They Faked Death, I Died with My Child for Real
Fuzzy Melissa · Completed · 9.0k Words
Introduction
I escaped only because of stomach pain that kept me from boarding. My adopted sister Claire became the sole survivor.
Since then, I've become an empty shell.
Even after being diagnosed with terminal uterine cancer, even while carrying my late husband's child, I've endured the agony of chemotherapy alone, exhausting what little strength remains to scrape together money for Claire—who hides away in a private care facility, claiming severe PTSD.
Until this winter day, with a blizzard approaching.
Dragging my dying body to my husband's memorial to pay respects, I discovered a credit card statement—charges made three months after his death.
Following the address on that receipt, I pushed open the door of a luxurious suburban villa.
Inside, it was warm as spring. My parents and brother, who should have been at the bottom of the ocean, stood there perfectly alive.
At the center of the room, my husband—the man I'd grieved for day and night—was kissing my adopted sister, his lips tender against hers.
The whole family was celebrating, raising glasses to toast the infant cradled in Claire's arms—barely a month old.
There had never been any disaster at sea.
It was all a meticulously planned hoax—their twisted way to erase me from their lives forever.
Chapter 1
The deep-sea yacht explosion six months ago swallowed everyone I had in this world.
My husband Leonard Sinclair. My parents. My brother.
If I hadn't been forced to stay ashore that day because of sudden, excruciating abdominal pain, maybe I'd be with them now—sunk to the bottom of the cold Pacific.
The search and rescue team looked for two solid weeks. They didn't recover a single intact piece of wreckage.
For the past six months, I've been nothing more than a corpse animated by grief.
The devastation stripped away all my hope. I've wanted to follow them countless times, but I can only drag myself through this frozen city where I'm the only one left, clinging to existence.
I laid a bundle of frozen white roses gently in front of Leonard's empty grave.
The man in the black-and-white photo on the headstone still wore that handsome, gentle smile.
"Leonard..." My voice came out hoarse, as if I'd swallowed a handful of broken glass.
I bent down with difficulty. A sharp, piercing pain shot through my lower abdomen, like countless electric drills grinding into my organs.
Instinctively, I pressed my hand against my slightly rounded belly. Cold sweat beaded across my forehead.
Stage four uterine cancer.
That was the verdict the doctor handed me three months ago.
"Mrs. Sinclair, if you don't have the hysterectomy immediately, you have six months at most."
"But... I'm pregnant."
I refused the surgery. Signed the liability waiver. Because this was Leonard's only bloodline left in this world. My only reason to keep living.
"Leonard, the baby kicked me again today." I leaned against the headstone, a weak smile twisting across my face—uglier than crying. "If you were still alive, you would've been such a good father, wouldn't you?"
Just then, a sharp ding shattered the silence.
A new email notification from Leonard's backup account.
My hands trembled as I pulled out my phone. A message flashed across the screen—a purchase receipt from a children's boutique:
[Order Confirmation: Custom designer baby outfit for Ms. Claire – Delivered. Total: $150,000. Shipped to: 8 Maple Lake Villa, Western Suburbs.]
The air froze.
My heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible fist.
Claire?
My adopted sister Claire. In that horrific maritime disaster, she was the only survivor in the entire family.
Since her rescue, she'd claimed to suffer from severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
For the past six months, I'd been dragging my dying body around, borrowing money everywhere, draining every last penny—all to keep her in that expensive rehabilitation facility!
But why would a dead man's account be buying baby clothes for her?
And when did Claire get pregnant?!
A grotesque, terrifying thought crashed into my mind, freezing me to the bone.
I hauled my lead-heavy legs through the blizzard and hailed a cab straight to the western suburbs.
The whole ride, I kept lying to myself. The account must have been hacked.
But when the taxi pulled up in front of that brightly lit luxury villa, every fantasy I'd clung to shattered completely.
The curtains weren't drawn.
Through the illuminated floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see everything inside with crystal clarity.
A warm fire crackled in the fireplace. In the center of the living room sat a massive three-tiered cake decorated with pastel ribbons and tiny baby figurines.
My parents were beaming as they cooed over the baby in the stroller.
