Lie to me, Chase me Forever

“Your princess is back. What are you going to do with Alicia, your placeholder?”

My smile faded, hands trembling as I held the pregnancy test results, something I was supposed to surprise my boyfriend Heron.

Placeholder? Princess? What are they talking about?

“Marcus doesn’t know you’ve been dating his sister for six years. That’s risky enough,” the voice continued, laughing softly. “But Hannah? She’s different, isn’t she? She’s the one.”

There was a long pause before Heron finally answered, his words cutting through me like glass. “Alicia’s convenient. She always has been.”

“So are you going to proceed with your proposal with Alicia? Surely, she was expecting it.”

“Proposal?” Heron smirked. “If anything, that’s just a proposal because I need something from her, and not exactly her.”

I covered my mouth in shock, tears falling in my eyes, and before they could see me, I turned and walked away, my legs moving on their own as my heart shattered.

Sitting in my car, I stared blankly at the dashboard. My chest felt tight, and every breath I took burned. The envelope lay beside me on the passenger seat, its contents mocking me.

For six years, I’d given Heron everything—my trust, my love, and my loyalty. I’d believed him when he said keeping our relationship a secret from Marcus was for the best. I’d believed him when he promised that our time would come.

But it was all a lie. I was never his choice. I was just a placeholder.

My hands trembled as I picked up my phone and dialed my brother’s number for an overseas call.

“Alicia?” Marcus’s voice was steady, comforting in a way I didn’t deserve right now. “Are you okay?"

“I’ve been thinking,” I said, trying to keep my voice even.

“About what?”

“The marriage proposal,” I said, gripping the phone tightly.

There was a long pause. “You’re saying yes?” he asked carefully.

“Yes,” I replied.

“You’re sure?” Marcus asked, his tone softening. “You’ve been hesitant about this for years. What changed your mind?”

“I’m sure,” I lied. “Just thought about it. Please make the arrangements.”

“Alright,” he said after a moment. “If that’s what you want, I’ll take care of everything.”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“No worries, my sister. And oh, by the way, I will see you in days.”

“Next week? Why? Are you coming home?”

“Ah, my best friend Heron wanted me to come since he’ll be having a party for Hannah, his first love. Wait, you know Heron, right?

“No,” I lied. “I don’t know him."

“I probably need to introduce you to him once I get back—”

I ended the call before he could say anything further. So that was it, he never wanted to tell us about us to my brother because of Hannah.

Turning the key in the ignition, I glanced at the envelope one last time before shoving it into the glove compartment. Heron would never see it. He didn’t deserve to know that I had his baby.

Instead of going home, I decided to go to the hotel and stayed there. I just couldn't bear the lies of Heron, acting like a perfect boyfriend.

As I reached the hotel, I received a message from Heron, “Hey, babe. Something urgent came up at work. Won’t be able to sleep with you. See you tomorrow.”

I ignored the message and was about to head out of my car when I noticed a familiar figure heading inside the hotel—Heron and Hannah.

Indeed, I was just a replacement.