Chapter 2

"Holly! Are you sure?" Professor Crane's voice was a mix of excitement and concern. "The project is in a very remote location. The conditions are tough."

"I'm sure," I said, my voice flat. "My mother... she's gone. There's nothing holding me here anymore."

The line went silent for a moment. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Holly," he said softly. "But sometimes, the greatest pain is a catalyst for the greatest growth. This could be your chance to truly shine."

He was right. I couldn't let myself drown in this. I had to live. For my mother. For myself.

I once had feelings for Kirk Knapp. It felt like a lifetime ago.

When my mother first got sick, he was the one who helped. He paid for her initial treatments, found the best doctors. He was gentle, kind, and seemed to genuinely care. I thought he was my savior.

Then, one night, he got drunk. He slurred his words, talking about a woman he loved, a woman he couldn't have.

He dropped a photo from his wallet. I picked it up.

The woman in the picture looked a lot like me. It was his niece, Jaida Goff.

In that moment, everything clicked into place. I wasn't the one he wanted. I was just a substitute. A stand-in for the girl he was truly obsessed with.

Any warmth I felt for him died that night.

But my mother was still sick. She needed him. So I played my part. I endured his moods, his cruelty, his possessiveness. I became the perfect, pliant girlfriend he wanted me to be.

My plan was simple: once my mother was healthy, I would leave him. I would disappear from his life forever.

But I never got the chance. He took that from me too.

A text message from Kirk lit up my screen. A single, cold sentence. "Don't forget who you belong to."

I ignored it and opened his social media. The latest post was a picture of him and Jaida at an amusement park. They were laughing, a giant teddy bear between them. His caption read: "My favorite girl. Always."

His happiness was built on my mother's grave.

I went back to the apartment I had once shared with him to pack my few belongings.

He was there, sitting in the dark living room, his face a mask of fury.

"Where have you been? Why didn't you answer my texts?" he demanded.

I looked at him, truly looked at him, and all I saw was a cold, heartless, self-righteous monster.

He grabbed my wrist, his grip like iron. "You made Jaida sad. She's been crying all day because of you."

I felt a bitter laugh rise in my throat. "And how should I apologize for that?"

My voice was quiet, but it carried a new edge. "Should I kneel on broken glass again? Or maybe you'd prefer to lock me out in the snow? You've done both before, for her."

He froze, surprised by my sudden defiance. For a second, he looked thrown off. But he recovered quickly, his expression hardening.

"Get dressed," he ordered. "We're going to my grandfather's house."

He threw a black card on the coffee table. "Here's five hundred thousand. Behave yourself. Don't let my grandfather know anything is wrong between us."

I laughed. A real, scornful laugh.

His grandfather, the patriarch of the Knapp family, despised Jaida. He thought she was a bad influence. That's why Kirk had picked me in the first place. I looked enough like her to satisfy his obsession, but I was quiet and respectable enough to please his family.

I remembered the night we met. He was drunk, and he mistook me for her. He forced himself on me. The next day, he offered me money. A transaction. That's all our relationship ever was. He was the owner, and I was the one being kept.

The car ride to the Knapp mansion was silent.

As soon as we walked in, Jaida ran into Kirk's arms. "Kirk, you're finally here! I missed you so much!"

He stroked her hair, his voice softening into a tone he never used with me. "I'm here now. Everything's fine."

The butler cleared his throat. "Mr. Knapp, sir, your grandfather is waiting. Please be mindful of your conduct."

Kirk scowled. "Why did he ask for Holly anyway?"

A deep, commanding voice boomed from the top of the stairs. "Because I wanted to see my future granddaughter-in-law."

Kirk's grandfather, a stern man leaning heavily on a cane, made his way down the grand staircase.

I moved forward instinctively to help him.

He was the only person in this family who had ever shown me genuine kindness.

He smiled warmly at me, but his smile vanished when he saw Kirk and Jaida clinging to each other.

"Kirk! What is the meaning of this? Have you no shame?" he roared.

Kirk reluctantly let go of Jaida's hand. "Grandfather, why did you call us here?"

"For your wedding!" the old man declared, his voice echoing in the cavernous hall. "Yours and Holly's."

He pointed his cane at Kirk. "The wedding will be in one month. I will not hear another word of protest."