Falling for his eyes

Name: Falling for his eyes
Rating: 5.0 (1 reviews)

goody bam

Romance | Ongoing

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For three years, she thought she was her husband's true love - until his ex appeared and shattered her world. Pregnant and heartbroken, she learned the devastating truth: she was merely a stand-in. As her husband begged for forgiveness, she had to decide - stay in his twisted love or walk away forever.

Forced love Love triangle Attractive Arrogant/Dominant Arranged marriage

Chapter 5 Beginning

05-19 18:05

Chapter 1 The Invited

Chapter 1

The Invited

When Elise Sinclair knocked on my door, I was sorting through baby clothes for my little one. It had been three years since I married Gavin Monroe, and I was pregnant for the first time. We both cared deeply about our child. I once asked Gavin whether he preferred a boy or a girl, and he simply replied that he would be happy as long as the baby took after me. At that moment, I felt so loved.

Even though I was only four months along, Gavin had already brought home piles of baby clothes for me to sift through at my leisure.

As I was going through the items, there was a knock at the door. Setting the photos aside, I gently placed a hand on my belly and got up to answer it. A woman stood there whom I didn't recognize, but there was something oddly familiar about her eyes.

"Hello, how can I help you?" I asked.

She raised an eyebrow and looked at me with a hint of disdain. "I'm Elise Sinclair. Don't you recognize me?"

I hesitated, unsure where I would have seen her before.

"I'm sorry, but I don't. Now that we've met, how can I assist you?"

A flash of surprise crossed her face, quickly replaced by anger. I felt a rush of anxiety and instinctively patted my belly, feeling more protective. I was not alone anymore-I had a child to consider.

"You really don't recognize me?" Elise scrutinized me, as if trying to provoke a reaction. But I was certain she was a stranger, even if there was something unsettlingly familiar about her.

I licked my lips, ready to ask what she wanted, when she interrupted, "A stand-in? Seriously? You don't have a clue who I am? Gavin never mentioned me?"

I was taken aback. "Stand-in?" My voice wavered, but I forced a polite smile. "No, he's never mentioned you. He told me about a former girlfriend and that they'd broken up..."

She smirked. "Ah, yes. That would be me."

I tried to remain composed. "If you two broke up, why are you here now?"

Her smirk remained. "Did he tell you how we ended things? We had a massive fight, and I left the country overnight."

I had no idea why she was sharing this, but I felt a faint ache in my belly. I rubbed my bump, striving to stay calm. This stranger was clearly here to create trouble.

"The very next day, Gavin booked a flight to follow me across the ocean. I told him I didn't love him anymore and took another flight to get away. He searched for me everywhere, like a madman."

My hand tightened over my belly. "What are you trying to say? You and Gavin broke up. We're married now, and I'm carrying our child. This is irrelevant."

Elise laughed, clearly amused by my words. "After a year of searching for me, he finally gave up and returned home. I heard he started dating some undergrad who was infatuated with him and, lucky for her, happened to look a bit like me."

I felt the blood drain from my face. That young student...that was me.

I was four years younger than Gavin, just starting college while he was finishing. I had heard the stories about him and seen a few paparazzi photos with his ex, but I had never met her. In those photos, she had looked beautiful and confident-just like the woman standing in front of me.

"He was angry with me, so within three months, he got a marriage certificate with her-no ceremony, nothing."

When I first entered college, everyone seemed to know about Gavin. He was handsome, came from a distinguished family, and always ranked at the top of his class. After graduation, he joined his family's business.

In my junior year, Gavin returned to campus as a guest speaker. Seeing him in person for the first time left me smitten.

My friends teased me about my crush, saying he was out of my league and still attached to someone. But somehow, Gavin and I ended up together.

Three months before graduation, Gavin suddenly stopped teaching. Nine months later, I ran into him outside a nightclub while picking up a friend.

He was sitting in a booth, visibly drunk. Summoning my courage, I approached him. "Mr. Monroe, you've had enough to drink. Do you need help getting home?"

He looked up at me, bleary-eyed, and said, "Is that you, Lily Rose?" Then he added with a half-smile, "Don't call me 'teacher'-we're practically the same age."

I was thrilled he remembered me.

"You like me, don't you?" he asked bluntly. I froze.

"I... I know you have a girlfriend. I won't bother you. I'll keep my distance."

As I stammered, he murmured to himself, "Quite similar." Then he asked, "Do you want to be with me?"

I was shocked. "But...don't you have a girlfriend?"

He shrugged. "We broke up."

I felt a wave of guilty relief. If she had let him go, then maybe there was a chance for me.

I became Gavin's girlfriend, but I told no one. I never expected our relationship to last. But three months later, he proposed, and we quietly married.

"So, what's the point of all this?" I asked, my anger bubbling. "No matter what happened, he's my husband now."

Elise tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, unbothered. "How long do you think I've been back?"

I stayed silent, even as the ache in my belly grew sharper.

"A year ago. Gavin was at the airport when I landed. He wanted to know where I'd been, why I hadn't called...how I was doing."

I suddenly recalled a year ago when Gavin had left me alone, saying he had work. Had he really been at the airport, meeting Elise?

Her voice was icy. "Since I came back, he's been around. Takes me to the old spots from college and brings me my favorite foods..."

My fists clenched, but I maintained my composure. "I'm the one he married."

For a brief moment, Elise's smirk faltered. "Mistress? Hardly. I was with Gavin for six years. You're just the one he settled for when he thought I was gone. You're nothing but a stand-in."

My throat tightened, but she continued. "When he couldn't find me, he replaced me with you. A placeholder. Did you know he set off fireworks along the river for me? Confessed his love for hours, begging me to take him back?"

I remembered that night. Gavin had said he needed to work late. The next day, when I mentioned the fireworks, he claimed he hadn't noticed. I had never imagined he'd arranged them himself.

Elise's gaze lingered on my pale face, clearly relishing the moment. "Guess what he told me when I asked, 'What about your wife?'"