Chapter 2

As for his phone, I wasn't deliberately trying to look, but when I picked up my phone to hand it to him, I accidentally saw a message notification on his screen.

It was from Skylar.

I never knew why Skylar and Liam broke up back then, I just heard from Liam's friend, Noah, that Skylar moved abroad shortly after their split.

I thought back. Liam definitely seemed down during that period, and then we got together.

And the reason I knew I was just a stand-in was because more than one person had told me how much I resembled Skylar. Even I thought so.

When I first realized it, I had a complete breakdown.

So, when I realized Liam's mood had shifted because Skylar was back in the country, I understood. I was just her stand-in, destined never to replace the original.

That's why I made my decision.

To accept the arranged marriage my family had set up for me.

My sister had always known I had a "first love" in my heart, but she never knew it was Liam.

The Miller family was one of the most prominent and influential families in the entire state, and they certainly wouldn't allow me to just drift around.

Now that I was a year out of college, Liam was still reluctant to meet my family, and with Skylar back in the picture, I decided to give up.

I would let go of Liam, and more importantly, I would let go of myself.

By the time Liam finished showering, I had already drifted off to sleep.

In my dream, I felt myself being pulled into a warm embrace. I instinctively snuggled deeper, but then his warm breath on my ear startled me awake.

Liam held me tight. "Baby, I want you."

My body stiffened. I suppressed my inner urge and gently pulled away from his embrace. "I'm a little tired today."

Hearing this, he instantly rolled away, putting some distance between us. "Alright, Noah's taking me to dinner tomorrow. You should come too."

"Okay."

No sooner had I spoken than he began to snore softly.

To say I wasn't disappointed would be a lie.

If he were a little more observant, he would have noticed I'd replaced all the couple's sets.

Or perhaps he did notice, but simply didn't care.

Either way, it was hopeless now. Soon, I'd be completely free.

The next morning.

When I came downstairs, Liam was almost done with breakfast. My plate was waiting on the dining table.

I sat across from him, my eyes involuntarily drawn to his tablet.

On it, clearly displayed, was a necklace worth over eighty thousand dollars.

And it was the exact necklace I had fallen in love with before but couldn't bring myself to buy.

My mind started racing.

If he didn't like me, if he only saw me as a stand-in, then how could he remember such a small detail so clearly?

If he liked me, then why would he only treat me as a stand-in?

I couldn't figure it out, and I didn't want to anymore.

Liam finished his breakfast, gave me a quick kiss goodbye, told me to go to the agreed-upon place by myself that evening, and then rushed off.

While eating breakfast, I opened up Ins and logged into a burner account.

It was Skylar's private Ins account, where she documented little moments from her relationship.

I had been following it for a long time.

After their breakup, the account had been inactive, only recently resuming updates.

For instance, yesterday she posted a photo of a man in a sharp suit.

Though his face wasn't visible, I recognized him instantly. It was Liam.

The caption read: "No matter how much time passes, you're still my love."

Annoyed, I closed my phone and started packing my luggage. Things I didn't need, I tossed. Things I wanted to keep, I discreetly shipped away.

In just half a day, I had sorted through most of it. There wasn't much left, just enough for one suitcase.

I then dragged my suitcase to a small, almost abandoned storage room. I carefully placed the suitcase inside, triple-checked that it wouldn't be discovered, and then locked the door.

Five more days.

I'd let myself be wild for these last five days.

Breaking tradition, I used the black card Liam had given me to buy a few clothes I'd always wanted.

When he first gave me the black card, it was so I could spend freely. But I felt like I was just a stand-in, unworthy of using it, and I didn't want to so humbly enjoy Liam's affection through that identity. So I'd never touched it.

But since I was going to be wild, I wouldn't hesitate anymore.