I Dated 8 Guys at Once They all saw me as a substitute. But I didn’t care. As long as the money kept coming, they were all my darlings. Later, they discovered each other’s existence. And they were furious. I’m a master of time management. I’ve been dating eight guys simultaneously for three months. None of them have discovered the others’ existence. They all think they’re the one I love most. They often feel troubled and annoyed by my affection towards them. And they’ve repeatedly warned me to know my place and not harbor unrealistic hopes. Ha! The only unrealistic hopes I have are for their money. My first boyfriend, Jack Thompson, is a wealthy CEO, but he’s quite high-maintenance. He likes to roleplay office scenarios. Every date, he requires me to wear a white dress and pretend to be his secretary. During lunch breaks, I even have to play the piano for him. He’s so pretentious. But his combination of stupidity and wealth is irresistible. For our lunch date today, I followed his instructions. I wore a white dress, light makeup, and long straight hair as I waited in his office. When he returned from a meeting, he frowned immediately. He looked at me, his substitute, with disgust: “Trying to imitate her appearance won’t change anything. You still can’t compare to a single hair on her head.” I smiled politely: “As long as you’re happy.” This idiot is so dramatic – isn’t this exactly what he asked for? Hearing my response, his gaze grew even colder. Who knows what he imagined in his head. He said to me: “I’ve warned you before, don’t fall for me. I’ll only ever love her.” Alright, alright, I get it. You have your true love. I pinched myself, walked to the piano with reddened eyes, and played an awkward tune for him. Halfway through, he stood up angrily. Looking disappointed, he said: “This is unbearable. As expected, no matter how similar a fake may look, it’s still fake.” He left in the middle of our date. At the same time, $200,000 was deposited into my account. I wiped away fake tears and called out to his retreating back: “Jack Thompson, I don’t want your dirty money!” As expected, he turned back with a look of disgust. He said coldly: “Remember, there will only ever be a financial relationship between us.” Then he angrily transferred another $500,000 to me. Oh wow! How rebellious. I like it! After parting with Jack, I rushed to meet the next one. With eight men to juggle, even a time management expert like me stays quite busy. My second boyfriend, Ethan Brooks, is a university professor. Today he asked me out shopping. At the mall, he picked out dozens of outfits and had me try them on one by one. I spent the whole afternoon changing clothes, exhausted. But I still forced a sweet smile and said: “Ethan, are all these clothes for me? You’re so good to me. I love every piece.” I happily reached out to hold his arm. But he stood up abruptly, his face darkening as he avoided my hand. He frowned and said with disgust: “I’ve told you before, I hate anyone but her touching me!” Then he checked his watch and asked the staff to pack up all the clothes. He said to me: “I have to go. I’ve transferred you some money – buy whatever clothes you like, but don’t buy anything matching hers. I hate seeing others wear the same clothes as her. And don’t message or call me unnecessarily. I’m very busy.” With that, he turned and left. At the same time, $200,000 was deposited into my account. Yes, all eight of my boyfriends are the same. Although they pay me to date them, we just eat, chat and shop together. They’re determined to save their purity for their true loves. They won’t even let me touch their hands. This is… Exactly how I like it! After Ethan left, I checked my schedule. My next appointment was at 7pm. With boyfriend number three, Ryan Chen. A nouveau riche guy who wears giant gold chains and fur coats. His face isn’t bad, but his taste is terrible. Ryan was tired of being a backup option. Today he offered me a million dollars to have dinner with him and his crush. When I arrived, he asked me: “You know what to do later, right?” Considering the million dollar paycheck, I nodded obediently. After this job, I’ll have enough savings to retire and get out of here! I suppressed my excitement and said softly: “Ryan, I understand. I’ll perform well later to make your crush jealous. Once you two get together, I’ll leave quietly and won’t get in your way.” Hearing this, Ryan suddenly glared at me angrily, looking very displeased. “What? You don’t