Caleb and I were the epitome of a loveless marriage. Outside of our obligatory duties, we barely interacted. He despised my strong-willed nature, while I resented his controlling tendencies. So when my body was taken over by an intruder, I held no hope that he would notice. After all, a docile, obedient wife was exactly what he wanted, right? But later, his expression darkened as he gripped “my” throat, his voice trembling: “Who are you really?” “Give me back the real Amelia!” In a desperate attempt to secure a client, I ended up in a car accident on the highway. With a deafening crash, my world spun violently. In those final moments of consciousness, a strange thought flashed through my mind: Well, there goes that client. And I didn’t even get to sleep with Caleb this month. How frustrating. When I next awoke, I found myself as a disembodied spirit, floating above my own body lying in a hospital bed. Caleb sat beside me, his handsome features etched with exhaustion and worry. I was taken aback. Wasn’t he supposed to be in London for a business deal? Suddenly, I heard an unfamiliar voice. It was coming from my own body. [So this is my new body? Not bad at all.] [The original Amelia was such an idiot, trying to compete with her husband for clients. But once I complete my mission, all this luxury will be mine!] [Men are such visual creatures. This task the system gave me will be a piece of cake.] The voice rambled on, though my body remained motionless on the bed. Was this… the voice of the new soul inhabiting my body? I listened intently, quickly analyzing my predicament. It seemed the car accident had somehow caused my soul to separate from my physical form. When I tried to approach my body, an invisible force repelled me. Clearly, I had temporarily lost control over my own body. And now, this so-called “Intruder” had taken over. Just then, the Intruder stirred. Her eyelashes fluttered as she began to wake. Caleb noticed the movement and quickly called for a doctor. The Intruder opened her eyes, a flash of admiration crossing her face as she saw Caleb. But it was quickly hidden. Her internal voice screeched excitedly: [Oh my god, is this the husband? He’s so handsome!] [Rich, powerful, and gorgeous – how could the original Amelia not like him?] [Well, he’s all mine now. Hehe.] I couldn’t deny it. Caleb did possess devastatingly good looks – the very picture of a refined yet dangerous man. Though the Intruder was screaming internally, she remembered she still had to mimic my personality. So she merely turned her head slightly and said coolly: “Why are you here?” Her smug inner voice continued: [Hah, good thing the system gave me info on the original Amelia. She’s supposed to act all cold towards her husband.] [Hmm, this whole “loveless marriage” setup is kind of hot. I bet I can complete the mission to sleep with him in one month instead of three!] Caleb didn’t seem to suspect anything amiss. He lowered his eyes and replied sarcastically: “I was worried you’d die and I’d have to explain that to the family.” “Just focus on recovering. I have work to handle at the company.” He stood up and strode out, leaving only a glimpse of his dark coat trailing behind him. I felt a pang of disappointment, though I wasn’t surprised. After all, Caleb and I were sworn enemies, weren’t we?
From the Intruder’s constant internal chatter, I pieced together her mission. She had to seduce Caleb and sleep with him within three months. I found the whole thing utterly ridiculous. What kind of system assigned such an absurd task? Was she plugged into some kind of erotic novel simulator? But I had to admit, it did cut straight to the heart of the matter. Caleb and I clashed in every other aspect of our lives. But oddly enough, we were surprisingly compatible in the bedroom. I had a domineering personality, but in those intimate moments, I couldn’t help but surrender control. By the end, I could only passively accept his passionate advances, cursing him breathlessly. “You bastard…” He would lean in close, chuckling softly in my ear. But his movements would grow gentler, bringing me even greater pleasure. Though our relationship was far from a normal marriage, the thought of this Intruder using my body to sleep with Caleb made me sick to my stomach. The Intruder’s thoughts continued to race: [I can’t believe he just left like that. When I succeed in seducing him, he’ll be the one chasing after me!] [Hmph, it’s all the original Amelia’s fault for being so cold. But once I complete my mission, I can stay in this world permanently and enjoy the life of a wealthy socialite.] My heart plummeted. Though the Intruder didn’t specify what would happen to me, it wasn’t hard to guess. Once she succeeded, I would lose any chance of reclaiming my body. And how long could a disembodied spirit linger in this world? When that time came, I would truly cease to exist, leaving no trace behind.
