1.
Phew!
Gloria sighed. Finally. Mopping floors was definitely a difficult task—a workout in itself. There was no need to go to the gym or pay for an expensive membership; all you had to do was clean every nook and cranny of this house. She was certain she’d burned as many calories as a one-hour gym session.
After putting the cleaning tools back in their place, Gloria slumped down on the living room sofa, taking a breath of relief. A tall figure entered. Seeing her, he rolled his eyes in disbelief.
“Dinner?” he reminded her curtly.
Right. She still had to cook dinner for the “great” Nathan Thomson. She cursed him silently, rolling her eyes as she retreated into the kitchen. By the time the meal was prepared, her body was completely exhausted. Setting the table, she called out, “Dinner’s ready.”
He appeared ten minutes later, took his usual seat, and ate. There was no reaction—just the same blank poker face Gloria had grown used to over the last two years. It didn’t matter to her anymore.
Once he finished, he simply got up and left. Gloria cleaned the dishes, tidied the kitchen, and finally sat down to her own dinner: a cup of instant noodles. After ward, she returned to her small room in the staff quarters. It was tiny but tidy, containing only a bed, a desk, a cupboard, and a cramped bathroom.
She freshened up and stepped back out into the lobby, looking around the empty space. A sudden wave of realization hit her: I’m all alone. No one to talk to. No one to lean on. The loneliness was suffocating. She sighed, a mix of disbelief and disappointment washing over her.
Regret began to consume her mind. Why the hell did I say “yes” to this? Why?
Because of that one “yes,” she had lost two years of her life. Because of it, she hadn’t been able to see her loved one and had lost her forever. She had given up on her dream job. Now, she was living someone else’s life—acting as a substitute for a missing heiress.
Two years ago, her happy, normal life had turned tragic. She hated herself for taking the lead in that project meeting. If it hadn’t been for that meeting, she wouldn’t be in this nightmare.
Flashback: Two Years Ago
“Gloria,” her boss called out. “We need this project. You know what I’m saying?” He gave her a look that said it all.
Gloria nodded with determination. She knew. The firm hadn’t landed a major project in three months, surviving only on small renovations. This was the “Big One.” If they secured it, they would finally earn recognition in the world of architecture.
“I’m going to do my best,” Gloria said confidently. Keeping her boss satisfied was just as much a part of her job as the actual designing.
Before the meeting, she and her colleagues prepared the presentation thoroughly. It was a “do or die” situation for the studio, and Gloria refused to mess it up. When the time came, she took a deep breath and entered the conference room. It was filled with clients in formal suits—the kind of “big shots” who radiated power.
One man, in particular, was stunned the moment he saw her. As she approached with her boss to offer greetings, the man stared at her with an intensity that made her skin crawl.
Be professional. Just be professional, she reminded herself.
With a tight smile, she greeted him. “Good afternoon.”
He didn’t respond. He simply kept staring, his sharp gaze sending chills down her spine.
“Let’s begin the meeting,” her boss announced.
Gloria started the presentation. She tried to ignore the man’s gaze, which never left her for a single second. “Thank you,” she concluded. Her boss gave her a secret thumbs-up; the clients seemed genuinely impressed.
“Mr. Yale, what do you think?” one of them asked.
The man’s gaze intensified. This was Ethan Yale, President of the Yale Group—a brilliant, ruthless businessman. Gloria had only seen him in news segments and business magazines. The Yale family was one of the most influential and powerful families in the country.
Ethan spoke briefly to his team. After a short discussion, he announced, “We’re ready to sign the contract. But before that, I want to talk to her.” He pointed directly at Gloria.
A shiver ran through her body. Puzzled silence filled the room. Her boss intervened nervously, “Did we make a mistake?”
“I just want to talk to her. Alone,” Ethan said in an authoritative tone. “If you want the contract, that is.” It was a blatant threat.
Her boss looked at her, eyes pleading. Gloria understood the stakes. Reluctantly, she nodded.
Once everyone else left, the room felt cavernous. Gloria’s hands turned ice-cold. She could hear her own heart pounding against her ribs. Ethan sat back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other with a bossy air.
“I want a favor from you,” he said. It wasn’t a request; it was a command. “I want you to pretend to be my sister. To be exact, I want you to substitute for her.”
Gloria was stunned. What the hell is wrong with this guy? “In return, your studio gets the contract,” he continued. “And you will be paid handsomely.”
“I’m sorry, I’m not interested,” she said, turning to leave.
“What about your mother?” he asked calmly. “The one lying in a hospital bed?”
Gloria froze. Panic surged through her. She hadn’t told anyone about her mother’s condition. Her mother suffered from kidney disease and desperately needed a transplant. The costs for dialysis and surgery were astronomical.
He had investigated her. He knew everything.
Back to the Present
It was because of that leverage that she had said yes. She had regretted it every day for the last two years. She hadn’t seen her mother since. She didn’t know how she was doing, or even where she was.
Gloria had only wanted to save her, and Ethan had promised her the best treatment money could buy. But there was a catch: while she acted as the substitute, she had to disappear. No friends, no past, no contact with her mother. She had to act as if “Gloria” no longer existed.
She thought it would only last a few months. It had been two years.
