Stand-In Wife for Movie Star's First Love

Connor Ford, the megastar, publicly declared his love for me. Again.

I turned him down. Again.

His mother, Eleanor Ford, texted me almost instantly:

Good girl. An extra 0-000K in your paycheck this month.

Connor Ford has been in the industry for three years and is already a top-tier actor with both box-office success and immense popularity.

But he only makes one movie a year.

Fans thought he was some trust fund kid, too rich to bother hustling in his career.

Until a reporter dug up the truth.

He spent all that free time chasing me.

Paparazzi caught him renting out an entire Michelin-starred place just for dinner with me. And Connor dropped a million to bury those photos.

The rumors about me exist only in hearsay.

Some said I was a princess everyone adored, prettier than any starlet.

Others called me a gold-digging siren, stringing Connor along for a decade.

Truths and lies dont matter to me.

Because I was just a stand-in. A replacement for Connor's real unattainable first love, Sophie Miller.

The real Sophie had a car crash three years ago and became a vegetable.

Sophie's parents were Connor's family chauffeur and housekeeper.

After they died in that crash, Sophie grew up in the Ford mansion.

She'd promised Connor they'd be together after college. He'd even bought the ring.

When Sophie crashed, Connor was filming overseas.

His parents knew the news would shatter him. So, before he landed, they found me.

At that time, I had just graduated from the acting department and was interviewing with various film and television companies.

The terms offered by these companies for rookies were all extremely demanding.

90/10 splits, and sometimes you even had to pay for the privilege.

The Fords tracked me down, offering a contract that made my head spin.

"Fifty grand a month. All you have to do is play one person."

My heart hammered. "Fifty thousand?"

Eleanor Ford cut in quickly. "A hundred! We'll make it a hundred!"

I nearly passed out from sheer, dizzying joy.

The sky had opened up, and the golden ticket landed on me.

I signed before they could change their mind, and convinced I'd hit the jackpot.

Turns out... it was way harder than I thought.

Connor's possessiveness was off the charts.

I had to have at least two meals a day with him. Weekends were mandatory "dates."

My acting gigs? Only if I wore prosthetics or masks.

My real face couldn't hit the screen.

Every time I bristled, Connor would say,

"Until you say yes, I don't want any other guys near you."

In Connor and Sophie's world?

He was the ruthless alpha wolf. She was the fragile little bunny.

Sure, my face was an 80% match for Sophie's. But our personalities are worlds apart.

Sophie cried at the drop of a hat. She couldn't handle an ounce of pressure.

Me? I was so outgoing. And if someone wronged me, I would make him pay. Fast.

Sophie hated exercise, delicate as a china doll.

But I was born restless. I got my black belt in Taekwondo before I hit high school.

The biggest difference is that I had a nasty, twelve-centimeter burn scar snaking down my forearm.

I saved a kid in a fire years back. Hence, I always wear long sleeves.

Today, Connor nearly fought with a man who bought me a bubble tea.

Outwardly, I was the picture of soothing calm, gently restraining him.

Inside? I was screaming.

Seriously? I look so beautiful! Of course guys hit on me!

Curiosity got the better of me, so I asked Connor,

"What if one day I actually fell for someone else? What would you do?"

His face went dark.

"I'd take him apart, piece by piece."

I could tell he was not kidding He was serious. My blood ran cold.

Leaving Connor wasn't an option.

At first, it was the money. Then? Fear of the Ford family's reach.

I needed a plan. Make him dump me.

After racking my brain, I convinced Eleanor and Richard Ford to set Connor up on blind dates.

The reason was simple. Connor was getting older. It was time to find a real wife.

I wanna be an actress, so I couldn't waste my life playing pretend with him.

His parents agreed.

They told Connor about the dates. He refused, and even blew up at them.

Fine. Plan B. I lured Connor out myself, using some flimsy excuse.

Timing it perfectly with the girl's arrival, I texted: "I changed my mind. Enjoy dinner alone!"

Picturing Connor and his date having a cozy meal, I snuggled into bed, smug and satisfied.

At midnight, someone sat on my bed.

I shot up, heart pounding. It was Connor.

The smell of whiskey hit me hard.

He glared the second my eyes opened. "You set me up? With some stranger?"

Connor played the lovesick fool so well, I kept forgetting he was razor-sharp.

I nodded silently, getting ready for the verbal onslaught.

After waiting for a long time, Conner suddenly asked me in a hoarse voice, "What do I have to do... to make you love me?"

My head snapped up. His eyes were bloodshot.

Connor Ford. The untouchable star was crying for me.

I didnt say anything. He left, radiating fury.

I never expected that in the next morning, Connor made me breakfast in my kitchen.

He explained calmly, "I learned how to make it last month."

He was trying to be perfect for me.

Connor thought we were just one "yes" away.

I knew better. We were galaxies apart.

A stand-in is just a stand-in.

I could picture it. On the day Connor learned the truth, He'd fling that scalding oatmeal right in my face.

To stop that day, I vowed to take this secret to my grave.

The Fords weren't stupid enough to spill.

And Sophie? What trouble could a coma patient cause?

Just as the thought crossed my mind... I heard a knock at the door.

I peered through the peephole. My blood froze.

Sophie Miller in a hospital gown was standing on my doorstep.

I went sheet-white. It had to be a nightmare.

Connor's voice cut through the haze behind me. "Who is it?"

I froze. Petrified.

Connor brushed past me and opened the door.

Sophie beamed at him, sugary sweet. "Connor! The driver said you were here."

Her eyes landed on me. The sweetness vanished, replaced by pure venom. "And you are?"

Connor's gaze flicked between us, confusion mounting.

Sophie's eyes welled up instantly. "Connor... you don't even recognize me?"

No tears for me. No more pretending.

I squared my shoulders. "I never said I was Sophie. You mistook me for her!"

Connor's fists clenched. His stare pinned me down.

Sophie launched into a coughing fit, tears streaming. "All those years I was fighting for my life... and someone was pretending to be me?"

These words pissed him off. Fury exploded in Connor. He lunged, fingers closing around my throat.

I choked, gasping, seeing nothing but murderous hate in his eyes.

Then Sophie sniffled, wiping her tears. He stopped instantly.

For her, he was gentle and tender. He fetched tissues and dabbed her cheeks with infinite care.

My phone buzzed.

I moved to check it. Connor snatched it madly.

He read the screen, his expression turning arctic.

His voice was like gravel scraped from hell.

"'Salary deposited this month. Check your account?'"

"What. Does. This. Mean?"

I closed my eyes. Hell. Absolute hell descended today.

I didnt say anything. Connor stalked to the balcony, dialing his mother with icy voice.

Sophie behaved innocently, waiting until he was out of earshot. Then she smirked.

Her voice dripped venom. "You think you can steal Connor from me by pretending to be me?"

"Sweetheart, you weren't not qualified."