Chapter 1

In a banquet hall filled with celebrities and dignitaries, everyone was congratulating Evelyn Decker for being handpicked by a renowned director as the female lead, despite being new to the industry.

Meanwhile, the woman who should have been the lead, Evangeline Decker, stood quietly at the corner of the balcony. She finally made up her mind.

"System, I want to go back to my world."

The system was clearly taken aback.

"What? Joseph's affection for you is already at 99 points. Once it hits 100, you'll complete the quest and finally fulfill that long-awaited wish. Just one more point. Why not give it one last push?"

Evangeline shook her head bitterly. "No, I just want to go back."

Her target, Joseph Cunningham, had increased the investment by tenfold to convince the director to replace her with Evelyn. Presently, he was by Evelyn's side with his eyes full of affection.

That last point was never going to come.

The system sighed. "Such a shame. You were so close to changing your fate. Anyway, your request has been submitted. You can leave this world in a month, but you can always reconsider before then."

"Thanks," Evangeline replied.

The night breeze brushed her face, and her hair fluttered lightly. Her thoughts drifted back to the past.

Evangeline wasn't from this world.

She was brought here by the system, which said that if she could make anyone in this world reach 100 affection points toward her, she could return to her original world with one wish granted.

Evangeline had a very important wish, so she took the quest seriously.

At first, she had planned to win over her parents, Brandon Decker and Madeleine Sutton. But not all parents loved their children. They didn't just neglect her; they were cruel.

In an effort to push her into the entertainment industry and make money, they even drugged her.

When a sleazy investor grabbed her waist and started touching her, she tried to fight back, but her body wouldn't cooperate.

Just as despair set in, Evangeline found herself in a pair of strong arms. Looking up, she saw Joseph's handsome face.

He coldly ordered his assistant, Antoine Craig, to deal with the investor and then carried her away in his arms.

Joseph safely brought her home. Before leaving, he handed her a business card. "I own an entertainment company as well. You can consider it, Ms. Decker."

His expression was stern, but his lips curled into a smile.

When their fingers brushed, Evangeline's heart skipped a beat.

She later signed with him, only to discover that she was the sole artist under his company, Cunningham Entertainment.

Joseph used all his resources to support her, hiring the best trainers and experts to help her.

Evangeline once asked him why he was so kind to her.

He gently raised his hand and cupped her face. "Just one glance at you, and I'll never want to let you go for the rest of my life."

After her first film premiered, Joseph proposed to her. "You're still on the rise, so let's keep it private for now."

Though it was a secret marriage, his sincerity was undeniable.

The room was filled with roses flown in from all over the world, and Joseph placed a diamond necklace worth 200 million dollars around her neck. He held her as they watched the fireworks outside.

The fireworks lit up the night sky, all for her.

The two of them kissed in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the flames of passion burned through the night.

Joseph, usually so reserved, kissed her with a burning intensity while calling her Eva. His voice was so tender and so full of longing.

Watching Joseph's loving gaze and feeling her own heart race, Evangeline was sure they were in love. She then decided to make him her target.

Before long, Joseph's affection for her reached 99 points. But that last point never came.

Evangeline thought that since Joseph had come so far, it would be perfectly natural for her to take that final step.

She poured her heart into it, trying even harder to show him her love. She even started to hesitate about whether she should leave once the quest was completed.

But five years passed, and Joseph's affection points never budged.

Evangeline couldn't make sense of it until that day when she returned home early after her schedule was suddenly canceled.

As she reached the entrance, she heard Brandon's and Madeleine's voices.

"Evangeline was just a stand-in. She agreed to play the role of the damsel in distress to help you pass the time, but you had to marry her. Now that Evelyn is back, what will we do?"

"Though they're both our daughters, Evelyn is the one who truly holds our hearts. You can't let her suffer. The others don't matter."

Evangeline froze.

When she came to this world, this body had been traumatized, and she had lost some memories. She vaguely remembered a sister named Evelyn, who had always lived abroad.

It seemed Brandon and Madeleine weren't incapable of loving their children. They just poured all their love into Evelyn.

Inside, Joseph was silent for a moment before saying, "When Evie left without a word, I couldn't bear the thought of losing her again. So even though Evangeline was just a stand-in, I wanted to give her a place in my life."

"Joseph, it was my selfishness that made me want to leave you and see the world. But I'm tired now. I just want to stop and rest."

