Sarah froze for a second. If it were the old Sarah, they probably would have meant something. Maybe she would’ve even cried upon hearing them. But sadly, that Sarah was gone.
The old Sarah would walk toward destruction because of her love for Ronald. She’d face bankruptcy, lose her home, savings, friends, family, and even the beauty she once took pride in. Everything she had in her youth would be replaced by the woman Ronald loved deeply.
The initial stand-in, Elisa, would grow more beautiful and beloved by everyone in the world.
Then, Sarah, filled with bitterness and shattered dreams, would jump from a high place, covered in glass shards. When there was no longer a person like that in the world, Elisa wouldn’t be a substitute anymore.
In the end, Ronald would forget that he had originally seen Elisa as a stand-in for someone else. He’d forget the way that girl smiled and frowned in her youth, erasing all those beautiful memories.
Elisa’s face would look even more like the real Sarah than Sarah herself. Her demeanor became increasingly elegant and composed, transforming into the proud girl Ronald adored.
This was their picture-perfect story.
But Sarah wasn’t the same Sarah. She wasn’t about to end up like the original Sarah, dying miserably and still being cursed at after her death.
Sarah chuckled. “I say a lot of things every day. I can’t even remember what I said a few years ago.”
Ronald didn’t believe her.
Just then, his phone buzzed-it was a message from Elisa, “Ronald, can I go with you to the Martin family’s gathering?”
Seeing Elisa’s message, Ronald hesitated again. He wanted Sarah to divorce Holden, but he didn’t want to be with her. He just wanted Sarah to be the way she used to be-obedient, fighting with Elisa for his attention, feeding his ego. As for a girlfriend, he still preferred someone like Elisa, who was easier to manage.
Comparing Sarah and Elisa, even though Sarah was better looking, Elisa was better at providing him emotional validation.
Ronald stepped out to reply to Elisa, “My parents aren’t ready to meet you yet.”
Elisa’s family background was far too different from the Martin family. Ronald knew his parents wouldn’t approve, and he didn’t want to make things worse by bringing her around.
Meanwhile, Julie called Sarah over to try the lamb chops she’d just cooked.
Sarah took a bite and smiled. “This is delicious, Ms. Julie! You’re such a great cook!”
“Really?” Julie couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, Sarah, you should come over more often. I’ll cook for you anytime.”
Sarah had a rough childhood, mistreated by her stepmother, even though the Brown family was rich. The woman purposely starved her to punish her. Julie, with her kind heart, hated seeing kids mistreated and often invited Sarah over. She had practically watched Sarah grow up, treating her like one of her own.
As David and Merry were busy on their phones, Julie lowered her voice. “Have you heard about that girl David’s dating? The one named Nora?”
Sarah’s heart skipped a beat. David was even more of a lovesick fool than Merry.
In the original story, Merry only got scammed out of money, but David? He rushed into marriage and ended up in prison, losing everything, with even Julie being thrown out of her home.
She’d already warned David, but who knows if this love-struck fool had listened.
Sarah nodded.
Julie frowned. “I don’t think this girl is good for him, but David won’t listen. He says I just don’t like her because of her background. I don’t care about that-I only care if she really loves him. But lately, she’s been asking David for money constantly, claiming her family’s sick. She’s already taken two or three million, and now she’s talking about buying a house for them here. Sarah, tell me-if a girl really loved David, would she keep doing that?”
Sarah glanced at David, who was grinning at his phone in the living room.
“…”
Well, at least David had the money to blow.
Sarah replied, “I’ve got some things to handle right now, but I’ll look into it.”
Julie seemed relieved. “Good. You’ve always treated David like a little brother. With you keeping an eye on him, I feel much better.”
Sarah had always been smart and did well in school, while David was a bit of an airhead. Julie trusted Sarah’s advice when it came to her son.
Just then, from the other room, David suddenly exclaimed, “Sarah! Heart Throb has been out for just two days, and it’s already made three hundred million at the box office! You’re a hit!”
