Chapter 2 His Secret Lover

Her name was Wendy Seyfert.

She was Shawn's first love.

Wendy was the illegitimate daughter of the Seyfert Family.

She was never acknowledged by Mariah Seyfert, her foster mother. She lived in the shadows, never truly belonging.

Unfortunately, Shawn's family tore them apart. Wendy, too proud to endure the humiliation, chose to leave him and disappear without a word.

And me? His so-called 'love at first sight' with me? It was nothing more than a coincidence—I bore a passing resemblance to her.

Now that the real Wendy was back, he no longer had any use for a stand-in like me.

The timing of her return? Oh, it just so happened to coincide with the past two months when Shawn had been too busy to give me the time of day.

It all made perfect sense now.

Hearing this story, I couldn't help but shake my head, laughing at the absurdity. Who would have thought this cliché of the stand-in lover would play out in my own life?

But Wendy's return wasn't exactly subtle. She had a grand plan—to crash my wedding, claim Shawn as hers, and rub it in my face that I had only ever been keeping her seat warm as "Mrs. Bacon."

Meanwhile, Shawn saw this as the ideal setup to prove his undying loyalty to her, trying to win over his sulking sweetheart and pressuring his family into accepting her.

And as for me and this wedding? It was just another prop in their carefully staged play.

This world really felt like one big cheesy CEO romance novel.

Honestly, it was so ridiculous I almost wanted to laugh. Or curse.

…

That night, my house stayed brightly lit.

While other brides might have been dreaming of their big day, I was busy packing my bags. I didn't stop for a moment—not even to rest.

Two hours ago, I booked a first-class ticket abroad.

If they wanted drama, I would give them drama.

If Wendy could show up unexpectedly to disrupt the wedding, then I could just as easily disappear on a 'runaway bride' trip of my own.

Fortunately, my family had already settled abroad long ago, which made the logistics of the wedding simpler. We hadn't gone through the trouble of inviting relatives and friends from overseas, limiting the guest list to a few close friends from around here.

The plan was to hold a second ceremony abroad later, sparing our relatives the hassle of long-distance travel and language barriers.

Ironically, that plan certainly made it easier for me to slip away from marriage now.

I shared the idea briefly with my best friend, Tonya Harding. She took the box I was packing, and her expression was suddenly serious.

I couldn't quite read her thoughts, but seeing her reaction prompted me to ask, "Tonya, are you trying to stop me?"

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Of course not. My dad got you a sturdy fertilizer sack. That'll hold everything just fine."

Right. I had forgotten her family was in the pesticide business.

…

The day of the wedding arrived, and there I was in my reception gown, standing alongside Shawn as we greeted guests who had traveled for the occasion.

Today, his thoughts were so loud I could barely stand it.

'Has Wendy arrived?'

'Finally, I can be with Wendy. Three years. It's been three years of waiting. She'll finally be Mrs. Bacon.'

'This stunt she's pulling, showing up unexpectedly to disrupt the wedding—Wendy will finally believe I've been true to her all along.'

And it went on and on.

I felt a chill run down my spine and couldn't help but cast several sidelong glances of disgust at Shawn.

Yet he maintained his calm, gentlemanly demeanor, even asking me with apparent concern, "Helena, you don't look well. Maybe you should rest in the lounge for a bit. I can handle greeting the guests, and you can come back in time for the ceremony."

'Fine with me. Honestly, I'm about ready to find an excuse to make my exit anyway,' I said inwardly to myself.

I agreed, intending to change into casual clothes, but just as I was heading out, I ran into Wendy at the door.

Thanks to our similar looks and my mind-reading ability, I recognized her immediately. I held back Tonya—who was dressed as my bridesmaid and clearly itching to teach the mistress a lesson—and pretended not to know who she was.

"You must be a friend of Shawn's," I said. "Go on in. The wedding starts in just a few hours."

Wendy's smile froze. She was clearly displeased by my casual familiarity with Shawn. Her tone turned sarcastic.

"Miss Bonham, sorry, but it seems we've ended up in matching outfits. Someone who didn't know any better might mistake me for the bride."

Her smug thoughts echoed in my mind, full of arrogance.

'Laugh while you can. In three hours, your groom will be leaving you at the altar for me. Let's see if you're still smiling then.'