Everyone in New City knew that I was Marco's stand-in for his childhood sweethearts, Evelyn. But I was the only one who thought I had met true love.

I had been with Marco for three years and I became Marco's canary, bearing the stigma of being materialistic and dissolute.

Once Evelyn returned home, Abigail became a stand-in and the dream wedding became someone else's home.

When his father was in a car accident, Marco hugged Evelyn to celebrate.

I smiled, turned around and married someone else, wishing them a happy marriage.

But Marco regretted it and later he searched the whole world for my traces, but this time, I would not let him know where I was.

This was my best revenge.

***

"Miss Levine, your father is in critical condition now and needs surgery immediately. Please decide to pay as soon as possible."

I was a little surprised when I received the call. Since I became Marco's lover, I had a big fight with my father and I never thought that the news would be like this again.

"Okay, I'll be there right away."

My hands were shaking when I hung up and called Marco. My father was my only remaining relative.

"Hello, your number is temporarily unreachable."

I kept hanging up and calling again. The long beep and the rapid heartbeat became slow. Marco didn't answer.

A voice came from the TV, "Recently, Marco Kennedy from Kennedy Group held a banquet just to make a gorgeous woman smile. According to insiders, the Kennedy Family and the Cyrus Family are about to get married."

Marriage? Marco was going to get married with Evelyn Cyrus. His face was cold. I didn’t know when tears blurred my eyes. I really wanted to find Marco to ask clearly, but my father's illness couldn’t be delayed.

I hurried to the hospital to deal with the surgery. The 79 calls to Marco still didn't get any response. I decided to go to Marco in person.

Marco never told me about her. Occasionally I saw some information from his mobile phone. I followed my memory to find the banquet hall. The voices of Marco and others came from the room.

"Marco, congratulations, you finally got your beauty after waiting for so many years."

"Marco, you are so domineering. When you propose, we will definitely be there to support you."

I felt bitter when I heard the conversation. I didn't expect Marco to have planned the wedding for a long time. I thought those things were prepared for me, but now it seemed like a joke, falling from heaven to hell.

"Yes, everyone is waiting to drink the wedding wine of Marco and Eve. They are childhood sweethearts, handsome and beautiful and they are a perfect match made in heaven."

"Okay, don't talk nonsense about the wedding, keep your mouth shut, otherwise there will be no surprise."

"I understand, but what about the school beauty, Abigail, if Eve knows that Marco found a substitute."

Marco's face changed instantly and his eyes warned everyone and everyone lowered their eyes and kept silent.

Eve, Evelyn Cyrus was Marco's childhood sweethearts, everyone said that they would get married after graduation during college, but Evelyn suddenly went abroad and I became Marco's canary. I thought I was Marco's firm choice, but in fact I was just his plaything when he was lonely, a captive substitute.

Those sweet words whispered in my ears were all lies. I felt my stomach churning and my hands trembled uncontrollably. I supported my body against the wall. It was the height of August, but I felt icy cold. My hands were tightly clenched and my slender nails dug into my flesh.

When Marco approached me and proposed a contract, I couldn't believe it. Why me? To this day, I still remembered the look in his eyes and the words he said when he looked at me.

"Don't belittle yourself. Not everyone can be the campus belle of Highscope University. So, Abigail Levine, can you give me a chance to take care of you? This contract is my sincerity. If you want to leave after three years, you can be free at any time."

Marco's voice came from behind me. He looked at me with complicated and tentative eyes.

"Abby? How long have you been here? Didn't you say not to go out? What if you encounter danger?" There was concern and worry in his eyes.

I held Marco's hand tightly, forcing a smile, "I just got here and received a call from the hospital saying my father had a car accident. I called you many times, but you didn't answer. I was a little worried."

Marco's expression became solemn and a trace of emotion flashed in his eyes, so fast that I couldn't see it clearly.

"It's my fault. I'll have someone take you back to rest." Marco took off his coat and wrapped me up. I felt a little warm and my heart, which was drowning in the water, regained its breath.

He looked a little anxious and couldn't wait to send me away. Maybe he didn't want Evelyn to know.

"Marco, let's get married, okay? Don't you always say that you don't feel safe? After getting married, I will only belong to you."

I urgently wanted to know the answer to verify my thoughts in my heart.

But I was disappointed. Marco paused, a flash of panic in his eyes quickly disappeared, "Abby, can you wait a little longer? The company has been a bit busy recently. Let's talk about it after the storm has passed. I can't ignore your safety."

Even at this moment, Marco was still lying to me, imprisoning me in the name of protection, so that I would never find out his true face and never appear in front of Evelyn.

