Calm and composed—that's how he looked as he stood in front of me, one sentence brushing off the truth about his affair with Chrisley.

I swallowed my tears and didn't tell him I knew he was lying. Instead, I silently took the honey tea from his hand.

I took a sip, but it tasted bitter.

"Who was calling you just now?"

He sat beside me, wrapping his arm lightly around my shoulder as he asked, his tone laced with a subtle hint of probing.

"My best friend," I answered truthfully, meeting his gaze. "She thought I went to the Maldives this week and said she was jealous."

Keith didn't flinch. Instead, the corner of his mouth curved into a faint smile. "Something urgent came up at work last time. Once my schedule's cleared, I'll take you there again."

"Sure." I nodded weakly, fully aware he was just saying it to say it.

There wouldn't be a next time. 'Keith, if loving me was always a lie, then I won't trouble you anymore. You don't need to keep pretending.'

But just as I was figuring out how to leave with some dignity, a sudden, sharp pain in my belly left me gasping.

It was excruciating like being slashed by a blade.

Beads of sweat the size of pearls soaked through my clothes, and blood began to seep down my thighs again.

For a moment, I genuinely thought I was going to die.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

He noticed my pale face and how I clutched my stomach tightly.

I saw panic fill his eyes. In his haste, he even knocked over an expensive vase by the door, smashing it to pieces.

"Babe, don't scare me, please!" he freaked out. "I'll get you to the hospital right now. Hang in there!"

The car sped down the road, running who knows how many red lights.

"We need a doctor! Doctor!"

When we got to the hospital, he carried me in his arms and charged into the emergency room. He yelled loudly in the lobby, completely ignoring his image as a public figure.

Not until I was rushed into surgery did he finally let out a long breath.

"If anything happens to my wife, I'll hold you all accountable!"

By now, a crowd had gathered in the emergency hall. People recognized Keith, pulling out their phones to record the scene.

Even in a moment like this, I realized he was still acting.

Still playing the role of the loving husband in public.

It wouldn't take long before news of Keith rushing his wife to the hospital, overwhelmed with worry, would dominate the headlines.

"Mrs. Cyrus, you're not taking your health seriously!"

The doctor's voice snapped me out of my daze after the procedure.

"The baby's already gone. Why on earth would you take abortion pills on top of that?"

"You're risking your life—do you even realize that?"

Thanks to the doctors' immediate help, I gradually started to recover somehow.

But then I learned something even more terrifying from their words.

The honey tea Keith gave me earlier—he… he'd slipped abortion pills into it.

That's why my already weak body, recovering from the miscarriage, almost gave out completely!

In the texts he'd sent to Chrisley, he promised her I'd lose our baby within three days.

I just didn't expect him to act so fast.

Sure enough, the next day, the internet was flooded with pictures and videos of him frantically pacing the hospital.

My miscarriage had become another tool to bolster his public image.

Meanwhile, he was nowhere to be found.

I was left alone at home, too weak to even crawl out of bed.

It wasn't until late afternoon that he came back.

Walking into the room, he took my hand in his, his gaze warm and tender.

"Babe, don't be too upset, okay?" he murmured. "I know how much you wanted a baby, but no one could've expected something like this to happen."

"Take care of yourself first. Once you're better, we can always try for another kid," he added.

I looked at him, forcing a bitter smile.

'No, Keith, I can never have your child again. The night you were in that hotel with Chrisley… They took my womb.'

"Come on, cheer up," he said casually. "Honestly, losing the baby might be a blessing in disguise for you, you know."

"Oh," he said, changing the topic, "guess who I ran into today?"

Before I could even react, the doorbell rang.

He stood up immediately, almost too eager to open the door.

What I didn't expect was…

The person who walked in was his first love.

"Oh my god, she really does look like me!"

She stared at me, lying on the bed, her face full of fake surprise. But her eyes couldn't hide the smugness.

She knew exactly what I was—Keith's substitute for her.

"So, you're Reese?" she said. "Gosh, seeing you feels like meeting my twin sister. You really look a lot like me."

She walked up and held my hand like we were old friends.

That's when I noticed the DR ring on her finger.

It instantly stung my eyes.

No wonder Keith gifted me so much jewelry but never a ring. It turned out that the rings were for his first love.

I stared at her, then at him, not even trying to hide my disdain.

What's this? Another sick little show they're putting on?

"Focus on getting better," Chrisley chirped. "Once you're fully recovered, I've got this new show about twin sisters. You can play my sister!"

Keith smiled, acting like this was some grand favor.

"Actually, Chrisley pitched this to me earlier, but I told her you were pregnant and couldn't do it," Keith explained. "But now, since there's no baby… this is a huge opportunity for your career."

Oh. So this is their idea of a consolation prize?

I couldn't help but glare at him.

First, he kept me as his substitute for his first love. Now, they want to do it out in the open?

