On Mia Larson’s birthday, her mother, who had been her anchor, passed away.

Her husband, Nick Ford, did not celebrate her birthday, nor did he attend her mother’s funeral.

Instead, he was at the airport, picking up his one true love.

After her mother's funeral, Mia Larson received a call from her aunt, Zoe Larson.

“Mia, your mom is gone now. I can’t stop worrying about you staying alone in the country. Why don’t you come abroad and live with me?”

Mia remained silent for a long time, as though she was making a monumental decision. Finally, she solemnly answered, “Alright.”

“Really? You’re willing to come? That’s wonderful!” Zoe’s voice on the other end was filled with joy. “But I heard you got married. Will your husband agree to move abroad with you?”

Mia chuckled at the question. “Don’t worry. We’re about to get divorced.”

Before the call ended, a commotion sounded from outside the door.

Nick Ford was back.

Mia glanced toward the door but didn’t get up to greet him like she usually did.

Just then, Nick’s younger sister, Jenna Ford, strutted in, her face full of smugness. “Nick brought Xena back. You, the imposter, will be kicked out soon!”

Mia frowned slightly. “Imposter?”

Jenna looked even more pleased with herself. “You’ll understand once you meet Xena.”

As her words trailed off, Nick entered, accompanied by Xena Quinn.

The driver followed behind them, lugging bags upon bags of luggage.

In Xena’s hands was a massive bouquet of roses—vivid red and strikingly beautiful. Mia held back her tears with difficulty.

He actually had time to buy Xena roses.

In five years of marriage, he had never given Mia so much as a single flower.

“Xena just returned from abroad and hasn’t found a place to stay yet. She’ll be staying with us for the time being,” Nick announced without sparing Mia a glance. His gaze remained fixed on Xena the entire time. “Clean up the guest room next to mine. Xena will be staying there.”

His tone wasn’t a request but an order, as though they weren’t a married couple—as though she was merely a housekeeper. Someone staying over didn’t require her consent, yet she was expected to clean the room for them.

“Nicky, I can clean it myself. No need to trouble Mia,” Xena interjected, lifting her head.

It was then that Mia finally saw her face.

She froze on the spot, as if struck by a spell, her body rigid and unable to move.

At that moment, Mia finally understood what Jenna meant by “imposter.”

Xena had a face that looked strikingly similar to hers.

The difference was that Xena’s features were softer, her demeanor more elegant, and her gaze carried the effortless confidence of someone born into privilege.

“So that’s how it is…” Mia muttered under her breath.

She let out a soft, hollow laugh, wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye as if brushing off something insignificant. Now it all made sense.

Her life had always been marked by misfortune. Luck had never been on her side. Even her mother, the only person she had to lean on, had passed away on her birthday.

She should have known better. Someone like her, cursed with bad luck, was never going to stumble into a fairytale ending. A chance meeting wouldn’t lead a wealthy heir to fall for her, let alone marry her.

It all made sense now.

She was nothing more than a stand-in.

“Why are you crying? Seriously, is this worth crying about?” Jenna scoffed, a mocking tone in her voice. “Xena is only staying for a couple of days, and here you are acting all pitiful. Mia, you’re so petty!”

Mia quickly shook her head. “No, this has nothing to do with Miss Quinn…”

But before she could finish, Xena’s eyes reddened, and she interjected softly, “Forget it. I’ll leave. I don’t want to cause any strain on your marriage because of me.”

A dark cloud immediately settled over Nick’s face.

“You’re not leaving,” he said, stepping in front of Xena. His tone was commanding, leaving no room for argument. “I make the decisions in this house! Uncle Jacob, take her luggage upstairs!”

The driver hesitated, glancing uneasily at Mia. He didn’t move.

Nick noticed and turned his sharp gaze toward Mia.

“Do you have a problem with this?” he asked, his voice low and tinged with warning, like a predator cornering its prey.

Mia shook her head again, her eyes reddening as she forced a smile. “No, I don’t have a problem. Miss Quinn is more than welcome to stay here.”

No problem at all.

Why would she have a problem?

Someone who was about to leave for good had no right to care.

She would step down gracefully, give up her place, and disappear forever—never to return.

Nick cast a cold, penetrating look at Mia, then suddenly let out a mocking laugh. “Since you don’t mind, why don’t you help Uncle Jacob carry Xena’s luggage upstairs?”

He was clearly trying to humiliate her, probably annoyed that she had made him lose face in front of his one true love.

Mia’s face turned slightly pale, but she quickly recovered, forcing a smile. “Sure.”

With that, she turned and started helping Uncle Jacob move the luggage.

She was so obedient, so compliant. Logically, Nick should have been pleased. Yet, as he watched her calmly carry the bags upstairs, an inexplicable irritation rose within him.

The room was tidied up quickly. Just as Mia was about to head back downstairs, Xena walked in.

“Mia, thank you for letting me stay here.” Xena grabbed Mia’s hand with both of hers, her brows furrowing as she said with a delicate, pitiable expression, “If it weren’t for you and Nicky, I really don’t know where I would have gone.”

As Xena spoke, the light caught on the back of her hand, and Mia’s eyes were drawn to it—a dazzling flash that stung her vision.

Xena was wearing a ring on her left ring finger, identical to Mia’s wedding band.

No, not identical. The diamond on Xena’s ring was larger, brighter, and far more striking.

By comparison, Mia’s wedding ring looked like a cheap imitation.

Even though she had already decided to leave, a sharp pang pierced her heart at that moment.

So, even her engagement ring had been nothing but a knockoff.

