Chapter 2

I asked, "How old is your kid?"

"Almost four," Devin replied.

Oh, Audrey must have gotten pregnant not long after I left.

I really didn't have any reason to stay any longer, so I said goodbye to Devin and headed out.

Before leaving, I glanced at the family photo on the counter and silently wished him all the best.

As soon as I stepped outside, Lacey's call came through.

I said, "Mrs. Pierce, why didn't you tell me Devin already has a daughter?

"Let's just forget this. I'll give your money back, and don't try to trick me into doing something shady again."

Lacey and I had already fallen out four years ago, so I wasn't about to give her any respect.

She said, "Hold on. That kid? She's not even his. Why does it matter?"

Well, it seemed that Devin loved Audrey so much that he actually raised someone else's child.

Suddenly, my throat tightened and my eyes stung.

I replied, "Mrs. Pierce, even though Audrey is divorced and has a kid with her, I can see that your son genuinely likes her. He likes her more than he ever liked me. Maybe don't ruin it for them."

Lacey sounded exasperated. "Meredith, I'm glad that your heart illness is cured, but when did you become so stubborn? That kid isn't Audrey's either. She's a girl Devin adopted from an orphanage.

"And don't you think Audrey looks a lot like you?"

It turned out I was overthinking it.

Wait, did Devin really go and find someone to be my stand-in?

I suddenly felt much better, and a smile crept onto my face before I even realized it.

Devin, I didn't expect that you would play the stand-in strategy.

I rented a room near Devin's office so we'd bump into each other.

To my surprise, I found out he actually had a place in the same complex, and his apartment was right next to mine.

I couldn't help thinking how lucky I was. Everything practically fell into place.

I knocked on his door at night.

Devin opened the door in his pajamas.

I'd really dolled myself up today, but he didn't even give me a second look.

He frowned and asked, "How did you know I live here? Were you following me?"

Honestly, even if my motives weren't entirely pure, it really was a coincidence.

I raised my hand, swearing, and he stared at me like he'd read my every thought.

He turned and walked inside, but didn't bother closing the door.

I followed him in, trying to play it cool.

This place was completely different from their family home, exuding a strong business aura.

I glanced around.

Ah, so this was how a top boss lived. It made all those stories I'd written over the years make sense.

Satisfied with my assessment, I began to explore his home.

He got a thing for collecting watches.

I stared at the cabinet packed with luxury watches and couldn't help but sigh. "Man, it must be nice to be rich."

My eyes lingered on one particular spot.

There was a watch totally out of place among all those luxury pieces, yet it sat right in the middle.

That was the watch I'd saved up for half a year in college to buy him for his birthday.

My thoughts instantly went back to that time.

Back then, I had a part-time job, and one night, walking back to school, I ran into some drunk, creepy guys.

Just like the first encounter in every romantic story, Devin swiftly took care of those thugs in no time.

After that, we started dating, got close, and before I knew it, we were in love.

I always thought we were just a regular couple like any other, until that day when I was leaving the hospital, and Lacey stopped me.

That was when I realized that the person I had been dating was none other than the famed young heir of the Pierce family in Pantos.

And me? I was just an orphan raised by my grandmother.

I thought things couldn't get any worse, but life proved me wrong.

I was diagnosed with a heart condition.

Just like my father, I couldn't believe someone as young as me could have it, but the doctor told me it was hereditary.

When I was at my lowest, Lacey showed up with a wad of cash.

When it came down to choosing between staying alive and being with Devin, I picked survival.

Back then, I believed life was long and that I wouldn't love only one person forever.

Besides, the gap between us was huge. Social class was something we'd never get past.

Therefore, when Devin showed up at the airport, begging me not to go, I pulled my hand away, completely resolute.

I told him to think of the money as a breakup payment from his mom.

Back then, he threw away his pride just to try to keep a shallow woman.

Did he ever regret it?

"Have you seen enough?" Devin's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He'd already changed into another set of pajamas.