Semua Bab Goodbye to the Stand-in: Bab 1 - Bab 8

"You know I only love you, Tiff. But now that Joe is no longer around, as a family, we should look out for Lynda. The doctors say that she can't handle any more emotional stress. Let's just think of it as doing the right thing," a familiar voice said. Yet, my mind went blank. Before I could even react, I felt Joshua Coleman grabbing my hand. I pulled away almost instinctively.His expression immediately darkened, and his tone grew harsher. "Why can't you be more considerate of her, Tiffany? I'm doing this for the sake of our family. Can you really bring yourself to tell Lynda the truth?"I dug my nails into my palms, trying to snap myself out of it. But my silence only made them even more anxious.The next moment, Samantha Jenkins, my mother-in-law, who was standing beside me, started persuading me again. "The doctor said that it's just temporary amnesia. She might be fine in a couple of days. Just be patient. Everything will be fine once Lynda regains her memories!"The familiar

I was surprised when Joshua pulled me aside before he left.He explained, "Don't get the wrong idea, Tiff. I'm not sure how Joe and Lynda usually interact, so I'm just going along with what she says. It won't be good if she starts suspecting otherwise."Seeing Joshua try to comfort me, I just smiled and said, "I understand. Everything will be fine once Lynda regains her memories."He looked diffident when he saw how thoughtful I was being. He then pulled out some money from his pockets and placed it in my hand.Like mother, like son. They both thought they could pay me off. But I'd be crazy to turn the money down when they offer it to me.I took the money over and said, "I'll pick out a gift for Natalie on my way back. It'll cheer her up. You know how she is. She's always the thoughtful one."Joshua, who just offered to take care of Lynda, still had a shred of consciousness left. When he heard me speak, he dug out more money and gave it to me. "Take good care of Natalie for now.

It was a pity Joseph couldn't see this for himself. But it didn't matter—as long as he came back. Even if he weren't here to see for himself, he'd be able to hear about it from someone else.With that thought in mind, I immediately turned around, ready to expose this family to the villagers.What I didn't see coming was Lynda making the first move. She said, "You must be crazy, Tiffany. This is my husband, Joseph. Joshua is currently out on a business trip. As much as you miss him, you shouldn't be mistaking him for someone else!"Besides, your daughter doesn't know any better. With her father gone, it's only right for her uncle to step in and teach her right from wrong."Lynda spoke with so much conviction. It was as if I were the one being unreasonable.I burst out laughing, ready to call her out without hesitation. But to my surprise, the village elders were all on my side."Oh, do you take us as idiots? Anyone could tell that he's Joshua, Tiffany's husband. When did he beco

The crowd started siding with me again upon seeing how I was acting.Joshua was at a loss for words. His expression grew darker with each second.I shot him a quick glance before crying even harder.It wasn't compulsory to register one's marriage. Like many other married couples, Joshua and I didn't have a marriage certificate, but Lynda and Joseph did.I couldn't recall if this had happened in my past life, but I never expected them to be so impatient in this lifetime. It seemed like Joshua and Lynda had registered themselves as a married couple while I was out running errands. It just so happened that Natalie caught them in the act and turned the whole matter into a scene.I waited until everyone had said their piece, then slowly got to my feet. Without saying a single word, I slapped Joshua twice, as hard as I could.I didn't know if he felt the pain, but my hand sure did. It was already numb.I pointed at him and started yelling, "If I knew you were like this, I wouldn't h