Mrs. Sterling saw something in me. She hired me to be a stand-in for her son, Julian Sterling’s first love. It was all because I looked so much like her. Mrs. Sterling said I bore a striking resemblance to Julian’s first love. Ever since his first love left, he’d become cold, ruthless, and utterly dejected. My job was to keep him company, to make him happy again. The mission went surprisingly smoothly. He didn’t just smile; he even started creating small romantic gestures for me. Until three years later, his first love, Serena, returned, fresh from a divorce. That’s when he lied to me for the first time. I cried to Mrs. Sterling, pouring out my heart, detailing my sorrow and the crushing unfairness of it all. My goal was simple: get a bigger payout and then vanish. But then Julian’s voice, dark and cold, cut through the air from just outside the door: “Stop the act. I’m renewing the contract.” I was grabbing my usual coffee downstairs at the company when Serena Vance, without a word of warning, slid into the seat opposite me. Her voice was soft, gentle. “How much did Julian pay you to hire you?” I looked at her. Eight years. She hadn’t changed much from the photo I’d seen. Still the same long, straight black hair, a simple, solid-colored dress, and the lightest touch of makeup. Only now, a subtle maturity etched itself between her brows. Her voice softened even more. “I know, it hasn’t been easy, accompanying Julian and taking care of him for three years. But this isn’t fair to you. No girl wants to be anything less than true love.” As she spoke, she lightly traced my cheek. “And no girl wants to be a stand-in.” A stand-in… she didn’t need to keep reminding me. I hadn’t forgotten it for a single moment. Three years ago, I was a fresh college graduate, just about to step into the working world. As I hustled around, résumé in hand, Mrs. Sterling herself sought me out. All because I looked seventy percent like Julian Sterling’s first love. She handed me a blank check. She promised that if I could get Julian back to his old self, I could fill in any amount I wanted on that check. And on top of that, a million dollars would be deposited into my account, right on time, every month. I got it. This was the classic stand-in trope. The deal was incredibly lucrative. No one could refuse it. Not even me. That was Julian Sterling—a legend in Sterling City. I didn’t hesitate for a second. I accepted. Under Mrs. Sterling’s guidance, I styled myself after Serena. I straightened my hair, swapped out my wardrobe for simple, solid-colored dresses. And smoothly became Julian Sterling’s personal assistant. The first time Julian saw me, he seemed to frown, but he didn’t say anything. To mold a perfect stand-in, Mrs. Sterling also gave me a thick stack of files. They meticulously detailed Julian Sterling’s preferences. From his morning coffee to his evening routine, his wardrobe, even his travel habits—every single thing. I was getting paid, so I followed every instruction without question. At first, I thought someone like Julian Sterling would be incredibly difficult to deal with. Julian was decisive, detail-oriented, and hated idle chatter. So, I focused on efficiency and precision, ensuring every detail was flawless. My proposals, often drafted overnight, had almost zero errors. My reactions and patience were sharp enough to handle any sudden emergency. My phone was always on, twenty-four hours a day, ready to answer his calls, never a word of complaint. Everyone said I was the best assistant he’d ever had. Slowly, he began to accept my presence. He’d eat the meals I cooked. He’d drink the coffee I brewed. Sometimes, when I personally prepared his lunch, he’d comment, expressionless, “It’s awful.” Then he’d eat every last bite. Our relationship grew closer with each passing day. After a perfectly ordinary banquet, I drove him home as usual. Without warning, he pulled me closer and kissed me. That night, our silhouettes intertwined against the windowpane… The next day, Julian had all my belongings moved to his mansion in the West Hills. When a black card was placed in front of me, I automatically unlocked a new identity: mistress. Besides the money from Mrs. Sterling and my assistant’s salary, I was now receiving a third income. This arrangement was overly lucrative. At least from my perspective, we were like any other couple. We went to work together, cooked together. During intimate moments, I followed my instincts and responded with passion. Yet, in my heart, I remained perfectly clear. I was Chloe, not Serena. This play, it would end one day. I just didn’t expect that day to come so soon.
