The Substitute Wife's Sweet Escape

The sham marriage had lasted for three years. On the eve of her twin sister Aubrey' s return, Campbell Skinner received a call from her mother.

"Aubrey is coming back tomorrow. Kellen Trujillo is your sister's fiancé. You've occupied the position of Mrs. Trujillo for three years. It's time to give it back."

Campbell, the talented but obscure indie musician, had put away her guitar, hidden her own identity, and became "Aubrey" to save her family's record label. She married into the Trujillo family, becoming a substitute for a substitute.

Life in the Trujillo mansion was not easy. Kellen was cold and distant, obsessed with his first love, Emerson Wooten. Campbell played her part diligently, enduring his indifference and Emerson's constant manipulations. She was thrown into an ice lake, left to die at sea, and framed for crimes she didn't commit.

She was a ghost in her own family, a tool to be used and discarded. She had been abandoned by her parents since childhood, always the unwanted baggage.

"I never loved you, Kellen. Not for a single second."

She walked away, leaving him to face the consequences of his cruelty. She found her freedom, her happiness, her home, with a man who truly loved and respected her.

Chapter 1

The sham marriage had lasted for three years.

On the eve of her twin sister Aubrey Skinner's return, Campbell Skinner received a call from her mother.

"Campbell, Aubrey is coming back tomorrow."

Campbell sat on the edge of the bed, her voice calm, "I know."

Her mother, Miranda Skinner, paused, then her tone became sharp. "You know what this means. Kellen Trujillo is your sister's fiancé. You've occupied the position of Mrs. Trujillo for three years. It's time to give it back."

"Okay," Campbell replied, her voice still flat.

Miranda was surprised by her easy compliance. She had prepared a long speech. Now, it felt stuck in her throat.

After a moment of silence, Miranda's voice softened slightly, a familiar tactic. "Campbell, I know you've had it rough these three years. Your father and I see it all. How about this? You continue to pretend to be Aubrey for one more month. Just one more month. After that, we'll give you a large sum of money. Enough for you to live freely for the rest of your life."

A large sum of money.

Financial freedom.

The words echoed in Campbell's ears, but her heart felt nothing. It was as if she were listening to someone else's story.

"Okay," she said again.

Miranda hung up, satisfied.

The room fell silent. Campbell looked at her reflection in the dark window. She saw a pale, thin face, with eyes that held no light, like a stagnant pool of water.

Three years. It felt like a lifetime.

Three years ago, the Skinner family's record label was on the brink of bankruptcy. To save the company, her parents arranged a marriage, pairing her beautiful and rebellious twin sister, Aubrey, with the tech mogul Kellen Trujillo.

The Trujillo family's investment was the only thing that could save them.

But on the day of the engagement, Aubrey fled. She left behind a short note, saying she was going to pursue her own freedom and happiness, and she couldn't marry a man she didn't love.

With the Trujillos about to arrive, the Skinner family was in chaos. In their desperation, her parents turned their eyes to her, Aubrey's identical twin.

"Campbell, you have to help us. You and Aubrey look exactly the same. No one will know," her father had pleaded.

Her mother had warned her with a cold voice, "If the Skinner family goes bankrupt, you won't have a good life either. Don't forget, the Trujillos are not people we can afford to offend."

So, Campbell, the talented but obscure indie musician, put away her guitar, hid her own identity, and became "Aubrey."

She married into the Trujillo family.

Kellen Trujillo was a name that frequently appeared in financial magazines. He was a legend in the tech world, a man standing at the pinnacle of wealth and power.

But he was also a man with a heart of stone.

He had a first love, a celebrated architect named Emerson Wooten, whom he could never forget. The reason he agreed to the marriage with the Skinner family was rumored to be because Aubrey's eyes resembled Emerson's.

Campbell became a substitute for a substitute.

Life in the Trujillo mansion was not easy. Kellen was cold and distant. He rarely came home, and when he did, he treated her like air.

He would often stand on the balcony, staring at a photo of Emerson on his phone for hours. He never touched Campbell, not even once. Their marital bedroom was two separate rooms.

In the eyes of the servants, she, "Aubrey Skinner," was a joke. Mrs. Trujillo, who couldn't even keep her husband's heart.

Campbell didn't care. She played her part diligently, trying to be a good wife.

She learned his habits, his likes and dislikes. She knew he had a sensitive stomach, so she learned to make stomach-warming soup. She knew he didn't like the smell of chemical air fresheners, so she learned to blend her own essential oils.

All of this, just to maintain the fragile peace of their sham marriage.

Outsiders only saw the glamorous Mrs. Trujillo, envying her for marrying into a wealthy family. They said she loved Kellen deeply, willing to do anything for him.

