There is always a heroine who willingly plays the role of a doormat. She lowers herself into the dust for the male lead. She endures humiliation because of the man's "one that got away." People mock her. They call her a simp he can't get rid of. And she takes it all in silence. Maya is exactly that kind of pathetic heroine in this "substitute" novel. And Asher is the male lead. Until the day Maya and his "true love" faced danger at the same time. Asher didn't hesitate. He chose to save his true love. In the process, his face was injured. That was the moment Maya finally gave up on Asher. She stopped simping. Because Asher no longer looked like the man she actually loved... She brutally revealed the truth to him. Staring at the scar under his eye where a distinctive red beauty mark used to be, she said: "It's a shame. You don't look like him anymore." "Actually, you were never anything more than a stand-in for the man I really loved." She thought Asher would break down. She thought he would go crazy. Instead, Asher looked at her like she needed a psych ward. "If you really loved him that much," he asked, "why would you ever go looking for a cheap copy?" The one who had a mental breakdown... Was her. 01 Inside the Penthouse suite of the city's best hotel. Many familiar faces were there. Though three years apart had made things a little distant. The reckless friendships of our youth now carried a hint of calculation. I was whispering with Asher. Even sitting on the sofa, he was a head taller than me. To match my height, he lowered his head, smiling as he listened to my stories about grad school abroad. His face was still handsome. But the boyishness was gone, replaced by a mature, steady charm. Under his eyes, which shone like stars, was a small, distinctive red beauty mark. It added a layer of allure to his face. Our private conversation was interrupted by Chad. An old friend from our circle. "Alright, you two, give it a rest." "Asher flies out to see you every chance he gets." "And you've been back in the states for days but only just came out to see us." "I thought you had important business, but you’ve just been glued to this guy?" Chad took a sip of his drink. "It's good you're back, Blair." "If you stayed away any longer, that girl who looks a bit like you... she's persistent." "Like a stray dog that won't leave Asher alone." "If you were any later, Asher might have just used her as a rebound since she bears a passing resemblance to you." Asher and I both frowned at his tone. "Don't worry though," Chad continued, oblivious. "Even if Asher did anything with her, it would just be for fun. A substitute." "You're abroad, he's a man with needs. It's normal to find someone to blow off steam with." "The fact that he picked someone who looks like you just proves how much he loves you." "You should be secretly flattered that a guy this rich and handsome is so obsessed with you." The veins on Asher's forehead popped. I felt nauseous. If Asher actually hooked up with a look-alike substitute while I was getting my degree... That’s not love. That’s trash. I went abroad to study, I didn’t pass away! He likes me, so he finds a duplicate to sleep with? And I should be flattered? Should I pop some champagne to celebrate his infidelity? Even if I had died, him finding a look-alike would still be disgusting. Just then, a row of text floated across my vision like a livestream chat. [Blair knows Maya is just a substitute. She must be so smug right now.] [Our Maya's existence must make her feel threatened. Why else come back now?] [It's the classic trope. The vicious ex goes abroad to party, and only comes back to mark her territory when the male lead finds a replacement.] Me: "..." Is it possible, just maybe, that I came back because I finished my Master's degree? I will never understand the logic of these "evil female leads" in substitute novels. Knowing the guy got a stand-in... shouldn't the first reaction be that he's cheating? Not slapping him is already an act of mercy. Why fight another woman for a cheating piece of trash? I'm an heiress. I can have any man I want. Why would I fight over a cheater? And be happy that he found someone who looks like me? Garbage belongs in the dumpster. Only flies fight over trash. 02 Just as Asher was about to explode at Chad. The doorbell rang. Chad winked at us mysteriously. "Surprise." He opened the door. A girl walked in. She looked about 50% like me, but her style was the complete opposite. I was wearing a red dress, voluminous curls, and four-inch heels—bold and sharp. She was dressed simply. A white cotton dress, canvas sneakers, face scrubbed clean without a drop of makeup. She looked introverted and shy. Chad crossed his arms, ready for a show. We watched Maya bite her lip. She walked up to Asher and me. She opened her palm. A small pink box. Strawberry-flavored condoms. Maya looked downcast and whispered to Asher: "Mr. Wei, I bought the things you asked for." Asher frowned, rubbing his temples. "I didn't ask you to buy anything." Hearing this, a strange light flickered in Maya’s sad eyes. The corners of her mouth twitched upward. Chad laughed. He walked over to put a hand on Asher's shoulder. "Haha, she really is a simp." "I texted her saying you needed a box of condoms delivered to the hotel because you and Blair were in a hurry." "She actually bought them." He leaned in, his tone suggestive. "I bet if you told her to clean the sheets after you and Blair were done, she’d do that too." "Never seen someone with so little self-respect." He winked at us and shoved the condoms into Asher’s hand. "Since she bought them, you and Blair should use them tonight." "Using condoms bought by the substitute... that’s gotta be extra spicy." There was zero respect in his voice. Asher let out a cold laugh. Before Chad could react, Asher’s large hand clamped onto his jaw. He stuffed the box of condoms directly into Chad’s