I was Julian Sterling's trophy girlfriend for three years. The day I found out I was unexpectedly pregnant, I overheard his twin brother, Ethan, say: "Julian, I've been pretending to be you and playing with your girlfriend for so long. She won't run away if she finds out, right?" Julian replied nonchalantly, "What are you afraid of? She's too attached to the lifestyle. Besides, it's not the first time we've swapped. Just don't get her pregnant. I think that's disgusting." Suddenly, a stream of live comments appeared before my eyes: [LOL, the side character is pregnant and happy about it, not knowing Julian never touched her. It was his twin brother, Ethan, who got her pregnant.] [Julian only loves the heroine. Even if the side character is carrying his brother's child, he'll kick her out.] I didn't cry or make a scene. I continued to play the role of the trophy girlfriend for the fake Julian. Secretly, I booked an abortion and a plane ticket to Paris. The day he caught me at the clinic, he went crazy, choking his brother: "Who gave you permission to touch her?" 1 The day I found out I was pregnant, I braved a storm to go to the private club Julian frequented. When I arrived, my hair was slightly damp from the rain. Just as I was about to push open the door to the VIP room, I heard Julian's cold voice from inside. "Had enough fun? When are we switching back?" His twin brother, Ethan, replied, "Not yet. I'm not bored of her." Julian frowned. "You didn't touch her, right? You know the rules." Ethan paused imperceptibly, then a slow smile spread across his lips. "Relax. I didn't." He picked up his drink. "But even if I did, you wouldn't care, right?" Julian paused, looking slightly unnatural. "Of course. It's just... unsanitary." The room erupted in jeers. "Ethan, you even play with your brother's leftovers?" "Come on, don't blame Ethan. With a face like Chloe's, who wouldn't want a piece?" "Yeah, her body is insane. Curves in all the right places." "Only Julian here is a saint and hasn't touched her." The woman sitting next to Julian laughed. "Chloe sounds like a public restroom. Open for anyone." Laughter filled the room. I recognized her. Bella Vance. The "Princess of New York," Julian's childhood sweetheart, the girl he had always pampered. Someone asked, "Who came up with this idea? Playing so dirty?" Bella raised an eyebrow. "You guys are too dumb. Of course it was me. Chloe would never dream that Julian has a twin brother. You should thank me. If not for me, you wouldn't have such a good show to watch." Julian smiled dotingly. "Yes, yes, you're the smartest." Someone asked, "I heard you're marrying Chloe in seven days. Is that true?" Julian smirked. "Of course it's fake. The little girl wants a title. Just playing along to keep her happy." Bella suddenly sat up straight, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "On the wedding day, tell her the truth. Tell her that for the past year, you two have been swapping places with her. I want to see her face. Pushing her into the abyss right when she thinks she's happiest... isn't that fun?" Julian laughed helplessly. "How old are you? Still so childish." Bella pouted. "Even if I am, you've always given me whatever I wanted since we were kids. But you guys be careful. Don't accidentally get her pregnant. Those girls from the slums are hard to get rid of once they have a kid." Julian frowned slightly. "Don't joke. We never touched her." Bella tilted her head. "But what if she accidentally gets pregnant?" Julian smiled indifferently. "Then tell her to get lost. Right, Ethan?" Ethan, lost in thought, realized Julian was talking to him and replied belatedly, "Yeah." The floating comments appeared again: [LOL, Ethan says he didn't touch her, but he's been sleeping with her behind his brother's back.] [The side character is pregnant and happy, not knowing Julian never touched her. It was his twin brother.] [Julian only loves the heroine. Even if she's carrying a Sterling child, she and the kid will be kicked out.] [I love this! Julian stays loyal to the heroine, and Ethan just uses the side character for practice. This is the drama I signed up for!] I looked at the pregnancy test in my hand. Two red lines. I had run here through the rain, eager to tell Julian the news. I really was pregnant. But now, it seemed unnecessary. 2 That afternoon, I booked an abortion and bought a plane ticket for seven days later. The same day as the wedding. In the meantime, my "sugar daddies" were still sending me allowance, so I could save a bit more. Since they wanted to reveal the truth at the wedding and humiliate me, why shouldn't I run away first and turn their script into a joke? I've saved quite a bit of money being a full-time trophy girlfriend all these years. Especially recently, my savings have doubled. I used to wonder why Julian would "forget" he sent me money and send it again. Mystery solved. Julian sent money to my account, and his brother Ethan sent money too. I patted my little treasury. I got involved with Julian in college. Bella was my college roommate. She loved playing cruel pranks that ruined people's lives. In high school, she made her rich friend pursue a plain girl. He showered her with roses and designer bags until she fell for him. Right before SATs, Bella