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

"I knew it! How could there be two people in the world who look so much alike? They’re one and the same. His name wasn’t always Tanya Shaw. They moved back then because his family’s business took off, so they got a better house. But then his dad had an affair, and his parents divorced soon after. He went with his father, but his stepmother treated him terribly and had her own child. And once you have a stepmother, you effectively get a stepfather. She wouldn’t let him go to school, wouldn’t give him food... he went through hell."

"Later, his mom found out what he was going through and took him back. He thought it was a new beginning. But after his mom remarried, she ended up with a good-for-nothing. She only wanted him back so she could demand child support from his dad. But he was about to become an adult, and the moment he turned eighteen, his dad cut off all support payments."

"When his mom and stepfather saw they couldn’t squeeze any more money out of him, they abandoned him. He didn’t go back to school and had to start struggling to survive on his own from a young age. He only started working in a place like that because he had no other choice."

Even Mia, an outsider to the story, found it heartbreaking to hear.

’Once parents divorce, the first child loses their home. They never feel a sense of belonging anywhere they go.’

"How do you know all this?"

"I saw... I saw this."

Shayla Quinn was already a mess of tears. She tremblingly took out a worn-out wallet.

Tanya Shaw was earning his own money now; it wasn’t like he couldn’t afford a nice wallet.

Shayla Quinn had given him this wallet. After he was injured, she had gone to his place to get a change of clothes for him and found it by chance.

The wallet looked very familiar to her. She had saved up her allowance to buy a genuine leather wallet as a farewell gift for the boy next door.

Even though she called him her "little brother," he was only half a year younger than her and was already far more mature and steady.

But she loved chasing after him, calling him "little brother," and always trying to force him to call her "big sister." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

He would look at her with fond exasperation and give in, "Alright, big sister."

The day he left, she cried her eyes out.

He held her and stroked her head. Even though he was younger, he was already taller than her by half a head.

"Don’t worry. As soon as the new house is set up, I’ll come back to see you."

She waited patiently at home, but he never came.

She assumed that after moving to a new place and starting at a fancy private school, he had forgotten all about his poor neighbor.

Acting out of spite, she never tried to contact him on his phone and later even deleted his number in a fit of anger.

Seeing this wallet unlocked a flood of long-buried memories.

She opened it with trembling hands and found a faded old photograph inside. In the picture, a young boy had his arm around a girl’s shoulders, grinning brightly at the camera.

In that instant, tears streamed down Shayla Quinn’s face.

She was certain Tanya Shaw had recognized her long ago but was unwilling to acknowledge it.

’He was feverish and delirious, wandering aimlessly. What on earth drove him to come to my apartment building?’

She was a journalist. If she really wanted to investigate someone, it wasn’t hard to follow the clues. Besides, Tanya Shaw wasn’t some major figure; he was easy to look into.

After her investigation, she finally understood why Tanya Shaw had vanished after his family moved.

She also understood just how much he had suffered over the years.

Moreover, it was only after seeing her that Tanya Shaw had stopped taking private clients, willing only to sell drinks.

Just to sell drinks, he had ended up with acute gastroenteritis twice, needing to be hospitalized and put on an IV drip.

She wanted to reconnect with him, but Tanya Shaw was in a terrible state.

She was afraid of pressuring him. How could his pride handle them reconnecting when he was at his lowest point?

So she kept waiting for the right moment.

But the right moment never came. Instead, what came was Tanya Shaw, severely injured and in a coma, possibly for the rest of his life.

"Mia, I’ve never asked you for anything, but please, help us this time. They’ve gone too far. Tanya Shaw... Tanya Shaw might never wake up."

Tears streamed continuously down Shayla Quinn’s face.

Mia Kane’s heart ached for her. She stroked her friend’s head.

"I will!"

Mia Kane had Theo Thorne investigate the background of that rich woman.

Her husband died young, and her son paid her no mind, so she spent her days hanging around clubs with her friends.

Her son had started a tech company, and the AI system he was currently developing was something many people were clamoring for.

AI technology was a hot commodity right now, and the Preston Group was one of the companies that had extended an offer.

"Does the Preston Group want this project badly?"

"The Preston Group wants it very much, but the Lockwood Group is the one currently in negotiations. It seems they’re close to finalizing the contract..."

As Theo Thorne was speaking, his phone was suddenly snatched away.

"Mia, don’t worry about me. Do whatever you want. If the sky falls, I’ll be here to hold it up for you."

"Adrian Preston... but then you might lose this project completely."

"There are plenty of other profitable projects out there. This one isn’t a big deal. I can afford the loss."

Adrian Preston chuckled lightly.

Hearing his words was all the reassurance Mia Kane needed.

"I’ll have Theo Thorne go over and help you. He’ll give you some backup."

"Okay."

Mia Kane hung up and waited for Theo Thorne to arrive.

’She wasn’t doing this for Tanya Shaw. Although they had gotten along well enough before, it wasn’t to the point where she would harm the Preston Group’s interests to help him.’

’Only Shayla Quinn... Shayla was worth it.’

「Meanwhile」

Thomas Ford rushed to find Chase Lockwood.

"What brings you here today? It’s not a tech development day..."

Chase Lockwood was a little confused.

"President Lockwood, help me! You have to save me!"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"My father died early, and my mother worked hard to raise me, so of course, as her son, I want to take care of her. Now that I’ve become successful, my mother’s life has gotten a little better. She doesn’t have any other hobbies... and when she was younger, she never considered remarrying for my sake. Now that things are easier for us, she’s been trying to fill the emptiness in her life."

"She... she took a liking to one of the young hosts, brought him home to... discipline him, but he jumped from the second-floor window and now he might never wake up."

"Mr. Ford, this is your family’s private business. It’s not appropriate to tell me about it, is it?" Chase Lockwood frowned. ’Why is he telling me about a scandal like this?’

Thomas Ford quickly said, "Normally, it wouldn’t have anything to do with you, President Lockwood, but... but this person is Shayla Quinn’s friend. Shayla Quinn... you know who she is, don’t you, President Lockwood?"

Chase Lockwood’s mind immediately jumped to a certain person.

He felt a little dazed. He had been deliberately trying not to think about Mia Kane lately, refusing even to hear any news about her, afraid it would mess with his head.

But he had heard about her anyway.

"But Shayla Quinn wouldn’t stick her neck out for some host, would she?"

"But she did! I even sent money to try and settle things, but Miss Quinn refused to take it and threw us out. And now, Miss Kane has gotten involved!"

"I heard that Miss Kane and you, President Lockwood, used to date, and that you and President Preston are good friends. If you would be willing to put in a good word for me, I’m prepared to be more flexible on the contract percentages."

Chase Lockwood furrowed his brow. From a business perspective, this was a favorable development for him.

If Mia Kane really did back down for his sake, he would come out ahead with no downside.

’But... would Mia Kane even listen to him?’

"President Lockwood, this shouldn’t be too difficult for you, right? I’ve heard that Miss Kane used to be your little lapdog, hanging on your every word. You only broke up about half a year ago; there must be some old feelings left, right?"

"Of course, if it’s too much trouble, I can just go ask President Preston. It’s just business, after all... President Preston is her ex-husband, and they’re apparently getting close again. He’d probably be more effective than you, President Lockwood..."

"I’ll do it. There’s no need to trouble anyone else."

Chase Lockwood interrupted, his face ashen.