The Reality Duet

THE REALITY DUET © 2023 HEIDI MCLAUGHLIN BLIND REALITY / TWISTED REALITY © 2016 HEIDI MCLAUGHLIN * * * The right of Heidi McLaughlin to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the publisher. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. COVER DESIGN: Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations. EDITING: Edits by Amy contents Blind Reality Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Married Blind Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Married Blind Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Married Blind Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Married Blind Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Married Blind Chapter 18 Married Blind Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Married Blind Twisted Reality Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Epilogue Also by Heidi McLaughlin About Heidi McLaughlin contents Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Married Blind Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Married Blind Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Married Blind Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Married Blind Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Married Blind Chapter 18 Married Blind Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Married Blind prologue Thirteen bulbs shine brightly, adding a certain glow that I can’t define. The unlucky number is supposed to create a romantic ambience or give the person looking back in the mirror the confidence they need to push through what’s coming next. They do neither for me. This is not how I pictured my wedding day to be. The strapless gown I’m wearing is gorgeous and something I never saw myself in. The smooth satin gathers at my waist and is held there with a diamond-encrusted pin, provided by none other than Neil Lane. My blonde hair is side swept and cascading down my shoulder and my make-up is flawless. I look like the bride I’ve always envisioned I would be, but I would’ve never been able to achieve this vision, until now. As I look around the small dressing room, it becomes harder to breathe and I close my eyes, wanting to cry. I want to run. I want to strangle my mother and ask her what the hell she was thinking. But I’ve come this far, and it would be foolish to back out now. There was a time in my life when I used to believe in true love––used to. Imaginary lint is brushed off my shoulder and my curls are flipped forward one more time. I want to tell my mom to stop touching me, but there’s a look of pride in her eyes and I don’t want to ruin this moment for her. “Smile, Joey.” “I have nothing to smile about.” My mom stands tall behind me, creating a picture perfect moment. If this were any other day, any other wedding, I’d want to capture us like this, with maybe my hand on top of hers as she rests it on my shoulder. Even with my fake wedding looming, she seems happy and probably thankful that her daughter is finally getting married. “You’ve been moping for a year. It’s time to put that behind you and take a chance on something new.” “I’ll get a cat.” She moves to my side, sitting on a sliver of the bench that I’m currently using. She doesn’t ask me to move, nor do I slide a little to the side to give her more room. “Joey—” “Don’t you get it, Mom? Every time I see a man, I’m going to wonder if he’s looking for the next me to come into his life. My new husband will be walking on eggshells, fighting a battle that he probably doesn’t deserve because I walked into my ex-future husband’s apartment to find him in a situation that should’ve never come about. Tell me, how is that fair to that man standing out there?” “Your father and I think this will do you some good. You can take the time away to reflect, grow, and work on your communication skills.” I sigh with defeat, accepting the fact that once my mom’s mind is set, there’s no changing it, regardless of how much I try and convince her otherwise. “I know, Mom,” I sigh, taking a deep breath to fight off the tears. I’m probably not in the place my parents expected me to be, especially after we spent so much time planning my wedding earlier. I can’t imagine what my parents went through when I called everything off. My thoughts are interrupted by a soft knock on the door signaling that my new maid of honor is ready for me, except she won’t be standing by my side and holding my bouquet. That job will be left up to some model being paid to stand on stage and look pretty for the television audience. With one last look in the mirror, I say good-bye to any sanity I may have left. The next moments in my life are going to be