Upon hearing an unfamiliar yet gentle voice, Evangeline instinctively took a few steps forward. She then saw Joseph, usually so composed, with a face full of tenderness and concern.

"Come back if you're tired, Evie. I opened a company for you when you said you wanted to enter the entertainment industry back then. It's time to come back and follow your dream."

Evelyn's voice was tinged with sadness. "Maybe not… You said the company was for me, but you already have an artist."

Joseph quickly explained, "You know how much Evangeline looks like you. I only signed her because she was a stand-in. She could never compare to you."

"But you're married to her now."

"You know my feelings for you. A wife can be replaced, but there's only one Evie in the world."

Evangeline stood quietly at the door, watching Joseph hold Evelyn in his arms.

She watched them gaze at each other lovingly, talking about the longing they felt after being apart and the joy of reuniting.

It suddenly clicked. During those passionate nights, Joseph hadn't called her Eva but Evie.

He kissed her and held her as if trying to pull her into his soul, but he was just loving another woman through her. Even their first meeting, the supposed rescue, had been nothing more than a scheme.

No wonder she could never win that last point.

Evangeline suddenly felt like a fool.

A stand-in was actually foolish enough to hope for 100% of someone's love.

Chapter 2

"Since Evelyn's back, you two should get back together," Brandon suggested.

Madeleine chimed in, "Yeah, we can both be witnesses. Share a kiss now, and you'll be back to square one."

The atmosphere in the room was so warm and lively.

But just a few steps away, Evangeline felt a cold emptiness in her heart.

As Joseph and Evelyn leaned closer to each other, Evangeline couldn't bear to watch any longer. She turned away, pretending it didn't hurt, and fled.

It wasn't until late at night that she gathered the courage to return home. She wanted to ask Joseph how he planned to handle the situation between the three of them.

To her surprise, he wasn't home.

On Evelyn's first day back, he had already stayed out all night.

The next day, when Evangeline arrived at the company, she saw Joseph holding Evelyn's hand as they walked in together.

"Evelyn is our company's newest artist and the one we're focusing on for development. Please do your best, everyone," Joseph announced.

Evelyn turned to Evangeline with a subtle smile.

"It's been a while, my dear sister. Thanks for taking care of Mom and Dad for me during this time, and especially for looking after Joseph. I can't even imagine how hard it would have been for him without me," she said in a soft tone that oozed with provocation.

It was almost as if she was making it clear that Evangeline was just her stand-in.

The employees were shocked by those words. They all waited for Joseph's response.

But he didn't object.

"You've reminded me, Evie. You two sisters look so alike. It's easy to mistake one for the other. From now on, Evangeline should develop a distinct style. Anything from seductive to fierce, or even wild. Just make sure it's nothing like Evie."

This blatant favoritism made his stance clear to everyone, and it left Evangeline with a deep sense of hurt.

Later, Evelyn, taking full advantage of Joseph's bias, constantly snatched resources from her—endorsements, variety show slots, and film roles.

Evangeline tried to resist, but Joseph reprimanded her for being selfish and then gave everything to Evelyn.

Evelyn already had her own assistant and manager, but she still insisted on taking Evangeline's.

Without hesitation, Joseph said, "Evie's just starting out in the industry. She should have more people to support her. Evangeline's free right now. There's no need to waste manpower on her."

Five years in the industry, and Evangeline had built up quite a fanbase. So Joseph had the PR team claim she was unwell and needed rest to shut down her fans' complaints.

…

The sound of footsteps behind her snapped Evangeline out of her thoughts.

"Evangeline, do you have any idea how important this role is for Evie? As her family, you should be happy for her. Why are you sulking here?"

Evangeline felt a sharp sting of irony. So it turned out that when she was unloved, she didn't even have the right to be upset.

She calmly replied, "I'm not sulking. I passed the audition, and you changed it to someone else with an investment. Why wouldn't I be upset?"

Joseph's face briefly flashed with guilt, but Evelyn quickly walked over to him.

"So in your eyes, I'm just an outsider. I must have done something wrong to make you hate me," she said, biting her lip in feigned distress.

Her act made Joseph's heart ache.

When he looked at Evangeline again, there was no trace of compassion.

"How can you hurt your sister like this, Evangeline? You're really selfish. Since you're not congratulating her sincerely, you're not welcome here. Go home and reflect on your behavior."

As usual, the moment Evelyn spoke, Joseph lost his ability to think.