want to be with me?” Oh crap. I got carried away for a moment! After three months as a substitute, I know exactly how these stupid men operate! I quickly pinched myself, lowered my head, and said with reddened eyes: “How could that be… I don’t want to leave you, Ryan. If you have any feelings for me at all, please don’t make me go. I won’t interfere with you two, I just want to quietly stay by your side.” This response hit the mark. Ryan’s expression softened a bit. But he still said in an annoyed tone: “Impossible. My heart will always belong to her! I’ll give you two million today. If you know what’s good for you, don’t show your face in front of me again after this is over.” I nodded reluctantly: “I understand…” Stupid man, so high-maintenance! Ryan put his arm around me as we arrived at the private room where we were meeting his crush. When we opened the door, there was a moment of stunned silence. We found ourselves face to face with not just Ryan’s crush, but my other seven boyfriends as well! I was dumbfounded. I never imagined that the true love of all eight of my boyfriends was the same person! This girl looked about 80-90% similar to me. Just like how I usually dress up, she wore a white dress, had long straight hair past her shoulders, and big watery eyes. She looked delicate and fragile. No wonder… they often seemed lost in thought while looking at my face. While I was still in shock, the gazes of all seven boyfriends landed on me. No, more accurately, on Ryan’s hand around my waist. They all had dark expressions, looking at me with angry glares. Their eyes seemed ready to kill. The girl looked at Ryan’s hand on my waist with a slight start. Then her eyes reddened as a sad expression crossed her face. She asked timidly: “Ryan, is this your new girlfriend?” After she said this, the seven boyfriends’ glares at us grew even more furious. Ryan, ever the backup, melted at the sight of his crush’s teary face. He completely forgot our carefully planned scheme. He forcefully pushed me away, immediately distancing himself: “No, I don’t know her!” I stumbled and fell to the ground, but no one paid me any attention. The girl broke into a smile through her tears. She grabbed the hands of the two men on either side of her, tilting her head innocently: “Don’t always fight over me, you guys. Didn’t we agree before? I’ll never get a boyfriend in this lifetime, so the nine of us can stay together forever as best friends!” I got up awkwardly. I saw the eight boyfriends glaring at each other in annoyance, then looking at the girl with doting expressions. It was… quite a harmonious scene. I stared at this tableau in bewilderment. How is this okay? I suddenly felt that I may not have fully grasped the essence of this situation before. The girl’s name was Sophia Lin. She grew up as childhood friends with these eight men. Although she’s the same age as me, she’s completely different from an orphan like me who grew up without parents in an orphanage. She’s the daughter of the Lin Group, a little princess who grew up pampered and spoiled. That night, Ryan transferred me $5 million as compensation for pushing me down. After sending the money, he ordered: “Come have dinner with Sophia and me this weekend. We messed up this time.” He even started blaming me: “Why didn’t you cling to me when I pushed you away? Do better next time, got it?” After receiving the money, I blocked him without a word. Along with him, I blocked the other seven boyfriends too. Sorry boys. I’ve made enough money. This lady is done serving you. On the third day, eight luxury cars were parked outside my rented apartment. I was buying chicken at the market at the time. Just as I finished weighing my purchase, my landlady Mrs. Lin came running over in a panic. She told me anxiously: “Olivia, it’s terrible! Eight men came looking for you, all claiming to be your boyfriend. Now they’re fighting! You better go take a look! It’s getting violent, there’s blood!” When I returned with my chicken, I indeed saw my eight ex-boyfriends. They all looked disheveled and bruised, still fighting each other. I stared in shock. Why weren’t these guys standing by for their goddess’s beck and call? What were they doing here? How unlucky! I covered my face, preparing to sneak back home. But Jack Thompson spotted me. He coldly said: “Olivia Clarke, explain yourself. What’s the deal with these other seven?” As soon as Jack finished speaking. The others all stopped fighting and angrily turned to look at