Chapter 2 CHAPTER 2

THE FATED LIE

TIANA'S POV

“Well, I actually do,” I snapped.

The smile on her lips faltered, but only for a breath. Then she tilted her chin up, stepped right into the space between us, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Lucas,” she purred. “Can I really spend more time with you?”

And then... like a knife straight through my chest, Lucas said without hesitation, without even sparing me a glance, “Sure, Merlyn. Anything for you.”

For a second, I forgot how to breathe. My heart didn’t just break... it felt like he ripped it out, tossed it on the floor, and crushed it under his heel.

This was my husband. My husband. The same man who once swore he’d never let anyone, not even his family, come between us. The man who swore I was enough.

Yet here I was, standing invisible while he gave her the kind of attention I used to beg for. He hadn’t even looked at me, hadn’t even acknowledged my greetings.

Tears burned my eyes, but I wasn’t about to give either of them the satisfaction of seeing me break. I turned and bolted out of the living room.  The moment I locked the guest room door behind me, the dam burst. Hot, humiliating tears streamed down my face as I slid down against the wall.

I’d never thought I’d see this day. Never. I believed Lucas loved me enough to forget about fated mates. I believed I mattered more. But now? Now it all looked like a cruel lie.

Was I not enough for him? Was it because I couldn’t give him a child?

Oh, the plot just kept getting better as another ugly truth smacked me right in the face, and my heart dropped like a stone. If Merlyn was his so-called fated mate... and pregnant on top of that... then guess who the proud daddy was? My husband. It meant he had cheated on me with Merlyn.

“Tatiana?” Lucas’s voice slipped too close to my ear, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I turned, and there he was, crouching beside me like some knight who showed up late to the battle. I swiped at my face fast, refusing to let him see how broken I looked.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance,” he murmured, careful, almost pitiful.

I let out a bitter laugh, sharp and ugly. “Advance notice?”  That's all I could say. What are you, Lucas? A delivery guy? You think betrayal comes with a scheduling text... ‘Hey babe, just FYI, I’ll ruin your life at 3PM sharp’?

I sniffled. "So, what would happen to us now?" I asked even though I wanted to say more.

“She’s only my fated mate. This doesn’t change anything. You’re my wife, Tatiana. It’s you I love.”

For a second, I just stared at him. Love? He loved me yet on the eve of our coronation as Alpha and Luna, he waltzed in with his fated mate like it was some twisted joke?

“Love?” I repeated, the word tasting like poison. “Lucas, she’s your fated mate. That alone changes everything. And let’s not pretend the little detail of her being pregnant is something we can just… sweep under the rug.”

His face twisted in horror.

"It’s not my baby, I swear!” he burst out.

“She was taken advantage of… and she was vulnerable,” he blurted, hands flailing like that explained everything. “I didn’t go looking for her, Tiana. I just… ran into her.”

I blinked. Sure, Lucas... Ran into her? My lips curled into a small, bitter laugh.

“Tiana… once I help her get settled, you won’t see her again. I promise. I’ll—reject her.”

His words were meant to reassure, but it didn't. Instead, my chest twisted... I’d seen the way he looked at her...that look. Not the one he gave me, not in months.

I forced a smile though. “Mm-hmm. Got it.”

He kissed my forehead and grinned. “Alright, let’s have dinner.”

And just like that, he left.  No crying yet. I’d give myself that little mercy...hope a while longer before reality hit.

I went back to the kitchen, picked up the plates, and carried them to the dining room.

---

The Monroes were already seated around the long dining table, all giving me those sharp, judging glances as I served. I ignored them... let them think what they wanted.

Merlyn sat smugly beside Lucas, in my own spot, and the only seat left was at the far end of the table. I felt my blood boil… but didn’t say anything. Perhaps silence would sting louder than any words I could throw. No one said a word to correct her. Fine. I took the hint and perched at the lonely end after I finished serving.

Eleanor Monroe, my mother-in-law, cleared her throat and launched into some opening speech. Soon after, everyone dug in. Surprisingly, not one complaint about my cooking. And for a fleeting moment, I dared to relax.

Then chaos struck.

Merlyn coughed violently, choking on… apparently something. Merlyn practically leaped from her chair, patting her back like a mother hen.

“I think… I just choked on a stone!” Merlyn trilled, way too sweetly, earning me a chorus of death glares from my in-laws.

“Tiana! How many times must I tell you to learn to cook?” Eleanor barked, glaring. “All you do is sit around, wasting Lucas’s money! What good are you, exactly?”

I blinked, incredulous. A stone? Really? I had cooked this meal with meticulous care... no way a stone slipped in.

“Mother, I didn’t—”

“Enough!” Eleanor snapped, cutting me off. “You meant this! You wanted Merlyn to suffer a miscarriage! You wanted her barren… like you!”

Her words stabbed straight through me, and I shot Lucas a look...complicated, guilty, and annoyed, but he didn’t lift a finger. Classic.

So this was the new us. The Lucas who used to protect me? But now... MIA. Now he just stood there, letting his mother drag my “barrenness” across the table like it was some casual tea party.

I snatched a glass of water and slammed it down like it was tequila, wishing it actually was. Tears stung at the corners of my eyes, but I shoved them back... no way was Merlyn getting the satisfaction of seeing me crack. And of course, she had to smirk like the little villain she is.

She clutched her head dramatically. “Oh, I need to rest now!” she cooed, every syllable soaked in drama.

Lucas jumped up like she was some fragile little porcelain doll. “Let me help you." He swept her up in his arms, like she was the only thing that mattered.

I stood frozen, watching him carry her upstairs like some scene straight out of a romance drama. Five minutes later, that image of him holding her so tenderly still refused to leave my mind... and trust me, I did not appreciate it.

The rites dragged on like they were designed to test my patience, and of course... no one even glanced my way.

Two hours crawled by, and still, Lucas and Merlyn were MIA. My heart thumped like a drum of doom as I dialed him. No answer. Of course.

So, naturally, I went upstairs to “check” on them. Not that I suspected anything… okay, maybe a little. My gut was screaming, and trust me, I was about to find out why.

I crept up to our bedroom door, and the first thing that hit me was that obnoxious, hearty laugh... Merlyn, no doubt. My heart slammed against my ribs like it was trying to escape. Really, Lucas? Out of all the rooms in this house, this was the one you chose?

They went silent now and I felt anger surged through me like never before. I pushed the door open without a second thought. Let’s see what’s so damn quiet in there.

And just like that, my world officially threw a tantrum. There he was, Lucas, my very own husband, lip-locked with that bitch, Merlyn.