He had no hesitation in ordering her to leave in front of everyone, showing no concern for how it would make Evangeline feel.

But this time, Evangeline didn't react with sadness or outbursts. She simply turned and walked out of the banquet hall without a word.

Noticing her unusual calmness, Joseph paused for a moment. He felt that something was off.

"Joseph, let's go have a drink with the director," Evelyn said, shaking his arm with a smile.

"Okay." Joseph brushed aside the strange feeling that lingered in his chest.

By the time Evangeline got home, her phone was buzzing with notifications about the new trending topics.

#JosephEvelynSweetRomanceStoryBroughtToLife.

The page was full of rumors about their mutual affection. Netizens couldn't stop gushing about how sweet they were and were practically drowning in envy.

And then there was one about her—#EvangelineLostBothLoveAndJob.

She and Joseph had been secretly married, so the situation quickly turned into one-sided ridicule. People claimed that she was sidelined because of a failed romantic pursuit. They even accused her of scheming to become a mistress.

These trending topics were common, but Joseph never bothered to clear up the rumors. He let her be dragged through the gossip mill.

Evangeline turned off her phone and silently printed out the divorce papers.

Since she was leaving this world, she would sever all ties cleanly.

She would end this unacknowledged marriage and also deactivate her Social Security number. Once she was gone, there would be no more Evangeline Decker in this world.

The next morning, she called the relevant department to inquire about deactivating her Social Security number.

She learned that after she applied through the government website, the process would take about a month. Evangeline immediately began the registration.

"Good timing. On the day my Social Security number is deactivated, I'll be gone."

"Who's gone?" Joseph's voice came from behind her.

Chapter 3

Evangeline glanced back, only to find that Joseph, who hadn't returned all night, was now back with Evelyn.

But unlike before, she didn't feel heartbroken this time. She casually replied, "I saw a bird fly away outside the window. It's gone."

At her words, Joseph let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief. "Right, your family's here. Where else would you go?"

Evangeline felt a sharp sting of irony. Indeed, her "family" was all here, but not one of them truly loved her. Fortunately, she would soon be reunited with her real family.

Joseph instructed the household staff to pack her things. When he noticed Evangeline's emotionless expression, a strange feeling crossed his mind.

He couldn't help but explain, "Evie just landed the lead role, and she needs to maintain her exposure. I took her to visit some popular tourist spots."

Evelyn smiled sweetly and nudged his arm. "You're so considerate of your employees, Mr. Cunningham. What a great boss."

Joseph lovingly patted her head. "Of course."

Just then, Evelyn cleared her throat softly.

Joseph immediately grew concerned. "Is your throat bothering you? Or are you thirsty?"

He stopped the maid from pouring water, saying, "I'll do it. You don't know what Evie likes to drink."

Joseph, usually the one being served, was now in the kitchen. He busied himself with boiling water and adding ingredients like honey and ginger.

After the tea was brewed, he let it cool before handing it to Evelyn.

His actions were smooth and practiced, as though he'd done it many times before.

But such care was something Evangeline had never received. Joseph had never treated her like this in both daily life and business.

Cunningham Entertainment was one of Joseph's many subsidiaries. When Evangeline was the only artist, he rarely got involved. He left everything to the team and believed that professional matters should be handled by the professionals.

But after Evelyn joined, he took over every detail, going as far as being more hands-on than even Antoine.

"This tea's so sweet." Smiling, Evelyn rubbed her stomach.

Joseph immediately caught on. "Are you hungry? I'll make your favorite soft-boiled eggs."

Watching him stride away, Evangeline was momentarily lost in thought.

She remembered back to when they were first married. She had suggested they cook together, thinking it would be sweet and a great way to build their relationship.

But Joseph had refused without hesitation. He claimed he hated the smell of oil and that a man should stay away from the kitchen.

Yet now, he was willing to do it for Evelyn.

It turned out he didn't mind cooking; he just didn't want to cook for her. This, perhaps, was the difference between love and indifference.

"Evangeline, are you jealous of me?" Evelyn asked. Since Joseph wasn't around, her mask of innocence slipped as her eyes gleamed with malice. "But no matter how much you envy me, it won't change anything. You're just a stand-in. You'll never have Joseph's love.

"I just don't understand. Why are you still holding onto this position? Joseph says you're nowhere near my level. He says you're boring and rigid. Only with me can he truly feel that our minds and bodies are in sync."

