Using Me as a Substitute? Did You Know Your Best Friend Calls Me Wife?

Soon, the psychiatrist arrived.

He knew some basic medical procedures, so he took her temperature, drew blood to send to the hospital for testing, and prescribed some fever-reducing medication.

"This room isn’t good. It’s not well-ventilated. I suggest changing rooms."

"Okay, we’ll change rooms then."

Mia Kane had already prepared the guest room.

When the doctor saw the guest room, he nodded. "This room is nice. A comfortable environment can also affect the patient’s recovery."

Mia Kane moved to the new room, and Adrian stayed by her side, an anxious look on his face.

’He... really cares about me.’

The doctor prescribed a liquid medicine that was incredibly bitter. Every time she drank it, she felt like the bitterness was seeping into the root of her tongue. It was torture to drink.

"This is so disgusting..."

"Of course it’s disgusting, it’s medicine. Here."

Like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, Adrian produced a small strawberry cake from his pocket.

"Where did you get this?"

"I had someone go buy it."

Mia Kane took a bite. It tasted just like she remembered—it was from her favorite dessert shop.

That shop had been on the verge of closing. They had even posted a notice that the store was for sale, and she had been sad about it for days.

But when she went back a few days later, the notice was gone. The owner said he wasn’t selling anymore. Apparently, the new landlord had taken over the property, given him a discount, and cut his rent in half, which was the only reason he could stay open.

As she ate, she suddenly realized something was off.

Adrian Preston had brought her strawberry cake before, too. ’Could it be... that he knew I liked it?’

"What are you thinking about?"

Adrian stared at her nervously. Whenever she spaced out like this, he worried that she was thinking about that other person.

"I’m right here in front of you. My name is Adrian. You can only look at me and think about me, you understand? You’re not allowed—not allowed—to think about him. Otherwise, I’ll get angry."

He said, putting on a fierce act.

Mia Kane quickly snapped out of it.

In reality, though Adrian acted all tough, he was just like a child. With the right guidance, he could still be led back to the right path.

He even had a childish temper, was very proud and petulant, and was always comparing himself to Adrian Preston.

’Adrian hasn’t done anything wrong...’

Eating the strawberry cake and looking at him, Mia Kane felt a pang of pity.

But soon, that feeling vanished completely.

’Adrian Preston is just sick,’ she thought. ’I have to get to the root of the problem and cure him.’

"This is delicious. It tastes just like the one from the shop I love."

"It is from that shop."

"How did you know?"

"Everything about you that Adrian Preston knows, I know too."

"Alright, finish up and get some rest. I’ll stay right here and watch over you."

He tucked the blanket around her and then sat on the edge of the bed, not moving an inch.

Seeing this, Mia Kane quickly said, "You can’t be comfortable sitting like that. There’s a small sofa over there. Why don’t you pull it over and lie down next to me?"

"No, it’ll be harder to take care of you."

"But seeing you curled up like that watching over me... it makes my heart ache."

Hearing this, Adrian’s gaze burned as he looked at her.

"Your heart aches for me? Are you falling in love with me? I’m better than that loser, right?"

He looked at her with longing.

Mia Kane met his gaze. His eyes were clear, shimmering with a hopeful light.

’Adrian... he’s like a child.’

In that instant, Mia Kane’s heart pounded.

"Mm... you’re more gentle and thoughtful than Adrian Preston. You know how to care for someone. I like you a little more."

As she said this, she was wracked with guilt. She felt a powerful sense of wrongdoing.

Joy was written all over Adrian’s face. He puffed out his chest and said proudly, "I think so too. I am better than that loser."

"Mia Kane, when you’re better, we’ll go camping, hiking, see a movie..."

Adrian counted on his fingers, one by one. There were so many things he hadn’t done.

He wanted to experience them all, and he wanted to experience them with Mia Kane.

"Okay. When I’m well, I’ll take you."

"You should lie down too. I want to sleep for a bit. Stay with me."

Adrian nodded and lay down on the small sofa, pulling it right up against the bed.

Mia Kane turned her back to him, pretending to fall asleep.

"Mia Kane? Mia Kane..."

He called out softly twice. When she didn’t respond, he assumed she was asleep.

He was silent for a long time, and she didn’t expect him to speak again.

"I’ll try my best to learn the rules of this world. I want to replace him and become a good person. I don’t want to have been created just to be erased. Since I exist, I have the right to live."

"Mia Kane, please don’t treat me like a monster, okay? I’m a person, a normal person..."

His voice grew quieter and quieter. The sofa seemed to have a special magic; it was so soft that it made one drowsy.

He happened to be a little tired himself, and before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep.

Only then did Mia Kane sit up and look at him.

Adrian was asleep.

She should have gone to get the doctor immediately for the hypnosis, but for some reason, she hesitated.

She was actually feeling soft-hearted. Maybe she shouldn’t interfere in his business with Adrian Preston. She should just let them fight it out and see who wins.

By helping Adrian Preston like this, wasn’t she being unfair to Adrian?

But she quickly suppressed the thought.

She still wanted Adrian Preston back.

She hardened her heart and went to find the doctor. The doctor began to generate white noise to put him into a deep sleep, then started the process of inducing Adrian Preston’s primary personality to awaken.

Time passed with excruciating slowness.

Adrian seemed to be in pain, struggling constantly, but he didn’t wake up.

His face was pale, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, and he was biting his lip so hard it looked like it might bleed.

"Miss Kane, try talking to him. Pull the primary personality’s consciousness back. You must be very important to him. You can do this."

"S-Say what?"

Mia Kane was incredibly nervous. This was the first time she had ever experienced something like this.

"Anything, as long as he hears your voice... Quickly..." the doctor urged impatiently.

Mia Kane gathered her thoughts. "Adrian Preston, please come back, okay? If you don’t come back soon, Theo Thorne won’t be able to hold on much longer. The entire Preston Group will start to notice something is wrong, and everything is about to fall into chaos."

"Adrian Preston, don’t stay asleep. They need you... I... I need you too..."

Mia Kane hesitated for a long time before finally saying those words.

Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open, gasping for air like a dying fish on the shore.

"A-Adrian Preston...?"

Mia Kane asked tentatively, unsure of who had just woken up.

His gaze slowly focused, locking onto Mia Kane’s face. Then, his hand shot out and clamped around her throat.

The doctor was terrified and rushed to help, but he was met with a vicious kick that sent him stumbling to the ground. He hit something and was knocked unconscious on the spot.

Terror seized Mia Kane.

’It failed!’

’The one who woke up is still Adrian.’

"Mia Kane, what do you take me for? A useless appendix? A polyp in your gut? A kidney stone?"

"Look clearly! I’m a person! A living, breathing person! How could you be so cruel as to try and kill me!"

He roared, his eyes bloodshot, as if weeping blood.

He was filled with grief, despair, and hatred...

He had truly believed in her, but look what she had done.

"I didn’t want to... kill you. You could have just stayed asleep... I wanted Adrian Preston to come back..."

"There are no more chances. Go to hell. You’ve extinguished the last of my conscience." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"You go first. I’ll follow right behind you. We’ll die together!"