I was the unforgettable first love who vanished from a billionaire’s life. Five years later, I flew back to Chicago on Ethan’s birthday, wanting to surprise him. But outside his apartment door, I heard a woman’s soft, breathless gasps. Then came Ethan’s voice. It was raspy, strained, and filled with the intense passion I used to know so well. "Sienna..." The woman’s voice was as sweet as honey. "Didn't you used to call out for Alana, Mr. Vance?" "Why not today?" Ethan growled, "Because you’ve completely bewitched me. Is that not enough?" The rest of their sounds faded into a blur. A cold dread washed over me. I turned around and walked away. On my way out, Chloe sent me a Snapchat. [Lana, I forgot to tell you. Ethan has a woman named Sienna Hayes around him now.] [But she's just your stand-in. They have an agreement—the moment you come back, she has to pack her bags and leave. She's no threat to you.] I thought to myself: Right now, Ethan probably doesn't want her to leave at all. I had spent over ten hours on a flight, crossing half the globe, returning with a heart full of hope. But I didn't come back to rekindle things. I came back to confirm that Ethan had already given his heart to someone else.
I checked into a hotel. At 2:00 AM, my phone lit up. It was a FaceTime call from Ethan. I stared at his name flashing on the screen and let it ring. For five years after I left, this name had haunted my dreams countless times. I used to dream that he found me, his eyes red as he demanded to know why I threw him away. And in those dreams, I would tell him the truth. But now, with his call actually coming through, I didn't know what to say. The ringing stopped. A few seconds later, a Snapchat message popped up from him. [You’re back in town?] It took me a long time to reply. [Yeah.] He answered almost instantly. [Did you come to my place last night?] He had noticed. Maybe it was the wet footprint on the welcome mat, or maybe it was the digital lock's history. But he didn't ask if I got caught in the rain. He didn't ask why I didn't come in, or where I was staying. He was only trying to confirm if I had seen something I shouldn't have. I replied: [I did.] There was a long silence on his end. Finally, he text back: [Let's meet tomorrow.] Outside, the rain was pouring heavily. The hotel room’s harsh white light made everything feel cold and lifeless. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I remembered my first night in London five years ago. The guards my father hired stood outside my door. They had confiscated my passport and my phone. I was burning with a fever so high that my mind was hazy, yet I kept begging them to give my phone back. I wanted to call Ethan. I wanted to tell him that his mother's medical bills had been paid, and that my father would help sort out his struggling startup. I didn't leave him on purpose. I just didn't have a choice. But the next morning, I saw an email my father had sent to Ethan using my account. It was brutally short. [Ethan, I'm tired. I don't want to struggle with you anymore. Let's break up.] I had knelt on the carpet, crying until I couldn't breathe. Later, I tried to contact him. But his number was disconnected, and my emails were blocked. Our mutual friends had been warned by my father; no one dared to help me pass a message. I thought that with time, once my father relented and Ethan got back on his feet, we would finally have a chance to explain things. But five years was too long. It was long enough for a broke boy with nothing to his name to become the powerful CEO of Vance Enterprises. It was long enough for him to hold another woman tightly in his arms. The next afternoon, I went to Vance Enterprises. Ethan didn't come down to meet me himself. He sent his assistant. When the assistant saw me, his expression was incredibly conflicted. "Ms. Miller, Mr. Vance is waiting for you in his penthouse office." Years ago, Ethan’s people used to call me "Lana." Now, they looked at me like I was a ghost from a past that didn't belong here anymore. When I entered the office, Ethan was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, smoking. Five years had stripped away his old gentleness, leaving only a sharp, cold edge. His black shirt was buttoned to the top, and a luxury watch gleamed on his wrist. Hearing the door open, he turned around. The moment his eyes landed on me, something intense flickered deep within them. But quickly, he masked it with cold indifference. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?" I looked at him. "I wanted to surprise you." His hand holding the cigarette paused slightly. Ethan walked over and shut the office door. "Last night... how much did you hear?" I met his gaze. "How much did you want me to hear?" His expression darkened. "Lana, don't play mind games with me." "Sienna is just..." He paused, stopping himself. I finished the sentence for him. "A stand-in?" Ethan's face turned incredibly pale. "Alana, you were gone for five years!" "You were the one who betrayed us first. What right do you have to question me now?"
