When Julia discovered that Lawrence had turned off his phone, she was so furious that she nearly smashed it.

He had spent the entire afternoon at a café. For the first time, he felt like time truly belonged to him.

It wasn't until dark that he turned his phone back on. Dozens of missed calls and countless messages flooded in.

"Where are you?

"I'm waiting for you at your place. Come back now.

"Lawrence, I'm giving you half an hour. Come back now."

The last message was sent at 3:00 pm, and now it was 6:00 pm.

Looking at her messages, Lawrence sneered. Just by reading these, he could imagine how angry Julia must be at that moment.

He wandered around, ate some of his favorite foods, and then returned home leisurely.

The apartment was pitch dark when he walked in. He bent down to change his shoes. As he flicked on the lights, he saw Julia sitting on the couch.

Seeing him come back so late, Julia was seething. "Where have you been? Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you?"

Lawrence ignored her. He walked over to the kitchen island and poured himself a glass of water.

In the past, he would have been the one waiting there.

Whenever Julia said she would visit him, he'd sit on the couch waiting, no matter how late it was.

If she said she would arrive at 10:00 pm, he would be anticipating it from 6:00 pm.

If she said she would come the next day, he would prepare everything perfectly.

Since Julia mentioned liking the smell of sun, Lawrence would change the bed sheets. The duvet would be aired out before he put a fresh cover on it and made the bed.

But now, he was tired. He wouldn't wait for her anymore.

"I'm talking to you, Lawrence. Can't you hear me?" She grabbed his hand. Her dark eyes were filled with fury.

Lawrence remained calm. "I had things to do. If you didn't want to wait, you could have left."

"What's going on with you? You've been acting strange all day."

"I'm fine."

Lawrence moved around her and started heading upstairs.

At this moment, Julia's suppressed anger finally boiled over. "Lawrence Hale, remember your place. No one has ever made me wait this long. Don't forget. You're just my—"

"Your what?" he interrupted her. "Fling?"

Julia froze. "You heard what I said that night?" She finally realized why he had changed. "I was just saying it for fun. I didn't mean it."

"Then tell me. What am I to you?" Lawrence looked up at her. His sharp gaze locked with hers.

Julia fell silent, not knowing what to say.

"I'm tired. You should go now."

For the first time, he dismissed her. He went to his room, took a warm shower, changed, and prepared to sleep.

Downstairs, Julia leaned against her car and stared up at the apartment for a long time.

Lawrence ignored her. He pulled the curtains shut, turned off the lights, and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, before he was even fully awake, his phone started ringing.

"Lawrence, turn on the news! Julia just publicly broke off her engagement! Is it because of you?"

Lawrence jumped out of bed and turned on the TV.

Sure enough, he saw Julia telling reporters that she was canceling her engagement because there was someone more important to her now.

His heart skipped a beat. Seeing the determined look in Julia's eyes, Lawrence felt a rush of excitement.

"Congratulations, Lawrence! Looks like you finally won Julia's heart."

After hanging up, Lawrence was still filled with emotions.

He wanted to call Julia and ask what she really meant by those words. Was she truly canceling her engagement for him?

But before he could dial her number, he received a message from Julia. "Come to Moore Hotel at 8:00 pm. There's a party. Dress well."

After reading her message, Lawrence finally smiled.

She rarely invited him to parties. In the past, she almost never took him anywhere. But now, she was inviting him to a party.

He quickly texted his friend, David Gardner, who responded excitedly, "Is Julia ready to go public with you? It looks like you've finally got your chance."

Lawrence bit his lip. A sense of anticipation crept into his chest.

In his mind, he quietly repeated that this would be the last time—the final chance he would give to both Julia and himself.

He went to a mall, bought an expensive suit, and then went to a stylist and makeup artist to get himself ready.

At precisely 8:00 pm, he arrived at Moore Hotel.

He had heard a little about the event. It was an auction for the high society, full of influential people.

Standing outside the entrance, Lawrence took a deep breath. He subconsciously reached into his suit pants pocket to feel the small box before stepping inside the ballroom.

The grand hall was filled with people, everyone dressed to impress.