told him to dump her. The girl was so devastated she bombed her exams. After graduation, she jumped off a building and ended up in a vegetative state. Bella went on to university and became my roommate. She targeted me because I worked three jobs a day. I worked three jobs because I had a gambling addict father, a deceased mother, and a sick grandmother. I was the "tragic beauty." This time, I became her new game. Julian was the male lead she chose for me. A math genius at NYU, the campus heartthrob whose candid photos went viral, and the heir to the Sterling empire. His future was limitless. She got Julian to pursue me, to make me his girlfriend. According to Bella's script, Julian would spoil me with money until I was rotten. Once I got used to the luxury, he would dump me, letting me crumble under the massive gap in lifestyle. Julian was indeed good to me. He showered me with gifts, pitied my background, forbade me from working, and surprised me every day. But I was a hoarder. Whatever money Julian gave me, I saved. I didn't wear the jewelry he gave me; I sold it online for a high price. I was terrified of poverty. I had low self-esteem. The more money I hoarded, the safer I felt. Besides, I wasn't stupid. I could feel that Julian seemed to be acting. Every time we held hands, I didn't miss the flicker of mockery in his eyes. Although I didn't know why he confessed to me if he didn't like me, he was indeed rich and foolish. I needed to hoard more. Opportunities like this don't come twice. We acted like normal lovers—dating, hugging, kissing. In winter, I even knit him a scarf. The day my grandmother fell critically ill, I asked Julian for an expensive birthday gift for the first time. I remember Julian froze, then smiled. I didn't forget the explosion of ecstasy and amusement in his eyes. Like a viper finally revealing its fangs. They thought I must have been spoiled and corrupted. Everything was going according to plan. Julian broke up with me the next day. Bella waited to see me unable to bear poverty, crying, making a scene, stalking Julian, and embarrassing myself. But she found that I was the same as before—working, studying, returning to a normal routine. I just relaxed a little, cutting down from three jobs to two. Sometimes I added a sausage and an egg to my instant noodles. And a yogurt drink after meals. I even gained three pounds. I didn't beg for reconciliation or act suicidal over Julian. I even deleted Julian's contact info immediately after the breakup. Nothing met her expectations. She threw a tantrum, finding the game boring. From then on, she targeted me in the dorm. Putting tacks in my shoes. Pouring cold water on my duvet in winter. Later, my dad lost a huge sum gambling and owed the Sterlings. To pay the debt, he offered me up. That's how I accidentally became Julian's canary. Actually, I had planned to live a good life with him recently. Julian had always been aloof and never touched me. But starting early this year, he suddenly started kissing me. One night, he came back drunk. I helped him to the sofa and made him tea. He suddenly pulled me into his arms and kissed me gently. I rarely kissed, and I almost ran out of breath. He laughed softly: "So this is what it tastes like. Sweet. Next time, remember to breathe." That night, he took my virginity. Later, he liked trying all sorts of exciting things with me. He didn't like using protection. He liked tormenting me when the housekeeper and maids were around. I could only bite my lip and endure. The more I endured, the more interested he seemed. He had a quirk. When he cooked dinner at night, he liked making me say his name over and over. "What's my name?" "Julian Sterling. You are Julian Sterling." "Wrong. Say it again." "What's wrong with you, Julian... mmm..." He suppressed the violence in his eyes. The more I called his name, the harder he went. Although he was weird when cooking, like a mad dog needing petting, he loved to act spoiled, loved to kiss me, and made me porridge when my stomach hurt. On my birthday, he set off fireworks all night over the Hudson River. As the grand fireworks exploded in the sky, he stroked my head and said, "Baby, let's live a good life together." When I had nightmares, he would wake me up, hold me carefully, and say, "Don't be scared, baby." I slowly started to feel like I might like him a little. A few months ago, he pressed me onto the bed, not wanting to use a condom. I asked, "What if I get pregnant?" He kissed me. "Then have the baby. I'll raise it." He proposed the marriage. That night, after everything was over, he lay on top of me and said: "Baby, don't be a lover anymore. Be my wife." Now I realized, from the first time we rolled in the sheets, that person wasn't Julian, but Ethan. And the proposal was just a new prank. I really thought about keeping this baby. Now, it seemed unnecessary. 