Resentment flared in his eyes. "My mother was in the ICU, fighting for her life, and you didn't answer my calls." "I was cornered by reporters outside my office, looking like a desperate dog, and you weren't there." "And then I got your email, saying you were tired and didn't want to waste your life on me." He took a step closer, crowding my space. "And now you come back, see someone else by my side, and feel wronged?" My fingertips trembled slightly. "I didn't send that email." Ethan let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Then who did?" I opened my mouth to explain. But right then, his phone rang. The name "Sienna" flashed on the screen. His finger twitched. It was an instinct—more honest than any word he had ever spoken to me. The phone rang a second time. And a third. Finally, Ethan picked it up, his tone harsh. "What is it?" I couldn't hear the other side, but his brow furrowed deeply. "Don't cry." After a brief pause, Ethan hung up and looked at me. "She’s not feeling well. I need to head back." I nodded. "Go ahead." My calm reaction seemed to irritate him. "Alana, what is with this attitude?" I countered: "What attitude should I have?" "You vanished for five years, and the moment you return, you act like the victim. I am under no obligation to wait for you forever." With that, he slammed the door and left. I stood in the quiet office, remembering how Ethan used to fight with me. No matter how angry he was, he would never leave me alone. He would stand outside my door all night. "Lana, open the door." "I was wrong." "I just lost my temper. Please don't ignore me." Back then, I thought we would fight and have cold wars, but we would never lose each other. Now I realized there is no such thing as "forever" in this world. The news of my return quickly spread through our old circle. On the third night, Chloe threw a welcome-back party for me. By the time I arrived, there were already a dozen people in the VIP lounge. The moment they saw me, the teasing began. "Lana’s finally back!" "Where's Ethan? Why didn't he come with you?" "You two were so crazy about each other back then. Are you getting back together now?" "Ethan has been thinking about you all these years, you know." Hearing those words, my throat felt dry. Thinking about me? Maybe he did. But he also had someone else in his bed. Chloe pushed me into the center seat and whispered, "Don't worry about anything tonight. We’ve all got your back." I forced a small smile. "There's no need." "Of course there is." She lowered her voice, her eyes filled with pain for me. "You suffered in London for five years because of him. Why should you come back and take this kind of disrespect?" Before I could reply, the door swung open. Ethan walked in. He wore a long black coat, his expression cold. The moment he entered, his eyes immediately locked onto me. For a split second, I saw a flash of vulnerability in his eyes. But just as quickly, he went back to being distant. Someone immediately joked: "Late to the party, Mr. Vance!" "Lana’s back, you owe her at least three shots!" "Seriously! You two were the most dramatic couple in our group back then." "Now that Lana’s back, you better start chasing her again!"
Ethan glanced at me and gave a curt nod. Sensing the tense atmosphere, someone tried to smooth things over. "Look at him, Ethan’s actually shy!" "He was so wild back then, and now he’s acting all polite." I kept my head down, taking a sip of water. It was ice-cold. It slid down my throat, making my chest ache. After a few rounds of drinks, the mood in the room got lively. Someone suddenly laughed and said: "Hey, since we’re celebrating Lana's return, shouldn't we invite his other girl too?" "We're all friends here. Sienna’s been close with Ethan these past few years. Let's call her over to hang out." Before anyone could stop him, he actually dialed the number. Ethan frowned. "Stop messing around." But the call had already gone through. A few minutes later, we heard the host guiding someone down the hall. The door opened. Sienna stood at the entrance. She wore a soft white knit dress, her eyes slightly red as if she had been crying before she got here. The moment she walked in, the entire room fell dead silent. Everyone’s eyes darted back and forth between her and me. Sienna did look like me. Especially her eyes and brow. Five years ago, I was just as thin, and I loved wearing light colors too. But she looked much more fragile, like she would break at the slightest touch. Jared Stone smirked and waved her over. "Sienna, come on, sit here." He was pointing to the empty seat right next to me. Ethan slammed his glass onto the table, shattering it. "Jared, don't push it!" Jared shrugged. "What did I do? Everyone just wants to see what it's like when the original and the stand-in are in the same room." At those words, Sienna's face went completely pale. She clutched her purse, tears instantly spilling over. "I'm sorry... I didn't know Ms. Miller was here." She turned to leave. Ethan stood up and grabbed her wrist. "Sienna." His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to