In the third year of my marriage to Sarah Montgomery, I overheard her friends asking her: “Sarah, if we pretend to be you and take turns holding hands and kissing your husband, he really won’t notice?” Sarah carelessly smoothed a stray strand of hair from her temple, utterly unbothered. “He has face blindness, he won’t notice.” “But just so we’re clear, have your fun, but don’t sleep with him. I don’t want seconds; that’s just dirty.” For the past three years, the person I’d been dating, holding hands with, and kissing, was never Sarah Montgomery. Of course, I knew. I also knew that for the past three years, the one I’d been holding close in bed every night, wasn’t Sarah either. The phone rang just as I carried Chloe Miller out of the bathroom. Chloe was a clingy little siren. Taking advantage of a brief pause, I nudged her waist. “Phone.” She finally glanced at her phone, pouting, a hint of annoyance in her expression. She quickly flipped it over, then playfully leaned in to kiss my earlobe. “Hubby, I’m gonna take this call.” Chloe said, then disappeared into the balcony. I silently put on my pajamas and went downstairs, opening the car door and slipping inside. From the car’s Bluetooth, which was connected to Sarah Montgomery’s phone, came her cool voice: “Tomorrow, you switch with me.” Chloe chuckled softly. “What, only three years and you’re already having withdrawals?” Sarah paused, likely having a drink, her voice a little hoarse. “Not really. Grandpa’s birthday is tomorrow, so I need to bring him. Oh, and a reminder, it’s Ashley’s turn on Friday.” As soon as she finished, a chorus of laughter erupted. “No way, Sarah, you’re seriously that generous? You just got married and you’re already lending your husband out for us to ‘play’ with?” Sarah’s nonchalant voice came through. “It’s a blind box game. You play, you lose, you pay up. It’s just Liam Henderson; I can afford to lose him.” “But just so we’re clear, have your fun, but don’t sleep with him. I don’t want seconds; that’s just dirty.” Someone “tsk”-ed. “What are you scared of? Who would ever actually *want* him?” “Still, Liam Henderson has a great body. Sarah posted a picture of him right after he showered in the group chat, those abs, *tsk-tsk-tsk*. None of you five felt a thing?” “I kinda did.” Chloe’s sweet, flirty voice suddenly broke the silence. Sarah’s end went quiet. The silence that followed was so thick, it sent a chill down my spine. “Just for fun, I’m not a home-wrecker.” Chloe said leisurely, “But wouldn’t sleeping with him be perfect? His birthday’s in a few days, aren’t you planning to announce this whole thing then?” The raucous music on Sarah’s end drowned out Chloe’s voice. But I could still hear Jake Peterson laughing in her ear. Jake was Sarah Montgomery’s first love. I grew up alongside Sarah, watching her and Jake go from strangers to lovers. But Mr. Montgomery didn’t like him. He’d threatened that if Jake didn’t leave Sarah, the Petersons would be forced out of this state. For Jake, Sarah had no choice but to agree to an arranged marriage with me. Eighteen years of secret love, and my dream finally came true. Only now, I realized it was nothing more than a game among these rich kids from the elite circles. Jake laughed, echoing. “Right, Sarah, his birthday’s in a few days. Why don’t you give him a big present and tell him the truth?” “From the moment you two got married, you’ve been taking turns with him… When you think about it, Liam Henderson is like a shared toy, everyone gets a turn.” “Shut up.” Sarah and Chloe’s angry voices came out at the same time, and the phone line fell silent again.
