The confession hung heavy in the air between us, a phantom of deception that had finally been given form. My mind raced to understand. “But why… why pretend?” I asked, struggling to piece together the reasons behind such an elaborate facade.

He slowly sat up, the movement smooth and unrestrained. “The accident,” he began, “it changed everything. Not just physically, but it changed how people saw me. It was easier to let them believe I was broken rather than face their pity or, worse, their expectations.”

I listened, the pieces of a complex puzzle snapping into place. “So, it was a choice?” I ventured, a mix of anger and sympathy battling within me.

Ethan nodded, a shadow of old pain flitting across his features. “Yes, and no. At first, I couldn’t walk properly, but as I healed, I found some solace in the chair. It offered protection, a way to keep people at arm’s length.”

I understood, in a way — the fear of vulnerability and the desire to control how the world perceives you. Yet, deception had woven a tangled web that ensnared us both. “And your family?” I asked. “Do they know?”

He hesitated, then shook his head. “No. They believe the story. They have their own lives, their own business to manage. It was easier this way.”

Silence enveloped us, a quiet that felt both heavy and liberating. I realized then that our marriage, born out of financial necessity and desperation, had the potential to transform into something genuine — but only if we were both willing to step out of the shadows of our pasts.

“Ethan, I… I didn’t marry you out of love,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “But I want to try. I want to know the real you, not the facade.”

His eyes softened, the walls he had built showing the first signs of crumbling. “And I want you to know me,” he replied, a hint of hope edging into his voice.

That night marked the beginning of a new journey. It was a journey toward authenticity, where we peeled back the layers of pretense to discover the truth of who we were — and who we could become together. Trust, after all, is the cornerstone of love, and as I lay in bed next to Ethan, I felt the first inklings of it bloom between us. The road ahead was uncertain, but for the first time, it didn’t feel daunting. It felt like freedom.