me. They were still frozen in poses of grabbing each other’s ties and arms. Holding my chicken, I felt slightly awkward. I pinched myself, then said with reddened eyes in a soft voice: “Stop fighting! Don’t fight over me anymore!” Good, this time I learned from Sophia Lin’s playbook. But it didn’t work. They still glared at me furiously. Their expressions were even fiercer than when Ryan had his arm around me that day. They all looked like they’d been utterly betrayed. Ryan Chen’s gold chains had been yanked off. He forcefully let go of Ethan Brooks across from him and yelled angrily: “Olivia Clarke, you dare cheat on me?!” Ethan Brooks straightened his tie. With a dark expression he said: “You found seven other men behind my back. Impressive.” Boyfriend number four wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and said through gritted teeth: “I’ve never been played like this before. Well done, Olivia Clarke. Claiming to love me while juggling eight guys behind my back. You think I’m an idiot?” Boyfriend number five was the most badly beaten, with two black eyes. He screamed at me hysterically: “Olivia Clarke, tell me, out of us eight, who do you really love?” Wait, weren’t you all getting along fine in front of Sophia Lin? Why are you making such a fuss over a substitute like me?! This doesn’t make sense! So I tried imitating Sophia Lin’s style. Teary-eyed and emotional, I tentatively said: “You’re all my best friends, and you all have the closest relationship with me. From now on, don’t ask who I love most! In my eyes, you’re all equally important to me. Even if I have a child someday, you’ll all be the child’s godfathers! Turn your open competition into secret care – take care of me, take care of our child. Let the child be the happiest in the world, loved by eight dads. Wouldn’t that be nice?” After I finished speaking, I looked at them with tear-filled eyes. Then I saw all eight ex-boyfriends with expressions like they’d just eaten shit. Okay, this time I hit the mark. Ethan Brooks looked at me with disgust, like he was looking at a lunatic. “You think you’re worthy of being my backup? Dream on.” Jack Thompson said coldly: “You’ve been a substitute too long and started thinking you’re the real deal. I’m warning you, don’t try to play games with me.” Everything was going well. But then a traitor appeared among them. Ryan Chen lifted his chin and said condescendingly: “You begged me before, wanting to stay by my side forever. Fine, I’ll agree now. As long as you cut ties with them from now on, I can forgive your past transgressions.” As soon as he finished speaking, everyone else turned to glare coldly at Ryan Chen. They seemed ready to gang up on him. The craziest one, boyfriend number five, had a different thought process. His way of grasping the key points was quite unique. He had a thunderstruck expression. “You’re pregnant? Whose is it?” After speaking, he looked around with reddened eyes. That cuckolded expression made everyone look like a potential baby daddy. Finally, he seemed to realize something. He pointed at Ryan Chen and said through gritted teeth: “It’s his?” Ryan Chen pointed at himself, then looked at me, dumbfounded. The next moment, everyone gnashed their teeth and glared fiercely at Ryan Chen. War was about to break out. Boyfriend number five was the first to rush over and punch him. Ryan Chen cried out in pain: “What are you crazy about?” Just as he finished speaking, Jack Thompson also punched him. After that, Ryan Chen was truly beaten up by the group. I took advantage of him getting beaten to slip away. After that day, the eight ex-boyfriends tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. In the end, they couldn’t help but call me, angrily demanding to know whose child it really was. I was speechless. Are you sick? There’s no child! So I irritably replied to them all: “Your father’s.” Then I simply changed my phone number. I ran into Sophia Lin unexpectedly when I went out that day. When she saw me, she suddenly dropped her innocent act. She even showed disgust, sneering disdainfully: “It’s you?” I blinked: “Ah, it’s me.” How does this person have two completely different faces? Seeing I didn’t respond, she frowned in displeasure: “Why are you back here, humiliating yourself like a clown? Hah, so what if you look a bit like me? You’re nothing but a fake. They only give you the slightest attention because of me! You think you can steal the men around me with your tricks? Keep dreaming. They’ll