3 Five days until departure. I could already skillfully distinguish the Sterling brothers. Julian: aloof, gloomy, didn't smile, workaholic. Ethan: affectionate, had a mole on his hip bone visible when naked. I didn't know if Julian had that mole; he never touched me. When I went downstairs in the morning, Julian was sitting there, reading a newspaper with gold-rimmed glasses. "Chloe, dress up today. Guests are coming." Reading a newspaper in the morning, glasses, cold tone. It was the real Julian. The floating comments were ecstatic. [Hahaha, she's going to officially meet Ethan today.] [The side character has been played with by Ethan so much, he knows every sensitive spot on her body, yet she has to pretend not to know him. Must be suffocating.] [Poor people are like that. For money, they'll endure anything. Our heroine Bella is the best, independent and relying on no one.] [This meeting is just foreshadowing the public humiliation on her birthday. I can't wait.] [The heroine is such a scheming little diva, I love it.] I went upstairs and changed. At noon, Ethan arrived with Bella. Looking at Ethan, who was identical to Julian, I feigned shock. Julian introduced us: "This is my twin brother, just back from a business trip abroad." Ethan extended his hand: "Hello." I shook it. "Hello." I smiled. "I didn't expect you two to look exactly alike." Ethan's expression didn't crack. His smile was gentle and harmless. "There's a lot you don't know." Sometimes I really admired Ethan. He had slept with me countless times, yet he could act like a complete stranger. Bella laughed. "No need to introduce me. Chloe and I were college roommates." She took my hand. "I heard you're getting married soon. Julian and I agreed, I'll be your bridesmaid." Before she finished, the chef announced lunch was ready. At the table, Bella sat between Julian and Ethan. She propped her chin on her hand, asking me with a smile, "Chloe, have you noticed any changes in Julian recently?" I knew why she asked. She wanted to see me make a fool of myself. So I gave her what she wanted. I put down my chopsticks and nodded. "Yes, he has changed a lot this year." In that moment, the world seemed to pause. They all froze. Especially the Sterling brothers, their expressions stiff. I suddenly laughed, blushing slightly. "He treats me even better. I find myself liking him more and more." Julian looked at Ethan, his face darkening. During the meal, Ethan naturally put peeled shrimp into my bowl, saying intimately, "Baby, garlic shrimp, shelled, your favorite." The next second, we all froze. He realized his mistake but kept his composure. "My brother likes calling you that. I got used to hearing it." I nodded. "You're strangely nice." Julian shot Ethan a warning look. I ignored them, stuffing the shrimp into my mouth. Chew, chew. I frowned. Bad. Fishy. Nauseous. I covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom. After vomiting, Bella looked at me meaningfully. "Morning sickness?" Julian and Ethan's gazes fell on me simultaneously. I said, "No, I ate something bad recently. Throwing up is good, helps with weight loss." Julian put down his chopsticks, smiling without warmth. "Any thinner and you'll cut someone." 4 That day after dinner, Julian and Ethan drove Bella home together. They came back very late. When he returned, he went straight to shower. I wasn't sure if the one showering was Julian or Ethan. I saw his phone on the nightstand. I picked it up smoothly. The comments cursed at me: [What is she doing? Daring to check her sugar daddy's phone? Does she have a death wish?] [Relax, there's a password.] [The password is Bella's birthday. This idiot will never guess it.] Oh, thanks. As former roommates, Bella made a big deal out of every birthday. Hard not to know. I quickly entered Bella's birthday. The phone unlocked. I opened WeChat and found the chat between Julian and Ethan. Julian: [Switch back in two days.] Ethan: [No. Not done playing.] Julian: [She says you've been good to her this year. Don't tell me you caught feelings.] Ethan replied after a long time: [No. How could I?] [Didn't you say, the better you treat her, the harder she falls when the dream breaks?] [I spent most of the year with her. It's the final days, I'm afraid she'll get suspicious.] Julian: [Understood.] [You really didn't touch her?] Ethan: [No. Why? Jealous?] Julian: [No. Just don't want my toy getting dirty.] [Warning you. Play is fine, don't cross the line. That's the rule.] So, the one who came home today was Ethan. Ten minutes later, Ethan finished showering and came in. I played Candy Crush on my phone, ignoring him. Ethan gently took my wrist, implying: "Why are your nails so long again? My back is full of scratches." I said, "Call the police then." Ethan paused, then chuckled low. "Baby, why are you so cute?" He cupped my face and kissed me. His hands wandered under my clothes. I pushed him away. "Stomach hurts today." Ethan frowned. "Stomach ache? Gastritis again?" I shook my head. "No." His hand moved to my belly. "I'll rub it for you." I slapped his hand away. "No need." Ethan's hand froze in mid-air. After a long time, he scoffed. "Fine. Suffer then. I don't care." We didn't speak for a long time. At night, my lower abdomen kept aching. I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, curling into a ball. Sometime in the night, Ethan sighed softly. He pulled me into his arms, patting my back gently, his voice husky with sleep: "Baby, it's okay, it's okay..." When I was very little, my mom used to pat my back like that. That memory was as distant as a dream. But Ethan doing this... It felt incredibly ironic.
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