I lost all interest in my coffee, getting up to leave. Behind me, Serena dropped the act, her tone laced with a hint of disdain. “I’m back. You didn’t actually think that little bit of affection you got, just because you look like me, would be enough to get you through the Sterling family’s front door, did you?” I turned and looked at her, countering, “And you think you can?” She and Julian were from families of equal standing. But she had abandoned everything to go abroad when Sterling Corp faced a crisis. She married, then divorced. And now she was back. At least, from what I knew of Mrs. Sterling, it was almost impossible for Serena to get into the Sterling family home. Unless, of course, Julian insisted. That evening, I accompanied Julian as he worked in his study. I sat in front of my computer. But my eyes kept drifting to him. Sterling City was teeming with talent. A fresh graduate like me, with no background. Without this face as my ticket in, I would never have had the chance to enter Sterling Corp. No chance to earn wealth most people could only dream of in a lifetime. And no chance to be by his side for so long. Looking at it that way, if his true love returned, I should be happy for him. Clinging on would only make me look clingy and ungrateful. “Come here.” Julian’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I obediently walked over to him. Naturally, he pulled me onto his lap. “What’s wrong?” I asked him. He looked at me, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Nothing. I just thought, this way you can see better.” Caught staring, my face flushed hot instantly, and I even held my breath for a moment. When did he start getting so charming? I hadn’t explicitly told him about Serena’s return. But that didn’t mean it could be kept secret for long. She quickly appeared at a business banquet, champagne in hand, heading straight for Julian and me. Her voice was still so soft it sounded like it could melt, “Julian, you’re here.” Many people present knew about their past, and whispers began to spread. I glanced at Julian. Even with his first love, whom he hadn’t seen in years, standing before him. His face showed absolutely no reaction. The murmurs around us grew louder. “When did Serena Vance get back? Didn’t she get married?” “You’re way behind on the news. She just divorced, probably rushed back before the ink on her divorce papers was even dry.” “Look at the woman by Mr. Sterling’s side, doesn’t she look a lot like Ms. Vance?” “I’ve thought so for ages. Mr. Sterling found a stand-in for his first love, huh?” “How devoted.” “Now that the real deal is back, shouldn’t the stand-in step aside?” Julian’s sharp gaze swept to where the voices came from. Those few people instantly clamped their mouths shut. Others wisely dispersed to different areas. I figured he was upset that his beloved was being criticized.
In an instant, only the three of us remained within a ten-meter radius. When someone had mentioned her divorce earlier, Serena had lowered her head slightly, a touch of embarrassment on her face. Now, as she looked at Julian again, her eyes were brimming with tears. Her voice, laced with a hint of grievance, trembled slightly. “Julian, please don’t misunderstand. I just wanted to come back and see how you were doing.” In such a dramatic scene, my presence felt incredibly awkward. After all, no one ever considered the feelings of the stand-in. I excused myself to the restroom, but in reality, I slipped out to the balcony to hide. Then I went online to find a resignation letter template. Preferably one that highlighted my dedication. After finding one, I made some quick edits and sent it to Mrs. Sterling. Her reply came swiftly: [Stay put for now.] “Looks like the little assistant got dumped, huh?” A lazy, teasing tone wrapped around a hint of mockery. Without even turning around, I knew it was Blake, the young master of the Blake family. I turned sideways, directly facing his leaning-in face. “There are plenty of beauties in the ballroom tonight, Blake. How can you bear to miss such a good opportunity and come bothering me?” He leaned in a little closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Isn’t the most beautiful one right in front of me?” I raised an eyebrow. Blake’s eyes twinkled with even greater amusement, his fingertip lightly tracing the rim of his glass. “Want to consider switching jobs? I’m much easier to please than Julian Sterling.” Julian’s voice cut in before I could reply. “Chloe.” Not far away, he stood under the lights, clearly showing a hint of anger. I suddenly felt a little guilty. I wondered if his anger was because