Evelyn's words were dripping with provocation, but Evangeline felt no jealousy.

In fact, she even smiled. "If you want to be Mrs. Cunningham so badly, tell him to ask me for a divorce."

A hint of unease flashed in Evelyn's eyes before she sneered. "Of course he will! But since you've been in my place for so long, I'm going to make you pay today."

Chapter 4

Evelyn suddenly adopted a pitiful expression. "Don't be mad, Eva. I didn't do anything with Joseph last night. We were just discussing the script. Don't be angry with him. If you have to take it out on someone, take it out on me… Ah!"

The moment Joseph appeared with a plate of soft-boiled eggs, Evelyn leaned back and collapsed onto the soft carpet. "Evangeline! What did you do to Evie?"

In a fit of anger, he threw the plate toward Evangeline.

The plate hit her forehead, swelling it instantly. Meanwhile, the eggs splattered across her face with the yellow yolk dripping down. It was scalding and sticky, blurring her vision.

"I didn't push her," Evangeline said softly. A deep sense of desolation suddenly flooded her heart.

It had been five years. Even if Joseph had treated her as a stand-in, she thought he at least trusted her character. Yet, it turned out there wasn't even the smallest shred of basic trust between them.

When Joseph saw her disheveled face, the swelling on her forehead, and her red eyes, his anger momentarily faltered.

Suddenly, he just wanted to help her wipe her face clean.

"Joseph, my leg hurts so much. I think it's broken," Evelyn cried out while grabbing onto him. "Don't blame Eva. She didn't mean it. It's all my fault."

Her face was contorted in pain, but she was still speaking up for Evangeline. Joseph's heart melted at the scene.

"You've done nothing wrong, Evie. How can loving someone be wrong? The only one who's wrong is the extra person!"

When he looked at Evangeline again, there was no warmth in his gaze. He coldly ordered, "Evangeline, apologize to Evie on your knees, and we'll let this go."

"I didn't push her," Evangeline said softly.

"It's okay, Joseph. She doesn't have to apologize. Ow, it hurts so much... My leg's not broken, right?"

"Is your injury very bad, Evie? I'll take you to the hospital right now."

Joseph quickly scooped Evelyn up in his arms but then suddenly lifted his foot and kicked Evangeline. "Get on your knees! I'll ask for your apology to Evie once we get back!"

Caught off guard, Evangeline collapsed to the floor. Her knees slammed into the broken plate. It sent sharp pain through her body.

Tears rolled down her cheeks in an instant.

Joseph paused, a flicker of regret passing through his eyes. "Why are you crying? Does it hurt that much?"

Just as he was about to check on Evangeline, Evelyn tightened her grip around his neck.

"I'm so envious of Eva's acting skills. She can cry on command. Truly a gift from the heavens. Unlike me, I'm so stupid. I still can't cry convincingly. Thank goodness you're here to protect me."

As she spoke, tears cascaded down her face.

Joseph immediately snapped back to reality.

Evelyn, who couldn't act in a crying scene, was now crying so heartbreakingly. Her pain must be real. Meanwhile, Evangeline's acting had always been praised. Of course, she was faking it to gain sympathy.

He almost fell for it.

"Stop with your schemes, Evangeline! I'm warning you. If you mess with Evie again, I won't spare you!" he shouted in disgust.

With that, he tightened his embrace around Evelyn and stormed out.

The scene before her felt painfully familiar. When Joseph first met Evangeline, he had held her in his arms just like this, carrying her away from danger.

But now, the man who once protected her was carrying someone else. He left her with nothing but deep wounds.

Even though Evangeline had already decided to stop loving him, she couldn't help but feel a pang in her heart. It was as if an invisible hand was gripping her chest, causing unbearable pain.

Since Joseph had made his stance clear, the household staff, who had been watching the scene unfold, quickly avoided her.

Evangeline limped upstairs and tended to her wounds by herself.

Meanwhile, Joseph's and Evelyn's names appeared again on the trending topics. He had rented out an entire hospital floor and hired numerous experts, all for Evelyn's leg checkup.

After he learned that Evelyn had neither external nor internal injuries, his mood lightened. He had Antoine organize a giveaway on the Cunningham Group's official website.

It felt like a nationwide celebration.

Watching the comments flood in, with fans thanking Evelyn, Evangeline sent Joseph a message. "Let's get a divorce."

Normally, Joseph would take ages to reply, but this time, he responded immediately.

