Chapter 699 Just a Stand-in
Adrian glanced up at the TV. Some old drama with Alice was playing. He never really cared about her acting gigs and had no clue what this one was. He grabbed the remote, ready to switch channels.
Natalie stopped him, her eyes all misty. "Adrian, don't you see? That's me. I'm the one in that drama."
Adrian was scandalised.
The drama wrapped up, and the credits rolled. Alice's name was front and center.
Adrian figured Natalie was feeling down. He gently put a hand on her shoulder. "From now on, I'll get you whatever you need. This won't happen again."
Natalie's lips barely moved. "That really was me. Alice was pregnant and had a sprained ankle. She didn't want to miss out but also didn't want to act. I was working at the Imperial Nightclub back then. So, Alice came to the club, found me, and paid me to be her stand-in. With makeup and camera angles, no one could tell it wasn't her. The directors and producers, knowing she was the future Mrs. Howard, allowed her to have her way. I was so jealous. I thought, if I ever got a shot, I'd nail it. I'd memorize my lines, perfect my acting, and give it my all."
Adrian hadn't seen this coming. He felt a bit lost.
He gently hugged Natalie. "As long as I'm around, this won't happen again."
Natalie sighed. "Adrian, I don't want to make things hard for you. I don't want to mess up our relationship. I know I'm not good enough for you. You have a fiancée. Sometimes I feel so shameless, like I have no dignity. Even though you have a fiancée, I'm still with you. It's degrading. But once you've had a taste of the good life, it's hard to go back."
Natalie seemed lost in thought. "When I was eleven, I came to the Cullen family and lived in a tiny house in the back with my parents. I thought that one day, when I made something of myself, I'd treat them well. Then my brother and dad died in a car accident. My mom took on everything alone, but she got sick. Her kidneys were failing, and she needed a transplant. A kidney transplant is so expensive—over thirty grand. How could I get that kind of money? I worked hard to save up and give her a good life. Eventually, I had enough for the transplant, but then I realized that life likes to mess with me. Maybe it's just fate; I was born unlucky."
It was the first time Adrian had heard Natalie talk about this stuff.
Her words hit Adrian like a ton of bricks.
They were from totally different worlds.
Adrian had always been the Howard family heir, living in luxury, even though it didn't matter if he worked hard in Verono or not.
He wanted to comfort Natalie but words falied him.
The room suddenly felt heavy.
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