Chloe spoke lazily. “After all, he’s Sarah’s husband. Provoking him like that isn’t good.” “We won’t touch him, that’s not happening.” I couldn’t make out what Sarah said, the other end was a chaotic mess, drowning out her voice. The call lasted fifteen minutes. I turned off the Bluetooth and got out of the car. That wrenching pain had long passed, now hidden beneath a calm exterior. But it was still there, tiny and persistent, like a swarm of ants gnawing away at my insides. As I walked upstairs, I ran into Chloe, who was about to leave. She seemed to be in a hurry, her buttons were misaligned, and the exposed skin of her collarbone was covered in suggestive red marks. Seeing me, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, diving into my arms and wrapping her hands around my waist. “Where did you go, hubby? I thought I lost you.” “Just went downstairs to take out the trash.” I lowered my head, my palm stroking her cheek, my fingertip tracing the mole near her eye. Sarah Montgomery also had that mole near her eye. Chloe’s amber eyes deepened as my finger slid down. The moment my fingertip touched her lip, she opened her mouth, catching it and gently biting down. Chloe had a habit, like a biting cat, determined to leave all her marks on me. Even if this territory wasn’t hers. Chloe’s breathing grew heavier, her eyes burning with unresolvable desire. She pulled me upstairs, her small body tackling me onto the bed. I suddenly pressed her hands down. “Sarah Montgomery, stop using birth control. Give me a child.” Chloe’s pupils flickered. She stared at me, a fierce glint in her eyes. That night, Chloe transformed from a docile house cat into a fierce, untamed wildcat. She was exceptionally wild. … I found out Sarah Montgomery was deceiving me a few days before our wedding, when I received an anonymous video. The video was taken in a private room at a bar, with Sarah sitting beside Jake Peterson. She proposed a blind box dating game, and a group of them drew lots, and I was the one chosen. Besides Sarah Montgomery, there were four other “players.” Chloe Miller was also chosen. “Boring.” She impatiently flipped the table, then abruptly stood up and left the private room. “You guys play if you want.” Jake Peterson laughed, smoothing things over. “It’s fine, four people can still play, but you guys need to watch your limits. For Sarah’s sake, don’t take it too far.” That’s when I realized the wedding I had anticipated for eighteen years was just the starting signal for a game. My heart clenched so tightly, I couldn’t breathe. The anonymous sender messaged me: *[It’s not too late to cancel the wedding now.]* I ignored it, sitting numbly, staring at the video all night. It was a commercial marriage alliance; our family was climbing the social ladder by marrying into the Montgomery family. I had no right to cancel the wedding. The wedding proceeded as planned the next day. But before the ceremony ended, Sarah Montgomery took a call, changed out of her wedding dress, and left. That night, it was Chloe Miller who came home. I had face blindness, but I wasn’t stupid. After secretly loving Sarah Montgomery for eighteen years, how could I not recognize her? In my world, people were only divided into three types. Men, women, and Sarah Montgomery. That night, Chloe stood with her arms crossed, looking at me with a mocking, playful smirk. I remember she seemed to want to say something that day, but before she could open her mouth, I walked over and kissed her. “Sarah Montgomery, I knew it, you’d come back.” Everything that followed seemed to fall into place naturally. Four people took turns pretending to be Sarah Montgomery. Every year for my birthday and anniversaries, I received five gifts. We were like any normal couple. Dating, holding hands, hugging, shopping, kissing. But the one who came home at night was always either Sarah Montgomery or Chloe Miller. It was too easy to tell Sarah Montgomery and Chloe Miller apart. Sarah recoiled from my touch, her eyes holding an unmistakable loathing with just a glance. Chloe, however, was always delighted. She had many tricks up her sleeve and was incredibly clingy. She’d join me for a long hike, walking twenty miles, and still have the energy to keep me up until dawn. She loved all forms of physical contact, clinging to me and calling me “hubby,” then getting so breathless from my kisses she couldn’t speak. “Baby, I really, really like you.” That word, “like,” she’d whisper it into my ear a million times a night, then playfully demand that I reciprocate. Eventually, it turned into resentment. Sometimes I’d drift off to sleep, hazy with exhaustion. In my dreams, someone would trace my features, murmuring to themselves: “Why did you marry her, even knowing she was deceiving you?” “Why don’t you divorce her? Do you love her that much?” I wanted to ask her too. Why did she go back on her word and join this game? I treated her as Sarah Montgomery’s substitute. What did she see me as? I never asked, and Chloe never answered. In my vague world, another type of person emerged: Chloe Miller.