The Intruder was already making her move. She got out of bed, still in her hospital gown, and went to examine herself in the bathroom mirror. Satisfied with her appearance, she walked to the door, intending to leave. But Caleb’s assistant stopped her, his tone strictly professional: “Ma’am, you’ve just woken up. If you need anything, please let me know. You should rest in bed.” The Intruder frowned and argued, “I’m fine now. Get me discharged, I need to go back to the office.” The assistant didn’t budge, as if he had expected this response. “I’m sorry ma’am, but Mr. Thorne specifically said your health takes priority.” After a long standoff at the door, the Intruder finally relented. “Fine, if you won’t let me work, at least let me recover at home. The doctor said I’m okay, and I can’t stand hospitals. Tell Caleb I want to go home.” The assistant hesitated for a few seconds before getting Caleb’s approval. Only then did he step aside. “Of course, ma’am. I’ll arrange your discharge right away.” She had been staying in a VIP suite, and all her belongings were already packed up. A Maybach was waiting downstairs. The Intruder maintained a calm exterior, but inside she was ecstatic. [A Maybach? Just to pick me up from the hospital? All these people catering to my every need…] [Soon this will all be mine. The system wasn’t lying after all.] [The sooner I get home, the sooner I can share a bed with him. More opportunities that way. Caleb’s got a great body too, I definitely won’t mind sleeping with him. Hehe.] I jerked my head up in alarm. The Caleb I knew wouldn’t be so desperate as to take advantage of an injured woman. But I still felt nervous. Caleb was my last hope now. Tonight, would he notice something was off about her?
The housekeeper had dinner ready when we got home. Throughout the meal, they ate in silence, with the Intruder occasionally sneaking glances at Caleb. Caleb finished first, pouring himself a glass of milk before heading upstairs to his study. The Intruder instinctively reached for the milk jug as well. Caleb paused mid-step. The Intruder’s heart skipped a beat. [Shit, I forgot Amelia is allergic to milk.] [Seriously? Little miss princess can’t even drink milk? Now she’s gotten me in trouble!] While internally cursing me, she scrambled to think of an excuse. I did indeed have an aversion to milk. But it wasn’t a physical allergy – it was psychological. I grew up in a wealthy but controlling family. From a young age, every aspect of my life was strictly regulated. I wasn’t allowed any junk food. After puberty, I had to report every meal to maintain my figure. The food was nutritionally balanced, but utterly bland. This extended to the nightly glass of milk before bed. Under my mother’s watchful eye, I would dutifully drink it. But the moment she closed the door, I’d rush to the bathroom to throw it all up. The taste of milk made me feel suffocated. After marrying Caleb, I actually gained some weight. No one monitored my eating habits anymore. No one forced me to drink milk. I never touched dairy products, and Caleb knew this well. He stood frozen, looking back towards the dining table. The Intruder didn’t stop pouring the milk. She set the full glass at the other end of the table. “Housekeeper, there’s some milk left here. Please finish it when you’re done cleaning up,” she instructed casually. With a yawn, she walked past Caleb and headed upstairs. [Phew, that was close. I thought I was going to blow my cover.] [Good thing I thought fast. The Thornes treat their staff well, so what I did shouldn’t seem too odd.] Indeed, Caleb didn’t question it. His hand lingered on the stair railing for a long moment. Once the Intruder entered the bedroom, he slowly continued up the stairs.