Only Campbell knew it was all a performance.

Over time, Kellen's attitude seemed to soften. He started coming home more often. Sometimes, when he was working late in his study, he would let her bring him a cup of coffee. He would even, occasionally, look at her with a complicated expression in his eyes.

Campbell almost thought she saw a flicker of hope.

But then, Emerson Wooten returned.

With a single phone call from Emerson, Kellen would drop everything and rush to her side, leaving Campbell alone in the enormous, empty mansion.

The brief warmth he had shown her vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

Campbell remained calm. She knew her place.

She was just a substitute, waiting for the contract to end.

She had been abandoned by her parents since childhood. She and Aubrey were twins, but their fates were worlds apart. Aubrey was the pearl in their parents' hands, while Campbell was the unwanted baggage.

Her parents sent her to a boarding school far away when she was very young, only bringing her home for holidays. Even then, they treated her with indifference. All their love and attention were showered on Aubrey.

Campbell was used to it. She never expected anything from her family.

Just one more month.

One more month, and she would be free. She could take the money and go far away, find a small city, and continue her music.

That was the only thing she looked forward to.

The phone on the nightstand rang again. It was Kellen.

"Emerson is feeling unwell. She wants to eat the porridge from the restaurant on the south side of town. Go buy it and bring it to the hospital." His voice was cold, a command without any room for negotiation.

Campbell understood immediately. Emerson was making things difficult for her again.

It was late at night, and a storm was raging outside. The south side of the city was a long way off.

"Okay," she replied softly.

The wind howled, and the rain beat against the windows.

Campbell didn't have a driver. Kellen had forbidden the drivers from serving her since Emerson's return. She put on a coat and walked out into the storm.

She didn't have an umbrella. She ran through the pouring rain, her thin body shivering.

The rain blurred her vision. She slipped and fell, her knee hitting the hard pavement with a dull thud.

Pain shot through her leg, but she gritted her teeth, got up, and continued running.

She had to get the porridge.

An hour later, she finally reached the hospital, soaking wet and disheveled. She arrived at Emerson's VIP ward just in time.

She didn't go in immediately. Through the crack in the door, she heard Emerson's soft, complaining voice.

"Kellen, do you think Aubrey will be angry? I asked her to get porridge so late at night."

Kellen's voice, usually so cold, was surprisingly gentle. "Don't think too much. She's just a substitute. When the time comes, I'll divorce her and marry you."

"The position of Mrs. Trujillo has always been yours."

A substitute.

The words, spoken so casually, confirmed everything.

Campbell stood outside the door, her heart strangely calm. There was no pain, no anger. Only a sense of release.

She pushed the door open and walked in.

Kellen and Emerson both looked at her. Her wet hair was plastered to her face, her clothes were dripping water, and her face was pale. She looked a mess.

"Kellen," Emerson said, her voice laced with surprise, "Why is she so wet?"

Kellen frowned, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "You went out in the rain?"

"You told me to buy porridge," Campbell said, placing the container on the table. She didn't mention her fall or the pain in her knee.

Kellen took a towel and threw it at her. "Wipe yourself. Don't catch a cold."

Campbell took the towel and obediently wiped her face.

Emerson smiled weakly at her. "Thank you, Aubrey. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Campbell didn't look at her. She just wanted to leave.

She turned to go, but Kellen stopped her. "I'll have the driver take you back."

"No need," Campbell said, her voice faint.

She walked out of the ward and went to the bathroom. She cleaned the wound on her knee and changed into a set of clean clothes she kept in her locker at the hospital for emergencies like this.

The pain in her knee was sharp, but her heart felt a strange sense of peace.

Just one more month. Freedom was so close.

She had just walked out of the bathroom when Kellen grabbed her arm, his grip like iron.

"Where did you go?" His face was dark.

Campbell was confused. "I..."

Before she could finish, he dragged her back towards Emerson's ward. He kicked the door open.

Then, he pushed her hard.

She stumbled, her injured knee giving way. She fell to the floor, her head hitting the corner of the table with a sickening crack.

The world spun. Pain exploded behind her eyes.

"Kellen... what are you doing?" she gasped, blood trickling down her forehead.

He looked down at her, his eyes filled with a terrifying coldness.

"Aubrey Skinner," he spat, his voice dripping with disgust. "You dare to harm Emerson?"

"What?" Campbell was stunned.

"Emerson fell. She said you pushed her." His voice was a low growl. He crouched down, grabbing her chin, forcing her to look at him. "You're so good at pretending. So patient. I almost believed you. But your true colors are showing now, aren't they?"

Pretending?

Campbell almost laughed.

He thought her tolerance and obedience were all an act to win his affection.

How ironic.