For three years, I’d been his perfect “girlfriend.”
I was fluent in six languages, serving as the chief translator for his multinational corporation.
I meticulously memorized the preferences of all his business partners, smoothing over one social crisis after another for him.
I could even mimic his first love’s handwriting, penning letters to his family abroad on her behalf.
Everyone said I, Seraphina, must have won the cosmic lottery in a past life to transform from a simple orphan into the most indispensable woman by Julian Vance, the heir to a powerful dynasty.
I used to believe it too.
He’d cook me soup all night when I lost my voice from simultaneous interpreting.
He’d book an entire island just to watch birthday fireworks with me.
Then came that International Investment Summit in Geneva.
Wearing the simultaneous interpretation headset he’d personally placed on me, I sat by his side, flawlessly translating the impenetrable speeches of German-speaking titans into the crucial business intelligence he needed.
During the break, my headset unexpectedly cross-wired, tuning into a private conversation between him and his close friend.
“Julian, this time, we really owe Seraphina. Those Germans finally agreed.”
Julian’s voice crackled through the earpiece, laced with a casual, almost dismissive chuckle.
“She was born for this. This ‘Eleanor Vance’ stand-in? We’ve groomed her for three years. It finally paid off.”
His trusted associate lowered his voice.
“What about the real Eleanor Vance…?”
“Her? She’s skiing in Switzerland, having a blast. Seraphina, that fool, she’s taking all the heat for her. What does Eleanor have to be unhappy about?”
My fingertips instantly went ice cold.
So, I wasn’t Seraphina.
I was “Eleanor Vance.”
A perfectly acceptable, replacement.
“Julian, your ‘stand-in plan’ is absolutely brilliant,”
The other man’s voice was filled with admiration.
“You get to use Seraphina’s capabilities to close your deals, and you’ve kept the real Eleanor so perfectly shielded.”
Another voice cut in, Julian’s cousin, Derek Vance.
“Yeah, Eleanor has always been spoiled and delicate since she was a kid. She could never handle the cutthroat schemes of the business world. With Seraphina taking the brunt of it, Eleanor just gets to enjoy her life abroad. Bro, this arrangement? It’s real devotion to Eleanor.”
His friend sighed.
“It’s just tough on Seraphina. She loves you so much. If she ever found out she was just a shadow, from beginning to end…”
“She won’t find out.”
Julian’s voice was like ice.
“And even if she did, so what? An orphan with no family. I gave her three good years, letting her move in the highest circles of power and prestige. She should be grateful. This position, she practically stole it.”
Derek scoffed.
“You’re right, Bro. Besides, she’s head over heels for you, isn’t she? She’d do anything to stay by your side. Even if she knew the truth, she’d probably cry a couple of times, you’d snap your fingers, and she’d still cling to you. After all, without you, she’s nothing.”
“Her desperate ambition to climb the social ladder—wasn’t it all for this? To be Eleanor’s stand-in? It’s her honor.”
A few low chuckles followed, their words dripping with scorn and mockery, like countless steel needles piercing my brain through the headset.
I sat there, spine ramrod straight, maintaining a perfectly professional smile.
But under the table, my nails were digging deep into my palms.
What did they mean? Everything I was proud of was just a meticulously planned “stand-in training” program?
I’d pushed myself to master six languages, stayed up all night studying international business etiquette.
I’d shielded him from countless shots of hard liquor at galas, throwing up until my gut was raw.
I thought it was love, mutual devotion.
Turns out, it was just the professional conduct of a “replacement.”
The conversation in my earpiece continued, but I couldn’t really hear it anymore.
Eleanor Vance, the one they mentioned—I knew about her. The true heiress of the Vance family, raised abroad, very mysterious.
I’d once asked Julian about her curiously. He just stroked my head, saying gently:
“Don’t overthink it. You are you. In my heart, no one compares.”
Now I understood.
I truly was unique.
A uniquely perfect, tool.
The absurdity of it all made me want to stand up right then and there, but three years of muscle memory kept me rigidly glued to my chair.
A professional translator must never lose composure, no matter the circumstances.
That was the first lesson Julian Vance ever taught me.
Huh. How ironic.
The channel on my headset switched. A sweet female voice chimed in, tinged with a playful whine.
“Julian, the press conference data is out! We won our bet; they got absolutely crushed!”
It was Julian’s new secretary, Angie.
A girl completely different from me—flirty, vibrant, like a hothouse flower.
Julian chuckled softly, a sound filled with a tenderness I’d never heard directed at me.
“Got it. Have you thought about what reward you want?”
“I don’t want a reward, Julian! It’s all thanks to your amazing strategy!”
Angie’s voice was sickeningly sweet.
“Still, Seraphina did a great job this time. Her intel was incredibly accurate. Julian, how did you train her to be so amazing? She’s like an emotionless AI, too perfect to be real.”
That comparison made my heart seize up.
I heard Julian laugh lightly.
“Because a tool doesn’t need emotions.”
His voice, transmitted through the current, cut clearly into my ears, every word like an icicle laced with poison.
“She just needs to be precise enough, effective enough. That’s all. As for emotions… those are a luxury reserved for living people.”
Derek chimed in, trying to curry favor:
“My brother really knows how to train them. Delicate flowers like Angie need to be pampered and cherished. But someone like Seraphina? A born workhorse. Just make sure she’s useful. Look at her, she pulled countless all-nighters for this project, her eyes were bloodshot, and I never heard her complain once.”
“Exactly. My brother spoils Angie so much he wouldn’t dream of making her do such hard work. Not like Seraphina—tough and expendable.”
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