The $50,000 Stand-In: I Faked My Death and Forgot He Existed Chapter 1

The year I was at my absolute brokest, I sold myself to Carter Sterling for $50,000 to act as a stand-in for "the one that got away."

His friends egged me on to drink until my stomach bled.

They asked him: "Does your heart ache for her?"

He lowered his eyes, his tone indifferent: "She's just a placeholder."

Later, to save his first love, Carter watched helplessly as I plunged off a cliff into the ocean.

Search and rescue teams never found my body.

He suddenly went mad, searching the entire world for me.

Five years later, I was invited back to the States and ran into him at an event.

He stared at me intensely, his eyes red: "I knew you didn't die. I've been looking everywhere for you—"

I took a step back, smiling politely but distantly: "I'm sorry, who are you?"

* * *

In Carter Sterling's mind, I was his girlfriend in name only.

In reality, I was just a cheap replica of Serena Blair. A very low-budget one at that.

She was a glamorous Hollywood actress, surrounded by adoring fans.

And I was just a girl from the slums.

With $50,000, Carter had bought my entire sense of self-worth.

The day Serena returned to the States, her name dominated the trending topics on X.

Carter went to the airport to pick her up for a welcome party. Before he left, he dropped a single sentence on me.

"I'm not coming home for dinner tonight."

Yet, only an hour into my studying, he called.

"There's a vintage bottle of wine in the cellar. Find it and bring it to the restaurant."

My focus was broken. I sighed, hung up, found the bottle, and drove over.

The private dining room was heavily guarded, brightly lit, and reeked of luxury.

In the center of the room, like a king and queen, sat Carter and Serena.

She wore a shimmering silver gown, leaning intimately against him.

Everyone was cheering: "Serena is finally back! You have no idea how long Carter has waited for you."

I walked over and stopped in front of Carter. "The wine you asked for. I checked the label; it should be the right one."

The perfectly harmonious atmosphere froze for a second the moment I arrived.

Setting the bottle down, I turned to leave.

Serena's light voice rang out behind me: "Stop right there."

"Come over here, open the wine, and pour it for us."

I turned back and instinctively looked at Carter.

He was leaning back in his chair, his dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar, looking at me with cool indifference. "Did you not understand her?"

"I understood," I lowered my eyes. "I'll go outside and ask a waiter for a corkscrew."

The moment I stepped toward the door, Serena’s sharp question pierced my back. "This is the kind of trash you're into now?"

Carter remained silent.

A friend next to him chimed in: "Don't be mad, Serena. Carter only has you in his heart."

"Yeah, you can't blame Carter. She’s the one who clung to him like a leech. We couldn't chase her away."

After I poured the wine, Serena still refused to let me leave.

She was venting her frustration on me, making me serve her soup and peel her shrimp. Then, with a sweet smile, she asked: "What college did you graduate from?"

"MIT."

"Such a famous school, and they didn't teach you self-respect?"

Her face darkened. She suddenly raised her hand and splashed half a bowl of hot soup directly onto my chest.

"Clinging to Carter like a stray dog, don't you feel pathetic? Are you that desperate to climb the social ladder?"

The liquid soaked through my shirt, leaving a burning sting on my skin.

Carter gently held Serena's hand, soothing her softly without even glancing at me.

"I ordered that pink diamond necklace you liked. Don't be mad at me anymore, hm?"

A friend, looking for trouble, mixed vodka, red wine, and beer into a massive glass and shoved it in front of me. "Drink this, and we'll consider it your apology to Serena."

Another guy complained: "Giving her such expensive liquor is a total waste."

In Carter's social circle, Serena was everyone's golden girl.

Because of that, no one respected me. They went out of their way to humiliate and toy with me.

Carter never stopped them.

Especially not tonight, right in front of Serena.

I picked up the cloudy mixture of alcohol and downed it in one go.

An intense burning sensation ripped from my throat straight down to my stomach.

Tears instantly welled in my eyes.

I doubled over, leaning against the table, uncontrollably dry-heaving.

"Alright, you're ruining our appetite. Get out."

Carter casually picked up the heavy metal corkscrew and tossed it at me.

He misjudged the force. It hit my temple. After a sharp sting, warm blood gushed out, running down my cheek.

He froze, instinctively standing up and taking a step toward me.

I covered my forehead, bowed deeply, and hurried out the door.