Chapter 3

As for why Lilith had run away from the wedding so many years ago, Charles was no idiot—he had naturally guessed the gist of it. Even though he often blamed me for it, deep down in his heart, he knew better than anyone that Lilith had been worried that his heart transplant wouldn't be successful, and thus he wouldn't live long. Lilith had been spoiled by him. She hadn't wanted to be married to someone who was about to die soon, and more importantly, she hadn't wanted to spend the rest of her life as a widow. The thing was, the Bowman family stood at the apex of the social pyramid, and Charles was their only heir. He was practically a modern-day prince in his own right. Thus, even if he died, the Bowmans would never allow his wife to remarry. For the past three years, I was the one who had stayed with him, taken care of him, and allowed him to use me for his entertainment. I had finally gotten through to his heart, and now, Lilith wanted to reap the rewards? Why would I be okay with that? Childhood sweethearts might be nostalgic and all, but wasn't a sincere heart that came through when one needed it the most just as moving? Charles had said that the act of giving me to Horace was to prove something to Lilith. But truthfully, he had something to prove to himself. He couldn't admit that he had started to develop feelings for me. He assumed that once I was defiled by others, he would be able to do away with me. Fortunately, I had long since woven a net of tenderness and love and had slowly tightened it around him bit by bit. And in the end, he had caved. When my pleasure peaked that snowy night, I deliberately yelled out loudly so that Lilith, who was still on the balcony, could hear. "I'm sorry, Charles. I couldn't hold it in," I said as I quickly clasped a hand over my mouth. Charles let out a light chuckle in the cramped car. "No worries. Yell out. I like hearing the noises you make." After a while, he lowered his head and kissed my eyes. "Shay, has anyone told you that your eyes hide a heartless soul? You keep saying that you love me, but even after three years, I still can't bring myself to believe you. I have this feeling that you approached me with a goal in mind." I nearly panicked. I quickly lowered my head to hide my expression and made my voice as aggrieved as possible when I asked, "Then, what do I need to do for you to believe me, Charles?" He was someone who sat on the throne of power. Thus, it was natural that he was exceptionally shrewd. He had still managed to catch glimpses of my secret, though I had done such a good job of hiding it. Of course I had a goal in mind when I approached him. I might be a two-faced manipulator, but I wasn't born shameless. Charles didn't answer me and, instead, pulled me back into the throes of passion. By the time I dragged my tired body back to the Moore residence, I was immediately swarmed by the help the moment I stepped inside. Lilith had a box of contraceptives in her hand. She shoved a pill into my mouth and forced me to swallow it down. I had barely swallowed when a kick sent me falling to the floor. "Shayla Locklear! Don't forget your place! You're just an actress hired by my family!" Indeed, I had never actually been the illegitimate daughter of the Moores. When Lilith had thrown a tantrum and escaped the country, the Bowman family was thoroughly outraged. The Moores were unable to handle the frustration, but they were also worried that Charles was going to die soon, leaving Lilith a widow for the rest of her life. Thus, they secretly hired someone to pretend to be their illegitimate daughter and had her delivered to Charles as a scapegoat instead. That scapegoat was none other than me. Three years had passed, and Charles was still alive and well, which meant that the heart transplant had been successful. Hence, Lilith finally returned to the country. As for me, the scapegoat? Well, it was my time to leave. Since the beginning, I had been Shayla Locklear and not Shayla Moore. "Shayla, we'll send you out of the country, and we'll transfer the rest of the money to you," said Lilith's father, Patrick Moore, coldly. Lilith's mother, Andrea White, gave me a thinly veiled threat instead. "Mr. Bowman only kept you around because he thought you were the daughter of the Moore family. If he knew you were nothing but an orphan, he'd want you… "Shayla Locklear, you've tricked him for three years! He'd never forgive you if he found out. We'll send you out of the country, and we'll even give you some extra money. You should be content. Stop entertaining any unseemly thoughts!"