Chapter 1 Marriage. A Scam
Chapter 1 Marriage, A Scam
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Anneliese Claude’s friend had claimed she saw Zacharias Shaw walking into a hotel with the other woman, the two of them acting far too close.
Anneliese had simply laughed it off.
“That’s got to be a mistake.”
Zacharias? Cheat on her? They had grown up side by side. Thirteen years of history, loyalty, and a bond so deep it felt unshakable.
Just last month, he had rented out the biggest digital screen in Oceaton for her birthday. His love declaration played on a loop for the entire city. That kind of devotion didn’t just vanish.
Besides, they were trying to have a baby now.
She had just gotten her pre–pregnancy test results. Everything looked good. The second she saw the report, she headed straight to his office to share the good news.
She stepped out of the elevator that led straight to the top floor. But someone was already standing there, blocking her path.
“You can’t be up here without an appointment!” the girl snapped, her chin slightly lifted.
She wore a bright yellow dress. She looked young, sharp, and a little too confident. Her face seemed vaguely familiar.
She stood with both hands out, clearly trying to keep Anneliese from getting past.
“Coral, this is Ms. Claude. She’s also Mr. Shaw’s wife.” Jackie rushed over, his tone tight. “Apologize.”
Coral looked stunned for a moment, then straightened her spine and said with a sugary tone, “Good afternoon, Ms. Claude. I’m Coral Slenderidge. Mr. Shaw is sponsoring my studies.
“I’m lucky he let me intern here. I didn’t get any message about a guest, so I followed procedure. I hope you understand.”
She sounded polite, but there was an edge in her voice. A quiet kind of challenge.
Anneliese didn’t respond. Her eyes dropped to Coral’s hands.
“Nice polish,” she replied, flat and calm.
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Chapter 1 Marriage. A Scam
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That dusty blue shimmer was the same shade she’d seen on Zacharias‘ pinky last night while. they were cooking. She had asked about it. He said it was ink.
She hadn’t thought much of it then.
Now, Coral quickly tucked her hands behind her back. She turned her head slightly, but not fast enough.
Anneliese saw it.
A dark, deep mark was pressed into the skin behind her car. A hickey. With faint bite marks. around it.
She knew that spot. Zacharias always kissed her there.
He buried his face behind her ear when he couldn’t hold back. His voice would get low, thick with want.
“Honey… when will you finally be ready? I want you so bad it hurts…”
Her body had been through so much. She had suffered serious damage years ago, and doctors. told her getting pregnant would be nearly impossible.
Zacharias said he was allergic to condoms. They were always too busy, too tired. They had been married for two years, and still had never gone all the way.
Each time he went to cool off in the shower, she had felt torn–guilty, touched, and thankful.
So, when he asked for a baby, when he gently told her to quit her job and focus on her health, she agreed without hesitation.
For six months, she endured the endless checkups. But deep down, she had looked forward to
- it.
Tonight was supposed to be their real wedding night. She had even gone out and bought lingerie–something she would never normally wear.
But now she knew the truth. Zacharias hadn’t been cherishing her. He had already gone to someone else for what she couldn’t give.
Her friend’s warning, her blind trust, everything hit her all at once like a brick to the chest.
She stood still as stone.
“Ms. Claude, Mr. Shaw is with Mr. White. You can go in,” Jackie said softly as he pulled Coral
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Chapter I Marriage. A Scam
aside.
Anneliese walked forward, her heels tapping steadily against the polished floor.
She reached the office door and pushed it open just enough to hear.
A man was speaking inside.
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“Having a lookalike is fine, but keeping her so close is just asking for trouble. What if Anneliese finds out?”
It was Christopher White’s voice.
Anneliese froze. Her fingers turned ice–cold against the doorknob. Zacharias‘ betrayal was real. And Christopher–her own brother–already knew.
Zacharias replied. His voice was low and calm, steady as always.
“Don’t worry. Anne trusts me. She loves me. She’s obedient. She won’t leave. She’s focused on getting pregnant. She won’t notice a thing.”
Each word cut deeper than the last.
Christopher’s voice returned. “Let’s not forget, Selina paid someone to hurt her. Anneliese got stabbed twice. Her uterus was nearly destroyed. Everyone in Oceaton knows she can’t have kids.