only ever love me!” Ah yes, yes. I didn’t care at all about her mockery. I even nodded vigorously. Who wants eight annoying men anyway! Only she can handle them. I sincerely pleaded: “Can you keep them under control and tell them to stop bothering me?” But Sophia Lin thought I was challenging her. She rolled her eyes like she’d heard a joke and sneered: “Are you dreaming? They only have eyes for me. Why would they actively seek you out? Stop being delusional!” But right after she finished speaking, Ryan Chen came looking for me. And he did it right in front of her. He hadn’t slept for two days and had bloodshot eyes. He’d been beaten pretty badly too – his face was swollen like a pig’s head and his arm was wrapped in bandages. He looked quite ridiculous. When he saw me, he gritted his teeth. He rushed over and grabbed my arm, not even noticing Sophia Lin next to me. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at me with a fierce yet pained expression. He said frantically: “Do you have any heart at all?! Aren’t eight of us enough for you? How could you go after my dad too?! Tell me, when did you and him start?” I stared at him silently, at a loss for words. I seriously pondered why Sophia Lin’s eight devoted admirers seemed just as unhinged as her. How could anyone actually believe what I said as a random retort? Ryan Chen stared at me painfully for a long while before finally compromising: “Fine, keep my little brother. I’ll raise him. As long as you behave from now on, I can pretend nothing happened.” I was shocked and greatly alarmed. Does your dad know about this?! Meanwhile, Sophia Lin standing next to me had turned pale. Then she seemed to think of something and put on a kind, understanding smile: “Ryan, I’m right here. Did you mistake her for someone else?” Ryan Chen was taken aback: “Sophia, why are you here?” His words made it clear he hadn’t mistaken me for her. The smile froze on Sophia Lin’s face. Because Sophia Lin was there, Ryan Chen didn’t pester me further that day. Things quieted down for two days after that. I thought my conversation with Sophia Lin had worked. She really had kept them away. But on the third day, all eight of them angrily showed up at my doorstep again. Jack Thompson said coldly: “What did you say to Sophia? Why did she cry all night after going home?” Ethan Brooks said expressionlessly: “I’m warning you, don’t use your scheming tricks on Sophia. She’s different from you – a poor person who grew up in the slums and only cares about money. She’s been pampered since childhood, pure and kind. When we were young, she even risked her life to save us without a thought for her own safety. We all owe her our lives. No matter what, she’ll always be the person I care about most. I can never allow anyone to hurt her.” Ryan Chen gritted his teeth: “I thought you might struggle raising a child alone, so I was planning to keep you by my side even after I married and had kids. I never imagined you’d have such vicious thoughts. If you dare do anything to Sophia, I’ll make you regret it for life!” Ex-boyfriend number four laughed coldly: “Don’t think we eight have any special regard for you. I’ve found out the truth – you’re not even pregnant. Hah, just a little trick to catch and release.” I really wanted to applaud him. Such high intelligence – did that really need investigating? Ex-boyfriend number five ranted: “Not only did you juggle eight guys, you even have such vicious thoughts. You’re not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the pure Sophia! How dare you try to bully her? Did you think people wouldn’t get angry just because they didn’t show it? You’re treating everyone like fools!” Numbers six, seven and eight also took turns berating and cursing at me. I sighed, speechless. I get it, your one true love is Sophia Lin. I don’t even compare to a single strand of her hair. But I really didn’t want to get involved in your relationships! I sincerely believe you nine are a perfect match, meant to be together for life. So I thought for a moment and seriously suggested: “How about this? Don’t come looking for me anymore. That way your precious Sophia won’t be upset.” But they must have had a screw loose in their heads. Not only did they ignore my sincere advice, they even misunderstood that I was speaking out of jealousy. That I was competing with Sophia Lin for their attention. Ryan Chen laughed coldly with a “just as I expected” expression. He said disdainfully: “What, are you jealous