My brother Arthur stood nearby, swirling a glass of red wine, laughing.
And the tall man standing beside the stroller, gazing down with eyes so tender they could melt steel...
Was Leonard. My husband, who was supposed to be at the bottom of the ocean.
BOOM—
Something exploded inside my skull. Stars burst across my vision.
They weren't dead.
None of them were dead!
Not only were they alive—they were gathered here, celebrating together, throwing a party for Claire's baby!
So what did that make my tears these past six months? What about stopping my cancer treatment to pay for my sister's care, letting the disease ravage me until it became terminal?!
I shoved the villa door open.
The laughter inside died instantly. Every head whipped toward me like I was a monster.
I was soaked through, skeletal from weight loss—a walking corpse draped in clothes.
"Briley?"
Arthur broke the silence first. He frowned, no joy at our reunion on his face—only irritation at being interrupted.
"How the hell did you find us?"
I ignored him. My gaze locked onto Leonard's face.
He wore a soft cashmere loungewear set, his complexion ruddy. He'd actually gained weight since six months ago.
When he saw me, he only froze for a second before his expression returned to that familiar, superior disgust.
"You shouldn't have come here." Leonard's voice was ice. "Today is the baby's celebration. Did you really have to pick today to ruin everything?"
Baby's celebration? Ruin everything?
Ice flooded through my veins. My teeth chattered uncontrollably. "You're... not dead?"
"Since you've seen it all, no point hiding it anymore." Arthur pulled Claire protectively behind him, as if I carried some virulent disease. "The yacht explosion six months ago—we staged it."
"Why?" I bit down on my lip until I tasted thick, metallic blood. "Why would you lie to me?!"
"Because you're toxic!"
Arthur's voice shot up, his finger jabbing toward my face.
"Six months ago, Claire found out she was pregnant. The doctor said her heart condition couldn't handle any stress! If you'd known she was carrying Leonard's child, you would've made her life hell!"
"That day when you didn't get on the boat because of that sudden pain, we just rolled with it. Detonated the yacht and had Claire pose as the sole survivor! The only way Claire could safely have this baby was to cut you completely out of our lives!"
I felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my head. Cold seeped from my scalp to my toes.
Because of that?
Because they were afraid I'd be jealous, my own parents, my own brother—they all conspired to stage a mass death, leaving me to play the fool, financially supporting the woman who stole my husband?!
"How could you..." My voice trembled. Tears fell onto the carpet without permission. "How could you leave me alone in hell... for her..."
"How could we?"
Father let out a cold snort and strode toward me, his eyes blazing with contempt.
"Because you've always been petty and self-centered! If we'd told you the truth, you would've torn this family apart!"
"Now you listen here, Briley. This is my last warning. If you dare make a scene and frighten that baby, I'll have security drag you out of here!"
I looked at my biological father's furious face, then at my husband standing off to the side with cold indifference. They felt completely foreign. Repulsive.
It turned out no one in this world had ever loved me.
The tears I'd cried dry, the terminal illness I'd endured alone, even the child I was risking my life to carry—none of it mattered as much to them as Claire's peace of mind.
Last Chapters
You Might Like 😍
The rejected white luna
Tempted By The Enemy
She escapes to Preston Island to attend the wedding without informing him only to collide with Lucas’s hot, fiery and arrogant brother, the twenty-three-year-old, Nicholas Donnelly. Sparks immediately fly between them but Alyssa refuses to acknowledge them fearing her brother's wrath.
The wedding is over and Alyssa tries hard to forget the mysterious Nicholas Donnelly but can he forget her? Can he ignore the attraction he feels for her, feelings that have resurfaced after ten years?
What will Allyssa do when she is stalked by the man who has been invading her dreams since the day she met him? What will she do when she is whisked away to a deserted island by the unpredictable Nicholas Donnelly? Can she tame her heart or surrender to sinful temptations? Read to find out!
Part of the Temptation Series. Can be read as a standalone.
Luna On The Run- I stole The Alpha's Sons
But Axton is more than just a rival, he's her fated mate. And he's been searching for her not for love, but for revenge and a chance to destroy her father's pack. The next morning, Elena rejects him, walking away before he can trap her in his ruthless schemes.