Chapter 5

A series of messages came flooding in.

"Don't think that Joseph will start caring about you just because you mention divorce."

"Joseph is taking a shower. Stop disturbing our time together."

"A pitiful stand-in like you can't imagine how happy we are, right? Keep an eye on the trending topics, then."

These texts were clearly from Evelyn.

Joseph never let Evangeline touch his phone, and he certainly never gave her the password. It seemed Evelyn was always the exception.

Evangeline didn't respond.

The next day, Joseph and Evelyn were indeed frequently trending on social media, showing off their love everywhere.

They visited a trendy café, took selfies on the Ferris wheel, and watched the sunset on a mountain top.

The things Evangeline had once hoped to do with Joseph—things he'd always refused to do—he now did effortlessly with Evelyn.

Thankfully, Evangeline was already preparing to leave, so these displays of affection didn't bother her. She just wanted to finish one last thing.

In this world, Evangeline was an actress. Initially, she had been pushed into the industry by Brandon and Madeleine. Later, she stayed to avoid disappointing Joseph.

But her true passion wasn't acting; it was directing and writing.

After gaining some experience over the years, Evangeline wrote her own script for a short drama, which was all the rage at the time. She gave it the title "Starlit Reverie".

The filming duration for a short drama was brief—only a couple of weeks. Before leaving, Evangeline wanted to leave behind something meaningful to her.

She worked efficiently, quickly assembling a team and preparing everything to start shooting once she returned home to pack.

As she walked into the house, she immediately heard the voices of Joseph, Evelyn, Brandon, and Madeleine.

When they saw her, their smiles faltered. But to her surprise, the normally indifferent Madeleine greeted her warmly and invited her to dinner.

Joseph handed her a box. "I saw this while traveling. I thought it would suit you."

Evangeline quickly recognized that it was a hairpin that had been trending on social media. At the time, Evelyn had casually mentioned liking it, and Joseph had bought out the entire store.

This was the one piece she hated.

"What's wrong? You don't like it?" Evelyn asked with a half-smile. The superiority in her eyes was almost impossible to hide.

Joseph's gaze darkened. "Are you being picky? I remember you used to like everything I gave you."

Indeed, he had once given her expensive jewelry and sometimes even flowers picked from the roadside. Evangeline had treasured them all.

But that was because she loved the person who gave them to her. Now, even if he handed her the stars, she wouldn't want them.

"It's nice," Evangeline simply said before putting the hairpin away. Her mind was on the shooting ahead.

Noticing her indifference, Evelyn was taken aback. The trending topic had been up for so long; Evangeline couldn't have missed it. Yet, she wasn't angry or upset. It was as though she didn't care anymore.

Joseph, too, noticed this and felt a tightness in his chest. He sensed that something was off.

Just as he was about to speak, Evelyn tugged at his sleeve and batted her eyes, signaling him to remember the matter at hand.

Only then did Joseph remember the real reason they were here today. He turned his gaze toward Evangeline. "Evie really likes that short drama you're working on. Give it to her this time."

Evangeline looked at him in disbelief.

In the past, Joseph had wanted her to give up on various resources, and she had complied. But this time, it was her own script and her own team. And now, Evelyn was trying to steal it from her too?

Noticing Evangeline's hesitation, Brandon and Madeleine placed some food on her plate.

"It's such a small matter. Just let her have it. Don't compete with Evelyn over everything."

"Evelyn's been through so much. It's only natural we help her get what she wants. We're family."

It was then that Evangeline understood that people really could laugh when they were feeling speechless. She sneered. "Evelyn's suffering isn't because of me. My script is like my baby. I won't give it to her."

Evelyn lowered her gaze, feigning sorrow. "I knew Eva didn't like me. Maybe I shouldn't have come back."

She pressed her hand to her mouth, pretending to leave, but Joseph grabbed her hand.

His eyes, cold as ice, turned toward Evangeline. "Evie's shown the script to industry professionals. It has a lot of potential, so it has to go to her. You're just an artist under my company. You must follow my arrangements. If you don't, I have the right to sideline you."

"Fine. Sideline me, then."

Noticing that Evangeline wasn't yielding, Brandon and Madeleine grew anxious.

"Joseph, don't waste time being polite to her. We're her parents. We know what she fears. Let us handle this."

"That's right. Just wait and see. Soon enough, she'll be begging Evelyn to take the script."