Chapter 1
Charles Evans tossed the white dress straight at Sophia Lane. "Put it on."
His voice was cold as ice, devoid of any warmth. He spoke as if ordering a lifeless thing.
Sophia clutched the fabric. It felt soft to the touch yet pricked at her fingertips like poison-tipped needles.
It was this dress again, the very style Lily Monroe adored.
Today was the birthday party of one of Charles's friends, a social circle Sophia had never once been allowed to join.
This time, though, he had offered to take her along.
A faint glimmer of hope had flared in her heart, only to be doused entirely by the dress, cold as a bucket of icy water.
She understood it all now.
Lily was coming back from overseas today and would be attending the party.
Charles was not bringing Sophia to acknowledge her as his partner.
He was bringing her solely to get a rise out of Lily, forcing her to play the awkward copycat, a substitute he could summon and cast aside whenever he pleased.
*****
"Hurry up, we don't have time," Charles barked, glaring at Sophia with obvious disgust.
Sophia gripped the dress tightly, her nails almost breaking the skin of her palm. She looked up, her lips trembled, about to say 'no.'
But under Charles's icy stare, the pitiful courage she had melted away instantly.
Three years of this, and Sophia had gotten used to obeying. She always believed that if she was obedient and tried hard enough, maybe one day she could warm his heart.
But now she realized that was impossible. She was nothing but a joke.
Sophia quietly stepped into the walk-in closet and slipped into the dress.
The woman staring back at her in the mirror was ghostly pale, her eyes hollow. Wearing a dress that wasn't hers, she looked like a lifeless puppet, drained of all spirit.
'Pathetic,' Sophia thought to herself. She pulled out a smile that was even more miserable than crying.
The birthday party was held at the city's most exclusive club. The place was lit up like a palace, packed with the city's elite.
Sophia followed behind Charles, like a shadow no one bothered to notice.
All eyes were on Charles. He was the golden boy, always the center of attention.
And Sophia was part of the scenery next to him, barely registering in anyone's mind.
"Charles, you finally made it!" Jason Reed, the birthday boy, came over with a big grin, rocking a loud floral shirt. His eyes swept over Sophia, a hint of playful curiosity flickering in his gaze.
"Well, who's this?" he asked.
Charles didn't even bother to introduce Sophia. He grunted and dragged her over to a sofa in the corner. He pushed her down onto the seat, then slipped away, blending right into the noisy crowd.
Sophia sat there alone, feeling like she didn't belong in all the excitement swirling around her. She was stranded, like an island in a sea of strangers, surrounded by invisible waves.
No one bothered to talk to her. The looks she got were full of scrutiny, curiosity, and a touch of contempt they barely bothered to hide.
She knew exactly what they were thinking. In their eyes, she was just another wannabe hoping to become rich overnight.
Sophia picked up a glass of champagne from the table. The cold liquid slid down her throat, but it couldn't wash away the bitterness churning inside her.
About half an hour later, a buzz swept through the entrance.
A woman stepped in, wearing an identical white dress. Her dress was far more elegant than Sophia's, hugging her figure perfectly.
As soon as she walked in, all eyes were instantly drawn to her.
Sophia had seen that face countless times. It was tucked away in Charles's wallet, staring back from his phone screen, and Sophia had heard him murmur that woman's name in his sleep.
That woman was Lily Monroe, Charles's first love.
Charles was on his feet and heading straight for Lily the instant she appeared.
He had a gentle smile on his face, one Sophia had never seen, and his eyes, usually so cold to her, now lit up with a brightness she couldn't recognize.
"Lily, you're back," Charles greeted her.
Lily smiled and linked her arm with his, as if she'd always belonged there. "Charles, long time no see."
Standing together, they looked like a match made in heaven.
The crowd around them started teasing and cheering.
"Lily's finally back. Looks like Charles's stone-cold heart is finally going to melt."
"Yeah, we've all been waiting for your big day."
Sophia sat in the corner, watching that painful scene play out before her. The white dress she wore made her look utterly ridiculous.
So, it turned out Charles never wanted Sophia as a stand-in. He only wanted her, the fake, to make the real thing in his heart seem even more precious and flawless.
How cruel.
Lily finally seemed to notice Sophia, her eyes landing on Sophia with a hint of regret and unmistakable superiority. "Charles, who's she?"