Chloe left early the next morning. The mess in the house had been meticulously cleaned up. Sarah Montgomery called me, telling me to come downstairs. When I opened the car door, Jake Peterson was sitting next to Sarah. He gave me a provocative smile. “Excuse me, Liam Henderson, I’m also going to see Elder Montgomery. You don’t mind, do you?” Before I could reply, Sarah impatiently spoke. “Liam Henderson, get in the car.” I closed my eyes for a moment, ignoring Jake’s taunt. After getting in the car, I asked Sarah, “Didn’t you buy me breakfast?” Sarah froze for a moment. I deliberately smiled. “You forgot, when I woke up this morning, you said you were going to buy me breakfast.” I didn’t know when Chloe had left. But Sarah’s face went from pale to dark after hearing me, and Jake gasped. “You two… slept together?” His tone held an ill-concealed triumph. I didn’t answer. Instead, I feigned surprise and looked at Sarah. Sarah “hmm”-ed, her face turning even worse. She picked up a bubble tea from beside her, preparing to drink it. I added fuel to the fire, continuing: “Didn’t you say last night you were going to quit bubble tea? High sugar isn’t good for the baby, we’re supposed to be preparing for pregnancy.” *Clatter.* The bubble tea fell to the ground. Sarah’s dark eyes swirled with a chilling coldness, as if threatening to swallow me whole. Jake Peterson, however, smiled meaningfully. “Is that so? Well, I’m really looking forward to your baby.” I smiled gently, looking at Sarah. “I’m looking forward to it too. For us to have a complete family.” Sarah’s irritation was visible to the naked eye. This irritation reached its peak when Chloe Miller appeared. Chloe carried her bag, wearing an expression that seemed to relish in the unfolding drama. She was with a few other people I couldn’t distinguish. But judging by Chloe’s demeanor, they were likely the other three who’d impersonated Sarah. “Sarah Montgomery, aren’t you going to introduce us?” I intertwined my fingers with hers. “Are they your friends too?” “Chloe Miller.” Before Sarah could speak, Chloe extended her hand to me. “Nice to meet you, brother-in-law.” The words “brother-in-law” were deliberately emphasized. In bed, Chloe sometimes played games and would purposely call me “brother-in-law.” Hearing it from her now, in this setting, it carried an inexplicable intimacy. Sarah slapped my hand away, pulling Chloe outside. Jake Peterson’s triumph in his eyes became even more obvious. He smiled, looking at me. “Liam Henderson, is Sarah’s temper really bad? Only I’m close enough to her that she treats me well.” “Not that bad.” I smiled, going along with his words. “She’s been quite well-behaved lately.” Jake chuckled. The others burst into laughter too. I felt incredibly uncomfortable among this group. Just then, I received another anonymous message: *[Come to the backyard.]* I went out, half-believing, half-doubting. I hadn’t walked two steps when I heard Sarah Montgomery’s voice from behind the rockery: “He touched you? Why did he say he wanted to prepare for pregnancy?” Chloe Miller stood with her hands in her pockets, leaning lazily against a tree. “What, you’re having second thoughts?” “He’s my husband!” Sarah frustratedly grabbed her collar. “He didn’t touch me.” Chloe impatiently waved her hand away. “But what if he did? He wouldn’t even notice anyway. And even if he did, at most it’d lead to divorce, and wouldn’t that be perfect for you to be with Jake Peterson?” Sarah hesitated, then irritably picked up the bubble tea beside her. But then she seemed to think of something and tossed it into the trash. “You’re not planning to divorce her?” Chloe narrowed her eyes, her voice turning cold. “Aren’t you afraid Liam Henderson will get angry if he finds out?” “He won’t,” Sarah said with certainty. “He loves me very much, he won’t get angry. Once his birthday is over in a few days, and the game ends, I’ll properly settle down and live with him.” “In any case, you need to rein it in. Liam Henderson wants a child, and I’ll give him one, it’ll be compensation for deceiving him these past three years.” “What about Jake Peterson then?” Sarah said nothing. I lowered my gaze to my phone, where the divorce papers from my lawyer were in my inbox. Before the wedding, I had genuinely intended to live a proper life with her. I didn’t even ask for her love; simply living as respectful partners would have been enough. From the moment I learned the truth until the wedding day, I gave her countless opportunities, waiting for her to confess to me. But she never did. Three years. Whether it was with Sarah Montgomery or Chloe Miller. I was tired of this game. After dinner, Sarah Montgomery and I went home together. As I leaned over to buckle her seatbelt, my phone lit up. Sarah merely glanced at it, then pushed me away and got out of the car to answer the call.
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