he knew I hadn’t told him about Serena’s return right away. On the way home, he didn’t say a word. I remembered my mission. My eyes misted over, and I said sweetly, “Julian, I didn’t mean not to tell you about Ms. Vance’s return.” “I just…” My voice was so choked with emotion it was almost a sob. “I was just afraid you’d leave me once you knew Ms. Vance was back.” “I just wanted to stay by your side a little longer, even if it was just one more day, one more hour, one more minute.” After saying all that, I didn’t dare breathe. Julian remained silent, offering no response. My mind raced. My golden ticket was definitely gone. How could I negotiate a larger severance package from Mrs. Sterling? Once we got home, Julian hoisted me up and tossed me onto the bed. He didn’t say a single word throughout. But his actions were rougher than usual. I interpreted it as deliberate retaliation. At the height of our passion, on a whim, I asked him, “Julian Sterling, do you know who I am?” The words were barely out of my mouth when I regretted them. He seemed to freeze for a moment but didn’t answer. Then he gripped my chin, kissing me back with a retaliatory intensity. In that moment, I got my answer. Just before I drifted off into an exhausted sleep, I thought I heard him whisper something in my ear. The next day, he uncharacteristically didn’t go to work. First, he took me to get my waist-length hair curled. Then he took me shopping for clothes at the mall. As I stood in front of the changing room mirror, in a red dress with chestnut-colored loose waves. It felt like a strange twist of fate had brought me back to how I looked three years ago, when Mrs. Sterling first found me. Julian wrapped an arm around me, approvingly murmuring, “Beautiful.” The first love returned, and the copycat was sent back to her original form.
A few days later, Serena Vance arrived at the office, clutching a bouquet of lilies. Seeing my new look, she first scrutinized me from head to toe, then sneered. “Ms. Chloe, have you finally given up trying to imitate me?” I ignored her comment and asked, as a matter of routine, “Ms. Vance, do you have an appointment?” She looked like she’d heard the funniest joke imaginable. “I never need an appointment to see Julian. His rules are for outsiders.” I nodded, saying, “Please wait a moment. I’ll call and confirm if Mr. Sterling is available right now.” She pressed her hand down on mine, stopping me from dialing the CEO’s internal line. “Chloe, are you genuinely clueless or just pretending? Don’t you know, if it weren’t for your face looking like mine, you wouldn’t even have a chance to get close to Julian?” I reminded her, “Ms. Vance, Mr. Sterling isn’t 22 anymore; he’s 30. He doesn’t have the energy for your games.” The next second, the blooming bouquet of lilies in her hand brutally slammed into my face. I raised a hand to wipe away the pollen from my face. And swiftly delivered a slap. I hit her so hard my hand went numb. Serena froze, her face a mask of disbelief. “You dare hit me?” I shook my hand, my tone flat. “Ms. Vance, I was merely acting in self-defense.” Being a stand-in was one thing; getting hit required separate compensation. She trembled with rage, raising her hand to slap me back. Just as her wrist was about to descend— A cold, deep male voice abruptly rang out. “Stop.” Julian Sterling had appeared at the doorway, drawn by the commotion outside. His gaze first fell on my face, which was stained with shattered petals and pollen, and faintly reddened. Then he looked at Serena’s hand, still raised in mid-air, poised to strike. I discreetly lowered my eyelashes, my voice laced with just the right amount of grievance and timidity. “Mr. Sterling, Ms. Vance insisted on coming in without an appointment, and I merely tried to remind her, and then she…” Serena quickly interjected, “Julian, it’s not what you think. She hit me first, see?” She turned her left cheek, revealing a clear palm print. I kept my eyes fixed on the floor, pretending to be invisible. After a brief silence, Julian told me to go to the restroom to clean up. He then led Serena into his office. A sharp pang pierced my chest, making my eyes sting. It must have been the lily bouquet hitting me so hard. The eight-figure number in my mobile banking app made me feel incredibly secure. That was my true purpose for being here. Everything else was irrelevant. I shouldn’t get caught up in their messy romance, fighting tooth and nail with his first love. With that thought, I decided to act first and apologize later. I would resign and leave Julian Sterling.
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