of Sophia? I didn’t expect that after warning you so many times, you’d still harbor unrealistic hopes for me. Although you don’t even compare to a single hair on Sophia’s head in my heart, I can allow you to stay by my side as a hidden lover, considering your feelings. But only if you obediently go apologize to Sophia and swear never to appear in front of her again.” Jack Thompson’s face darkened: “Ryan Chen, are you asking for another beating?” Then he turned to look at me, still with that self-confident expression. He said in confusion: “You dated me for three months, loving me desperately, willing to stay with me even without money. Why did you then find these other seven men? Did they threaten you? Although my heart belongs to Sophia, I can help you get rid of them if you beg me, considering our three months together. Just stay obediently by my side from now on.” Ex-boyfriend number five ranted: “Bullshit, Olivia loves me most! She often cooks and does laundry for me.” Ex-boyfriend number four laughed coldly: “Cooking and laundry, that’s nothing. She doesn’t really love you. She stayed up all night taking care of me when my stomach hurt from drinking, often worrying and reminding me not to drink, even though she knows I have someone else in my heart.” Ex-boyfriend number seven chimed in: “Hah, that’s nothing. She knows I have someone I like, but she’s still willing to be her substitute. She always dresses up according to her habits to please me, and clearly remembers the day we met, my birthday, and all my hobbies. If that’s not love, what is?” Soon, they started arguing again over who I loved most and what I had done for each of them. They were all firmly convinced that they were the man I loved most. I silently plugged my ears and thought: I really don’t understand men’s damned competitive nature. Although they kept saying they loved Sophia most, they could still almost come to blows over the question of who I loved. After enduring for two minutes, I really couldn’t stand the noise anymore and quietly spoke up: “I really didn’t have any unrealistic hopes for you guys.” “I was just strictly following the service principles of the substitute industry, treating you nicely in exchange for money. Don’t take it seriously.” “You saw me as a substitute, I saw you as employers.” “We were all willing participants in this arrangement.” “Moral coercion is not okay.” “The first rule for us substitutes is to never fall in love with the client.” “Don’t worry, I swear I’ll stay far away from now on. I’ll never appear in front of you or Sophia again.” “I wish the nine of you a happy life together, till death do you part, with many children and grandchildren!” After I finished speaking. The eight ex-boyfriends who had been arguing over who I loved most all froze. They turned to look at me in disbelief, faces dark. “You’re saying your love for us was all an act?” The eight ex-boyfriends were deeply shaken. I also said in horror: “You guys didn’t fall in love with me, did you?” Help! Please no! They’re much better matched with Sophia Lin. Hearing my words, the eight men’s faces darkened as they laughed coldly in unison. They said in one voice: “Fall in love with you? You’re not worthy! I’ll only ever love Sophia in this lifetime!” After speaking, they gave me the usual warnings not to bother them and Sophia in the future. Finally they all turned to leave. I let out a heavy sigh of relief. Patting my chest, I thought: Thank goodness. You really had me scared there for a moment. I was so happy during the days they didn’t come around. I went back to visit the orphanage in my hometown. The old matron held my hand with tears in her eyes. “Child, don’t keep sending money back. Save some for yourself.” A bunch of little kids clung to me, calling me big sister. I patted each of their heads, smiling as I said: “Matron, I grew up here too. This is my home. You don’t need to be so polite with me.” I gave most of the money I earned from the eight ex-boyfriends to the matron. The matron never married, dedicating half her life and savings to the orphanage. I was abandoned in front of the orphanage and taken in by the matron. Although we’re not blood related, the matron always treated us orphans as her own children. All the kids who grew up here remember her kindness. After staying at the orphanage for a week, the matron gave me a jade bracelet. She sighed and said: “You’ve always been such a sensible and kind child. I still remember when you were seven, you