Ditching Me for His 'Soulmate'? His Loss. Next Stop: My New Life novel Chapter 124

Chapter 1

“Sterling, it’s time to end this contract.”

The clock had just struck eleven at night when the door creaked open slowly. John Sterling stepped inside, the sharp scent of alcohol and the chill of the night air clinging to him like a second skin.

Without a word, he wrapped his arms around me from behind, but I gently slipped away, sliding a neat stack of papers toward him on the table.

“We made this agreement three years ago, remember? I was to be Clare Harper’s double for three years, and in return, you’d pay me half a million.”

A bitter laugh escaped me, tinged with exhaustion.

“It’s actually been five years now. This should’ve ended two years ago, but then you said you loved me and wanted me as your girlfriend.”

I caught the slight flicker in his eyes but kept my tone even, businesslike.

“Well, now that Clare has returned, there’s no need for the charade anymore, right? Let’s stick to the original terms.”

My face remained impassive, like I was negotiating a deal rather than confronting a man who had blurred the lines between reality and pretense.

John’s smirk vanished as he shoved his hands into his pockets, fixing me with a cold, distant stare.

“You know what happened tonight with Clare, don’t you?”

I didn’t look up, offering only a faint smile.

“Are you referring to the fake proposal to rile her up? Or the part where you kissed her in the corner?”

He was silent for a long moment, the tension thick in the air.

Finally, he muttered, “I’m sorry. The proposal was staged. I knew Clare would show up tonight, so I orchestrated the whole thing at her welcome-home party.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off.

“Don’t bother apologizing.”

I kept my voice steady, though bitterness twisted inside me like a knife.

“According to our contract, that kind of stunt isn’t included in the agreed services. You’ll have to pay extra for that, Mr. Sterling.”

He nodded, his voice rough.

“Fine.”

He picked up the pen and signed the last page of the contract.

Just as I reached for the papers, his hand closed over mine.

“Claire, the contract isn’t over. I’m renewing it.”

His gaze held mine, serious and unwavering.

I frowned, confusion and frustration bubbling up.

“But Clare Harper is back. You don’t need me anymore…”

John’s grip was gentle but firm as he spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words.

“But I want you to stay.”

I pulled my hand free, a bitter laugh escaping me as I turned away so he wouldn’t see the tears threatening to spill from my eyes.

“Mr. Sterling, you have a reputation to uphold. Trying to juggle two women won’t do you any favors.”

“I can,” I lied.

Without hesitation, he handed me a cigarette and lit it for me.

I forced myself to imitate the way I’d seen men do it, coughing slightly as smoke filled my lungs. He watched me through the haze, a faint, approving smile playing on his lips.

“Perfect. Just like her.”

He brought me home and made me his girlfriend in public, while privately, I was nothing more than an actress, copying Clare’s every move.

Everything—except in the bedroom.

For three years, I played my part flawlessly.

Somewhere along the way, I convinced myself that maybe he had started to care.

He learned my preferences, stopped making me smoke, and brought me my favorite desserts after long days.

Slowly, he erased the traces of Clare he had embedded in me.

After three years, he didn’t renew the contract.

Instead, he transferred a generous sum to my account and confessed, “Claire, be my girlfriend.”

I foolishly believed it meant he was ready to let Clare go.

Ready to love me.

But now, looking back, I realize how naive I was.

It was all just a game.