Web of Lies and Truth

My best friend, Tonya Harrison, coveted my wealth and beauty, conspiring with my husband to murder me.

However, they didn't act directly; instead, they manipulated our young maid, Maddie, into playing their dirty work.

Maddie Hall, barely twenty, came from a poor and naive background and was easily swayed by my husband's promises of money and affection.

She was always meant to be his pawn against me.

My husband, Chris Dent, was a classic self-made man-a man from a humble background who rose to success through hard work. During his university days, he was a standout figure, serving as the vice president of the student council and editor of the school newspaper. He had a voice that could captivate, and his looks attracted many admirers, which was why I noticed him first.

I wasn't just a pretty face; my family was wealthy and sophisticated. Besides, I was also really attracted by his outstanding abilities and charm. That was why I pursued Chris and eventually we became a couple.

My parents hoped for an attentive, caring, and brilliant man to join me in inheriting the family business, ensuring their hard-earned legacy wouldn't crumble in my hands.

After seven or eight years together, our relationship was solid, yet we couldn't escape the fatal curse of coming from different classes that evidently didn't match in marriage.

It wasn't that my parents looked down on him; on the contrary, my father always believed in him.

My dad, too, had risen from humble beginnings to achieve great things. He often joked about being a self-made man with a humorous take on his own experience.

Chris, however, harbored a deep-seated inferiority and pride, almost pathological.

This drive helped him stand out and reach my father's level, though he couldn't have done it without my father's support.

After pushing for marriage, we got married. Now, we'd been married for over a year, and my parents were eagerly pushing for grandchildren.

My father's health issues made having a child my sole focus.

He hired a young, attractive maid specifically to help me with the housework and take care of my daily life, so that I could focus more on preparing for pregnancy without being bothered by other trivial matters.

He insisted that even the maid should match my looks, lest our future child be unattractive.

We even went for pre-pregnancy health checks, which Chris initially resisted, arguing that we'd already done medical exams when we married just over a year ago.

Yet, he quickly scheduled the appointments.

A few days later, a high school friend invited me out, and I wondered why she reached out after so many years.

I told Maddie about my plans, asking her to inform 'Mr. Dent' if I returned late.

Chris liked to mimic the mannerisms of the wealthy families he saw in TV dramas. Therefore, he asked Maddie to call him that.

That evening, I returned home after several calls from Chris.

My face was pale, and both he and Maddie noticed.

Chris quickly signaled Maddie to run a bath for me, while he fussed over me as if we'd been apart for months.

Chris was always good to me, consistently so. Though I wanted to be angry at his urging, I held back.

As long as he treated me well, nothing else mattered. That night, I feigned exhaustion.

Understanding as ever, he didn't bother me. He even coaxed me, soothing me like a child with a gentle lullaby hummed from his resonant nose.

I had grown accustomed to this.