Chapter 1

After four years of financially supporting the impoverished campus heartthrob Cyril Decker, Trisha Newton had spoiled him to the point where even a strand of his hair was treated like gold. She pulled strings nationwide to find a kidney donor, snatching Cyril's mother, Melanie Moore, back from death's grip. She arranged for Cyril's sister, Constance Decker, to attend an elite school in Aldenport, grooming her into a socialite. She poured endless funds into his startup ventures, elevating him into a rising star in the business world. Yet just before their wedding, Trisha accidentally witnessed his childhood friend, Anna Higgins, clinging to him in tearful desperation. "Cyril, I know you don't love Trisha at all. I also know you've always had feelings for me. We were so close back then, just one step away from being a couple. But because Mrs. Decker fell ill and Constance couldn't afford school, you had no choice but to agree to be Trisha's boyfriend. "She's forced you into this for so many years. Now that you've made it and your life's different, why keep forcing yourself to marry her? I can't accept you marrying her. If you really go through with the wedding, I'll jump off this building right now!" Just one glance down from the 30th floor was enough to terrify Melanie and Constance. Both of them immediately began pleading with Cyril to reconsider. "Cyril, I watched Anna grow up. I've always treated her like my future daughter-in-law. You can't let her down!" "Cyril, can't you just break up with Trisha? Anna loves you so much. I want her to be my sister-in-law." "Say something, Cyril. You clearly have the power to escape Trisha now, so why won't you break up with her? Why marry her? Have you fallen for her? If you have, I'll kill myself!" Amid the chaos, Cryl remained silent. When no response came, Anna spiraled out of control. She climbed onto the ledge, ready to jump. Only then did Cyril abruptly grab her hand and speak, his voice low. "Fine, I won't marry Trisha." Anna lit up with joy instantly. "I knew you still had me in your heart. I want you to stand her up at the wedding, so that she would be humiliated in front of everyone. Take it as revenge for all the years she's forced you to be with her." The moment those words left her mouth, everyone's expressions changed slightly. When Cyril didn't respond right away, Anna's eyes reddened again. "Cyril, you hate her too, don't you? I just want you to promise me this one thing. If you agree, I won't do anything reckless again." Melanie and Constance, having recovered from the shock, joined in to persuade him as well. Their words all implied one thing—running from the wedding was a good idea. It would certainly teach Trisha a lesson. Cyril, frowning deeply, seemed lost in thought before finally relenting. Melanie and Constance immediately beamed with delight. Anna also sighed in relief, smiling through her tears as she threw herself into his arms. "Then it's settled. I can't wait to see Trisha's face when she's devastated," Anna said. Trisha had witnessed everything that had just unfolded. She didn't expose them. Instead, she calmly turned and went downstairs. Back in the car, she sat in the back seat for a long time before calling her mother, Naomi Hartman. "Mom, you were right. No matter how much Cyril looks like Ethan, he's not him. I'm not getting married anymore." "Ethan's been gone for so many years, and you've been chasing after his substitutes ever since. Keeping Cyril around as a reminder of Ethan is one thing, but actually marrying him is unnecessary," Naomi said. Trisha's gaze grew distant at Naomi's sigh, as if looking through the car window into a faraway past. Trisha had known Ethan Chaney since she could remember. He lived next door and was two years older. They were childhood sweethearts, inseparable from the time they were kids through their teenage years. She had always been rebellious—a little troublemaker everyone dreaded. Ethan, on the other hand, was the well-mannered young gentleman adored by all. No matter what trouble Trisha got into, Ethan would always shield her from the consequences and clean up after her without hesitation. And in return, she poured the most passionate, unreserved love of her life into him, vowing to marry no one else but him. On Ethan's 22nd birthday, they made plans to register their marriage at the city hall. Trisha waited there from morning till night, but he never came. What came instead was the devastating news that Ethan had died in a car accident on his way there. From that day on, her world fell into darkness. Unable to accept reality, she frantically searched for traces of him everywhere—a side profile that resembled his, a pair of clear eyes, a gentle voice. She met countless people. As long as someone bore a slight resemblance to Ethan, she couldn't help but be drawn to them. Until four years ago, when she met Cyril working part-time at a bar. The moment she saw the young man who looked 90% like Ethan in both build and face, Trisha decided to keep him by her side. She looked into his background, then used money and resources to make him her boyfriend. After that, she stopped looking for other substitutes. Everyone thought she had finally settled down because she had genuinely fallen for Cyril. But only she knew the truth—she was mourning Ethan through Cyril's looks. She was sinking deeper and deeper into a fantasy she had created, almost mistaking it for reality. It wasn't until she saw that farce unfold just now that she finally snapped out of it. A substitute would always be a substitute. "Mom, I'll go to Elarin in a few days and stay with you for good," Trisha said hoarsely. And then, she would spend the rest of her life remembering Ethan. After hanging up, she returned alone to their marital home, where the designer had been waiting for hours with over a hundred wedding dresses. She had lost all interest in those elaborate white gowns and waved a hand dismissively. "No need to choose. I'm not getting married anymore." The next second, Cyril pushed the door open with a clear and cold gaze. "What do you mean you're not getting married anymore?" he demanded.