Chapter 137: Painful secret

Words : 1258 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

’I fell for Nathaniel completely. He is kind, loving, attentive—everything a woman dreams of in a husband. I can’t help but feel blessed to have him by my side. And yet, there has always been a corner of my heart restless with doubt. Would he still have chosen me if he knew it was Zara who saved him from the water? Would the truth make him turn away from me... or worse, despise me? So many times I wanted to tell him the truth, but the fear of losing him, of shattering everything we had, held me back. I couldn’t muster the courage to speak.’ Zara’s hands trembled as she held onto the pages, her eyes burning with unshed tears. Her lips twisted into a bitter sneer as she whispered hoarsely, "So you did feel guilty... yet you never said a word to me. You never once apologized, Nora." Her voice cracked with the weight of betrayal. "You didn’t even know I was there that day, listening. You lied to him." Fresh tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn’t bother to wipe them away. She pressed her fist to her mouth, trying to hold back the sob threatening to escape. "Maybe you are right," she choked out. "Maybe he never would have loved you if he hadn’t thought you were the one who saved him. That gratitude tied him to you, and in time, it turned into love. I can’t say whether he would have felt the same for me if he had known the truth back then—maybe not. But still... you shouldn’t have lied, Nora. You shouldn’t have stolen that moment from me." Zara’s hands trembled as she brushed the tears away and turned the page. ’He proposed to me—I can hardly believe it. He wants to marry me, and I said yes. A part of me kept urging that I should tell him the truth, but I just didn’t have the courage. Ever since Mom passed away, Nathaniel has been my anchor, my strength, the one who motivates me and supports me in everything, even helping me in business. I can’t risk losing him. I know it’s selfish, but I don’t care anymore. He loves me, and I love him. We are getting married. This is my destiny, and I won’t let a single hidden truth destroy my future.’ Zara sat frozen, shaken by the words. Destiny? That one word to hide the truth – and it had changed the course of all their lives. Zara’s chest tightened as she felt the bitter sting of her own silence. She couldn’t place the entire blame on Nora. She could have walked up to Nathaniel and told him she had been the one to pull him from the water, the truth all those years ago. But the fear of wounding her sister, the fear that Nathaniel might see her as jealous and accuse her of making up lies, held her back. She had swallowed her feelings, locked them away, and watched her sister glow with happiness beside the man she loved. Now, staring at the faded ink of Nora’s confession, Zara felt hollow. The weight of that unspoken secret now pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe. ’It was my first birthday after getting married, and I invited Zara over. I thought it would be a good chance to introduce her to some of Nathaniel’s friends and business associates. She has been doing well lately, focusing on her career and even starting her own business. I’m proud of her, and I believe in her. She will do something big on her own. But I don’t want her wasting more time waiting in waiting for that Playboy Liam. I have already talked to Nathaniel, and he promised to introduce her to some of his friends. But when I saw her and Nathaniel sitting together in the hall, deep in conversation, something inside me twisted painfully. They looked so natural, so perfect together. For the first time, I wondered if I had made a terrible mistake. That night, I couldn’t sleep. I kept tossing in bed until Nathaniel noticed my unease. When he asked what was wrong, I couldn’t hold back. I asked him why he loved me so much, why he chose to marry me when, with his family name, he could have had anyone from an elite background. Our Moore family could never compare to the Grants. His reply shattered me—he said it was because I saved him. In that instant, my heart sank. If he had known the truth, if he had known it was Zara who saved him, then his love, his marriage, his life... all of it would have belonged to her. By lying, I had taken her place. The thought burned through me, leaving me broken inside.’ Zara’s brows drew together, a dull ache pulsing at her temples. "What? Could this really be true?" She had always suspected that Nathaniel’s feelings for Nora had sprung from gratitude, from the belief that Nora was the one who had saved him. But seeing it written in her sister’s own hand made her chest tighten, her heart sink under the weight of conflicting emotions. Anger, disappointment, relief—she couldn’t decide what to feel. Everything was tangled together in a confusing knot. Forcing herself to swallow the turmoil inside, Zara steadied her breath and turned the page to keep reading. ’But then he hugged me and said that, at the beginning, it had only been gratitude. Somewhere along the way, though, that gratitude had deepened and turned into love. It’s because of me, my nature, my smile that had stolen his heart. His words eased me a little. Perhaps his feelings for me were real, no matter who had saved him that day. Yet, even with his reassurance, a gnawing uneasiness lingered inside me. I thought I couldn’t carry the weight of this secret any longer—it was suffocating me. I resolved to confess everything. But before I could, I discovered I was pregnant. After that, telling him felt impossible. With this child, our bond has only grown stronger, our life unfolding peacefully. So why dig into the past? Better to let the past stay buried forever.’ Zara shut her eyes, feeling a scorching pain not just behind her eyelids but deep within her chest. She could understand Nora’s hesitation. Who would willingly destroy a blissful marriage? Especially while carrying a child. Naturally, Nora would choose to protect her happiness with her husband and son. There was nothing wrong with that. Yet, despite understanding, Zara’s heart throbbed with sorrow. She brushed away her tears, forced herself to steady, and flipped to the next page, continuing to read. ’I believed I was the happiest woman alive — blessed with a devoted husband and now carrying his child. Everything seemed perfect, as if life was finally on my side. But destiny had other plans. For some time, I have been struggling with constant headaches. I mentioned it to my doctor, assuming it was just a side effect of pregnancy hormones. However, when the test results came in, they left me breathless. A malignant brain tumor. Immediate treatment is necessary. And for that, I have to end my pregnancy. The news shattered me. How could I take the life growing inside me? This baby is the very embodiment of my love with Nathaniel. I couldn’t... I refused.’ Zara’s mouth dropped open, her fingers pressing against her lips. "She didn’t take the treatment..."

Chapter 137: Painful secret

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