After graduating from theater school in Washington, I've always wanted to act and make a name for myself—not as someone's substitute!

Keith noticed my silence and frowned, clearly annoyed but holding back.

"Reese doesn't seem thrilled," Chrisley said with a fake pout. "Why don't you step out, Keith? Let me talk to her."

Soon, it was just me and Chrisley in the room.

The smile on her face gradually faded, revealing her true colors.

"Do you seriously not get it? You think Keith loves you?"

Without Keith around, Chrisley didn't seem to have the energy to keep pretending. Her gaze was sharp, filled with mockery and arrogance.

"If it weren't for my contract, do you really think he'd have married you?"

"I'm giving you a way to survive. At least this way, you'll still have a shot in the industry."

"And don't act like you've lost everything."

"Do you know how many women would kill to marry Keith? You only got him because you look like me."

"At least you got to have him for a little while."

"You should be grateful."

Under the blanket, my hands clenched into fists, gripping the sheets so hard it hurt.

I tried hard to hold back and didn't let my tears flow in front of her.

I took a deep breath. "Fine," I said, my voice hoarse. "I'll do it."

"Good," she replied. "My contract ends in a year and a half. Until then, you can keep being my little substitute."

"Don't make things difficult for Keith."

Chrisley brushed her fingers lightly against my cheek before standing up, her heels clicking softly as she sauntered out of the room.

I watched her proud silhouette disappear down the hallway.

That was the moment I made my decision. 'Keith, I'll make sure you two get what you want.'

Chrisley didn't leave immediately. She lingered in the living room with him for what felt like forever.

I was starting to doze off when I suddenly heard Keith's voice.

"Stop it. Reese might still be awake. We're here, so be a little more careful."

His voice was low, but I heard it crystal clear.

Through the crack of the door, I caught their figures.

Chrisley was already draped over him, her arms wrapped around his neck.

Her actions got bolder, and only when it went too far did Keith pull out her hands and give her a warning.

But she didn't seem to care, her lips curling up in a seductive and smug smile.

"What are you so scared of?" she asked. "You invited me here, didn't you? Isn't this what you wanted?"

After saying that, she pulled him in and nestled against his chest like a kitten.

Keith glanced toward the bedroom. When he didn't see any movement, his courage grew a bit.

They kissed passionately for a moment before he pulled away, giving her a sharp look that said, not here, not now.

But Chrisley had no shame. His warnings meant nothing to her.

Their figures were reflected in the glass cabinet, and I could see everything clearly.

"Keith, don't take that woman too seriously," she murmured. "We both know she's just my stand-in. Sooner or later, she'll have to leave."

As she kissed Keith, her voice was low and seductive.

"And honestly, doing this right under her nose? It's exciting."

"She's so weak after surgery. There's no way she'd notice anything."

"Besides… even if she does, so what?"

She tightened her hold on Keith's neck.

I couldn't watch what would happen next, so I turned my head away, shutting my eyes tight.

But my ears couldn't escape the sounds of their intimacy.

Each moan felt like a blade driving deeper into my chest, leaving nothing but a piercing pain.

I couldn't help but think back to the day I met Keith.

I'd just graduated from theater school, a clueless girl in a big, unfamiliar city.

I was running between auditions, ten, fifteen a day, desperate for a role—any role.

Finally, one production gave me a chance. But during the audition, the director cornered me, demanding things no woman should ever have to endure.

It was Keith who saved me.

He looked like a hero straight out of a fairytale. He kicked the door open, dragged that sleazy director to the ground, and beat him so badly the man couldn't even stand.

Afterward, Keith took me, dazed and shaken, and got me out of that nightmare. He stayed with me the whole night, comforting me.

From that day on, he arranged work for me, visiting my sets from time to time, making me feel safe and cared for in this huge city.

And somewhere along the way, I fell in love with him.

I knew, though, that I wasn't good enough for him. I wasn't from his world, after all.

But then, to my shock, he confessed first.

He asked me to be his girlfriend.

I was over the moon, so happy that I couldn't even hold back my tears when he asked.

I used to think of him as the most important person in my life.

But now, I realize…

That same day, when he started hiding his affair with Chrisley, he must've already decided to use me as her substitute.

From the very beginning, I was just part of his plan to marry her someday.

Their lingering voices tortured me for half an hour before the living room gradually went quiet.

Then I heard him grab his keys to take her home.

When I heard the door close, the grief in my heart suddenly just… disappeared completely.

My body was so weak, my belly still aching from the surgery, but I managed to grab the suitcase I'd packed weeks ago from the cabinet.

And the divorce papers? I'd written those the second I lost our baby.

By the time my plane left, I'd deleted everything about him—his number, his messages.

'Keith, I'll always remember how you saved me once. But this? Being your placeholder for your real love? I'm done. Goodbye.'