

Cassandra buried her face in Matt's chest, her shoulders shaking with pathetic sobs. "Matt, I only wanted to check on her. But she screamed at me. She called our baby a bastard. She blames me for saving your life in Cape Cod, saying it gave you the chance to ruin her family. She... she said she regrets not letting them beat you to death back then..."

Matt's face darkened with a terrifying fury. He grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look directly into his eyes.

"You never change, do you, Debby? I was a fool to save your miserable life."

I bit my lip, refusing to back down, the fire of raw hatred burning away my fear. "No, I am the one who regrets it! I regret pulling you out of that alleyway in Cape Cod! If I had known what a blind, ungrateful beast you were, I would have walked away! You murdered my parents! You made my brother disappear!"

A flicker of sheer panic crossed Cassandra's eyes.

Matt let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You're delusional. I may not remember the face of the girl who saved me, but I remember she wore a white dress. She was like an angel. Your closet doesn't have a single white dress in it, Debby. And yet you expect me to believe you over Cassandra?"

Before I could defend myself, Cassandra whimpered, clutching her abdomen. "Matt... it hurts. The baby... is our baby going to be okay?"

The hostility in Matt's eyes instantly shifted to panic. He lifted her into his arms. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I won't let anything happen to our child."

As he reached the door, he threw a dark look over his shoulder, barking orders to the maid waiting outside. "Watch her. Don't let her kill herself, and don't let her touch the baby. Since she hates me so much, I will keep her locked in this house. She will carry this child to term, and I will make her suffer every single day."

On the day of Matt and Cassandras wedding, he did something unexpected. He had me brought out of the estate.

But it wasn't out of kindness. He dragged me to a press conference, forcing me to stand before a crowd of reporters and declare that my father was indeed a murderer, clearing the Whitmore family name.

Cassandra stood beside him, looking wounded and delicate. "Debby, I know you resent me, but spreading these rumors to ruin my reputation was too much. I had no choice but to ask you to set the record straight."

I let out a harsh, dry laugh. "Whether it's a rumor or the absolute truth, Cassandra, you know better than anyone."

Matt's face hardened. He leaned in, his voice dropping to a demonic whisper. "If you don't clear Cassandras name today, I will personally demolish your parents' graves. I will scatter their ashes into the sea, destroy their memories, and ensure they never find peace, even in death."

With a rough shove, he pushed me toward the microphone.

The weight of his threats settled on my chest, crushing the air from my lungs.

Cassandra stepped closer, her voice light as a summer breeze, meant only for me. "Youve been searching for your little brother, haven't you? He's standing on the roof of the Whitmore Tower right now. His life is entirely in your hands."

Panic seized me. My head snapped up, looking out the massive glass windows toward the towering skyscraper across the street. There, high on the ledge of the hundred-story building, was the tiny figure of a boy, pushed to the absolute edge. A single nudge from the shadow behind him would send him plummeting to his death.

My heart leaped into my throat. Fearing the absolute worst, I screamed into the microphone, "It was my father! He was drunk driving! He caused the crash! It had nothing to do with Mr. Whitmore!"

The room erupted into chaos, camera flashes blinding my eyes.

I bowed my head, humbling myself before Cassandra, pleading in a trembling whisper. "Is that enough? Please, I beg you, let my brother go. Hes the only family I have left..."

A cold, victorious smile played on her lips. She leaned closer, her whisper dripping with venom. "Of course it's not enough. Today, I am going to ruin you so completely that you will never crawl out of the gutter."

Then, she turned back to the cameras, tears instantly welling in her eyes.

"Debby, I loved you like a sister. How could you do this to me?" she sobbed, her voice carrying through the microphones. "You knew Matt and I were engaged. Yet you drugged him, climbed into his bed, and now you're trying to force your way into his family using a pregnancy. How could you betray me like this?"

Through the window, I saw my brother's foot slip over the edge of the high-rise.

Utterly desperate, I dropped to my knees on the stage. I slammed my forehead against the hard floor over and over, the sickening thuds echoing in the silent room.

"It's my fault! It's all my fault!" I wept, blood starting to smear across the wood. "Take my life instead! I'll give you my life, just please, let my brother go!"

Matt frowned, looking down at me with disgust and confusion. "Debby, what nonsense are you screaming? Cassandra is the kindest soul I know. Why would she ever hurt your brother?"

I lunged forward, grabbing the hem of his suit pants, begging through my tears. "My brother is on top of that building! Please, Matt, save him! I swear on my life, on the life of this baby inside me, I am telling the truth!"

Matt looked toward the distant tower, a shadow of doubt crossing his face.

But Cassandra quickly intervened, looking deeply hurt. "Matt, do you really doubt me? If I were that cruel, would I have saved you all those years ago? That's just a child playing on the roof with his father nearby. Debby is just grieving. She sees her brother in every child she looks at."

The doubt vanished from Matt's eyes. He coldly pried my fingers off his trousers.

"Cassandra only accused you because you tried to ruin her reputation first," he muttered quietly. "Let her have her peace. Once we are married, as long as you respect her place in my house, I will help you look for your brother."

Down in the crowd, the reporters and guests drank in Cassandra's lies. Vicious insults began to fly. "Shameless homewrecker!" "Vile woman!"

Crumbled papers and half-empty cups were thrown at the stage, striking my shoulders and head. Matt wrapped his arms protectively around Cassandra, turning his back on me, utterly indifferent.

I didn't care about the pain. I didn't care about the insults. My eyes remained glued to the silhouette on the distant roof.

Suddenly, the silhouette tipped forward.

My chest seized. My lungs screamed.

"No!"

My heart plunged with the falling figure, hurtling down, down, down, until the distant, silent impact shattered my very soul.

I collapsed onto the floor, every ounce of warmth draining from my body.

A wild roar suddenly shattered the venue's panic.

"Your father killed my family! I'll make you pay!"

A crazed man rushed the stage, a heavy cleaver raised high in his hand, slicing through the air straight toward me.

Through the corner of my eye, I saw Matt diving forward, his arms outstretched to pull me out of harm's way.

But it was too late. And I didn't want to be saved.

Instead of dodging, I leaned into the blow, welcoming the heavy blade as it plunged deep into my abdomen.

Dad, Mom, Tommy... I'm coming to see you.

Just as the world began to fade, a car screeched to a halt at the edge of the plaza. An elderly man with a shock of snow-white hair stepped out, his voice carrying over the screams.

"Matt! It's your wedding day, why are you still out here? Ive been waiting to toast you!"

His cheerful voice died instantly as his eyes fell upon my bleeding body.

In three quick strides, the old man rushed onto the stage and delivered a resounding slap across Matts face.

"You absolute fool! If Debby hadn't saved you all those years ago, you'd be rotting in a grave! Save her, you idiot! Save her now!"