A Vow of Deception, A Vow of Revenge novel Chapter 1

"Miss Thorne, we've confirmed your marriage certificate is indeed a forgery. Falsifying government documents is a criminal offense—please cooperate with our investigation."

"People are forging marriage certificates these days?"

"She must have been tricked… Poor thing…"

Winona Thorne felt as if the ground swayed beneath her as she stepped out of the registry office. The stares of the staff and a few couples followed her, their curiosity and pity stinging like a slap.

The midday sun blazed overhead, yet Winona felt chilled to the bone.

Just yesterday, Tyson Goodwin had finally agreed to register their marriage, bringing their five-year relationship to what she thought was a happy conclusion.

That night, their bedroom was thick with intimacy, the air humming with promises.

But in the heat of the moment, his phone rang, slicing through the haze.

Tyson did something he'd never done before—he pulled away and answered the call.

"Stop it. The certificate with her is fake. I married you two years ago, remember?"

He was speaking an unusual foreign language, but Winona understood every word. She'd secretly taken language classes to fit in with Tyson's friends, who all spoke it.

"But I'm still jealous. I wish she'd just disappear."

"Don't be childish. Nona's innocent. Wasn't the car accident enough for you? She's already lost the use of her leg. She'll never dance again. No one will challenge you for the spotlight. If anything else happens, I can't keep covering for you."

"What about the baby?"

"Look, my love, as soon as she has the baby, we'll make it ours. I'll handle the paperwork, I promise. Now, don't be like that. She means nothing—you know my heart belongs to you."

Shock threatened to swallow Winona whole, but a sliver of reason kept her upright.

So, the accident two years ago—was it intentional?

She remembered that day vividly: a truck had suddenly swerved out of control and barreled toward her. She barely survived, spending nearly a month in the hospital to save one of her legs. But her dreams of dancing died in that crash.

Her eyes stung with fresh tears.

She remembered how he used to say that no matter where she was, no matter the hour, he'd come for her and take her home.

But now—did they even have a home?

He'd belonged to someone else for two years, betraying her in every possible way.

"Nona?"

"No need," Winona replied, tears streaking down her cheeks, though her voice betrayed nothing. "I've got things to take care of. I'll get there myself."

She was firm, and Tyson had no choice but to relent.

After hanging up, Winona tried to make sense of her jumbled thoughts.

She'd dated Tyson for five years. He'd always seemed so upright, almost untouchable. In college, he was the charming student president; after graduation, he became the dashing, successful Mr. Goodwin, trailed by admirers. But he'd always been cold, indifferent to every woman but her—or so she'd thought.