silence the room. Sienna froze, keeping her back to him, her shoulders trembling. "I didn't mean to." "I really didn't want to steal anyone's place..." The air in the room was thick with awkwardness. Everyone was staring at me. Some looked sympathetic, some embarrassed, and others pretended to take drinks. Ethan finally turned his gaze to me. In that look, there was resentment, anger, and a strange kind of blame that I couldn't quite comprehend. It was as if Sienna’s humiliation was entirely my fault. I slowly stood up. "I wasn't the one who called her." Ethan’s voice was ice-cold. "But these are your friends." I froze. Then, I laughed. So even this was being blamed on me. Sienna cried harder. "Don't blame Lana. I shouldn't have come." As she spoke, her knees buckled. Ethan’s expression changed instantly, and he caught her. "Sienna?" She slumped weakly into his arms. "I can't... I can't breathe..." Ignoring everyone else, Ethan scooped Sienna up in his arms. As he passed by me, I instinctively called out to him. "Ethan." "Today is my welcome party." Ethan looked down at me. In his arms, Sienna was still sobbing, her fingers tightly clutching his shirt. He remained silent for two seconds. Finally, he said, "She’s sick." Then, he carried her out without looking back. The door clicked shut quietly. But to me, it felt like a bomb had gone off in my ears. Everyone in the room was frozen. Chloe’s eyes were red. She wanted to run after him, but I held her back. Her voice shook. "Lana..." I shook my head. "Don't. Let him go." There was nothing left to chase. He had made his choice. The party ended in awkward silence. Some tried to comfort me, saying Ethan was just confused. Others cursed Sienna for being manipulative and faking a faint. And some said Ethan had actually been miserable these past few years, and he was only using Sienna to hurt me because he was bitter about me leaving without a word. Hearing all of that just made me feel exhausted. Using her to hurt me? What a joke. If this was all just a punishment, it felt way too real.
I went back to the hotel alone. The moment I stepped into my room, my phone buzzed. An unknown number had sent me a video. I tapped it. The background was a hospital hallway. Sienna was sitting on a bench, pale-faced, her eyes swollen from crying. Ethan stood in front of her, holding a bag of prescription medicine. Suddenly, Sienna threw herself into his arms. "Ethan, did I make a fool of myself tonight?" "Everyone says I'm just a stand-in. They say now that Alana is back, I should just get lost." "But I’m the one who stayed by your side for five years!" "I took care of you when your stomach flared up. I stayed up with you when you couldn't sleep. Even when you got drunk and called out her name, I swallowed my pride and stayed." "What am I to you?" Ethan didn't push her away immediately. His hand hovered in the air for a long time. Finally, he let it rest gently on her back. Sienna sobbed louder. "Do you still love Alana?" In the video, Ethan remained silent for what felt like an eternity. Sienna looked up, tears streaming down her face. "I want the truth." "If you had to choose between her and me, who would it be?" Ethan closed his eyes. His voice was low and hollow. "Sienna, I don't love her anymore." The words were soft. But they felt like a sharp blade, precisely piercing through the last bit of hope I had clung to for five years. Sienna hugged him tightly, weeping. "Then don't make me a stand-in anymore, okay?" Ethan didn't say anything. But he leaned down and held her even tighter. The video cut off there. A few seconds later, another text came from the unknown number. [Ms. Miller, coming back was just humilating yourself.] Staring at the screen, I suddenly laughed. And then, the tears started falling. For five years, I had faced temptations. But I never took a single step out of line. Because I knew I was going back to Ethan. So I kept my distance from everyone else. But Ethan didn't wait. He found someone who looked like me and kept her close. Hugging, kissing, sleeping together. What was the point of my loyalty? I saved the video and didn't reply. At 4:00 AM, I booked the earliest flight to New York. Chloe called me soon after, her voice full of tears. "Lana, you just got back. Why are you leaving again?" I looked out the window at the dark sky. "Because I realized this place is entirely foreign to me now." "You can explain things to Ethan." "There's no point." The person he loves is no longer me. Even if he knows the truth now, what difference would it make? I had arrived with a heart full of hope, thinking I was finally coming home. But as I left, I left nothing behind. I deactivated the phone number I had used for years and blocked every contact associated with the Vance family. When the airport intercom announced my flight, I took one last look at the city. This was where my passionate youth had been. This was where the boy I loved with all my heart once lived. And this was where my most humiliating reunion took place. Now, it was all over.
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