The Cover-Up She Married Into

Three months pregnant, Gwyneth Stone spotted a little boy's suit while browsing an upscale maternity and baby store. She rubbed her belly, her face glowing with happiness. "Excuse me, could you wrap this suit up for me?" Her husband, Preston Gallagher, hadn't had time to come with her, but he'd given her a black card and told her to buy whatever she wanted. "I'm sorry, miss, but we're closing early today. A VIP customer will be arriving shortly, and she's bought out everything in the store." Gwyneth froze, clutching the suit and reluctant to let it go. "Her husband personally bought out the entire store for her. I heard she just found out she's pregnant, and he's already spending this much on her. Who knows how much he'll spoil her from now on?" The clerk looked troubled. "So, about this suit—" Before she could finish, a familiar woman's voice came from behind Gwyneth. "Let her have it. My best friend is having a girl anyway, so she might as well take the boy's clothes." Gwyneth turned around, stunned to find her best friend, Rebecca Lynch, standing there. "Becca, what are you doing here?" she asked. Rebecca clearly hadn't expected to see her either. Her face instantly went pale. "What a coincidence, Gwen. I came... to buy something for your baby." "But I'm having a son." Rebecca had been right beside her at the prenatal checkup when the private doctor told Gwyneth she was having a boy. There was no way she could have forgotten. "I—" Before Rebecca could explain, another familiar voice echoed. "Honey, the baby's not even born yet, and you've already bought out the whole store for her?" It was their friend, Selene Somerset. And the man standing beside her was Gwyneth's husband. Chapter 1 Preston smiled and lowered his head, gently brushing aside the loose strands of hair that had fallen across Selene's eyes. "Silly girl, this is our first child. Everyone's going to dote on this baby." "Yeah, do you like this outfit? Your baby with Preston is going to look beautiful in it." "This one's nice too, right? Let's just get it. I'm paying." "You're all buying clothes, so I'll do something different. I'll get the crib." "Then I'll get the bottles and stroller." Several of Preston's childhood friends stepped out from behind him, their hands laden with shopping bags. At the sight, Gwyneth tightened her grip on the tiny outfit in her hands. The blood in her veins slowly turned to ice. For a moment, she wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her. She turned to the friend beside her. "Becca, am I hallucinating? I swear I just saw Selene with her arm around Preston, calling him her husband." Rebecca Lynch knew there was no hiding the truth any longer, so she finally admitted it. "Gwen, actually... Selene and Preston have been together for a long time. "None of us wanted to tell you, but Selene only found out a few days ago that she's pregnant too. "Gwen, we're close friends. Can't you just look the other way this once? "Don't worry, Selene never meant to steal your husband. The baby was an accident, but now that it's happened, once it's born, it can be a playmate for your son." Gwyneth stared at the woman in front of her, stunned. "Rebecca, do you even hear yourself?" Rebecca was her best friend, closer to her even than Selene. Yet she had known all along that Selene and Preston were together, that they even had a child on the way, and she had never said a word. Now, she was actually asking Gwyneth to look the other way. Just as despair threatened to overwhelm her, someone asked, "Pres, Selene's pregnant now, and her belly's only going to keep getting bigger. You can't hide it forever. What are you going to do about Gwyneth?" Preston held Selene close and lowered his voice. "We'll keep it hidden for as long as we can. At least until Gwen has the baby. She's frail. She can't handle the shock." "Right. Once the baby's born, Gwyneth won't be able to leave even if she wants to." "Gwyneth loves Pres so much that even if she finds out, it won't change anything. She might even accept Selene. Two besties serving Pres together. I'm so jealous." Selene leaned against Preston's chest, her voice tinged with grievance. "I'm a little scared, Pres. What if Gwen can't accept me?" "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, she won't do anything to you," Preston reassured her. Gwyneth stared at Preston's tender expression and suddenly felt as though she were looking at a stranger. She was about to step forward and confront him when his phone rang. "Mom, what is it?" "Has Selene bought everything she wanted? I transferred her 200,000 dollars. Tell her to spend it however she likes. Don't hold back because of the money. I want