snuck out and encountered kidnappers. You ended up saving a bunch of kids, nearly losing your own life. You almost scared me to death. I can’t believe how grown up you are now. Take this jade bracelet – you were wearing it when I first took you in as a baby. You were so young then, I was afraid you’d lose it, so I kept it safe for you. It’s very high quality jade, not something a poor family would have. There may be more to your story that we don’t know. If fate allows, perhaps you’ll be able to find your birth family someday.” I looked at the jade bracelet with mixed emotions: “If they abandoned me, there’s no need to find them now. Matron, you should sell this bracelet and use the money for the children’s food.” The matron smiled and glared at me, still forcefully pressing the bracelet into my hand. As I was preparing to leave, I ran into a well-dressed man in a suit. The matron greeted him with a smile. I learned that this man had also heard about the orphanage’s financial troubles and came to donate money to the matron. The matron asked me: “Olivia, do you remember him?” I was confused for a moment. The matron smiled and said: “This is Tiger. You saved a group of kidnapped children back then, remember? He had amnesia at the time and stayed at our orphanage for over half a year before his family found him. Although Tiger was older than you and half a head taller, he followed you around every day calling you ‘big sister’. You got annoyed and tried to shake him off but couldn’t. You even gave him the nickname Tiger because you said he was so fierce.” I thought hard and vaguely remembered someone like that. The man also seemed to recall. He looked at me in surprise, then smiled a bit shyly: “Is it really Big Sister Olivia?” Seeing this guy who was older and quite handsome calling me “big sister” made me embarrassed too. “You can just call me Olivia.” Tiger’s real name was Lucas Lee. He happened to work in the same city as me. He offered to drive me back together. On the way, we chatted about embarrassing childhood memories and became less awkward. He dropped me off at my door and we exchanged contact information. Lucas smiled and said: “I’ve wanted to see you again all these years when I visited the orphanage, but never managed to run into you. Are you free tomorrow? Give me a chance to treat you to a meal as thanks for saving my life back then.” I smiled and nodded. He suddenly reached out and ruffled my hair. “It’s great that Big Sister Olivia hasn’t forgotten me.” But just at that moment, eight men suddenly emerged from different directions in the darkness. When they saw each other, they were taken aback for a moment. They probably didn’t expect the others to be here either. Then they all glared angrily at Lucas. Jack Thompson spoke first: “Hah, I underestimated you. A few days apart and you’ve already found another man.” Lucas looked at them in confusion, then turned to me with a bewildered expression. I smiled awkwardly: “Sorry you had to see this. These are my eight ex-boyfriends.” The eight men seemed to recognize Lucas. Seeing it was him, their expressions grew even darker. Ryan Chen angrily said: “Lucas Lee, you again! It’s not enough that you keep Sophia hanging, now you’re going after Olivia Clarke too? I’m warning you, my patience has limits. Don’t think I won’t do anything just because Sophia likes you!” Ethan Brooks also stared coldly at Lucas: “What’s your relationship with Olivia Clarke?” I was stunned. I didn’t expect Tiger to be such a big shot. He was actually the true love of these eight ex-boyfriends’ true love! Lucas frowned slightly. Ignoring them, he asked me quietly: “Are they harassing you?” I nodded blankly. Hearing this, Lucas took my hand. Then he said coldly to the eight men: “I have no relationship with Sophia Lin and barely know her. But Olivia is my girlfriend. Please show some self-respect. I don’t want any of you bothering my girlfriend again in the future.” After Lucas finished speaking, all eight men immediately reddened with anger. They glared at him furiously. I became alert immediately. This scene was familiar! They had the same expressions right before they ganged up on Ryan Chen that day! Lucas was trying to help me get rid of these lunatics. He couldn’t suffer undeserved harm! I quickly stood in front of Lucas, glaring fiercely at them. “If you want to hit my boyfriend, you’ll have to go through me first!” As soon as I finished speaking, the eight men opposite us turned red with rage. I