She's Not A Rose

Regina replied right away with a long message, clearly something she had prepared and was just waiting for me to ask. As I skimmed through it, I realized their drama was as ridiculous as a soap drama.

Charlotte used to be called Daisy Jones. She was the housekeeper's daughter of the Dickson family. She and Charles were the same age and grew up together—childhood sweethearts, basically.

On Charles' 18th birthday, Charlotte offered herself to him as a gift.

When his parents found out, they were furious. They fired the housekeeper on the spot, gave them a large sum of money, and sent Charlotte overseas. Before she left, Charlotte secretly went to court and changed her name. She left Charles a letter before she went abroad.

"The old Daisy is gone. From now on, I'll be using your name as Charlotte Jones."

Charles fell into a depression for a while until he met me. I looked a lot like Charlotte. That was enough to reignite whatever spark he had left.

"Charlotte Jones," I repeated the name to myself.

Charles really had been shielding her from the spotlight. In all the years we'd been together, I had never heard the name once.

The only possible clue might have been Charles' social media handle, "Back2Char." When we first got together, I asked him why he used that username.

He narrowed his eyes and stared at the air as though lost in thought. After a long pause, he said, "I just wish I could turn back time and change my life for the better."

Back then, I didn't catch the deeper meaning behind his words. I just never thought someone like Charles, who always seemed so carefree, could have such a nostalgic side.

Now, everything made sense. Back2Char. All he ever wanted was for Charlotte to come back to him. He gave me ten million. Charlotte was worth him paying twice the usual price.

My chest tightened, and tears sprang to my eyes. It had been a long time since I cried for Charles. If I had broken down every time he cheated, my tears would have dried up ages ago.

But this time was different. I really loved him before. But he was only with me because I looked so much like his true love. He only saw me as a stand-in.

I first met Charles when I was 18 years old. I'd come from a poor border town in the northwest and been accepted into the best university in Hullston.

Right after I performed a traditional dance at the freshman welcome gala and returned backstage, I saw his friend request. He chased me for more than half a year, and everyone knew it. But my reputation on campus wasn't good. People talked behind my back.

"Chloe Borne from the literature faculty thinks she's really something just because she's pretty. And now she's got Charles eating out of her hand."

"She's just a country bumpkin. What kind of luck did she have to get tied to the Dickson family?"

"If Charles chased me, I'd say yes in a heartbeat."

"Just wait. I bet you anything Chloe won't be able to hold out for a month. She'll end up being his girlfriend."

Charles took care of the rumors, making a big public declaration of affection online.

"Yes, I'm chasing Chloe, but she hasn't accepted me yet. Everyone, please don't scare away my future girlfriend!"

I was too young back then and saw him as my savior, the one who rescued me from vicious gossip. I confused gratitude with love and accepted his pursuit, neglecting the fact that without him, I wouldn't have been in that gossip mill to begin with.