But Axton does not take rejection lightly, and his retaliation is brutal: a leaked video, a ruined reputation, and a family that turns their backs on her drive her to flee the city in disgrace.
But when Elena disappears, she takes something Alpha Axton never planned to lose - his sons. Now, he'll stop at nothing to get them back. He wants his heirs, he wants his mate, and Elena will learn that no one runs from the Alpha.
Moonfire: Betrayed By The Alpha
Alpha Caden Blackwell believed those words would break me. That after three years of marriage marked by silence, humiliation, and quiet rejection, I would fear a life without him.
I did once.
As the Luna of the Shadowcrest Pack, I gave everything to a man my wolf recognized as her mate, enduring whispers, cold stares, and a pack that never truly accepted me. I stayed because I believed love required endurance. Because I believed patience would one day be rewarded.
That belief shattered the night Caden welcomed his former lover back into our home, along with a child he claimed as his heir. It ended the moment his choices nearly cost me my life and the life of one of my unborn pups. Leaving was no longer a matter of pride. It was survival.
Caden does not know the woman who walked away. He still sees the Luna who waited, who forgave, who loved without limits. He does not see Nova Ashton, a woman capable of rebuilding her identity and claiming a future on her own terms.
I will never crawl back.
The Family Books 1-3 (A Mafia romance)
The saint to my sinner. with her innocent eyes and devilish curves.
A Madonna that was meant to be admired but never touched.
Until someone took that innocence from her.
She left.
The darkness in my heart was finally complete.
I avenged her, I killed for her, but she never came back.
Until I saw her again. An angel dancing around a pole for money.
She didn’t know I owned that club. She didn’t know I was watching.
This time I won’t let her escape.
I will make her back into the girl I knew.
Whether she likes it or not.
2/ Judge and Jury- I can’t stop watching her.
I’m not even sure I want to.
Taylor Lawson, blonde, beautiful, and totally oblivious to how much dangers she’s in.
She’s also the one juror in my upcoming murder trial that hasn’t been bought.
The one who can put me behind bars for a very long time.
I know I should execute her.
After all that’s what I do.
I am the Judge.
I eliminate threats to The Family.
And Taylor is a threat.
But I don’t want to kill her.
Possessing her, making her love me seems like a much better plan for this particular Juror.
3/ Rags and Ritches-
Bonds at War: The Virgin is Mine
Perhaps then they would stop controlling my every move. Maybe my brothers would stop resenting me. Perhaps I wouldn’t feel so invisible anymore.
No one believed I could do it—not even my mate, Alpha Jaxon Trevane.
The night I planned to tell him... I found him tangled in bed with my best friend.
Heartbroken and humiliated, I left everything behind and went to Elite alone.
But the academy isn’t the fairytale I dreamed about.
Beneath the grand halls and traditions, a brutal game is being played.
The four ruling Alphas of the North, South, East, and West fight for power, dominance... and now, for me.
A virgin. Untouched. Unclaimed. The prize they all want.
There’s the mate who shattered my heart and swears he’ll win me back.
The brilliant strategist who wants me as his Luna.
The dangerous playboy who promises no one will ever touch me but him.
And the cold, possessive Alpha who watches from the shadows—and would destroy anyone who dares to take me from him.
But in a place where love is a battlefield and lust is a weapon... falling in love might be the most dangerous thing I ever do.
Welcome to Elite Order Academy—where every desire has a price, and my body is the ultimate trophy.
Accardi
“I thought you said you were done chasing me?” Gen mocked.
“I am done chasing you.”
Before she could formulate a witty remark, Matteo threw her down. She landed hard on her back atop his dining room table. She tried to sit up when she noticed what he was doing. His hands were working on his belt. It came free of his pants with a violent yank. She collapsed back on her elbows, her mouth gaping open at the display. His face was a mask of sheer determination, his eyes were a dark gold swimming with heat and desire. His hands wrapped around her thighs and pulled her to the edge of the table. He glided his fingers up her thighs and hooked several around the inside of her panties. His knuckles brushed her dripping sex.
