For five years, I was with Scarlett. Her latest movie became a blockbuster, raking in hundreds of millions at the box office. I used my five years of savings to secretly order an engagement ring, believing that the day we’d finally start a family was just around the corner. But the night before the wedding, she leaned back on the couch and casually dropped the bomb. “The inspiration for this movie was Ethan, my first love.” “Back then, I was afraid he’d have to endure hardships with me, so I sent him abroad.” “And you, you were just a stand-in.” My hand, which was ironing my shirt, froze. “Why are you telling me this today?” Her tone was as nonchalant as if she were discussing dinner, so entitled it was absurd. “Ethan has suffered a lot abroad over the years. I want to make it up to him, so I already married him yesterday. But don’t worry, I’ll divorce him in a year, and then I’ll definitely marry you.” “I haven’t treated you badly all these years. I’ve taken care of you, supported you. You haven’t lost out.” It was as if she thought giving me a hidden, unofficial position was some grand favor.
I stood there, motionless for a long time. I didn’t even notice my arm getting burned until the skin blistered. It was Scarlett who frowned, pulled me to the couch, and applied medicine. Her voice was full of concern, as if she hadn’t just said those words. “How can you be so clumsy? You can even hurt yourself ironing clothes.” I got injured often over the past five years. Scarlett had done this many times. Each time, a warmth spread through my chest. Only this time, my chest felt heavy, as if something was lodged there. I pulled my arm back, my voice low. “Scarlett, don’t you find it pointless, living with a fake for five years?” Scarlett’s face darkened. “Alex, don’t talk about yourself like that.” She was too calm. I couldn’t help but smash the first-aid kit. “Didn’t you turn me into this?!” My chest heaved uncontrollably. Scarlett sighed, gathered the scattered medicines, and spoke softly. “I know it’s hard for you to accept right now, but we’ve been together for five years. There’s no need to deny everything over such a small matter.” As she spoke, Scarlett reached out to touch my shoulder. I moved aside, avoiding her. Suddenly, I felt like I was back on the day she confessed to me. My mom had a heart attack and was hospitalized. To earn money, I worked as a server at a club. One accidental spill soaked the guest’s shoes, and the people behind them started jeering. “Designer shoes! So, handsome, are you going to pay up, or spend a few nights with Tiffany?” “I recommend the latter, it’s a better deal.” “Yeah, Tiffany has high standards.” I clutched the tray, caught between a rock and a hard place. That’s when Scarlett appeared. Seeing me, she paused for a moment, then came to my rescue. “Didn’t you say this was for my birthday? Come on in, don’t bother him.” She was a close friend of Tiffany’s, so no one dared to say anything when she intervened. The group left. Before long, someone brought me a band-aid. It was Scarlett’s doing. After that, I often saw Scarlett at the club. She’d watch where I went, and she’d have her friends order from me. One evening, a few drunk guests blocked her in the hallway, making crude comments. She ignored them, her face cold, but one of them reached out to grab her purse. My blood boiled, and I grabbed a bottle nearby, smashing it. The scene descended into chaos. I was surrounded and kicked several times. Eventually, security rushed in and pulled everyone apart. I leaned against the wall to stand, blood oozing from the corner of my mouth, my back covered in bruises. Scarlett pulled me into the break room, got a first-aid kit, and treated my wounds. Her movements were gentle, and she didn’t speak for a long time. Finally, she asked in a low voice, “Why are you so good to me?” I leaned back in the chair, wincing from the pain, and casually replied, “If you don’t know how to repay me, how about you just give yourself to me?” Scarlett stopped what she was doing, looking up at me. “Alex, I’m serious.” “Will you be my boyfriend?” It would be a lie to say I wasn’t moved. Because of that, all these years, I’d always felt Scarlett was a stroke of luck from above. I never imagined it was all a deception from the very beginning. I turned my head away, not looking at her, my voice unusually firm. “Scarlett, let’s break up.