the best for my granddaughter." It was the voice of Preston's mother, Mary Grace, the mother-in-law Gwyneth had devotedly cared for over the past five years. She had known about Selene and Preston all along? That very morning, when Gwen had accompanied her to the hospital for rehabilitation therapy, Mary had patted her hand and said, "Gwen, you truly are a wonderful daughter-in-law. If Pres ever dares to wrong you, I'll be the first one to make sure he doesn't get away with it." Gwyneth's head suddenly spun as waves of darkness clouded her vision. She lost her footing, stumbled back several steps, and crashed into the clothing rack behind her. In an instant, row after row of racks toppled over. The commotion immediately drew the attention of everyone outside the store. Chapter 2 Her friends were the first to spot Gwyneth. Their eyes widened in shock. "Gwen!" "Gwen?" The smile on Selene's lips froze. She quickly pulled her arm free from Preston's. Compared to the others, Preston seemed far more composed. He strode over and took Gwyneth's hand. "Why did you come shopping alone? You should've called me." When he noticed how cold she felt, he immediately took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "How could you be so careless? Don't worry. I'm here. You don't need to be scared." He pulled a black card from his pocket and handed it to the clerk. "I'll pay for all the clothes that were ruined. Wrap them up and send them to the Gallagher family estate." His calm demeanor only made Gwyneth break down harder. "Nothing to explain, Preston?" "You already saw it." Preston's eyes held something that almost looked like tenderness. "Selene and I are together." "Since when?" Her voice trembled. "Two years ago. She got into a car accident and called me. That's when I found out she liked me. Gwen, be good. Just remember that you're still the one I love most. "Plenty of guys I know mess around with women behind their wives' backs, but I only have Selene. "Besides, you used to say you wished the three of us could stay together forever. Now we can. Shouldn't you be happy?" Preston said matter-of-factly. Rage churned in Gwyneth's chest. "Preston, you bastard!" She stared at the face before her, a face that now filled her with disgust, then raised her hand and slapped him. The crack of the slap rang through the air. Blood welled at the corner of Preston's mouth. He wiped it away without the slightest change in expression. "There. You hit me. Feel better now? Have you had dinner? Are you hungry?" he asked flatly. "Preston, I want a divorce." Gwyneth could not stand to look at him for another second. She turned to leave. Selene hurried over and blocked her path. "Gwen, don't go. I'm sorry. I never meant to come between you and Pres. I just couldn't go against my own heart. "I love him. I've liked him since freshman year, from the moment I first saw him. "Gwen, we're best friends. We're carrying the same man's children. Our kids can grow up as siblings. Isn't that an incredible coincidence? Please, just accept it." Rebecca came over to reason with her. "Yeah, Gwen. It is what it is now. There's already a baby involved. Just let it go." One of Preston's friends spoke up as well. "Didn't you used to joke that if Pres had a brother, you'd have Selene marry into the Gallagher family right alongside you? Well, now she's joining the family through him too, in a way. Isn't that something to be happy about?" As Gwyneth listened to them, a chill took root deep in her chest and spread through her entire body. She had met Preston during a graduation trip in their senior year of high school. They had both been traveling alone, and once they started talking, they discovered an uncanny connection. They had attended the same high school without ever knowing each other, then later earned admission to the same university. They had similar tastes and shared many of the same interests. Even their SAT scores had been identical. The only real difference between them was their backgrounds. Preston was the heir to the Gallagher family and everything it controlled. Gwyneth was simply a girl from an ordinary family. During freshman year, Preston confessed his feelings to her. She accepted and introduced him to her best friend, Selene. From then on, two became three. After graduation, Gwyneth moved to his city and settled down. She and Selene opened a ceramics studio together. Whenever Preston came to pick Gwyneth up, Selene came along too. Later, Gwyneth married Preston, with Selene and Rebecca beside her as bridesmaids. She had never imagined that her two best friends would betray her. Even less had she imagined that Preston and Selene had been together for two years without her