Chapter 2

But three days later, I was locked out.

It’s almost funny, isn’t it? My own parents’ house, and I didn't even have a key.

After an hour of waiting, Vivian finally appeared.

She looked genuinely surprised to see me.

“Oh, Skylar, how long have you been waiting here?”

Behind her, Amber was giggling, arm-in-arm with an elegant middle-aged woman.

The woman scanned me from head to toe.

“So you’re Skylar. I heard your fiancé looks exactly like my Connor. I specially came to see. Where is he?”

Amber covered her mouth and chuckled, a hint of disdain in her voice.

“Aunt Victoria, only your kind heart would believe such nonsense. Three days? Even if she found someone to get plastic surgery to look like Connor, it wouldn’t be ready in time!”

I calmly took a sip of tea.

“Kamran had an urgent flight to New York for a meeting yesterday. He’ll rush over as soon as he lands.”

Vivian’s eyes lit up instantly.

“Sounds busy. What does he do?”

Kamran was always low-key. Besides the few companies he owned, I actually wasn’t entirely sure what he did.

“Oh, he just works at his family’s company.”

At my words, the others exchanged knowing glances and a suppressed laugh.

“The Mu family… never heard of them. Did she not even have time to make up a background story?”

Just then, the doorbell rang.

For a split second, I was ready to rush into his arms.

But when I saw the roses in his hand, and the missing mole beneath his eye, I knew immediately this wasn’t Kamran.

I’m allergic to roses; he would never forget that.

“I’m not late, am I?”

“No, you’re just in time.”

Amber took the flowers, then playfully kissed him on the cheek.

Connor rubbed his earlobe, a blush creeping up his neck. The gesture was exactly like Kamran’s.

I noticed Connor’s gaze lingering on me, so Amber quickly stepped in front of me.

“My man’s here. Where’s yours?”

“Could it be that after seeing Connor in person, your ‘actor’ didn’t dare show up?”

No new messages on SnapChat. His phone was still off.

My heart began to waver.

Were they really… not the same person?

Suddenly.

The doorbell rang a second time.

I rushed to open the door, filled with hope.

But I only saw over a dozen delivery people, carrying gift after gift inside. Soon, the entire living room was overflowing.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Kamran had an emergency. He truly couldn’t make it today. These gifts are a small token of his apology.”

Amber burst out laughing.

“You think we’ll believe you if you just spend a little money? Skylar, you’re such a joke.”

Victoria grabbed her purse.

“Alright, I’ve seen enough of this charade.”

She looked at Vivian, her eyes filled with thinly veiled threats.

“If she has mental issues, she should see a doctor. If she’s desperate to get married, she should find an old man. If she continues this ridiculous behavior, it’ll be the Shen family’s reputation on the line.”

In the end, Vivian bowed ninety degrees, smiling apologetically as she escorted Victoria out.

As I was leaving, she uttered one last sentence.

“Skylar, you should have just died out there.”