In His Shadow, I Became Her Toy

"What about Jerry Griffin? He doesn't seem to be interested in you," Simone Murphy's friend asked her.

"He's different." Simone's voice turned serious. "He's genuine and pure of heart, unlike other guys. He's worth waiting for."

A bitter ache spread from my heart to every inch of my body.

It turned out I was just a plaything to Simone. So be it, then.

I turned around and quietly left.

My younger brother, Jerry, and I had joined Simone's company, Murphy Group, at the same time. He was headhunted with a high salary, basking in glory as he took up his position.

On the other hand, my job was just part of a transaction.

Jerry prided himself on never taking shortcuts. More than once, he said in front of everyone, "I'm not like men who climb up the ladder by relying on a woman."

Every time he said that, all eyes would fall on me.

It was well known that Simone had a thing for Jerry. She pursued him relentlessly, buying him expensive watches, sports cars, and other rare collectibles. But he always remained proud and aloof, keeping her at a distance. And that only made her even more infatuated with him.

As for me, I was just the tool she used to relieve herself of her loneliness.

One night, after drinking a little too much, we ended up in bed. When it was over, she sat up in bed, smoking a cigarette. Suddenly, she stubbed it out and turned toward me, pushing the hair out of my eyes.

Her fingers were cold, but her movement showed a rare trace of gentle warmth.

"You have very pretty eyes." Simone stared at me, her gaze soft.

A distant memory came surging back to me. I saw the raging flames and the choking smoke that almost suffocated me. I remembered the way I shielded a young girl with my own small frame. Our eyes met amid the chaos, and she said to me, "You have very pretty eyes."

Simone's face merged with the young girl in my memory.

I had always known that she'd been looking for a young boy who had saved her in a fire once, but I couldn't believe that it was me. I was a sullen man with a sense of inferiority, while she was a dazzling star born to shine above all others.

We were from entirely different worlds.

But the attentive look in her eyes had given me a spark of courage. Gripping the blanket, I said in a shaky voice, "Simone… the boy who saved you in that fire… was me."

The tenderness in her eyes was instantly replaced with disgust.

"I can't believe you'd make up a lie like that just to latch onto me, Isaac!"

I froze, and my heart slowly sank. "I'm not lying about—"

"You shut your mouth!" Simone cut me off harshly. "I looked into it long ago! It was Jerry who saved me! That scar on his arm is proof of that!"

I was completely dumbfounded. The scar on Jerry's arm? He'd gotten that from falling off a tree when he was younger! He hadn't gone to that abandoned factory back then!

"That's not true! I was the one who showed up at the fire. Jerry was—"

"Enough!" Simone stood up irritably. "You're not even qualified to compare yourself to your brother!"

She marched off, slamming the door behind her, while I curled up in bed, my body going cold.