Sarah hadn’t had time to check the box office over the past couple of days, and she hadn’t even been active on Twitter.
It wasn’t until David brought it up that she remembered to check her phone.
Sure enough, her Twitter followers had multiplied, and her notifications were flooded with unread messages.
She sat next to Merry, replying to all the Christmas greetings from the cast and crew.
Merry, curious, asked, “Sarah, have you thought about signing with an agency? Maybe get a professional manager and an assistant?”
Sarah didn’t have any plans for that yet. She could negotiate business deals on her own, especially since she had experience in that area.
But with the fame came downsides. One of the most obvious was that people were rehashing Elisa’s comments from months ago when she appeared on a variety show. Even though Sarah’s movie and Elisa’s drama were in completely different genres, Elisa’s fans still irrationally saw Sarah as a competition.
Sarah could only chalk it up to karma, considering she was the villainess in the original story. As the main antagonist to the heroine, it made sense she’d have to deal with some hardships.
David glanced at her and then towards the door. “Sarah, do you think Ronald’s coming here today because he wants to win you back?”
Sarah hadn’t even considered that possibility. She shook her head and suddenly remembered what Julie had mentioned to her. “Why didn’t you bring Nora home for Christmas?” she asked.
David hesitated for a moment. “Her family is sick, so she should be with them. I can’t bring myself to be stingy with her. She’s just a girl trying to get by, and if I don’t spoil her, who will? But-”
Sarah raised an eyebrow. “But what?”
David let out a bitter laugh. “I don’t know why, but I feel like I’m in the same situation you were with Ronald-giving everything and getting nothing in return.”
Merry, resting her chin in her hand, seemed lost in thought. “Sarah, I just realized something. The three of us have always been like this-never able to get what we truly want.”
Sarah had longed for love and Ronald, but her family pushed her into marrying Holden for money, and Ronald ended up with Elisa.
David wanted pure love, but his wife only cared about money and eventually had him sent to prison.
Merry craved friendship and respect, but her friends used her as a tool, and everyone mocked her for being an unwanted tagalong.
Sarah ruffled Merry’s hair. “Congrats, you’ve figured out the truth about this world.”
In the original story, the three of them-Sarah, David, and Merry-were all seen as villains, so how could they expect to get what they wanted? Villains were never meant to achieve their deepest desires.
“But everything’s going to change,” Sarah said, pouring them each a glass of wine. “Starting this year.”
Starting this year, they were going to say goodbye to their pasts, and become something different, something brilliant. They were going to walk a completely new path.
David and Merry clinked their glasses with Sarah’s, and she took a sip of her wine.
Even though all the good fortune was meant for Ronald and Elisa, if the three of them could pull back in time and distance themselves, maybe they could avoid some of the disasters set in stone.
“David,” Sarah said, “how much money do you have on hand right now? I need some cash urgently. Can you lend me whatever you’ve got?”
David didn’t even hesitate. “Of course. I’ve got around thirty-five million in liquid assets right now. If that’s not enough, I can borrow more from some friends.”
Sarah’s eyes darted around for a second. “How much did you leave yourself for living expenses?”
“A little over a million.”
“I need thirty-seven million,” Sarah said, putting her hands together in a pleading gesture. “Please, pretty please, just tighten your belt for a couple of months. I promise I’ll pay you back.”
David had never really experienced financial hardship. He was naturally generous and always quick to help out his friends, no questions asked-even willing to go above and beyond. And when it came to Sarah, someone he considered more of a sister than just a friend, he wouldn’t hesitate. In the original story, when Sarah asked him to do illegal things for her, he did it with a smile, so handing over some cash was nothing.
Without a second thought, and fully trusting Sarah’s intentions, he quickly transferred the money.
Merry, still processing everything, said, “Sarah, my dad has more if you need-”
But before she could finish, she felt Sarah squeeze her arm. Merry realized something might be off and quickly shut her mouth.