Chapter 3

Memories of campus days replay in my mind, like scenes running backward.

We met in our first year of graduate school. He studied physics, I studied textiles. We both loved history, often meeting in the library's third-floor archives.

The weather was always sunny. Sunlight streamed through the glass dome, falling on his white shirt and my light blue cotton dress.

We shared glances, smiles, and slowly, we came to know and love each other.

Now, that fairytale romance was shattered in an instant.

"Lydia!" Ewan called out, chasing after me and grabbing my arm. I jerked away like I'd been shocked.

He'd touched another woman. To me, he was tainted now.

When he saw the look of disgust in my eyes, Ewan sneered. "You think I'm dirty? Come on, you're the one who really betrayed us. You started all this!"

I admited I messed up. I shouldn't have hidden the fact that I was covering for the Collier family. I should've told him long ago that Joyce and I had been living each other's lives for the past two years.

But at the time, I didn't say anything. I'd promised Meadow I wouldn't tell a soul, and I couldn't break my word.

But now, it was too late for any of that.

I couldn't hold back my tears. I choked out, "I know we're over, but how could you move on so fast? It hasn't even been a month, and you're already with another woman."

Ewan's words cut deep. "Joyce is smart, cultured, has morals, and actually knows how to behave. She's everything I want in a partner. Plus, she looks just like you."

I suddenly looked up, hope sparking in my chest.

I desperately wished he'd catch on that the wild, shameless Lydia blowing up online wasn't me at all. It was Joyce, playing me for a fool.

But Ewan's next words pierced right through me. "She looks like you, but she's even more beautiful. She's the deluxe version of you. Both inside and out, she's a thousand times better! You're nothing compared to her!"

I found it almost hilarious. He thought I was the wild one, while the real player, Joyce, was the one he treated like his precious gem.

I couldn't help but laugh, my laughter growing louder as tears poured down without restraint.

"Ewan, you'll regret this sooner or later," I said.

His handsome face went ice-cold as he looked at me. "I already do. I regret ever meeting you. Being with someone like you is the biggest mistake of my life!"

After that, his words echoed in my dreams every single night, leaving me shattered every time I woke up.

To keep myself from thinking about him, I buried myself in work, keeping so busy there wasn't a single moment left for romance.

Cloud Weaving's IPO was moving fast. Before we could go public, I had to travel from city to city with the bankers, pitching our story everywhere to boost our name and draw in more everyday investors.

I hit the stage in more than thirty cities, talking about how our business worked, the numbers, and where we were headed next.

I always wore a face mask during the presentations, officially for pandemic reasons.

But in truth, it was Meadow's rule. She didn't want anyone to recognize me.

Meadow was afraid that once Joyce and I switched back, people would notice the difference and start questioning Joyce's appearance.

A parent's love meant always thinking ahead for their child.

Meadow really had every angle covered for Joyce.

Thinking about it, I couldn't help but feel both jealous and deeply sad.

No one in this world would ever truly put themselves in my shoes.

I had no parents, lost my love, and the only family I had left was my autistic brother, who hardly even recognized me.

I could only rely on myself. When I got drenched in the rain, all I could do was curl up in a corner. When life knocked me down, I had to patch myself up alone.

When I was doing a roadshow in the capital, I finally couldn't hold it together and passed out right before I was supposed to go on stage.

When I woke up, warmth wrapped around me, and the air was tinged with a cool, sweet strawberry scent.

Groggy, I turned my head and caught sight of a tall, handsome figure by the window, outlined by the clear daylight streaming in.

His black suit hugged his broad shoulders and waist perfectly. He was smoking, wisps of smoke swirling around him, his thick lashes fluttering as he glanced down. Suddenly, he turned to me. "You're awake?"

I jolted awake, suddenly realizing my mask was gone.

The man standing by the window was Gideon Hurst, CEO of MegaLink Capital, the largest shareholder in Cloud Weaving.

This was the biggest roadshow in the country, and Gideon had come in person to underscore its importance.

"You suddenly passed out. Normally, I'd call an ambulance, but with all those reporters downstairs, we can't let the press get a scandalous story right now," he said coolly.

I got it.

He gestured to the strawberries on the crystal dish. "Eat up. The doctor checked you out. You're just low on blood sugar."

Wrapped in an LV blanket, I glanced around. Everything was done up in shades of black, gold, and brown. The understated elegance made the whole place feel like the inside of some giant, decadent chocolate box.