Chapter 1

The CEO brought his true love back home while I stood in the kitchen holding a spatula, about to ask whether he wanted a few extra dishes for dinner.

The woman pointed at me and burst into tears. "I knew it. The novels were right. The moment I went abroad, you found a substitute and kept her in the house."

I was confused.

I looked down at my chef's uniform and the spatula in my hand.

No one told me I was a substitute.

*****

Before I could even react, Sharon Townsend continued tearfully, "Now I get why you never reached out to me while I was overseas. Looks like you found someone new and pushed me out of your life.

"Even now that I've come back, you still won't get rid of your substitute. Alright, I'll just bow out and let you two be together."

Seeing Sharon on the verge of tears, I stood there, totally stunned.

Seriously, what kind of drama was I in?

Wasn't I hired by Daniel Ford as a chef for 2.5 million dollars a year because of my cooking skills, to help him with his stomach issues?

How did I end up as his substitute lover?

Daniel couldn't help but frown.

He said, "Sharon, what are you saying? I've been flying out to see you every week for the past three months you were abroad. How could you say I've never reached out to you?

"And she is Casey Goodwin, the chef, not all that nonsense you're talking about."

"A chef?" A tear rolled down Sharon's cheek. "Since when are chefs this young?

"I always wear white, and now she's wearing white too. What else could she be but your substitute? Daniel, why are you still lying to me?"

I looked down at my white chef's uniform, then at Sharon's white silk dress. My lips twitched.

Honestly, the only thing these two had in common was the color white.

Letting out a sigh, I spoke up. "Miss Townsend, I swear I'm just the chef. Seriously, you can check the kitchen yourself. My chicken soup's still bubbling away on the stove."

But Sharon covered her ears and stomped her foot.

She cried, "No way. Even if there really is soup, you must have faked it to fool me!"

Daniel said helplessly, "Alright, what would convince you that Casey is really the chef?"

"Kick her out and I'll believe you," Sharon replied, her expression firm, as if nothing could get past her. "In all the novels, the one true love and the substitute can never exist together.

"If you let her stay, she'll eventually replace me. Daniel, I don't want to lose you, so she has to leave."

Daniel's brows furrowed even more after Sharon's words.

He shot me a hesitant look.

Thanks to my cooking, his stomach problem was almost healed. He was pretty much dependent on me now.

But if he didn't kick me out, Sharon definitely wouldn't drop it.

After a moment, Daniel finally made up his mind. He walked over to me and said quietly, "Casey, I know we agreed you'd live here, but with everything happening right now, I'll have to ask you to move into a spacious penthouse nearby.

"I'll cover your commuting costs, even doubling it. And I'll add three months' salary as compensation. Does that work for you?"

My eyes lit up instantly.

Daniel's penthouse was only five minutes away from the villa. Not only would I get double the commuting allowance, but I'd also score three extra months' salary just for moving out.

What a win!

I nodded right away. "No problem, Mr. Ford. Want me to start packing up now?"

As I said that, I was already reaching for my phone to call the movers.

Daniel was visibly surprised, probably not expecting me to be so agreeable.

A strange feeling crossed his mind. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he just nodded.

"Alright, go ahead and move out," he said.

The moving truck showed up in no time. While I was busy telling the movers what to do, Sharon marched over in her heels, towering above me with a smug look on her face.

She sneered, "Casey, so what if you took advantage of me being out of the country? Now you're packing up and leaving in shame. To Daniel, I'm the only one who matters. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be anything more than a substitute!"

Just then, my phone buzzed with a bank notification. It stated that 7.5 million was transferred to my account.

Sharon was the reason I got this windfall, so suddenly, she seemed a lot more likable to me.

I smiled and played along.

"Absolutely, Miss Townsend. You're definitely the most important person to Mr. Ford. I could never compare to you," I said.

Sharon gave a chilly snort. "At least you're smart."

She stalked off in her heels, and not far away, I heard the butler asking her which room she'd like to stay in.