Chapter 5

Jason picked up his phone, intending to call Sophia and ask where she had moved. But his gaze stopped on his phone wallpaper.

It was one he had never changed. A photo of him and Sophia. In the picture, Sophia had just turned twenty-three. Her face was bright with a radiant smile.

Come to think of it, the reason he had gotten involved with Lily in the first place was simply because she had a face identical to Sophia’s.

He had never been able to forget the Sophia who had suddenly appeared in his life when he was eighteen. She had been brave. She had dreams of her own.

Back then, he had not yet become Don. He was an illegitimate son, overshadowed by his older brother in every possible way. Sophia had always encouraged him. She stayed by his side as he grew stronger.

Later, his abilities earned his father’s approval. He became Don, just as he had always wanted. And he married the Sophia he had longed for.

But then Sophia was disfigured.

She lost her beautiful face. She became ugly. She could no longer act. Whenever he looked at her scars, fear rose inside him.

He could not bear the thought of waking up every day beside a woman whose face had been ruined. Nor could he bear the whispers of outsiders.

So deep down, he was disappointed. Yet he still loved Sophia.

And Sophia’s twin sister, Lily, looked exactly like her. She was the perfect substitute.

The truth was, he had known all along that the person rescued from the fire was not Sophia. He had simply been lying to himself. It was only when Sophia woke up and came to confront him that reality slammed into him.

But he did not want to end that beautiful dream. A dream in which Sophia was still beautiful.

The first time he threatened Sophia with divorce, the words had slipped out before he could stop them. He regretted it almost immediately. The times after that, he only brought it up because he thought she was being too dramatic and wanted her to calm down.

After all, he still had feelings for Sophia. Even if he had chosen someone else, it was still someone who looked exactly like her. Besides, he had Lily give Sophia part of the money she made from acting. That was a benefit for Sophia too.

But Sophia did not appreciate it. She cared too much about their relationship. Too much about her career. He could not understand it.

Besides, he had never truly wanted to divorce Sophia.

As long as she was still around, once he got over the discomfort in his heart, he would probably go back to her.

Jason thought for a long time. In the end, he decided to take the initiative and call Sophia to calm her down.

But before he could dial, he realized he had been blocked.

His brow furrowed. His first instinct was that it was impossible.

He had been involved with Lily for so long. Even when Sophia had been at her most hysterical, she had never blocked him.

Before he could figure out why, his phone rang. It was Lily.

“Jason, you can’t believe that recording going around online! A bunch of bots are flooding Twitter, and public opinion is spiraling. It has to be Sophia again. Why won’t she just let me go? I’m so scared, Jason…”

Listening to her sniffling voice, Jason frowned deeply. He could not even be bothered to listen to the recording she mentioned.

Sophia had done something stupid again. Just like last time.

Hadn’t she learned her lesson?

Remembering the look on Sophia’s face when she had begged him not to hurt anyone innocent—pale, powerless, and desperate—Jason felt his resolve crack for a brief moment.

He thought of Sophia’s friend, Nancy. The girl who had always tried to bring him and Sophia together.

Truthfully, he had only meant to scare Sophia.

Even if Sophia had refused to clarify things, even at the cost of her own life, he would not have truly done anything to Nancy.

But Sophia had agreed. She had been obedient.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I believe you. I’ll handle it.”

He hung up, with no desire to comfort Lily any further.

He decided to find Sophia. As long as she agreed to clear up this mess, he would remarry her.

Then he would take her traveling around the world. While they were traveling, they could consult renowned doctors and see whether there was any hope for skin damaged by severe burns. Maybe there was still a chance.

He had promised Sophia that trip a long time ago.

But not long after he made that promise, Sophia had been burned, disfigured, and fallen into a long coma.

He had thought about taking Lily instead. But in his heart, he knew Lily was not the real Sophia.

And yet, he had taken Lily anyway. It was after Sophia had woken up again, stood before him, and confronted him.

He had wanted to see Sophia’s beautiful face light up with happiness while they traveled. But seeing that her beauty had been stolen by the fire shattered his fantasy.

So, to satisfy that fantasy, he had selfishly taken Lily—the woman who looked exactly like Sophia—in her place.

Jason remembered Sophia’s expression when she found out he had gone with Lily. She had looked as though she was about to cry and laugh at the same time.

An inexplicable tightness gripped his chest.

Now that he was blocked, he could not call Sophia. So he tried calling Nancy instead. But Nancy’s mother answered.

Through choked sobs, Nancy’s mother demanded justice for her daughter’s death. Only then did Jason learn that after being tied up, Nancy had been tortured by Lily until she lost consciousness. And not long after being discharged from the hospital, she had been killed.

He suddenly remembered Lily mentioning a recording. He opened Twitter. The trending topics were all about “The Real and Fake Sophia” and “Nancy’s Cause of Death.”

Overwhelmed by the flood of information and unsure how to respond, he could only ask Nancy’s mother in a trembling voice, “What about Sophia?”

Before hanging up, Nancy’s mother left him with one final sentence: “You don’t deserve to know where she is. Stop bothering her.”