“You’re soaking wet, Genevieve. Tell me, was it me that made you this way or him?” his voice told her to be careful with her answer. His knuckles slid down through her folds and she threw her head back as she moaned. “Weakness?”
“You…” she breathed.
Genevieve loses a bet she can’t afford to pay. In a compromise, she agrees to convince any man her opponent chooses to go home with her that night. What she doesn’t realize when her sister’s friend points out the brooding man sitting alone at the bar, is that man won’t be okay with just one night with her. No, Matteo Accardi, Don of one of the largest gangs in New York City doesn’t do one night stands. Not with her anyway.
Ex-Wife, Current Wife
For three years, she lived in the shadow of a loveless marriage. She was the woman everyone loved to hate, the one who supposedly "stole" him from his first love. She endured his cold indifference, raised their son—who struggles with a speech impediment—in silence, and traded her own brilliant career for the thankless role of a trophy wife.
But when his long-lost love returns, she is unceremoniously pushed aside to make room for the "real" family.
Enough was enough.
After he publicly humiliates her and chooses the mistress’s daughter over his own son during a birthday party, something inside her finally snaps. She doesn't just want out of the marriage; she wants her life back. With a secret talent for design and a newfound resolve, she walks away from the gilded cage of his estate.
But as she rises from the ashes of her failed marriage to reclaim her status as a top-tier designer, he realizes the woman he treated as a disposable pawn was the only one who truly held his world together.
Now, the woman who once begged for his attention is no longer looking back. Will he be able to earn her forgiveness, or is he finally too late?
Fated to the three Alphas of MOONCREST college
Fated to the three alphas of MOONCREST college... book 1
Fated at mooncrest: Stuck with the two alphas.... book 2
A half-blooded girl. Three charismatic Alpha Wolves. And a destiny-bound bond.
Malia Reed always felt she was nothing special except for her bloodline; she only wanted to survive in the shadows.
Until she entered Mooncrest college…everything changed. A destined, inescapable bond bound her to the powerful and handsome Alpha Wolves—Aiden, Cian, and Rowan Moonfall Wolf.
The entire academy was abuzz with excitement; everyone was talking about it.
As her hidden powers awakened, the dark secrets of her parents surfaced. Enemies drew closer. And what about her three destined companions? Their feelings were subtly shifting…
But only one could truly win her heart.
Everybody is Guilty Here
Middlesbrough's underworld is a dangerous game, and Matthew Smith finds himself right in the middle of it. A once-feared gang leader, he is now forced to be a pawn in a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Matthew's only shot at freedom is helping the police bring down Mr. K, the elusive mafia boss of the city. The only problem is that the detective he is forced to work with is the same man who arrested him years ago.
Masahiro Payne is everything Matthew hates: cold, calculating, and relentless. But their only hope for survival is by pretending to be a happy couple, blending in amidst dangerous crime, deceit, and power struggles. The closer they find themselves to taking down Mr. K's empire, the more they are attracted to one another, an affair too potent to turn from.
As their undercover mission spirals into a web of lies and hidden desires, they face a growing threat from all sides. But the greatest risk is the one they can't control-their own feelings. With every touch, every stolen kiss, the line between their fake relationship and real emotions blurs.
In a world of betrayal, trust is a luxury, and falling for each other may be the deadliest mistake of all. Can they survive the deadly mafia games or will their passion be their demise?
MOONLIT CHASE
But no, I had to walk through the park at midnight like an idiot. Now I've seen something I can't unsee—a massive black wolf tearing apart three men, then shifting into the hottest guy I've ever laid eyes on.
Kieran Vaughn. Wealthy lawyer, werewolf, and apparently, he thinks I'm his mate.
Here's the problem: I don't do relationships. I definitely don't do supernatural things. I absolutely don't do rich guys who think they can control my life just because their inner wolf has decided I smell like home.
When hunters start targeting me to get to him, Kieran drags me into his pristine penthouse for "protection." Now I'm living with a man who looks at me like I'm his last meal, whose touch sets my skin on fire, and who's barely holding onto his control.
He says everyone he loves dies. I say that's not my problem except it is because I'm falling for this broken, dangerous man and his beast.
And in his world? Love will get you killed.