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, Scarlett’s phone rang. She glanced at it, her tone casual, as if she didn’t care at all. “I’ll just assume you’re angry and speaking out of emotion. As long as you’re good this year, you won’t miss out on what’s yours.” “I’m going to Ethan’s welcome party first. You stay home and think about it.” The moment the door closed, I smashed the only photo I had with Scarlett. My phone suddenly lit up, grabbing my attention. It was a link from my friend. Scarlett’s book had become popular, bringing her into the public eye. These past few days, he’d sent me plenty of videos related to Scarlett. But this time, seeing his text, I froze for a moment. [Your early photos with Scarlett have been dug up.] In fact, Scarlett had never publicly acknowledged my existence. Whenever I brought it up, she’d use the excuse of not wanting her private life to be overly scrutinized. Because of this, I had been with Scarlett for five years without any official status. Even though I already had a suspicion, when I clicked on the link, my heart felt a sharp prick. The link contained a Google Maps screenshot from five years ago. And the main characters in the picture were Scarlett and “me.” The same height, similar backs. If I hadn’t learned the truth about being a stand-in today. I might have thought I’d lost a memory. But Scarlett would never squat down to tie my shoelaces. In the five years we were together, Scarlett and I did everything couples do. Except for her bending down to tie my shoelaces. I can’t count how many times I wanted Scarlett to tie them for me. But each time, it was fruitless. Even when my stomach pain made my face turn pale, Scarlett was indifferent to my request to tie my shoes. What I got was annoyance. “I don’t like tying people’s shoelaces. Can you please stop forcing me?” I remember that day, I didn’t speak all evening. Later, Scarlett tried to coax me for a long time. I thought I had forgotten, but three years later, that memory was still vivid. So vivid that seeing that scene, my chest felt like it was crushed by a heavy stone. So it wasn’t that she didn’t like to, it was just that the person wasn’t me.
I don’t know how long I stared at that photo. It wasn’t until Scarlett came in with a drunken Ethan that I snapped back to reality. Seeing me still awake, Scarlett paused, then explained. “Ethan’s drunk, and he lives alone, so there’s no one to take care of him.” I should have exploded in anger. But I knew clearly, it was useless. Scarlett didn’t love me. Thinking this, I moved aside to let Scarlett pass. Scarlett raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Good, it seems you’ve thought it through. I haven’t treated you badly, after all.” “Besides, if you leave me, you won’t be able to afford your mom’s medical expenses.” I didn’t reply, letting Scarlett help Ethan upstairs. I also deliberately ignored the faint smirk on Ethan’s lips as he looked at me. It was only when I returned to the bedroom and saw the clothes Ethan was wearing that I clenched my fists. I rushed forward, wanting to tear the clothes off him. The moment I touched Ethan, he cried out, “Ah, you’re hurting me!” The next second, Scarlett, coming out of the bathroom, shoved me away. The force was too much, and I hit the corner of the table. In my ear was Scarlett’s accusation, “Alex, are you out of your mind?!” I braced myself against the table corner and stood up straight, responding for once. “Shouldn’t you be asking yourself that?!” “You know this jacket was handmade by my mom, and she’s barely clinging to life with medical equipment. How can you let another man wear it?!” Scarlett’s movements paused, as if she finally realized. But she didn’t lower her head, shielding Ethan behind her, and said in a deep voice, “Even so, you shouldn’t lay a hand on him! Apologize to Ethan!” My voice tightened. “He’s the one who was wrong. Why should I apologize?” Scarlett scoffed. “Fine, let’s see how long you can keep this up. Don’t regret it!” With that, she turned to Ethan, her tone softening. “Change back into your clothes. I’ll take you to the hospital.” Ethan nodded, casting a glance at me before he left. I hadn’t meant to lose control. But the emotional disparity was too great; it was suffocating me. Blood from the cut on my forehead trickled down my brow, and a familiar message popped up on my phone. [My offer still stands. As long as you’re willing, I’ll marry you.] I didn’t want to wait for Scarlett anymore. I’d waited for her for five years for this marriage. How many five-year periods does one life have? I finally made up my mind to reply. [I agree. Get ready.]
