Chapter 2

Frank Hudson's voice trembled with excitement over the phone. "Lindy, are you serious? Has your mother's situation been resolved? And that man—"

"My mom has passed away," Lindsey cut him off. "And that man is useless now."

There was a pause on the other end. Then, Frank spoke in a gentle tone, "Lindy, I don't know what happened to you in the past five years, but the most painful moments are often the periods when we have the most growth. Your life is just beginning."

After all, how could the life of a prodigy like Lindsey end up tangled in the mess that was Jacob?

Perhaps, Lindsey did have some affection for Jacob once. He was handsome, treated her well, and willingly spent money on her mother's medical treatment. What reason did she have to be dissatisfied?

However, everything was shattered the day Stephanie returned from abroad. Jacob, who rarely drank alcohol, muttered the truth in a drunken stupor, "Stephie, I missed you so much that it's driving me crazy. If only I hadn't taken you in back then…"

Lindsey picked up the photo he had dropped on the floor.

She was a beautiful young lady and somewhat resembled herself, but Lindsey knew clearly that she was just the disposable stand-in for Stephanie.

Whatever feelings Lindsey had for Jacob were utterly burned to ashes from that moment on. She obediently played the role of a stand-in and endured all the vulgar deeds in bed that Jacob didn't dare to do to Stephanie.

She thought that she would leave him without hesitation once her mother recovered from her illness. But in the end, all she got for enduring was her mother's corpse and Jacob's heartless message.

"Do you know what you've done wrong now?"

Lindsey stared at the message for a long time. Instinctively, she opened Jacob's Facebook post.

It was a photo of the beach, ocean, sunset, and Stephanie's ethereal beauty. Those were all paid for with her mother's life!

Lindsey called a cab and returned to the villa to pack her luggage. As soon as she entered, she saw Jacob sitting on the couch with a dark expression. "Where did you go? Why didn't you reply to my message?"

His tone was cold, heartless, and arrogant.

Lindsey couldn't understand it herself. She couldn't help wondering why she had ever liked him back then.

Seeing that she had no intention of responding to him, Jacob stormed upstairs and grabbed her wrist violently. "Lindsey, you made Stephie so upset. What right do you have to be angry with me?"

Lindsey sucked in a sharp breath from the pain, but she calmly met his furious gaze. "So what? How should I apologize to her this time? Another fire-eating performance? Breaking my other hand? Or down ten more bottles of liquor?"

Jacob was stunned when Lindsey, who was usually meek and timid like a bunny, suddenly revealed her sharp claws. Surprisingly, he calmed down and said, "Come with me to the Whitaker estate. Grandpa wants to meet you."

As if remembering something, he added, "I'll give you 100 grand. You know what to say and what you shouldn't."

Lindsey chuckled.

The Whitaker family was very strict on family values and proper upbringing. When the patriarch of the family, Edison Whitaker, found out that Jacob didn’t regard Stephanie merely as a junior, but had romantic feelings for her, he immediately sent her overseas. Right after that, he arranged countless dates to find a partner for Jacob.

However, Jacob only had eyes for Lindsey, who hid away in a corner. The reason was that she simply resembled Stephanie a lot.

That night, he forced himself on her under the influence of alcohol.

One lacked love, while the other lacked money. Naturally, they ended up developing a mutually beneficial relationship.

The scenery outside the window blurred as the car sped past. They finally pulled up at the front gates of the Whitaker estate.

The moment the car door opened, a petite figure flung herself into Jacob's arms. "Jake, I missed you so much!"

Jacob's cold expression softened instantly. He picked her up in his arms and said in an affectionate tone, "Why aren't you wearing your shoes? What if you catch a cold?"

"It's alright even if I catch a cold. Then, you'll have to stay by my side and take care of me," she said.

They flirted openly like there was no one else around, as if they were a couple in the throes of passion.

The Whitakers' butler, Derek Brown, reminded Jacob gently, "Mr. Jacob, Mr. Whitaker Senior's health hasn't been good lately. Please try to restrain yourself."

After all, Jacob got into an argument with Edison over Stephanie the last time they came to the Whitaker estate. Edison was so angry that his blood pressure spiked, and he was rushed to the hospital that night.

Jacob furrowed his brow and asked irritably, "Why does the old man want to see Lindsey all of a sudden? Did some gossip reach the Whitaker family again?"

At that moment, an authoritative voice came from upstairs. "And what is the gossip that I can't hear about?"

Edison was coming down the stairs, descending steadily with his cane in hand.

Lindsey quickly stepped forward to support him. Aside from Jenny, Edison was the only person who ever truly treated her like family.

Edison gave Lindsey a warm smile. When he turned, he saw Jacob and Stephanie in each other's arms. Fury welled up within him. "What a disgrace to see you two flirting publicly in front of everyone!"

Jacob's expression turned cold as he finally let go of Stephanie's hand. "Why did you call me and Lindsey to come back here?"

Edison snorted and said, "Of course, we have to talk about your marriage with Lindy! You've been together for five years, so it's time to get married. I've made arrangements for you and Lindy to register your marriage and hold the wedding one month from today!"