10 Years a Stand-In, They Lost It After I Go

Chapter 6

The engine roared to life, drowning out all the noise around me, and for the first time in ages, I felt free.

Those designer clothes, those so-called symbols of success, had been nothing more than shackles, holding me back from the freedom I craved.

Now, as the wind tangled my hair, messy and untamed, the rush of it all awakened something in me. Something wild. Something I hadn't felt since I was eighteen, full of life and unstoppable.

After more than two weeks of travel, I finally made it back to my longed-for hometown.

The journey had been exhausting, but it had also offered me countless beautiful sights along the way.

I returned to the old, rundown place I once called home, bringing my little dog with me.

Though I hadn't been back in years, the house was spotless, too spotless, in fact.

As I stood there, puzzling over it, a shadowy figure appeared behind me, looking sneaky.

"Who's there?" I snapped, pulling out my pepper spray, ready to defend myself.

But to my surprise, a handsome man stood there, smiling at me.

"Don't be nervous, miss," he said, his voice calm. "I'm Boris Brooks. I'm just a traveler passing through, staying here for a bit."

"If I'm disturbing you, I'll leave right away."

Boris had refined features and an easy grace about him. His clothes were stylish, and the expensive watch on his wrist caught my eye.

I couldn't help but laugh. After years in the city, I'd become a bit of a snob myself.

I tucked the pepper spray back into my bag and waved him off.

"Come on in. We don't stand on ceremony here."

"Before I left, I told the villagers to leave the door unlocked, just in case any travelers needed a place to rest."

Boris nodded, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. "You're a kind woman."

A bitter pang hit my chest. There was something about him that made me feel seen, even though I barely knew him.

We chatted for a while, but soon, Boris got excited and headed out to buy two bottles of good liquor, saying we should drink until we were thoroughly drunk.

A few drinks in, Boris opened up.

"I was born into a wealthy family, with everything handed to me. But I've never felt any real love from them."

"All that drama and fighting for power in rich families? I'm sick of it. I'd rather live freely, away from all that nonsense."

"I've spent years traveling, and I've figured it out. Why fight over things that don't belong to me? I'd rather just enjoy the rest of my days."

His words hit me hard. I felt a strange sense of kinship with him.

Years ago, my adoptive mother had begged me, her voice hoarse with emotion: "The world in those wealthy families is brutal, Lily. This child... he's already lost his mother. He's too small to survive on his own."

Looking at that tiny, vulnerable child, my heart softened. I wanted to give him the warmth I never had growing up, forgetting that he and I came from different worlds entirely.

While I was lost in thought, Boris suddenly tapped my forehead.

"Your brow's all furrowed up like a pretzel. Something on your mind? Don't tell me… you're thinking about some heartless man?"

"Ugh, that's ancient history. I'm long over it," I said, forcing a grin.

But for some reason, Alexander's and Oliver's faces floated before my eyes. Alexander, handsome, distinguished. When I first met him, I'd been swept off my feet.

He missed his late wife. Oliver longed for his mother.

And I was just the extra, the unwanted third wheel in that house.

Even without Sophia, my place would've been easily replaced by another woman. It was inevitable.

But here, in this quiet corner of the world, I was Lily Evans. Free. Unique.

And that's who I would stay.

After this reflection, Boris and I polished off the two bottles of liquor. We became fast friends, talking about anything and everything.

He stayed at my house. We rode bikes together, planted trees in the hills, and when the first sapling sprouted new leaves, I saw someone I hadn't seen in a long time.

It was Alexander, sitting in his luxury car, looking down at me with that same condescending gaze.

"Lily," he called out. "Haven't you had enough of your little vacation? It's time to come back."

"Oliver can't do without you."