Amidst the sea of beauty and glamour, Lawrence immediately spotted the woman he had been thinking about.

He began walking toward her but overheard someone say, "I didn't expect Ms. Ware to bring a partner tonight."

"I heard it's her beloved man who finally came back from being abroad."

"No wonder she held a press conference this morning to break off her engagement to Mr. Horne. Turns out, her first love has returned."

Lawrence's smile froze. First love? What were they talking about?

As Julia turned, the man beside her followed suit.

Lawrence's eyes widened when he saw a face strikingly similar to his own. At that moment, every drop of blood in his body seemed to freeze.

Who was the man standing next to Julia? Her first love?

Lawrence had been with Julia for seven years and never knew she had a man she couldn't forget.

A sharp pain pierced his chest. As he turned to leave, Julia called out to him, "Lawrence, you're here!"

At his words, the crowd stared at Lawrence and whispered among themselves.

"Lawrence? Julia's assistant?"

"Why does he look so much like Patrick?"

"Didn't you know? He's the substitute. I heard that while Patrick was away for those seven years, Julia found someone to fill in for him. I guess that's him."

Their words kept rushing into his ears. Lawrence felt as if someone had wrapped their hands around his neck and was choking the breath out of him.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Hale." Julia's first love, Patrick Harrison, approached Lawrence and looked him up and down.

"Sorry, I heard Jules say you don't like attending events like this. But I really wanted to meet you, so I had her invite you."

Noticing the challenge in Patrick's eyes, Lawrence clenched his fists at his sides. "You wanted to meet me?"

He now realized that Julia hadn't canceled her engagement because of him, but because Patrick had returned.

The reason she had him dress up for the banquet was to let Patrick see what he—the substitute—looked like.

The pain in his heart was overwhelming. Lawrence felt his legs go weak, as if he could barely keep himself standing.

"I heard someone say that you look a bit like me. Jules, do you think we look alike?" Patrick tilted his head and asked Julia.

Smiling, Julia casually replied, "It's just a coincidence. He can't compare to you."

Lawrence's heart broke even more at her words. He staggered a step back.

He turned to leave, but Patrick blocked his way.

"Mr. Hale, I haven't had a drink with you yet. Thank you for taking care of Jules all this time. She's a bit spoiled, so I'm sure you've had it tough."

Patrick's condescending tone made him seem like the rightful partner, while Lawrence felt like the other man.

The crowd's eyes were all on him. They were watching him like a joke.

Lawrence forced a smile. "It's my job. I get paid to do it. It's not hard."

"I'm sure you've done more than just your job." Patrick raised his voice and laughed boisterously. "But now that I'm back, there are some things you don't have to take care of anymore."

Lawrence looked up at Julia, but she stood there with a blank expression. She didn't even spare him a glance.

It was as if everything happening right now was none of her business.

Lawrence nodded in disappointment. "Alright, I understand."

He turned to leave but accidentally bumped into a waiter holding a glass of wine.

The red wine spilled all over him, ruining the expensive suit he had bought for the event.

Patrick was startled. "Are you okay, Mr. Hale? Your suit is ruined! Let me get the waiter to bring you a new one so you can change."

"I'm fine."

Compared to Patrick, Lawrence looked utterly pathetic at this moment.

When Julia saw his clothes were ruined and he nearly tripped, she reached out to help him. However, Patrick stepped in first and grabbed her hand.

"Jules, since Mr. Hale doesn't need my help, let's go in. The auction is about to start."

Julia nodded. She retracted her hand and cast a quick glance at Lawrence. "You should go back and change your clothes. Be careful not to catch a cold."

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

The crowd began to disperse, but Lawrence stood there, unmoving.

At that moment, he was completely and utterly disillusioned with Julia.

Lawrence had never known he was just a substitute. The moment he saw Patrick, many things he hadn't understood before suddenly became clear.

He now understood why Julia had always loved giving him that particular tie. It was the one Patrick wore.

Looking down, Lawrence felt his eyes begin to tear up.

