The Truths Behind the Life of Maeve Sun Lively

102

I WANT TO MAKE A few things clear here so there wouldn't be any confusion. Or in other words, I'm not going to cover for myself with the same lies I had back then. Therefore, I will tell the truth, and only the truth here.

First: I did not really hire a private agent.

I had said it then to make Klarise happy and more willing, by all means. It was to comfort her, nothing more. And plus, why would I dig at an already weak flooring and make myself fall into it?

The best liars and lies in the world are always filled with a bit of truths in it, and that was why I called Bridget every week to ask her about Isabella's wellbeing. I was worried about her finding a family, and Bridget assured me over and over again that the process of being adopted takes a lot of time. Still, I began to doubt my choices day by day.

I made progress reports and talked them over with Klarise—and Cameron in addition, but he was becoming a terrible actor—who listened intently and teared up every time, stabbing at the soft places in my heart I desperately wanted gone. I could have done this easily and with no problem when I was much younger, without any guilt and flawless lies. Bridget said I didn't change, and I believed that deeply too. Yet somehow...something has changed in me and I couldn't name it. I was...more emotional. I felt a little too vulnerable to my own feelings.

Now, the second thing to make clear: That whole drama and chaos and debate about my body not being able to conceive and ever bear a child, yeah, that? That was fake too.

We hired a small actor and paid him buckets full of cash for that phone call. Then we got someone else to write professional reports and data that would lead others (amateur and doctors alike) to believe everything we set up was to be true. After that, we only needed to share a tiny spill to the outside before soon some paparazzis and hackers nosy enough leaked the bait we had prepared.

All accordingly to plan, everyone started to talk about Cameron and I and the tragedy of a miscarriage. The miscarriage for Isabella's disappearance, taking care of Klarise and postponing all my work for carrying up a baby for nine months, all of that were tinged with truths that made our lie more believable. Now, you wonder why all of this just to cover up?

I did it because I wanted to protect Klarise.

I wasn't really expecting love being sent out to me and all. I was ready to bear all kinds of shame and criticism. When I tell you I was ready to be torn down by the press and have my image completely ruined, it was all for the attention to be so largely on me so that no one will link anything to Klarise.

Yes, she was also gone for a year. Yes, she kept a lot of things quiet. And I wanted it to stay that way. The press is scary, people in general could bite you until you're shreds of tiny little pieces. It doesn't matter to them; whatever is ugly, they terminate.

I knew whatever Klarise had or may be spilled and turned against her, they would get rid of her completely. And I couldn't let that happen.

Everything went perfectly. Unexpectedly too, my "perfect" relationship with Cameron had also strengthened to the public.

When everything goes the way you want it to, when it's all under control, isn't it only logical to know that things will get better? That everything you've wanted comes to you, that after all the planning and good work, you are to be rewarded with what you've been working towards this entire time? It was all supposed to—logically and theoretically or just anything!—to have been better.

Not worse.

It wasn't supposed to be like this (Pause). It wasn't...

No, it was never supposed to be like this.