Chapter 1

Emma's Point of View

“As you all must know, tonight will mark a huge step in my life. You know me as the heiress, the philanthropist, the model! But I have decided to introduce you to a whole new side of me.”

The attention of every single guest inside this grand hall was fixed on the podium. There wasn't a single soul out of the crowd of five hundred elites, who wasn't completely spellbound by my speech. 

After all, I had selected every single word to impress!

But the orator whom everyone was mesmerized by… wasn't me. 

Charlotte Miller stood at the centre of attention, delivering the speech I had written, while I was hidden within the curtains behind her. 

She didn't even get to the event until it was almost too late. I had been here since the sun came up. I greeted everyone in her place, shook their hands, and smiled so hard my cheeks hurt. 

While she was out partying, I played the role of the perfect Miller heiress.

And now, she was back to claim her spot.

“I hope that you all will continue to support me, like you always have. And going forward, I will keep shining, just as I always have. Thank you for joining us!”

The crowd cheered and applauded for her speech. 

With a cold lunch in my shaking hands, I stood backstage, half-hidden behind the curtain. If you can call it that, it was my first meal of the day. Even though my feet hurt from standing in shoes for hours, Charlotte walked on stage in a designer dress at the last minute, as if she hadn't been ignoring all of her duties up until that point.

She didn't plan the event. She didn't have to sit through a lot of talks. She didn't say hello to any of the guests.

Anyone who looked really hard would be able to tell how much we look alike, even with my black-rimmed glasses on. Even though we look a lot alike, our lives are very different.

She was the star of the show. I was her shade, to make sure to fill her space and she shines brightly. 

For the Miller family, Charlotte was the ideal daughter, the golden child.

And me? I was nothing but a substitute of Charlotte Miller. 

Her shadow.

While I was still eating, her voice broke the silence. As usual, it sounded mean. 

"Wow, Emma," Charlotte said in a low voice as her shoes hit the marble floor. "You eat like an orphan who doesn't have any food."

When I turned around, I saw Charlotte laughing as she leaned against the door with her arms crossed.

I stopped moving, and my grip on the sandwich got tighter.

"I haven't eaten anything because I've been on my feet all day," I said in a casual voice.

She rolled her eyes and laid down on the couch with her legs crossed over the table. 

"That was hard work, wasn't it?" Charlotte said as she drank the wine. 

I slowly let my breath out and kept my voice flat. "As long as your show was perfect, that's all that matters."

There wasn't anything warm about her light laugh.

She looked at my worn-out clothes and faked pity with her nose. "Mom always said I was meant to be the brightest star of the night." She got up and moved closer. Her voice was sweet but mean. 

I tried to get some credit for my work, so I cut off her in between,"I'm glad the speech went well for you."

Charlotte laughed, and her eyes lit up with happiness. "Oh, honey, don't be so serious. That has nothing to do with your short speech. This is my aura. "Everything I do turns out well." When she smiled, it was as sharp as a knife. "Don't be so proud of yourself next time." Or I might have to tell you where you are.

It hurt more than it should have.

Since they were true.

Then, her assistant walked in with a tablet in hand. "Miss Miller? There's a press conference waiting for you, and the car is also ready."

Charlotte replied her, while giving me a tight smile, "Perfect timing."

She got up from the couch and was about to leave. When she turned her head back to me, her eyes moved quickly over me as if she were judging something that wasn't nice. "Also, honey didn’t we pay you last month?"

"yes I got paid, but-"

She moved toward me by about an inch.

I tensed up. I thought I did something wrong again.

She smiled and leaned in a little. "Think about how embarrassing that would be.My substitute, who looks sloppy and all over the place? That is, people are already wary sometimes. If you start to gain weight, I'll have to lower your payment because no one wants to see a fat version of me.”

I squeezed the sandwich even tighter and spoke in a voice that was almost a whisper. "I don’t think a few bites will make me fat, Charlotte."

Her smirk got bigger. "That’s what they all say, sweetheart."

With a flip of her hair, she left to cheers and cameras flashing. She got into the fancy car that was waiting for her like she was a queen.

I held on to the clipboard so tight that my fingers turned white.

I hate how she makes me seem little. I feel bad that I let her.

I used to think that her life was different from mine. At that time, fate hadn't brought us together.

I brought the wrong food to the Miller house when I was eighteen years old. That's when Charlotte's mom saw me for the first time. I looked a lot like her daughter. She made me an offer when she learned that her lazy, selfish daughter wasn't going to important events.

I have to be a substitute of Charlotte. Be perfect when she didn't want to be, wear her dress and play my substitute role.

I said no at first. But months later, the orphanage where I grew up  was badly burnt down, injuring my caregiver and leaving her with huge medical bills. I had no other option but to say yes.

I thought it would only last a short time. As soon as I could stand up again.

But it had been five years, and the orphanage caregiver is under their control. I was still here.

 I sighed heavily, pushing away these thoughts and sadness.

Tonight I had something more important to think about: Alex.

A smile played on my lips.

I have one real thing in my fake life, Alex. The only person who sees ME.

He started working at Miller Enterprises today. Because he had loans, part-time jobs, and studied late at night, I knew how hard he had worked for this. He was my rock in a world that was always trying to break me. He was the best person any girl could ask. 

He loves me just the way I am. Not for who I pretend to be. With him, I'm just Emma.

I planned a surprise for him. Celebrate with him.

It felt good to go to his apartment with a small cake box in my hand. It had been days since I felt that good.

Tonight is going to be great. Only us. There will be no Charlottes, Millers, or acting.

Though, when I got to the door, I paused.

My heart was beating faster as I looked at the key Alex had given me.

Em, you're always welcome here. That's what he always told me. 

After taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open quietly and put the key in the lock.

Even though it was dark, the sounds coming from the bedroom were clear: soft gasps and breathy moans.

"Alex... yes... right there!" Her voice was slow and desperate. 

It felt like ice in my gut.

Not at all. It's not her. Not her voice. I must be making things up.

Then I heard Alex's husky voice. "Baby... you're amazing..."

I could hear the bed moving and the sound of skin touching skin. Charlotte's sobs got louder. Alex's breathing got fast and heavy.

This is not possible. No No it can't be real. Alex couldn't do this with me.

My heart was heavy, not ready to accept the reality yet.

But any how I took a step ahead, I tightened my grip on the cake. The bedroom door was just a little open.

I should not look. I need to know, though.

I opened the door a little bit more.

My whole world fell apart.

Charlotte.

Her naked body was tangled up with Alex's, and her perfectly groomed nails pulled his skin down. His arms—the same arms that had held me—were around her, and his lips were against hers.

No, no, no! Not him. Not with her.

I let out a sharp gasp of air. My knees were about to give out. I stood still and couldn't move or speak. The moans that I'd heard still echoed in my ears.

"Alex-" The cake fell to the floor when I let go of it.