Back at his apartment, still wearing the ruined suit, Lawrence threw the ring he had so joyfully chosen for Julia onto the table. He stared blankly at the moon outside the window.

He remembered the first time he met Julia. It was at a bar seven years ago.

He had been short on money and worked there as a waiter. Then, he met her. Julia had immediately taken an interest in him and hired him as her assistant.

Over time, Lawrence developed feelings for her. Perhaps sensing this, Julia had invited him to become her lover.

At that time, she hadn't made their relationship public, and he thought it was just a matter of time before it happened.

But now, he understood that he would never be her boyfriend or husband.

This realization brought him to a decision—he would leave her.

The next morning, Lawrence woke up early to resign.

As he headed downstairs, he saw Julia. She had come early in the morning. Knowing he would be asleep, she didn't want to disturb him.

She remembered that his favorite breakfast was the stuffed bread from Auburn Street, so she had stood in line to get it for him.

Seeing her, Lawrence didn't react much.

"Morning!" Julia greeted him enthusiastically. "I bought your favorite stuffed bread. I waited in line for ages. My feet are killing me."

"I'm not hungry," Lawrence replied. He bent down to change his shoes, ready to leave.

Noticing his attitude, Julia was furious. "What's with you now? Do you know how long I had to wait for this?"

"I didn't ask you to do this, Ms. Ware. I need to go now. I don't have time to argue."

She grabbed his arm. "Are you mad because of Patrick?"

Lawrence bit his lip and didn't answer.

Julia sneered. "We were never going to get married anyway. Does it really matter that you're just a substitute?"

Her words cut deeply.

Lawrence shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Ms. Ware. It's getting late. I need to go to work. Let go of me."

At the office, Lawrence sat down at his desk and immediately began typing up his resignation letter.

Once printed, he intended to hand it to Julia, but she wasn't in the office. Her driver came by to pick up some things, so Lawrence handed the letter to him.

"Please give this to Julia," he said.

When Julia received the resignation letter, she was initially shocked, but then she just smiled. "Where would he go without me? Lawrence can't live without me. He's just throwing a tantrum because Patrick came back. He'll get over it. Don't worry."

After resigning, Lawrence felt a sense of relief.

He took a cab home but suddenly realized that this apartment wasn't really his home. It was a gift from Julia, or rather, a place she had used to vent her desires.

Now that he had decided to cut ties with her, he didn't want the apartment anymore.

As Lawrence entered the apartment, he immediately noticed someone had been there. He walked quickly into the living room and found a man sitting on his couch.

"Patrick."

"Hi, Mr. Hale."

Patrick was in his apartment, sitting on his couch, with Lawrence's tie placed in front of him.

"This is my home, Mr. Harrison. Don't you think it's inappropriate to just barge in?" Lawrence's tone was hostile as he stared at Patrick.

He hated it when people showed up uninvited.

"Your home?" Patrick laughed and shook the keys in his hand. "If it were your home, how could I have a key?"

He stood and walked over to Lawrence. "Mr. Hale, don't tell me you don't know that this apartment was a gift from Jules to me. I didn't want it, so she gave it to you."

Looking at Patrick, Lawrence pressed his lips together and clenched his fists.

Even this apartment was Patrick's?

"And this tie…"

"Mr. Harrison, do you have a habit of touching other people's things?"

Lawrence reached for the tie, but Patrick easily dodged his attempt. "How do you know this tie is yours and not mine?

"Don't you know? This tie is my favorite, and the collection in your closet is also my favorite. Let me remind you. Jules doesn't love you. She loves me."

With that, Patrick left.

Lawrence was left alone in the apartment. At that moment, he felt that the apartment was a cage. And he was the little sparrow, trapped inside because of his lack of money.

Patrick was right. It was time for him to wake up.

Lawrence threw away all the gifts Julia had given him, except for the ties.

He had already found a new place to live and was ready to move out.

His colleagues knew he was leaving, and some of them were reluctant to see him go. They organized a farewell gathering at a karaoke bar.

At 8:00 pm, Lawrence arrived at Echo Chamber.

As soon as he walked into the private room, his eyes immediately spotted Julia and Patrick sitting beside each other.