CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 8
The Mistress Who Lied
Gwendolyn Fairchild had always believed one thing.
People did not remember the truth.
They remembered the story they were given.
And for six years, she had controlled the story.
She was the brave woman from Aspen.
The loyal friend.
The innocent victim.
The woman who had been pushed aside by a jealous wife.
But stories only survive when nobody asks questions.
And now...
everyone was asking.
The morning after the Walton family's first move, Gwendolyn woke up to a nightmare she never expected.
Her phone would not stop ringing.
Reporters.
Business partners.
Friends who suddenly needed distance.
People who once fought for her attention were now pretending they barely knew her.
The same society that had celebrated her was abandoning her.
Because wealth attracts many things.
But fear reveals who people truly are.
She stood in front of her mirror.
Her expensive apartment was filled with luxury.
Designer furniture.
Rare paintings.
Jewelry worth more than some people's homes.
Everything she owned was proof of the life she had created.
Or stolen.
She looked at herself.
And for the first time...
she saw someone else.
Not a victim.
Not a winner.
A woman running out of places to hide.
The call came at nine in the morning.
"Ms. Fairchild?"
She recognized the voice immediately.
Arthur Vaughn.
The man who had helped build the plan.
The man who had promised everything would work.
"Where have you been?"
Her voice was sharp.
"I have been trying to contact you."
Arthur remained calm.
"You are becoming a problem."
The words made her freeze.
"A problem?"
"You were supposed to remain useful."
A pause.
"Now you are attracting attention."
Gwendolyn's fingers tightened around the phone.
"You told me I would have Russell."
"You misunderstood."
The answer was cold.
"You were never promised Russell."
Her face changed.
"What?"
"You were promised money."
Silence.
"You were promised access."
Another pause.
"But not the throne."
For the first time, Gwendolyn understood.
She had spent years believing she was the mastermind.
She wasn't.
She was a piece.
A beautiful piece.
A disposable piece.
"Arthur."
Her voice lowered.
"You need me."
"No."
The answer came immediately.
"Actually, I don't."
The call ended.
Gwendolyn stared at the phone.
Then she laughed.
A quiet, bitter laugh.
Because the truth was finally clear.
She had destroyed another woman's life trying to become someone important.
But she had never been important.
Not to them.
Meanwhile, I was sitting across from my brothers reviewing every piece of evidence.
The hotel footage.
The hidden contract.
The financial transfers.
The Aspen documents.
The custody manipulation.
Everything connected.
Except one thing.
The reason.
Why did Arthur Vaughn want me gone?
"Money?"
Adrian suggested.
"Maybe."
Grant shook his head.
"No."
Everyone looked at him.
"This is too complicated for simple money."
He pointed at the documents.
"Someone planned this years in advance."
Nathan zoomed in on the contract.
"There is one section we haven't decoded."
"What section?"
"The original beneficiary."
He enlarged the document.
The name was partially hidden.
But enough letters appeared.
W...
My heart stopped.
"No."
Grant looked at me.
"Heather?"
I stared at the screen.
Because there were only a few people who could be connected to Walton assets.
Then Nathan completed the recovery.
The name appeared.
William Walton.
The room became silent.
My father.
My father, who died three years before I left Russell.
My father was connected to this?
Impossible.
"That can't be right."
My voice was barely a whisper.
Grant looked shocked too.
"Something is wrong."
Because our father loved me.
He protected me.
He was the reason I believed people could be good.
Nathan shook his head.
"The document was created before his death."
I looked at him.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning someone used his name."
The mystery became darker.
Someone had forged a connection to my father.
Someone wanted access to Walton wealth.
And somehow...
Russell's marriage to me was part of the plan.
That afternoon, Russell requested a meeting.
I almost refused.
Then I realized something.
I needed answers.
Not forgiveness.
Answers.
We met at a quiet restaurant.
For the first time in years, Russell looked smaller.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
The confidence was gone.
The arrogance.
The certainty.
"I know you hate me."
I looked at him.
"Hate is easy."
He frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means I don't hate you."
A pause.
"I just finally see you."
Russell looked down.
"I was wrong."
I said nothing.
"I should have believed you."
Still nothing.
"I should have protected you."
My eyes hardened.
"You should have protected Phoebe."
The words hurt him.
Good.
Some truths needed to hurt.
"I didn't know about everything."
I studied his face.
"Everything?"
He swallowed.
"I knew about your family."
"I know."
"But I didn't know Arthur's entire plan."
I remained silent.
"At first, I thought..."
He stopped.
"Thought what?"
He looked ashamed.
"I thought marrying you would strengthen Vaughn Enterprises."
There it was.
The truth.
Not the whole truth.
But enough.
"Did you love me?"
The question escaped before I could stop it.
Russell looked at me.
And for once...
he didn't lie.
"Yes."
A pause.
"But I loved what you gave me too."
My heart tightened.
Because honesty could still hurt.
"I loved your kindness."
He continued.
"Your intelligence."
"Your loyalty."
"But I was weak."
I looked away.
Because that was the saddest part.
Russell was not a monster.
He was worse.
He was a man who had opportunities to choose right...
and chose wrong.
Before we left, Russell handed me an envelope.
"What is this?"
"Insurance."
I opened it.
Inside were copies of private communications.
Between Arthur and Gwendolyn.
Between Arthur and Vaughn executives.
My eyes widened.
"Why give this to me?"
Russell looked broken.
"Because I finally understand."
A pause.
"I didn't lose my wife because someone took you away."
He looked at me.
"I lost you because I allowed people to hurt you."
That night, Gwendolyn made her final mistake.
She went to the media.
She thought she could control the story one last time.
She appeared on a live interview.
"I have been silent because I wanted to protect Russell."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I made mistakes."
The audience watched.
Waiting.
Then she said the sentence she believed would save her.
"Heather Walton was never innocent."
The internet exploded.
But this time...
people did not believe her.
Because Nathan released one file.
One simple file.
A recording.
Gwendolyn's own voice.
The world heard her.
Not edited.
Not manipulated.
Just the truth.
Her threats.
Her plans.
Her instructions.
Her lies.
The interview ended.
Her reputation collapsed in minutes.
Gwendolyn sat alone in her apartment watching the news.
The woman everyone once admired was gone.
She whispered:
"No..."
But nobody was listening.
The next morning, authorities arrived.
Not for a scandal.
Not for gossip.
For evidence.
Fraud.
Conspiracy.
Extortion.
Manipulation.
As Gwendolyn was escorted away, cameras surrounded her.
The woman who once loved attention hated every second.
Because now the world finally saw her.
Not the image.
The person.
I watched the news quietly.
Phoebe sat beside me.
"Is she gone?"
I looked at my daughter.
"She can't hurt us anymore."
Phoebe thought for a moment.
Then smiled.
"Good."
But Grant walked into the room with a serious expression.
The smile disappeared.
"What happened?"
He placed a document on the table.
"We found who forged your father's name."
My heart stopped.
"Who?"
Grant looked at me.
"The person who started everything."
I opened the document.
And my hands went cold.
Because the name written there...
was someone I knew.
Someone who had been close to my family.
Someone I trusted.
The mistress had lied.
But she was never the biggest enemy.
She was only the first door.
And behind that door...
May you like
waited the person who had been controlling the entire nightmare.
END OF CHAPTER 8