noticing a thing. What made it even more absurd was that Preston's childhood friends had once promised her they would keep an eye on him. All these years, Gwyneth had never treated any of them poorly. She remembered every one of their birthdays without fail. At every gathering, she handled everything herself and made sure everyone was taken care of. She even spent months carefully choosing their birthday gifts. And in the end, this was what she got in return. Pain sliced through her chest like a blade. Gwyneth had nothing left to say. Numb and hollow, she turned to leave. Just as she reached the escalator, Selene suddenly grabbed her arm. "Gwen, if it really bothers you, I'll end things with Preston. Once the baby's born, I'll give it to you. I'll leave the capital and never come back." "Let go of me! Selene, you don't need to leave. I'm the one who should go." Gwyneth tried to shake her off, but before she could pull free, Selene suddenly lost her footing and tumbled down the escalator. Chapter 3 "Ah!" Selene tumbled down more than ten steps before finally coming to a stop. Blood quickly pooled beneath her, staining the floor red. Gwyneth froze, her mind completely blank. She wanted to rush over and help her, but a group of people had already hurried down the stairs. Preston shoved Gwyneth aside, bent down, and scooped Selene off the floor. "Selene, are you all right? Don't scare me like this!" "I'm fine... Don't blame Gwen. I fell on my own..." "Even now, you're still defending her! Selene, how can you be so foolish?" Preston held her tightly. "Don't worry. You're going to be fine. I'm taking you to the hospital right now." "The baby..." "The baby will be fine too. If your baby dies, Gwyneth's baby dies with it." With that, Preston carried Selene away. Gwyneth had heard every word he'd said, clear as day. After knowing Preston for so many years, she knew he meant it. Judging by the way Selene had tumbled down the stairs, there was no way the baby had survived. Gwyneth instinctively wrapped her arms around her belly. She needed to leave and get away from Preston immediately. The moment she turned around, Rebecca slapped her hard across the face. "Gwyneth, how could you be so vicious? I just told you Selene was pregnant, and you tried to kill her and her baby! "We're friends. How could you do this to her? Have you forgotten sophomore year, during the running test, when your period suddenly started and you couldn't run? "Selene took the test for you! She ran a fever for two full days afterward! Do you remember what you said back then? You said we'd be sisters for life! "And now, you pushed your own sister down the stairs with your own hands. You've gone too far. Gwen, this time, even I can't help you." Everyone left. The mall fell silent, leaving Gwyneth completely alone. As she watched their retreating backs, she smiled bitterly. "Then did all of you forget that three years ago, I donated part of my liver to Selene?" Living liver donation was difficult and dangerous. Even Selene's own father hadn't been willing to take the risk. Gwyneth had been the one to rush out and get tested for compatibility without a thought for the danger, then donate part of her liver to save Selene's life. Back then, Rebecca had held her close and sobbed as though her heart were breaking. "Gwen, the three of us will always be best friends. None of us will ever betray each other." But now, they had all betrayed her. If that was how things were, then Gwyneth wanted nothing more to do with any of these worthless people. Before leaving the mall, she approached a security guard and asked for a copy of the surveillance footage. He was reluctant to hand it over at first, but the moment he learned she was Preston's wife, he quickly made a copy for her. Once outside the mall, Gwyneth called her lawyer, Taylor Wigham. "Taylor, I need you to draft a divorce agreement for me." "Mrs. Gallagher..." Taylor sounded hesitant. "You don't know yet?" Gwyneth tightened her grip on the phone as a sudden sense of dread washed over her. "Know what?" "You and Mr. Gallagher already signed a divorce agreement three days ago. The divorce is already being processed. The paperwork should be finalized in about three days." Three days ago? That was the same day Selene had found out she was pregnant. Preston had already been planning to divorce her. So he had chosen Selene. Not her. "Mrs. Gallagher?" Taylor asked. "Are you all right? Don't worry. Even though Mr. Gallagher said he wanted a divorce, it isn't real. From what I understand, that girl is pregnant, and he wants to give her some kind of official status. Once the baby is born, he plans to remarry you." "Remarry?" Gwyneth laughed. There would never