The tempting candy, wrapped in fine frosting, is the most exciting and poisonous poison.

I closed my eyes and after the sweetness came the lingering bitterness.

After that day, I started to have nightmares and after waking up, I had endless insomnia.

What lingered in the dream was the disappointed expression on my father's face when he woke up and the back of Marco who abandoned me without looking back.

"Abby, how can you be so self-indulgent? I don't have a daughter like you. Get out."

"Abby, you are just a stand-in. A stand-in should have the awareness of a stand-in. Don't compare yourself with Eve. You don't deserve it."

These voices lingered in my ears all night and could not be shaken off.

Three years ago, Evelyn and I were roommates, so Marco and I had a few interactions. The only few conversations were because of Evelyn, until my father fell ill and I moved out of the dormitory and stayed away from Marco.

After my secret relationship with Marco was known by friends and family, they all opposed it, "How can someone like Marco really love you? He is lying to you, Abigail, don't be stupid."

I moved into Marco's villa. I didn't pay attention to my body before and my body became hypocritical. Marco didn't feel it at all. He learned to cook for me. In order to make me happy, he would buy fresh lychees in the snowy season.

That day, I was moved to death when I saw the male protagonist in the TV series give a piece of starry sky painting to the female protagonist. Marco smiled and wiped my tears, laughing at me for being a crybaby, even though he was equally childish.

In the same month, Marco gave me a starry sky painting named after me. A meteor shower suddenly fell. I lay in front of the window and starlight flowed in Marco's eyes. I put my arms around his neck and kissed him.

The painting of the starry sky was still hanging on the bedside. Whenever I see it, my memory will return to that night.

He met all my requests. I even felt that I had been staying at home with him. I forgot those moments without him, the loneliness, pain and anxiety.

As long as Marco smiled, those pains would be thrown behind my mind. I completely lost myself and was willing to become a dodder.

Marco said he would not let me lose, but I lost completely and even forgot myself.

Marco's love was like a wet quilt, wrapping me tightly. I thought it was warmth and was about to drown in love. The illusion was shattered. Everything was just my self-righteousness.

"Abigail, you are a stand-in and you dare to compete with me. Marco loves me."

"Abby, don't bother me anymore. I will only think you are cheap. Get lost."

I couldn't sleep anymore. The cold quilt beside me showed no trace. Marco didn't come back. There was no sign, or it was expected. Marco seemed very busy. He was probably busy proposing.

Just when I thought Marco would not come back tonight, there was a sound of opening the door. It was Marco.

I pushed the door open and stood at the stairs. Marco walked in first. Behind him was a familiar figure. It was Evelyn. She returned to New York.

Marco looked up and met my gaze. He was a little surprised and there was a hint of guilt. "Abby? Why aren't you asleep yet so late?"

I stood at the stairs, my throat dry, "I woke up when I heard the noise."

Before Marco could speak, Evelyn spoke first, apologetically, "Sorry, Abby, I just returned to New York and may have to stay here for a while. Sorry I woke you up."

Evelyn returned to New York and walked into my carefully decorated house. This is my home with Marco.

Marco looked at me and explained, "Eve has been living here recently. Didn't you always say that you were bored at home? It just so happens that you were roommates before. Give me the luggage."

"Marco, why does she live here? The Cyrus Family should not be short of money for hotels." I said to him.

Marco looked at Evelyn, "Abby, Eve just returned to New York and is not very comfortable. You were very sensible before, don't make trouble."

He pulled my hand away with such force that it hurt a little.

I watched Marco carry the luggage to the guest room. Evelyn smiled at me and followed in. The door closed in front of me.

Evelyn and I were indeed roommates, but Marco forgot that Evelyn and I were not familiar with each other at all. The few times we met were just passing things to Marco. Although there were countless servants at home, Marco still took care of everything for Evelyn himself.

I lay on the bed and listened to Marco push the door open. He stopped me with a familiar breath with warmth.

"Are you still unhappy? Eve is only staying for a few days. She and I grew up together, so I naturally have to take care of her. Okay, I'll buy you any gift you want."

Evelyn was a treasure that he held his heart and took care of, while I was a canary that could be easily dismissed with a gift. I thought that our mutual affection turned out to be my self-righteousness and wishful thinking.

I turned my head to look at Marco and Marco lowered his head and kissed my lips, "Abby is so generous. You’re not angry anymore, right?"

I stared into Marco's eyes, "Marco, do you still want to get married?"

The smile on Marco's mouth stopped, "What are you talking about" and his big hand touched my head, "Of course I do. But for now, don't think about it. Because the company has a lot of business recently, just wait a little longer, okay? I will give you a satisfactory answer."