“If you hadn’t proposed, whisked her out of the country, and kept her happy, we wouldn’t have. had time to clean up after Selina.
“If Selina had gone to prison because of her, her life would’ve been over. You really went the extra mile for her.
“Selina’s proud. She doesn’t like competition. She’s nothing like Anneliese. If she finds out you found a stand–in who looks just like her, she’ll lose her mind.”
“It’s just a fling. Selina’s coming back soon. I’ll get rid of the stand–in before then.”
“Alright. Just handle it right.”
Anneliese’s hand trembled. Her legs felt weak. Her vision blurred as the pain crushed her
chest.
It felt like her heart was being torn apart, like fingers were digging in, squeezing, ripping it into pieces. Her back curled from the weight of it. Her breath came short. Her knees nearly buckled
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Chapter 1 Marriage, A Scam
under her.
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She was the true daughter of the Whites, yet they didn’t bring her home until she turned
seventeen.
No matter how polite or thoughtful she was, no matter how hard she tried to please them, her parents and her older brothers always favored the fake–Selina White.
The only person who truly cared for her was Grandma.
When Anneliese turned eighteen, Grandma gave her the family’s heirloom bracelet. Selina couldn’t stand it. She cried and screamed nonstop until their parents gave her a fifty–million- dollar mansion just to calm her down.
Not long after that, Anneliese was heading home one night when a group of thugs cornered her.
They yanked her into a dark alley. She fought back with everything she had, but they stabbed her twice.
She lay there bleeding, her clothes soaked. When the attackers ran off, she crawled toward the street alone, dragging herself out of that alley for help.
She was rushed to the hospital, barely hanging on. The doctors almost had to take her uterus.
The story exploded online and on every news outlet.
“Did you hear? The real White daughter got gangbanged and lost her uterus!”
“She’s useless now. Can’t have kids. She was already crude–now she’s totally ruined. Who’d
want her?”
“How many guys went at her? If I were her, I’d have jumped in a river by now.”
The mockery spread like wildfire. The shame never let up.
And through it all, Zacharias was the only one who stood by her side.
While the whole city tore her apart, he stepped forward and said he loved her.
Right after her eighteenth birthday, he got down on one knee and proposed in front of
everyone.
He took her on a trip. He stayed close and helped her heal.
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Chapter 1 Marriage. A Scam
She had almost drowned as a child, and it was Zacharias who had jumped in to save her. After that, she stuck to him like a shadow.
She already had feelings for him, and after that, she gave him her heart completely. Even when her family disapproved, she stayed by his side. He had nothing, but she didn’t care.
She worked with him through the hardest years–through the tiny basement they lived in, through all the sleepless nights. She didn’t complain once. Two years later, they finally got married. Even after that, he stayed gentle. Their love stayed strong. They began planning for a baby.
Everything felt like a dream. Anneliese thought Zacharias was her light, her miracle, the beautiful answer to all the pain life had thrown her.
But then she saw the truth–Zacharias had always loved Selina.
That was why Coral’s face had felt so familiar. She had that soft, fragile look Selina wore so well.
So, the love confession, the public proposal, the marriage–none of it was for Anneliese. It was all to shield Selina. To serve her. To protect her..
How noble of him.
And what did that make Anneliese?
A sacrifice for their love story? A stand–in for the girl they worshipped?
Should she thank them for wrapping her
in this up
pretty
little lic?
A voice broke through from behind the door.
“Who’s there?” Zacharias spoke, his voice low and cold.
He pushed back from the desk and walked to the door, his eyes dark and sharp.
He flung the heavy doors open and looked around with a tense glare, but the hallway outside
was empty,
His brow furrowed. Jackie came jogging down the corridor.
“Who just passed through here?” Zacharias‘ voice was tight.
Jackic froze under his stare, unsure what had happened.
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Chapter I Marriage. A Scam
He didn’t dare lie. “Mr. Shaw, the madam came by. She bumped into Coral. Looked like she got upset. You didn’t see her?”
“Anneliese was here?” Christopher stepped forward, his expression tightening.
Zacharias‘ jaw locked. A sudden unease shot through his chest. His tone turned cold.
“Check the security footage. Now.”
