Chapter 4

I waited in my apartment from six until nearly eleven. As it turned dark, the night and silence filled the room completely.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. Janet, whom I hadn't contacted in ages, sent me a lot of photos.

They were filled with familiar faces, including Jake and his friends, who were welcoming Janet back.

Soon after, Janet initiated a video call.

Her camera showed Jake with his arms wrapped around her while she leaned intimately against him.

She cast a provoking glance at me and asked Jake, "They say Jenna is my stand-in after I went abroad. Is that true?"

Jake abruptly lowered his head and unexpectedly met my gaze through the cameras.

Seeing Jake had noticed me, Janet pushed the phone towards him. "Between the two of us, who do you choose?"

Jake looked at me without speaking. Janet sat up angrily from his embrace, grabbed his collar, and said, "You don't actually have fallen for Jenna, have you? She is a stand-in."

Finally, Jake looked away from me and held Janet again. "You said she was just a stand-in."

Although I'd heard the term stand-in from others many times, it impacted me greatly when I heard Jake say that.

With Jake's words, Janet turned even more smug. "Hmph, I'm just worried that she doesn't know who she is."

I couldn't bear listening any longer, so I ended the video call.

Picking up the jade pendant from the coffee table, I headed downstairs.

The pendant was quite expensive. The year I started dating Jake, Janet broke the pendant my mother left me. After Jake learned it, he took me to a high-end jewelry auction to buy a raw stone and crafted an identical pendant.

I had thought about returning it to Jake myself, but now it seemed better not to disturb them.

I left the pendant in a trash can downstairs and walked away, only to be stopped by a cleaning lady. "You dropped your pendant. It must be worth quite a bit, right?"

I smiled and declined, "Ma'am, you're mistaken. The pendant isn't mine."

I didn't want to partake in Jake and Janet's love games.

After discarding the pendant, I finally mustered the courage to respond to the doctor's message. We scheduled the surgery.

I gently touched my belly, which was still flat. "I'm sorry, my baby. It seems the world is not prepared for us."

Just before turning off my phone, a message from an unknown number popped up. "Jenna, Janet cheated on me two years ago, and I want revenge. Just bear with it for a while. After I've avenged myself on Janet, I'll take you skiing abroad."

He found an excuse to placate me, but I didn't need it.

When I met Jake holding Janet outside the dormitory again, I felt surprisingly calm.

They were kissing affectionately downstairs and attracted the attention of many students.

I lowered my gaze and pretended not to see them. But Janet called out to me. "Jenna, stop right there."