A stand-in paired with a counterfeit—how fitting.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Moments later, a delivery man entered, carrying a massive cake.

“Wow! Who ordered a cake?” Jenna exclaimed. “Nick, was it you? Did you get it for Xena?”

“Xena’s birthday is next week,” Nick replied without looking up. “But yes, I did order her a cake in advance. Did the bakery mix up the date?”

Everyone was still confused when the delivery guy suddenly called out loudly, “Is Mia Larson here? The recipient is Mia Larson. This cake is from your aunt, Zoe Larson. She asked me to tell you that she knows today has been really hard for you, but she doesn’t want you to dwell in sadness. She’s grateful you came into this world and wishes you a happy birthday!”

The living room fell silent. Everyone turned to look at Mia.

For once, Nick’s expression showed a hint of guilt. Awkwardly, he said, “It’s your birthday today? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Xena’s birthday wasn’t until next week, and he had already ordered her gifts and a cake well in advance.

But Mia’s birthday? He hadn’t remembered at all.

Of course, why would he? She was just a stand-in. What was the point of keeping track of things like that?

“Oh, it’s my birthday today? I completely forgot.” Mia diffused the awkwardness with a lighthearted tone. “I didn’t expect my aunt to remember. I’ll have to call and thank her later.”

She would also take the opportunity to check on the progress of her move abroad and push her plans forward. The sooner, the better.

“Nicky, you’re unbelievable,” Xena said in a playful, almost scolding tone. “How could you forget your own wife’s birthday? Mia, don’t be upset. Oh, by the way, when I got off the plane, Nicky gave me a gift—a stunning diamond necklace.

“How about this necklace? Let’s call it your birthday gift from Nicky!”

With that, Xena took off the diamond necklace from around her neck and handed it to Mia with a bright smile. “Mia, happy birthday!”

The necklace was stunning, featuring a rare red diamond set in heart-shaped platinum—a symbol of a love that was meant to be unique and irreplaceable.

But that love wasn’t hers to claim.

“No, thank you,” Mia said, shaking her head with a polite smile. “This is a gift from Nick to you. How could I take something so precious away from someone else?”

If it wasn’t meant for her, she wouldn’t take it.

She wouldn’t accept the necklace and she wouldn’t accept the man who gave it either.

“What’s with the attitude?” Nick suddenly snapped, his frustration boiling over. “So I forgot your birthday because I was busy with work. Is it really such a big deal? Do you have to act like this?”

Mia was stunned. She didn’t understand what she had done wrong.

She hadn’t cried or caused a scene. She had smiled the entire time and spoken with perfect courtesy. So why wasn’t he satisfied?

“I wasn’t being sarcastic,” Mia said softly, lowering her gaze to hide the exhaustion in her eyes. “Nick, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to take the necklace? If that’s what you want, I’ll take it.”

With that, she took the necklace and genuinely thanked Xena. “Miss Quinn, thank you for the gift.”

As a stand-in, Mia felt she had already been as accommodating, cooperative, and respectful as she could possibly be to save Nick’s pride.

But for some reason, after she accepted the necklace, Nick became even angrier.

“Mia, you’re unbelievable!” he spat before storming out, slamming the door behind him.

Whether she refused the necklace or accepted it, Nick was furious.

That was when Mia understood that it was never about the necklace. No matter what she did, he would never be satisfied.

“Those who are loved can get away with anything, while those who aren’t can never do anything right,” she concluded.

The birthday cake from Zoe was enormous, but no one joined Mia to eat it. Not wanting to waste Zoe’s thoughtful gesture, she forced herself to eat the entire five-tier cake on her own.

By the time she finished, she was so painfully full that she ended up in the bathroom, throwing up for what felt like forever.

“How absurd,” she thought, slumping onto the bathroom floor. Tears streamed down her face as she laughed silently.

When she was a child, they couldn’t afford birthday cakes. She used to stand outside the bakery, staring through the glass at cakes she could never have.

And now? Now she finally had more cake than she could ever eat, but it only left her sick—her stomach aching and her chest heavy with regret.

“Some things lose their meaning once they’re lost, even if you finally get them back,” she mused.

By evening, Mia had packed her belongings and moved out of the master bedroom.

The rightful owner of Nick’s heart—his “one true love”—was back. As a stand-in, she knew her place. She couldn’t stay in the same room as Nick anymore. It might upset Xena.

As she was moving her things, Xena stepped out of the adjacent room. She was wearing a skimpy camisole dress, so short that it barely covered anything, exposing her alluring shoulders and her long, slender legs.

“Mia, don’t misunderstand,” Xena said sweetly, her voice dripping with false sincerity. “Nicky isn’t staying out of the master bedroom to avoid you. He’s just still upset. Don’t worry, we didn’t do anything. We were just playing cards, that’s all.”

Mia smiled faintly. “There’s no need to explain to me.”

Even if they had done something, it didn’t matter. The divorce papers were already prepared. Tomorrow, she would find the right moment to have Nick sign them.

“Mia, you’re still misunderstanding.” Xena bit her lip, her face a picture of innocence and grievance. “Nicky and I…”

Before Xena could finish, Mia cut her off with a calm smile.

“I know. You and Nick grew up together—childhood sweethearts, deeply bonded. Now that you’ve finally returned after so many years apart, of course, you have plenty to catch up on.

“So go ahead and reminisce. I won’t get in your way.”

With that, Mia turned and walked away without looking back.

Xena stood rooted to the spot, watching Mia intently for a long moment, her gaze heavy with unspoken meaning.