With his back to me, I couldn’t see Caleb’s expression. But I knew the Intruder had passed this test. Caleb went to his study as usual. He was always busy, and flying back from London on short notice meant work had piled up. By the time he finished, it was late into the night. When he returned to the bedroom, the Intruder was already asleep. In the darkness, his brows furrowed slightly as he gently touched the bandage on her forehead. The car accident hadn’t caused serious injuries, just some bruising and scrapes. His hand moved lower. He softly brushed aside the hair near her ear, revealing a small red birthmark. Caleb’s frown deepened. He scrutinized every inch of her, searching for any anomalies. But the woman beside him continued to sleep peacefully. He finally let out a sigh of relief. After tucking her in, he closed his eyes as well. As Caleb’s breathing evened out, the Intruder suddenly opened her eyes. A triumphant smile played on her lips, her gaze filled with determination. I felt a mix of disappointment and resignation. Of course he wouldn’t notice anything wrong just by looking. After all, it was still my body. [He was definitely suspicious, but luckily this is Amelia’s real body so there’s nothing off about it.] [Though he was surprisingly gentle just now. I guess the original Amelia was just too unfeminine for his tastes.] [Completing this mission will be a piece of cake!]
Caleb was a staunch materialist who scoffed at any talk of souls or spirits. Tonight’s suspicions were likely just to rule out an impersonator. Once he eliminated that possibility, he probably wouldn’t care anymore. In fact, the more obedient and docile the Intruder acted, the more at ease he might feel. After all, in Caleb’s mind, a submissive wife was preferable. Whether it was really me or not didn’t matter to him. My marriage to Caleb had been an accident to begin with. Our families were old friends, and Caleb and I had been classmates since childhood. We never got along. In school we competed for grades, and at work we fought over projects. Neither of us would back down. Yet despite our constant clashes, our parents were pleased with the match. They had known us since we were young and were satisfied with our characters and backgrounds. Most importantly, our families were of equal status. There was no dramatic love story or convoluted history between us. Caleb and I were simply bound together for life. After marrying Caleb, I was finally free from my family’s control. Caleb gave me shares in the company – I was the second largest shareholder after him. I threw myself even deeper into work. Sometimes Caleb would forcibly close my laptop, saying, “Amelia, go rest. You can’t keep pulling all-nighters.” But I always insisted on finishing my tasks. People often wondered why I worked so hard when I was already the CEO’s wife. The answer was simple – for myself. I knew there was no love in my marriage to Caleb. It was more of a business transaction. He had shown his sincerity by giving me company shares. Of course I had to seize the opportunity and climb higher. In this world, no one can be your eternal support. Even if I left everything else behind, I wanted to ensure I could still live well on my own. That was my goal. But now, it seemed all my efforts would benefit someone else. The Intruder had taken over my body, easily stealing everything I had worked for. This was something I could never prevent, no matter how hard I tried. A deep sense of helplessness washed over me. Rustling sounds from the room interrupted my reminiscing. Perhaps spirits don’t need sleep, because time had passed quickly. The sky outside was already growing light. Caleb always went for a morning run. When he got up, the Intruder was still sound asleep. He carefully tucked the blanket around her and gazed at her sleeping face for a long moment. To my shock, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. His eyes held a rare tenderness. I instinctively touched my own face. Had he ever looked at me that way before? We rarely kissed, even during sex. I always felt that such intimacy required mutual affection. At best, we were business partners. On countless mornings, I would wake up to an empty bed. I never imagined he did things like this when I was asleep. For the first time, I began to doubt my understanding of his feelings. A tiny spark of hope flickered in my heart. What if… what if Caleb could figure it out? What if he realized my soul had been replaced? But the events of the next few days all but extinguished that hope.