But I didn’t expect Scarlett’s methods to be so swift. The next day, as I went downstairs, two bodyguards forced me into a chair. In front of me were countless bottles of liquor. My heart tightened, and I looked at Scarlett, who was sitting on the couch. “What are you doing?” Scarlett smiled, pointing to Ethan beside her. “I told you, let’s see how long you can keep this up.” The consequence of not apologizing. The realization hit me like a thunderclap, as if something exploded in my mind. I stared intently at her. “Scarlett, you can’t do this to me, I can’t drink alcohol!” A flicker of hesitation crossed Scarlett’s eyes. Ethan saw it. He frowned, looking at Scarlett. “If he doesn’t want to apologize, just let it go. I’m fine.” Scarlett’s face darkened. “I said I wouldn’t let you be wronged.” With that, Scarlett looked back at me and smiled. “Didn’t you used to work at a bar? How can you not drink now?” “Since you won’t apologize, then you’ll have to endure this.” My heart sank. Scarlett seemed to have truly forgotten that my stomach was ruined drinking for her. Back then, Scarlett’s family sent people to the bar to make things difficult for her. Knowing she was allergic to alcohol, they still demanded she drink ten bottles of liquor before she could leave. It was me who drank bottle after bottle for her. By the end, I lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital. When I woke up, Scarlett was there, watching over me. She apologized again and again. “The doctor said you can’t touch alcohol anymore. Let’s quit this job, okay?” “I’ll take care of you from now on, and I’ll take good care of your stomach.” Scarlett spoke earnestly, and I was happy that she could continue doing what she loved. Time passed, and in just four years, Scarlett had forgotten. I suddenly felt that my four-year-old self wasn’t worth it. The bodyguards forcing the liquor down my throat brought my thoughts back. I struggled, but no matter how much I resisted, the alcohol still went down my throat. It made me cough. Scarlett’s hands clenched at her sides, and she reminded me, “As long as you apologize to Ethan, I can let you go.”
I didn’t bow my head, struggling to speak. “What did I do wrong?” “You’re the one who’s wrong, both of you!” Seeing that I still wouldn’t give in, Scarlett waved her hand to continue. The alcohol entered my stomach, causing a burning pain. I gritted my teeth, trying not to make a sound. But the next second, my phone rang. It was a call from Ms. Miller, my mom’s caregiver. Ms. Miller never called for no reason; every time it was because Mom had been rushed to the operating room. Thinking of this, my heart suddenly sank. I yelled hoarsely, “Scarlett, I apologize, I know I was wrong.” “I was wrong, I won’t ever lay a hand on Ethan again, please let me go.” Scarlett was a little surprised, but she still sneered, “Alex, an apology needs some sincerity. I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.” The bodyguards, perceptive, released me. I didn’t care about anything else, and I walked a few steps to Ethan’s front. To his surprised expression, I bowed my head again and again. “Ethan, I know I was wrong, I shouldn’t have laid a hand on you.” “I beg your forgiveness, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” I don’t know how many times I said it, but Scarlett still didn’t give in. It wasn’t until the wound on my forehead split open and started bleeding that Scarlett frowned. She had a bodyguard bring the first-aid kit and tried to pull me up. “I told you, as long as you’re good, I’ll give you anything you want.” “Let’s just forget about this time, just be good in the future.” But I ignored Scarlett, pushing her away and stumbling out. Scarlett chased after me, her voice laced with panic, “Alex, where are you going?!” I didn’t respond, flagged down a car, and went to the hospital. Throughout the journey, I prayed incessantly. As I arrived at the operating room, the doors opened. The doctor looked at me and shook his head, giving a different result for the first time. “I’m sorry, we did everything we could.” I stood at the operating room door, my mind buzzing. Scarlett, who had rushed after me, also heard those words. Her face instantly turned ashen. Remembering what she had just done, Scarlett felt a wave of panic. She walked forward, wanting to say something. A hand suddenly blocked her. “Get away! Don’t touch him!”
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