Copyright © 2019 Brewsings
No part of this work is to be copied and distributed without the prior written permission of the Author.
Synopsis
‘I do’ was supposed to mark the beginning of forever. Marriage promised safety, devotion, and the chance to build a life rooted in trust. But when long-buried secrets rise to the surface, that promise shatters. The vows once spoken with certainty now echo with doubt, turning love into a battlefield between loyalty and betrayal.
What happens when the person you trust most hides the deepest deception? When the home you dreamed of building together begins to feel like a house of cards, every choice becomes a test of strength, forgiveness, and survival.
In the struggle between passion and truth, loyalty and self-preservation, the heart is forced to confront its limits. How much can be forgiven? How far can love stretch before it breaks? And when deception cuts too deep, is protecting the one you love an act of devotion or destruction?
A tense, gripping exploration of the fragile line between love and survival, where every secret has a cost, and every vow demands a price.
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Prologue
“Yes, I do,” he replied with a grin.
Tom was tall and slim, his clean-shaven jaw giving him a sharp elegance. Dressed in a white suit, he looked every bit the dream groom, while his soon-to-be wife sparkled in a stunning white gown studded with tiny diamond stones.
Her heels gave her a little boost, though she remained petite compared to him. With red lips, round hips, and eyes as blue as the sea, she looked radiant. Tom’s warm brown eyes had always been her favorite, though they teased each other endlessly about their differences—his height against her small frame, his eyes against hers.
“Grissel, do you take this man as your lawful wedded husband?” the priest asked again, for the second time.
But Grissel was far away in thought.
“Babes, are you okay?” Tom’s voice cut through, along with the light tap on her shoulder. His frown betrayed his worry.
“Huh!” she blinked, startled.
“The priest asked a question,” Tom whispered firmly.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, not to anyone in particular.
The crowd stirred with low murmurs, exchanging puzzled looks at her hesitation.
“We can continue,” she told the old priest softly, almost pleading.
They had written their own vows, but that very morning she had confessed she’d forgotten hers. Tom didn’t want to sound upset on his happiest day, so he agreed they would use the church vows instead.
Still, he glanced at her now with an expression that promised a private reckoning later.
When the priest repeated his question, Grissel’s red lips parted at last.
“Yes, I do,” she said, her voice carrying through the silence.
The ceremony came to an end, and soon the reception roared to life. Yet Tom’s playful expressions across the table unsettled her. On the dance floor, he had ignored her questions, responding only with a distant sigh.
“Were you having second thoughts?” he finally asked when they retired to their chairs.
The cheers and noise of family and friends throbbed in her head. She forced a smile.
“That’s what I thought,” he muttered, drawing his own conclusion.
“No, Tom, I wasn’t. I just wa…” she began, but the MC’s booming voice interrupted.
“Tom, can you tell us how you met this angel?”
The crowd erupted with laughter and cheers. Tom hesitated, glancing at Grissel. She placed a gentle hand on his thigh, her fingers pressing lightly in a silent plea, before managing a strained smile.
“Please don’t do this to me,” she whispered, almost desperate.
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