Seven Years a Shadow: The Stand-In's Escape novel Chapter 80

After staying up all night to finish work, I rushed straight to the hotel auction.

As soon as I entered the banquet hall, a waiter bumped into me, causing broken plates to cut her palm.

I told her to go take care of her wound while I crouched down to clean up the mess.

At that moment, a familiar voice rang out from above.

"Sophia, is that you?"

I looked up.

Lucas, dressed in a suit, was holding his first love, Isabella, while looking down at me.

Behind them, a few of our college classmates followed.

Isabella sneered at me, rolling her eyes.

"Graduating from an Ivy League school, how did you end up here as a waitress?"

Another classmate scanned me up and down, tactfully adding, "You look so pale, and your clothes are so plain..."

"Sophia, it must have been tough for you these past few years, huh?"

I smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying.

The pale complexion was due to staying up late over the past few days working on designs.

It was only when my assistant reminded me that I remembered I had to attend the auction today.

Time was tight, so I washed my face and threw on some casual clothes before rushing here.

This was the Ritz-Carlton.

The people in front of me were all dressed to the nines, especially Isabella, who was wearing a new Chanel evening gown.

In comparison, I did look rather shabby.

I wasn't sure who it was, but someone suddenly exclaimed, "She's the one who used to cling to Mr. Bennett, right?"

Laughter erupted from the group.

I frowned slightly but didn't argue; after all, they were speaking the truth.

During college, I was completely focused on Lucas.

He had once saved me from some thugs, and since then, I devoted myself to him wholeheartedly.

Someone sighed, "Back in school, you used to save seats for Lucas, buy him breakfast, knit him scarves... I thought you two would end up together."

This statement immediately sparked rebuttals from a few other classmates.

"Mr. Bennett is way out of her league, she’s just a waitress."

"Exactly, Mr. Bennett has always been in love with our campus queen, Isabella!"

"Isabella is now a popular blogger with millions of followers, and with handsome, wealthy Mr. Bennett, they make such a perfect couple!"

"Sophia is trying to reach above her station?"

"What a daydreamer!"

More laughter followed.

Isabella basked in the praise, clearly pleased with herself, but pretended to act all understanding.

"At least Sophia is a girl, you guys are being too harsh."

She handed me a business card.

"Sophia, our company is hiring cleaning staff. The job is much easier than what you're doing now. Since we're classmates, I'll offer you double the salary."

I declined expressionlessly. "I'm happy with my current job."

The girl beside Isabella sneered at me.

But just moments ago, he had let that group of people ridicule and humiliate me.

In my past life, Lucas was a failure.

In college, he was abandoned by his true love, Isabella, and he fell into despair.

I stayed by his side, helping him, comforting him.

After graduation, he proposed to me, saying I was the one he wanted to protect for the rest of his life.

For him, I gave up the opportunity to attend the Rhode Island School of Design, worked tirelessly every day to earn money, just to relieve some of his burdens.

But after we got married, Lucas kept chasing after get-rich-quick schemes, and he repeatedly lost money in stock investments.

I advised him to find a stable job and live a more grounded life, but he accused me of not supporting his career.

On his birthday, I spent the whole day in the kitchen cooking a feast of his favorite dishes.

But he criticized me for smelling of oil and smoke, mocking me for being poor and tasteless, saying I couldn’t even afford a Rolex.

The day before, I had paid off one hundred thousand dollars of his debt.

And yet, in front of me, he casually stated his birthday wish:

"I wish I could go back to the past. If I had the chance, I would never choose you over Isabella."

"Choosing you was the biggest mistake of my life!"

I ended up smashing the birthday cake I had made for him.

A deep sorrow and regret overwhelmed my heart.

That night, I stood alone on the balcony, crying my heart out.

I thought to myself, if I could truly go back in time, I would never make the same mistake again!

And when I woke up, both of our wishes had come true.