I didn’t know if I should continue to believe Marco's words. I couldn’t tell what was true and what was false. The phone beside the bed kept vibrating and the words "Eve" on the screen were eye-catching.

Marco got up and took the phone, "Eve, what's wrong?"

Evelyn's voice sounded a little weak, "Marco, my stomach hurts, it hurts so much."

Marco immediately got out of bed and almost bumped into the cabinet next to him. I got up and could only see Marco holding Evelyn out of the room, with his coat covering her body.

I wanted to follow him to ask about the situation, but Marco was too fast. I missed a step and fell down the stairs. My ankle felt a stinging pain. I rolled down the stairs and hit the railing in a daze.

Marco held Evelyn on the sofa and touched her belly carefully.

"Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital? Eve, you don't need to hold on with me here."

Evelyn hugged Marco's arm and acted coquettishly, "I'm fine. It's like this every time I have my period. I'm used to it."

Marco comforted Evelyn and got up to the kitchen to cook brown sugar ginger water. No matter who saw this scene, they would think that their relationship was unusual.

I sat on the ground and covered my ankle. My ankle was a little swollen.

In the past, Marco would run to my side immediately when he found that I was injured and comforted me with red eyes. I always laughed at him and said that it was me who was injured, why were you crying and he would say that the pain was in your body and the pain was in my heart.

Now he didn't even look at me. I saw the smug smile on Evelyn's face through the light.

Evelyn opened her thin lips and said, "Marco, Abigail won't be angry if you come to take care of me, right? Actually, I can do it alone."

"What nonsense are you talking about? I took care of you every time you were sick. I will take care of Abigail too. Don't say such things."

Evelyn's eyes were filled with tears, "If I hadn't gone abroad and missed you, Marco, will you forgive me?"

Marco sighed. "I don't blame you. As long as you are willing to look back, I will always be here."

"But you said you wanted to marry her before, I thought," Evelyn said with emotion.

I heard Marco whispered, "Evelyn, my wife will only be you. It was before and it is still now. So don't cry."

"It's just that grandma left a will that didn't agree to our marriage. Now three years have passed, I will bring it up again with the old house, but I'm afraid I will have to wrong you recently."

My heart was pierced with holes, I half-knelt on the ground holding the wall, the pain in my ankles was not as much as the pain in my chest, years of love were burned, I was like a joke and still foolishly expected true love.

Marco held the brown sugar water and gently flicked Evelyn's head, "Drink it quickly, I'll rub it for you."

Evelyn snuggled in Marco's arms and kissed Marco's lips.

Marco responded fiercely and the laughter between the two was unbearable to hear. I stood behind the wall, my heart was like thousands of knives cutting my heart piece by piece, my stomach was churning, I hurried back to the room, climbed on the toilet and vomited, as if I wanted to vomit everything out.

The sapphire ring on my hand was extremely dazzling and it hurt my fingers. I pulled it off hard, along with the blood and flesh and threw it into the trash can. The cold and arrogant image of Marco in my heart collapsed in an instant and the love words in my ears at night became disgusting.

Marco had been lying to me all the time. What wedding, what promise, uniqueness was just to coax me to stay by his side and become, willingly be a canary and become his caged bird. I forgot how I fell asleep. My consciousness was in a state of confusion.

When I woke up, the quilt was wet with cold sweat. I stood up and opened the door expressionlessly. Marco walked out of Evelyn's room.

When he saw me, his face froze for a moment, but soon returned to normal and spoke first, "Eve was not feeling well yesterday. It was too late, so I slept here."

I sneered in my heart, glanced at Evelyn, who was wearing a robe behind me and had a red mark on her neck and walked downstairs.

Marco noticed that my fingers were empty and was startled. He followed me and grabbed my hand, "Who allowed you to take it off?"

I sneered and pulled my hand back, "If you don't want to wear it, take it off." I turned around and was about to leave. Marco felt a little uneasy and spoke in a soft voice.

Marco handed several plans to my palm, "This is the wedding plan. See what you like. Abby, isn't this what you have always wanted?"

I pushed away those plans. What Marco said last night was still vivid in my mind. His wife would only be Evelyn. Then what was I? A mistress with nothing but a wedding? I didn’t want to.

Marco looked incredulous, "What do you mean, Abigail, I've already given you the wedding you wanted, how long are you going to be angry?"

I looked at Marco coldly, "Nothing, I don't want to get married, Marco, you said you wanted to marry me, what about now? Still the same?"

Marco's eyes wandered for a moment and soon calmed down, "Of course, Abby."

Evelyn came over from behind, looking at Marco and me with curiosity, "Did you quarrel?"