seriously wondered if they all had some kind of eye infection. Among them, Ryan Chen was the angriest. He still hadn’t fully recovered from the last beating, with bandages on his hands. Now he stared at Lucas and me, completely losing his cool. He stepped back, shouting in disbelief: “Why didn’t you protect me like this when I got beaten up last time?! Olivia Clarke, so you really don’t love me…” Lucas smiled and pulled me behind him, saying softly: “After I left the orphanage, my dad threw me into the military. I’ve had over ten years of training, don’t worry. They’re no match for me.” I looked at him skeptically. Surprisingly, in less than half an hour, Lucas had beaten down all eight men. You guys act so tough, but you’re all paper tigers! Not a single one can actually fight! Lucas flexed his wrist, completely unharmed as he glanced at them. Then he took my hand and went upstairs. He brought me to my apartment, then let go of my hand with a blush: “Sorry about that just now.” I waved my hand magnanimously: “Thanks so much for your help earlier.” He paused, seeming to want to say something but hesitating. “Weren’t these eight lunatics supposedly only interested in marrying Sophia? How did they suddenly start pursuing you?” Hearing him say this, I felt I’d found a kindred spirit. So I asked him: “How do you know these eight nutcases?” Lucas and I had a lot to talk about. We chatted about my ex-boyfriend squad and Sophia Lin. From him, I learned that Lucas, my ex-boyfriends, and Sophia all grew up in the same neighborhood. They attended the same schools from elementary through high school. But Lucas thought they were crazy and didn’t associate with them much. Mainly because my ex-boyfriend squad was deeply in love with Sophia, but Sophia didn’t like them. Instead, she liked Lucas. Because of this, my ex-boyfriend squad often picked fights with Lucas growing up. They would frequently curse at Lucas for being ungrateful, saying Sophia was so good to him but he ignored her. They said he must be blind. They even repeatedly pressured and bribed him to get together with Sophia. It was utterly selfless love on their part. At first Lucas would beat them up when annoyed, but later he decided they were all mentally ill and stayed away to avoid being infected. After hearing Lucas’s story, I was left speechless for a long time. They really are ridiculous! They’re truly a perfect match made in heaven with Sophia Lin! I also told Lucas why I knew them. During that time, the orphanage was short on money and about to shut down. I wanted to help the matron, so I agreed to be Jack Thompson’s substitute girlfriend. Later, the other seven men also found me. I figured being a substitute for one person or eight people was the same job. I could make more money this way, so I took them all on. Hearing this, Lucas said apologetically: “I’m sorry. I was in the military these past few years and couldn’t return in time. You’ve suffered.” I smiled: “There’s nothing to suffer about. Actually, I should thank those nine people for giving me job opportunities. I couldn’t have earned this much money working other jobs.” I paused, then said offhandedly: “I never imagined I really looked so similar to Sophia Lin. If I weren’t an orphan, I’d think she was my long-lost sister.” Lucas frowned slightly, looking at me intently: “You don’t look that alike. You are much prettier.” After saying this, he belatedly blushed. Lucas was quite considerate. Worried that I’d still be harassed by them, he often came to have meals with me. But when he dropped me off at home, we’d frequently run into those eight men. Although they were afraid of getting beaten up so they didn’t approach, they’d always glare at us fiercely from the roadside. It was… quite creepy. After a while, Sophia Lin actually came to find me. She looked at me disdainfully and directly threw 20 million dollars at me, telling me to leave Lucas. Then she sneered: “Olivia Clarke, why are you so shameless? Always going after my men. Whether it’s those eight or Lucas, you’re only approaching them for money, right? I’ve seen plenty of poor people like you. Those eight love me and would never marry you, so you’ve set your sights on Lucas? Hah, keep dreaming. The Lee family would never let a nobody orphan like you marry in. There’s 20 million in this card. If you know what’s good for you, take the money and get out of this city. Don’t show your face in front of Lucas or those eight again.” I looked at the card on the ground, then