Chapter 1

The day I found out I was pregnant, I burst into the villa, only to be stunned by the sight of two people who looked exactly the same.

"Edwin, just help me out for one last half month. That girl's been causing a scene, demanding I make things official," Finlay Roberts said.

"If you like that scholarship girl so much, why not just divorce Rebecca? I'm getting sick of pretending to be you every single day," Edwin replied.

His voice suddenly shot up. "No way. I was just out there for a bit of excitement, but I've had my fun these past six months. In two weeks, it's time to settle down and get back to my family.

"And don't forget our rule. You can act all you want, but you're not allowed to touch her."

So, to have his affair out in the open, Finlay actually had his twin brother, Edwin, pretend to be him.

My heart was dead. I booked an abortion for three days later and a one-way ticket out of the country.

The day I found out I was pregnant, I rushed into the villa, my face tinged with excitement.

But I froze in my tracks at the doorway, stunned by the sight of two identical figures inside.

"Edwin, just cover for me for two more weeks. That girl's making a fuss, insisting I make it official with her," one of them said.

The man lounged lazily in his chair, absently fiddling with a gun. At those words, he glanced up, looking completely uninterested.

"Two more weeks? You've been saying that for six months," he drawled.

"Finlay, if you like that poor girl you've been keeping around so much, why not just divorce Rebecca?" the other said.

Finlay frowned.

Then he said, "Of course, Rebecca's still the one I love most, but..."

His lips lifted in a faint smile.

He said, "Come on, a man can't spend his whole life with just one woman. I need to get out there and breathe a little.

"Honestly, after being with her for so long, I know everything about her, her likes, her dislikes, what she'll say next, how she'll react to anything I do. It's like being with my left hand and right hand. There's no spark.

"And... Karissa reminds me so much of Rebecca when we first met. Every time I see her, it takes me back to those early days with Rebecca..."

Finlay's eyes narrowed, a soft smile playing at his lips, even his brows softened with a gentle, spring-like warmth, as if he were lost in a beautiful memory.

I was working at a nightclub to scrape together money for my mom's medical bills when some drunk started harassing me. That was when Finlay stepped in and got me out of trouble.

I watched as he strode over, crunching broken porcelain underfoot. He glanced at the bloodied guy sprawled on the floor, then looked at me and laughed out loud.

Finlay grinned, "Damn, you're pretty tough, aren't you?"

The guy groaned, "Boss, this chick... you gotta back me up here."

Just as he tried to take a swing at me, Finlay grabbed his wrist.

Finlay pressed a bottle into my hand, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, kid, wanna help me teach my underling a lesson?" he said with a smirk.

"You're nuts," I shot back.

I pushed past Finlay and dashed outside.

"Tsk, it's pouring out. If you're gonna leave, at least take an umbrella," Finlay called out.

His words were lost in the heavy rain.

After that, I quit working at the club, sure I'd never run into Finlay again. Turns out, life loves a plot twist. We bumped into each other on the very first day of college.

He wasn't the reckless bad boy from that night anymore. Standing under a tree in a plain white shirt, he looked almost innocent, except for the way he stared at me, eyes burning with the same intensity as before.

From then on, Finlay started chasing after me like his life depended on it.

He chased after me 99 times, and every single time, it was the talk of the campus.

He called out my name for everyone to hear during freshman orientation, filled the dorm entrance with 9,999 roses, and threw luxury gifts at me like he didn't care about the price tag.

I was honestly sick of it. I knew guys like him. Such rich kids with too much time and money just saw me as a novelty, something to amuse themselves with for a while.

But he chased me for seven years straight.

He took care of my sick mom, brought in the best doctors from abroad for her surgery, got into fights for me and ended up with three broken ribs, and even crossed 15 time zones just to spend a single night with me on my birthday.

Everyone said Finlay was head over heels for me. That proud man would laugh and cry for me, and even broke his own pride just for my sake.

I found myself falling for him, too. So, on the day I graduated with my master's, I finally agreed to be his girlfriend.

After we got married, he spoiled me rotten.

With all his endless tenderness and pampering, I felt like the most carefree kid ever, even with all the family scheming and chaos swirling around me.

I tried to pull a silent smile, but it was only when I tasted the salt on my lips that I realized I was crying.

Finlay said, "You've been pretending to be me for over half a year. Just cover for me for two more weeks. After I hold a wedding for Karissa overseas, I'll focus on my family again.

"That girl's stuck with me all this time without asking for a proper status. It wouldn't be right for me to just... Wait, Edwin, what's that mark on your neck?"