be a remarriage. She hung up and scheduled an abortion. Just as she tapped to confirm the appointment, a text from Preston popped up. Preston: [The baby's gone. That must have scared you too, huh? Gwen, after the push you gave her, Selene's health has taken a real hit. Once she's discharged, I want to bring her home so I can take care of her. Just giving you a heads-up. After all, you're still the lady of this house.] Chapter 4 The light in Gwyneth's eyes dimmed little by little until nothing remained. Before she found out, Preston had planned to keep Selene somewhere else, safely out of sight. Now that Gwyneth knew, he had simply decided to bring her home instead. That text had not been a request at all. It was a notice. The abortion had already been scheduled for that afternoon. Gwyneth did not go home. She went straight to the hospital. As she lay in the waiting room before the procedure, Rebecca sent her a message. Rebecca: [Gwen, Pres told me Selene is going to stay at your place after she's discharged. You're the reason her baby is gone. As a way of making amends, please treat her well and stop making things difficult for her.] Gwyneth's eyes slowly reddened. It felt as though a knife were twisting in her chest. Gwyneth: [You're this worried about her? What about me?] Rebecca: [After all this time, do you really think I don't care about you? Gwen, do you have any idea how hard these past few years have been for Selene?] Rebecca: [To keep you from finding out, she could only meet Pres in secret. Last year, on her birthday, she wanted to spend it alone with him, so the two of them had to sneak out at midnight to see a movie without you knowing.] Rebecca: [Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, even New Year's... all of us spent those days with you first, then went to be with her afterward.] Rebecca: [You have no idea how much she's had to endure. You killed her baby, and you can't even bring yourself to share a little of Preston's love with her. Are you really our good friend?] Gwyneth wanted to reply that no, she was not. Not anymore. Never again. But as she read the messages, she only felt drained. It was no wonder Preston always claimed he had work to deal with after spending the holidays with her, work that kept him out until the following day. He had been with Selene all along. It was no wonder Selene had started wearing couture and carrying limited-edition bags, though Gwyneth could not remember exactly when it had begun. The money had come from her own husband the entire time. She had been such a fool. They had deceived her for so long, yet they still had the nerve to blame her. A nurse pushed open the door, interrupting her thoughts. "Mrs. Gallagher, the surgery is about to begin. "Would you like me to call Mr. Gallagher over? A family member needs to sign the consent form for the procedure." Gwyneth blinked, caught off guard. "You know where he is?" "Mr. Gallagher is in the inpatient ward. I saw him there. He's surrounded by a whole group of people, all fussing over some girl and running back and forth for her..." The nurse trailed off when she noticed the look on Gwyneth's face and did not dare say anything more. "No need. I'll sign it myself." Gwyneth signed the consent form. In the inpatient ward, her husband was watching over someone else while she was about to be wheeled into an operating room for an abortion. It was almost funny. She was the one who was actually his wife. Then again, it hardly mattered. Soon enough, she would not be. "Mrs. Gallagher, we're about to administer the anesthesia. It might sting a little. Just bear with it..." The cold needle pierced her skin, and Gwyneth's awareness began to fade. "Do you think Mr. Gallagher even knows she's having surgery today?" "Probably not. The day they found out she was pregnant, the two of them were over the moon. I have no idea why they'd suddenly decide to get rid of it." "Isn't it obvious? Preston's been cheating. I just finished a D&C on his mistress this morning. Apparently, she's even one of Gwyneth's best friends." "Something this serious, an abortion, and Preston doesn't even show up? That says everything. It proves the one he really loves is the mistress." Tears slid slowly down Gwyneth's face as she sank into unconsciousness. … When she woke again, the surgery was already over. She touched her flat stomach and knew the baby was gone. Her nose stung. Holding back her tears, she asked, "When can I be discharged?" "Mrs. Gallagher, you're welcome to stay the night, or you can be discharged right now." "I'll leave now." Gwyneth got to her feet and walked out of the room. She had barely taken a few steps when she came face-to-face with Preston and his group.