Caleb went about his usual routine, only seeing the Intruder at night when he came home to sleep. Meanwhile, the Intruder was getting quite comfortable in my identity. Everyone close to us knew about the car accident, so no one bothered her with work matters for now. She was thoroughly enjoying the life of a wealthy CEO’s wife. Luxury goods flowed into the house like water. She spent her days at high-end spas and salons. I used to own designer items too, but I wasn’t very interested in them. Caleb would stubbornly have new collections sent to the house. I’d pick out one or two pieces just to save face for him. The Intruder was wary of Caleb noticing, so she only used my credit cards. She stood in the walk-in closet, admiring the shelves of handbags with undisguised satisfaction. [It feels amazing to be rich. I could never afford these bags before, but now they’re all mine.] [Caleb will be home soon. I need to get ready and try to seduce him tonight.] [Once I complete the mission, I want to vacation abroad. I heard the Thornes have a private jet – I’ve never flown on one before!] The Intruder was still daydreaming about her future lifestyle when a phone call interrupted her thoughts. She had scheduled an at-home manicure, and the nail tech was in the middle of applying nail extensions when the phone rang. Annoyed at having her fantasies disrupted, she yanked her hand away from the manicurist and frowned at the half-finished nails. “What kind of shoddy work is this? Your technique is terrible!” The nail tech apologized profusely. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Thorne. Let me redo them for you right away. May I have your hand back please?” The call was from my assistant, Lisa. The Intruder ignored it until it rang a second time. With an exasperated sigh, she answered on speakerphone. “Hello?” “Mrs. Thorne, I’m sorry to disturb your rest, but there’s been an issue with the Horizon project we were working on with Sterling Corp. Their representatives are already at the office. Do you think you could…” Lisa’s voice was filled with anxiety. Clearly the situation was urgent. I hovered nearby, growing increasingly agitated. The Horizon collaboration was a deal I had personally secured after countless negotiations. It was immensely important to me, to Caleb, and to the entire company. But the Intruder didn’t understand. She knew nothing about running a company or maintaining partnerships. She had no idea how to handle this crisis.
She panicked for a moment before lowering her voice to feign weakness. “Lisa, you know I just got out of the hospital. My head is still killing me. Why don’t you handle it for now? I’ll look over any documents you send me.” I had always been a workaholic, pushing myself even when ill. Others constantly had to persuade me to rest. I was competitive by nature and hated admitting defeat. This was the first time I had ever mentioned my own discomfort. Lisa became even more flustered, guilt creeping into her voice. “Of course, Mrs. Thorne. I’m so sorry, this came out of nowhere. Please don’t push yourself if you’re not feeling well. I’ll try to smooth things over with Sterling Corp.” “You should rest. Take care of yourself.” After hanging up, the Intruder let out a long sigh of relief. But she made no move to check her emails or messages. Hours later, when her manicure was finally complete, she admired the sparkling gems on her nails before reluctantly opening her laptop. As soon as she clicked on the files Lisa had sent, her eyes glazed over at the dense text and endless spreadsheets. It was all technical jargon and financial data. [What the hell is all this? Just looking at it is giving me a headache.] [How am I supposed to understand this stuff? This is so annoying. Amelia’s gone but I still have to deal with her mess.] [Why be a career woman when you could just be a trophy wife? Ugh.] The Intruder scrolled aimlessly, her frown deepening by the second. These documents would take even an expert like Caleb all night to review. And this was a project I had been overseeing, so he would need time to familiarize himself with the details. The Intruder stubbornly kept scrolling, desperately hoping to make sense of it. But she finally gave up. Her long, bejeweled nails tapped impatiently on the laptop. She glanced at the time – it was already 9 PM and Caleb still wasn’t home. I floated beside her, completely focused on the financial reports on the screen. I quickly identified where the problems lay. I yearned to take back control of my body, organize all the documents, and schedule a meeting with Sterling Corp. This was the business I had poured my heart and soul into. The Intruder would never treasure it the way I did. But every time I tried to approach her, an invisible force pushed me back. After several failed attempts, I could only watch helplessly as time ticked by. She opened her phone and started scrolling through celebrity gossip instead. By midnight, she was nodding off and went straight to bed. I remained by her side, unable to sleep. Caleb never came home that night. The next morning, the Intruder stumbled downstairs yawning, and ran into Caleb who had just returned. His suit was wrinkled and he looked exhausted, but still devastatingly handsome. “I handled the Sterling Corp situation. Lisa said your head still hurts? I’ll have the doctor do another full checkup. I need to be able to reassure your parents.” His gaze traveled downwards, noticing the Intruder’s freshly manicured nails. Slender and rounded, with diamonds glittering under the lights. “You got your nails done?” The Intruder froze.
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