The phone rang.
Thea grabbed it and silenced it right away.
She sat up slowly, wincing at the ache in her lower back.
All of this was because of Dashiell, and to make it worse, the man had simply left her alone in bed once he’d had his fill of her.
Unbelievable.
He was truly unbelievable.
She wanted so badly to curse him out, but who exactly could she blame?
She couldn’t even blame Dashiell entirely, since as far as he knew, she was Saphira.
This whole charade, she realized, needed to end.
She refused to let Dashiell touch her body again.
She should have thought this through from the very start, but she’d been so naive and foolish, letting herself get swept up so easily by Saphira’s offer.
Her phone rang again, and she grabbed it in a hurry.
It was Saphira calling.
Reluctantly, Thea answered.
“Oh my god, Thea. What have you been doing, and why haven’t you been answering my calls?”
“I’ve been busy, Saphira. You should know how much coursework I have, and I’ve been buried in it. Why are you calling, are you finally coming back?” She desperately hoped so.
“Don’t be silly. Of course not, my work still isn’t finished.”
“I really hope you come back soon, Saphira. Honestly, I want to stop. I don’t want to keep taking your place anymore!”
“What? Why the sudden change?” Saphira’s voice carried a clear note of displeasure.
“I…” Thea’s fingers tightened around the blanket covering her bare body.
She desperately wanted to tell Saphira that she’d slept with her husband, but the words wouldn’t come.
Saphira would surely be furious, and worse, she’d be devastated to learn what had happened.
In the worst case, she might come to hate her for it.
“What’s wrong, Thea? You’ve only been standing in for me for a few days. There’s no way he’s already figured out who you are, is there?”
“N-no, it’s not that. I’m just afraid something might go wrong, Saphira. I’m scared our whole act is going to fall apart. Your husband will be furious, and I don’t want anything to happen to your relationship because of a mistake I made!” Better to stay quiet, better that Saphira never find out.
“You don’t need to worry about that. As long as you don’t do anything reckless, he won’t ever know. Besides, he’s not even with you right now.”
“That’s not true. If he were with me right now, how could I possibly answer your call? I’m just scared our whole scheme is going to be exposed!”
“Relax. That’s not going to happen. I’ll come back the moment my work is finished, and I’ll try not to take too long!” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“I hope so,” Thea said, feeling a small measure of relief, though the fear hadn’t really left her.
“Just keep playing your part well, Thea. I’ll pay you double if you manage to keep this up until I get back.”
“Me?” Thea desperately wanted to refuse, but hesitation held her back.
If she backed out now, she’d be the one who lost everything, since she’d already lost her virginity for nothing.
“Come on. You’re my best friend, so you have to help me out here. I’ll keep my promise and give you all the money you want. I’ll even bring you back a gift when I return.”
Thea let out a long breath.
That wasn’t what she wanted at all, but there was no point saying anything more to Saphira, since her friend clearly didn’t care either way.
“Fine. I’ll keep being you, but I really hope you come back soon so this charade doesn’t drag on too long. I’m worried your husband is going to start getting suspicious. No matter what, the two of us are still different people, you need to remember that.”
“I already told you, don’t worry. He doesn’t really know me well enough to notice it’s you standing in for me.”
Thea sighed again, unable to find the words to respond.
Saphira sounded so confident, while Thea herself was terrified her lies would unravel at any moment.
“Just keep pretending to be me so no one catches on, Thea!”
“Fine, I understand.”
“Good. I’m glad I can count on you for this. Do your best, so that by the time I come back, he’s already completely infatuated with me!” The request made Thea’s eyes go wide.
Did that mean Saphira actually wanted her to make Dashiell fall for her?
The whole thing felt more absurd by the second, and regret was already creeping in for ever agreeing to this insane, foolish arrangement, but there was no undoing it now.
Thea set down her phone and stared blankly out the window.
There was no stopping this game now; she’d have to see it through to the end.
She decided she’d better clean herself up first, since her whole body felt sticky and uncomfortable.
There was no point going to campus now, the day was already too far gone.
Better to just stay home and hope Dashiell had already left.
She also hoped he wouldn’t come back that night.
Once again, she didn’t touch any of the clothes that had been prepared for her.
Thea felt far more comfortable in her own clothes, even if they were a little worn and faded.
Her stomach growled; hunger was setting in.
She crept out of the room carefully and made her way toward the kitchen, completely unaware that Dashiell was actually still in the house, quietly watching everything she did.
Her behavior struck him as strange.
What exactly was this young woman up to? The source of this chapter is g.com.
Dashiell set down the newspaper he’d been reading and followed after her.
With no staff in the kitchen, Thea began searching the fridge for something to eat.
A tempting looking cake caught her attention.
She had no idea whose it was, and honestly, she didn’t care.
She was already sneaking a piece like some kind of thief when she glanced around and was startled to find Dashiell standing right there.
“S-sorry,” Thea quickly put the cake back in the fridge, assuming it must belong to him.
“Sorry for what?”
“I didn’t mean to take your cake.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, you can eat it.” Dashiell looked her over from head to toe.
He seemed puzzled that she wasn’t wearing any of the clothes he’d had prepared for her.
Her plain, simple appearance struck him as suspicious too.
He knew Saphira was supposed to be a glamorous woman, so why was she dressed like this?
“Why aren’t you wearing any of the clothes I had set out for you?”
“I… I just don’t think any of it suits me!” A lie.
“Doesn’t suit you? I’d have thought everything in that closet was exactly your taste.”
“No, I mean, it is my taste, but everything is just so nice. I feel bad wearing it, like it’s too good for me.”
“What kind of nonsense is that, Saphira? Don’t bother playing innocent with me, and don’t lie to me either. Everything in that closet already suits your taste, so just wear it, and if you don’t want it, you’re free to throw it all away!”
“No, Dashiell. Don’t misunderstand. I do like it, but it’s all so beautiful that it feels like it’s only meant for special occasions!”
Dashiell arched an eyebrow.
What game was this woman playing now?
“Fine. Come with me. I’ll take you to buy some clothes you can actually wear day to day. You’ll need to find a dress too, since my grandfather wants me to bring you home for dinner with him.”
“What?” Thea was stunned.
Dinner with Dashiell’s grandfather?
Wasn’t that incredibly dangerous for her?
The old man surely knew Saphira well, and the moment he laid eyes on her, wouldn’t her secret be exposed instantly?
This was a disaster.
She was in real trouble now.
How could she possibly find a way out of this dinner invitation?