mouth. His expression was terrifying. "You like spicy?" "Is this spicy enough for you?!" A solid punch landed squarely on Chad’s cheekbone. "Your mouth is filthy!" "Did you forget to brush your teeth?" Punch after punch landed on flesh. It sounded painful. I didn't say a word to stop Asher. Only when Chad started begging. "Bro... Bro, stop, it hurts..." "I was wrong... I won't... run my mouth again!" Only then did Asher stop. "Get out." Chad scrambled away like a frightened rat. Someone whispered, "Don't get mad over a guy like that, it's not worth it." Others looked at Maya with thinly veiled mockery. "Chad was a jerk, but he wasn't wrong. Before Blair came back, Maya was basically stalking Asher." "On Valentine's Day, she delivered flowers publicly." "Chad humiliated her with the condom thing, and she still did it." "Too bad. No matter how hard she tries, she's a cheap copy." They gossiped louder and louder. Maya heard every word. She didn't dare fight back. Her eyelashes trembled, mist forming in her eyes. I interrupted them. "Enough. The mood is ruined. Let's call it a night." The floating comments, however, were not grateful. [I bet Blair told Chad to make Maya buy the condoms just to humiliate her!] [She's pretending to be nice. She probably paid those people to mock our Maya. Disgusting!] I really want to know... did these commenters drink sewage for breakfast? Why is everything coming out of their mouths so foul? A perfectly good party, ruined. 03 The day I visited Asher’s company. Asher’s executive assistant was leaving the office. Maya blocked her path. She looked at the assistant with eager eyes. "Does Mr. Wei need something? Can I help?" The assistant hesitated. She had forgotten to organize some files and needed to catch up. "Well, yes, but..." She looked at Maya’s flushed face. "Why is your face so red? Are you okay?" Maya touched her burning cheek. She didn't care about her health. "I'm fine." She volunteered, "What does he need? I can go." The assistant paused, then gave in. "Mr. Wei wanted some cake. Strawberry shortcake from that bakery." Maya couldn't wait to take the job. "I'm free right now. I'll go." The assistant sighed in relief. "Okay, thanks." When Maya appeared in front of Asher and me, she was panting heavily. She was sweating profusely. Not just her face—all her exposed skin was an unhealthy shade of red. Her eyes were filled with hope. "I bought the cake." Asher took the box from her hand. He opened it. He took out the sliced strawberry cake. And pushed it in front of me. Seeing this, the color drained from Maya’s fever-red face. "The cake... is for her?" Asher chuckled lightly. "Who else? For you?" The comments went crazy with heartbreak. [Male lead, stop! Our Maya has a 102-degree fever!] [She waited in line for over an hour!] [How can he just give the cake she suffered for to that evil woman!] [A substitute really can't replace the original.] [If it were Xander, he would never treat Maya like this.] Maya looked devastated. Just as she turned to leave in despair. Asher called out: "Wait a second..." I instinctively looked at Maya. I realized something. Maya looked back at Asher with intense expectation. Specifically, she was staring at the red beauty mark under his eye. Her gaze was burning. As if she were looking at... someone else. The comments cheered up. [Did the male lead find his conscience?] [Is he going to give the cake to Maya?] [Omg, eating cake given by a man who looks like Xander... it's like getting cake from Xander again!] [Look how happy Maya is.] But then, we heard Asher say: "If I recall correctly, that bakery is famous." "The line is always at least an hour long." Maya looked greedily at Asher’s face. "Even though I stood in the sun for an hour, I didn't feel tired." "It didn't matter." The comments echoed her. [Standing in the sun for an hour just to buy him cake. He has to be moved now.] [Maya's love is finally being rewarded! Happy! Happy!] 04 Asher let out a cold laugh. "You didn't think I was going to praise you, did you?" "Leaving your post during work hours without permission." "Ignoring company policy." "If everyone acted like you, this company would collapse." "Do you want to be the CEO?" Asher’s voice was sharp. "Go to HR and report a half-day absence." "If you pull a stunt like this again, pack your things and get out!" Maya’s pupils dilated. She looked at him in disbelief. Maybe it was the anger. Combined with the high fever. Thud! She fainted, hitting the floor hard. Asher frowned. We worked in sync. A simple exchange of glances was enough. He called 911. I picked Maya up and laid her on the sofa. Her body was terrifyingly hot. I didn't understand. Why stand in the sun for an hour with a high fever just to buy cake for a man? Self-abuse isn't love. While waiting for the ambulance, I fed her some warm water. I glanced up and saw the chat scrolling fast. [Did anyone else think Blair looked hot picking her up with one arm?] [Damn! I want to be held!] [Maybe the 'villain' isn't so bad. She's feeding Maya water.] [Don't be fooled! She's acting nice in front of the male lead!] [True! The evil female lead always pretends to be an angel to please the man.] [The male lead is disgusting too! Always hurting our heroine for the villain.] [It doesn't matter. Maya only treats him as a stand-in for her true love anyway.] [I can't wait for him to find out!] [Haha, when he finds out, he'll hate her but beg her to use him as a substitute again.] They were gloating. [The villain is going to pay. The male lead will make her suffer a hundred times what Maya suffered.] I raised an eyebrow. From beginning to end, I haven't done anything. If Asher hurts Maya for me... Shouldn't Asher be the one punished? Why me? Also, my family is as powerful as the Wei family. If he wants to touch me, he needs to weigh the power of the Qin Corporation first.
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