back at Sophia Lin. I couldn’t help but marvel – is this the power of love? Sophia Lin’s two-faced nature had gone unnoticed by her eight devoted admirers all these years. I ignored her and started to walk away. But as I passed by her, she suddenly fell to the ground. Then eight men suddenly appeared from the roadside! They first carefully helped Sophia Lin up, then glared at me angrily. Sophia Lin wiped away tears, saying in a pitiful voice: “I’m sorry, big sister. I know you dislike me because of those eight, but I really didn’t have bad intentions coming to find you today. I just heard your orphanage needs money, so I wanted to give you some to help…” Jack Thompson looked at the card on the ground, then at the wronged-looking Sophia Lin. He immediately yelled angrily: “You threw Sophia’s goodwill on the ground, and you even dared to push her! How could I have known such a vicious woman!” Ryan Chen also looked at me with disgust: “Aren’t you very poor? You’d even be a substitute for money. Now Sophia gives you money and you suddenly remember your pitiful self-respect.” Ethan Brooks said coldly: “So you’re jealous of Sophia, that’s why you played us all? You’re jealous that she was born into wealth, innocent and lively, pampered since childhood. While you grew up in an orphanage, with a dark heart, living in poverty every day. So you wanted to steal us and Lucas from her side, destroy her innocence and liveliness? How can there be such a vicious woman in this world!” I was speechless for a long while: “Whatever makes you happy…” I didn’t expect these guys to be such good storytellers. No wonder they’re the most compatible with Sophia Lin. I tried to leave, but the eight of them surrounded me, all with dark expressions like they were about to interrogate a criminal. Ethan Brooks said coldly: “You think you can leave so easily?” Jack Thompson frowned: “I don’t hit women. Slap yourself and apologize to Sophia, then I’ll let you go.” Ryan Chen said: “Don’t test my patience. No one is allowed to bully Sophia!” Admirer number four: “You pushed Sophia down and think you can leave unscathed? Dream on!” Admirer number five: “I actually had some good feelings towards you before. I never imagined you’d set your sights on Sophia. You dared to hurt her – I’ll make you regret being alive in this world!” I silently looked at them. I even saw Sophia Lin standing behind them. She was clutching her scratched arm, tears still clinging to her lashes, expression still innocent and pitiful. But the look in her eyes as she gazed at me was full of condescension and disdain. Yes, she looked down on me. Looked down on a poor person like me. They were all staring intently at me, waiting for me to slap myself hard. Waiting to see me in a miserable, humiliated state. Later, Lucas arrived. He forcefully kicked away Ryan Chen who was standing on the outside. Ryan Chen fell flat on his face with a miserable cry. His arm that hadn’t fully healed was injured again. Lucas walked to my side and took my hand. He stared at them coldly. In a deep voice he said: “Taking advantage of my absence to bully my girlfriend? Seems I went too easy on you last time.” Seeing Lucas protecting me, jealousy flashed in Sophia Lin’s eyes. Then her tears fell even harder. She clutched her arm and walked pitifully in front of us, saying softly: “Lucas, I’m sorry. I just wanted to help big sister. There’s been a misunderstanding…” Lucas frowned deeply and said coldly: “Enough, save it. That trick doesn’t work on me. You know very well what just happened. Keep your tears for those eight.” Sophia Lin’s face turned pale. She bit her lip and looked at Lucas with an even more wronged expression. Her eight admirers immediately became even more furious, glaring at Lucas. Jack Thompson said angrily: “Lucas Lee, are you blind? Mistaking a pebble for a pearl. Sophia loves you so much and is so good to you, but you fall for this vicious substitute instead!” Ethan Brooks glared at Lucas through gritted teeth: “I’m warning you, apologize to Sophia now or I won’t let you off! Sophia is so wonderful but you don’t know to cherish her, insisting on dating this Olivia Clarke instead! Sophia is pure and kind, while she’s vicious and scheming. She’s just a knockoff, don’t you understand?! Lucas Lee, you’ll definitely regret treating Sophia like this in the future!” I was speechless – why are these people so dramatic? I instinctively looked at Lucas.
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