Chapter 1

Evelyn lay in the hospital, struggling through a life-threatening childbirth,

while Adrian Caldwell set off a spectacular fireworks display worth 7.45 million for his first love, Claire Sullivan.

That very night, a video of the billionaire heir passionately kissing his first love beneath the fireworks flooded the internet.

The next day, Claire sent Evelyn a photo.

In it, Adrian held her close, her body covered in marks of his kisses.

She said, “Now that the real one is back, when will you, the stand-in, fuck off?”

Evelyn let out a bitter smile.

Claire was right.

After three years as a substitute, risking her life to give birth to his child, she had finally completed her role.

She could leave now.

"Evelyn, here's the five million dollar check I promised you, and a plane ticket to Paris for two weeks from today."

Evelyn Sterling took the envelope and bowed slightly to Adrian Caldwell's father, Charles.

"Thank you for taking care of me these past three years, Mr. Caldwell."

Charles sighed.

"Evelyn, you just gave birth. Do you really have to leave so soon?"

A bitter smile crossed Evelyn's face.

"Adrian doesn't have feelings for me. Now that his first love, Miss Sullivan, has returned, I've been put back in my place."

Charles let out a long sigh.

"Evelyn, I have a heart. That's your own flesh and blood. I know we signed a contract, but I've seen who you really are. You can come back and see the child anytime."

Evelyn waved her hand dismissively.

"Mr. Caldwell, holding onto ties that are already broken only leads to endless pain."

It wasn't that Evelyn didn't love her child. She knew she was never meant to be the real lady of the Caldwell household.

That place belonged to Claire Sullivan, Adrian's first love.

Claire and Adrian both came from wealthy families. They had known each other since childhood, so it was natural for them to be together.

Unexpectedly, Claire suddenly went abroad and disappeared without a trace. When Adrian finally heard from her again, there was already another tall, handsome man by her side.

The abrupt breakup combined with her immediate new relationship sent Adrian into severe depression.

Seeing his son in such a state, Charles found Evelyn, who resembled Claire.

Charles covered all of Evelyn's mother's medical expenses and promised to take care of all her future educational needs. But the condition was that Evelyn had to help Adrian get over his heartbreak and give him a grandson.

From that day on, a persistent shadow appeared behind Adrian Caldwell.

When he worked until he fainted from stomach pain, Evelyn always appeared in time to drive him home, even washing his clothes and placing warm porridge on his nightstand before he woke up.

When he had business difficulties, Evelyn stepped in to help smooth over relationships. Everyone at the company greeted Evelyn warmly the moment they saw her.

No one disliked Evelyn, except Adrian Caldwell.

It wasn't until Adrian got drunk at a celebration party and slept with Evelyn that he reluctantly gave her a title.

Later, Evelyn learned that the reason he got drunk was because Claire was getting engaged.

Even knowing she was Claire's replacement, Evelyn never showed any dissatisfaction. She followed the contract and took care of the Caldwell household inside and out with dedication.

After marriage, her relationship with Adrian slowly improved. She even got pregnant quickly.

For a while, Evelyn mistakenly thought Adrian had truly fallen in love with her and that life would go on like this forever.

Then Claire divorced her foreign husband and returned to the country to see Adrian.

The day Claire came back, Evelyn was thirty-two weeks pregnant, in her third trimester.

That evening, to celebrate Claire's return, Adrian threw a lavish banquet in the city center, booking an entire hotel to make her happy.

He even set off seven million four hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of brilliant fireworks on the golden beach of the East Coast waterfront for Claire.

That night, when Evelyn heard the news, she suddenly went into contractions and had to be admitted to the hospital.

Following Charles's orders, Evelyn couldn't have a C-section. She had to give birth naturally without anesthesia.

When her contractions made it feel like someone was tearing at her internal organs, she finally heard a familiar voice.

Outside the door, Charles asked Adrian, "Your wife is giving birth, why are you only arriving now!"

Adrian explained somewhat sheepishly, "Dad, I got held up with some work matters. I'm doing this for our family, aren't I?"

Even though Evelyn's love for Adrian began with a contract, after three years together, her heart had long been filled with him.

She even began to fantasize about whether her existence had gained some significance to Adrian.

Suddenly, the nurse turned up the volume on the fetal heart monitor, and Evelyn heard Claire's voice from outside the door.

"Adrian, I had no choice but to go abroad back then. I just needed treatment..."

The heart rate instantly spiked to one hundred and eighty.

Evelyn bit her lip so hard she nearly drew blood, just to keep herself from crying out loud.

So even when she was giving birth to Adrian's child, she still couldn't catch his eye as a mere replacement.

Adrian's love had been fully invested in Claire from the very beginning.

He came to the hospital not for her.

Only for his biological son.

Evelyn covered her mouth to keep from crying out.

But she let tears flow freely down her cheeks.

As the baby let out its first cry, Evelyn shed tears for Adrian for the last time.

Fourteen more days, and we'll have nothing to do with each other.