Chapter 1
In a banquet hall filled with celebrities and dignitaries, everyone was congratulating Evelyn Decker for being handpicked by a renowned director as the female lead, despite being new to the industry.
Meanwhile, the woman who should have been the lead, Evangeline Decker, stood quietly at the corner of the balcony. She finally made up her mind.
“System, I want to go back to my world.”
The system was clearly taken aback.
“What? Joseph’s affection for you is already at 99 points. Once it hits 100, you’ll complete the quest and finally fulfill that long-awaited wish. Just one more point. Why not give it one last push?”
Evangeline shook her head bitterly. “No, I just want to go back.”
Her target, Joseph Cunningham, had increased the investment by tenfold to convince the director to replace her with Evelyn. Presently, he was by Evelyn’s side with his eyes full of affection.
That last point was never going to come.
The system sighed. “Such a shame. You were so close to changing your fate. Anyway, your request has been submitted. You can leave this world in a month, but you can always reconsider before then.”
“Thanks,” Evangeline replied.
The night breeze brushed her face, and her hair fluttered lightly. Her thoughts drifted back to the past.
Evangeline wasn’t from this world.
She was brought here by the system, which said that if she could make anyone in this world reach 100 affection points toward her, she could return to her original world with one wish granted.
Evangeline had a very important wish, so she took the quest seriously.
At first, she had planned to win over her parents, Brandon Decker and Madeleine Sutton. But not all parents loved their children. They didn’t just neglect her; they were cruel.
In an effort to push her into the entertainment industry and make money, they even drugged her.
When a sleazy investor grabbed her waist and started touching her, she tried to fight back, but her body wouldn’t cooperate.
Just as despair set in, Evangeline found herself in a pair of strong arms. Looking up, she saw Joseph’s handsome face.
He coldly ordered his assistant, Antoine Craig, to deal with the investor and then carried her away in his arms.
Joseph safely brought her home. Before leaving, he handed her a business card. “I own an entertainment company as well. You can consider it, Ms. Decker.”
His expression was stern, but his lips curled into a smile.
When their fingers brushed, Evangeline’s heart skipped a beat.
She later signed with him, only to discover that she was the sole artist under his company, Cunningham Entertainment.
Joseph used all his resources to support her, hiring the best trainers and experts to help her.
Evangeline once asked him why he was so kind to her.
He gently raised his hand and cupped her face. “Just one glance at you, and I’ll never want to let you go for the rest of my life.”
After her first film premiered, Joseph proposed to her. “You’re still on the rise, so let’s keep it private for now.”
Though it was a secret marriage, his sincerity was undeniable.
The room was filled with roses flown in from all over the world, and Joseph placed a diamond necklace worth 200 million dollars around her neck. He held her as they watched the fireworks outside.
The fireworks lit up the night sky, all for her.
The two of them kissed in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the flames of passion burned through the night.
Joseph, usually so reserved, kissed her with a burning intensity while calling her Eva. His voice was so tender and so full of longing.
Watching Joseph’s loving gaze and feeling her own heart race, Evangeline was sure they were in love. She then decided to make him her target.
Before long, Joseph’s affection for her reached 99 points. But that last point never came.
Evangeline thought that since Joseph had come so far, it would be perfectly natural for her to take that final step.
She poured her heart into it, trying even harder to show him her love. She even started to hesitate about whether she should leave once the quest was completed.
But five years passed, and Joseph’s affection points never budged.
Evangeline couldn’t make sense of it until that day when she returned home early after her schedule was suddenly canceled.
As she reached the entrance, she heard Brandon’s and Madeleine’s voices.
“Evangeline was just a stand-in. She agreed to play the role of the damsel in distress to help you pass the time, but you had to marry her. Now that Evelyn is back, what will we do?”
“Though they’re both our daughters, Evelyn is the one who truly holds our hearts. You can’t let her suffer. The others don’t matter.”
Evangeline froze.
When she came to this world, this body had been traumatized, and she had lost some memories. She vaguely remembered a sister named Evelyn, who had always lived abroad.
It seemed Brandon and Madeleine weren’t incapable of loving their children. They just poured all their love into Evelyn.
Inside, Joseph was silent for a moment before saying, “When Evie left without a word, I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her again. So even though Evangeline was just a stand-in, I wanted to give her a place in my life.”
“Joseph, it was my selfishness that made me want to leave you and see the world. But I’m tired now. I just want to stop and rest.”
Upon hearing an unfamiliar yet gentle voice, Evangeline instinctively took a few steps forward. She then saw Joseph, usually so composed, with a face full of tenderness and concern.
“Come back if you’re tired, Evie. I opened a company for you when you said you wanted to enter the entertainment industry back then. It’s time to come back and follow your dream.”
Evelyn’s voice was tinged with sadness. “Maybe not… You said the company was for me, but you already have an artist.”
Joseph quickly explained, “You know how much Evangeline looks like you. I only signed her because she was a stand-in. She could never compare to you.”
“But you’re married to her now.”
“You know my feelings for you. A wife can be replaced, but there’s only one Evie in the world.”
Evangeline stood quietly at the door, watching Joseph hold Evelyn in his arms.
She watched them gaze at each other lovingly, talking about the longing they felt after being apart and the joy of reuniting.
It suddenly clicked. During those passionate nights, Joseph hadn’t called her Eva but Evie.
He kissed her and held her as if trying to pull her into his soul, but he was just loving another woman through her. Even their first meeting, the supposed rescue, had been nothing more than a scheme.
No wonder she could never win that last point.
Evangeline suddenly felt like a fool.
A stand-in was actually foolish enough to hope for 100% of someone’s love.
