No More Stand-Ins: White Moonlight Returns

For years after I left the country, every woman Lee Sinclair was seen with looked just like me.
His friends all said the same thing. I was his one that got away. The second Amanda Ashton decides to come home, theyd say, its game over for everyone else.
Then he started dating a starlet, fresh on the scene. And she looked nothing like me.
She was the first woman he ever publicly called his girlfriend.
That was the year I rushed back home.
Everyone was waiting for the drama to unfoldthe great lost love, returning with her tail between her legs to win back the reformed playboy. A classic story.
Even Lee himself warned me, his words a thinly veiled threat: Amanda, you picked a bad time to come back.
But what they didn't know, what none of them could have guessed, was that I wasn't there to fight for him.
I was home to get married.

1
The moment I stepped out of the arrivals gate, I saw him. Lee.
He was standing in the crowd, dressed in a sharp wool coat, his face etched with a maturity it lacked when Id left years ago. The expression he wore, though, was a chaotic mix of emotions I couldn't begin to decipher.
"They told me you were coming back," he said, his voice a low rumble. "I thought it was a lie."
I stopped, my hand tightening on the handle of my suitcase. "I'm just here to take care of some things," I replied, my tone deliberately flat.
Lee wordlessly took the suitcase from my grasp. "Your father asked me to pick you up. Don't get the wrong idea."
I just nodded and followed him to the underground parking garage.
On the way, my phone buzzed incessantly. A group chat with old friends, dormant for years, had exploded.
[No way, did Lee actually go get Amanda? For real? Amanda's back?!]
[What about his new girlfriend, that rising star, Vivian Reed? Did he dump her?]
[Duh. Besides, why do you think Amanda's suddenly back? She's here to claim her man!]
[Vivian who? She was just a novelty. Now that the queen is back, I bet Vivian won't even get a second glance.]
[Don't underestimate Vivian. I've met her. Any woman who can get a leash on Lee Sinclair is a force to be reckoned with.]
Lee glanced at his own vibrating phone. He scrolled through the messages, then looked at me, his jaw tight. "Amanda, this is bad timing. I have a girlfriend now."
My hand froze on the passenger door handle. After a beat, I pulled it back and opened the back door instead.
"Congratulations," I said, the word tasting like ash in my mouth.
He slammed his own door with a little too much force.
I noticed then, after all these years, that hed started smoking. The Lee I knew was a picture of self-controlno smoking, no drinking, a world away from the messy nightlife our friends indulged in. And yet, during my years abroad, Id heard whispers of more than a dozen flings.
His phone rang, and a sweet, syrupy voice cooed from the speaker.
"Lee, honey, I'm exhausted on set. Can you please come pick me up?"
"Send me the address."
"Love you! Mwah!"
He hung up and shot me a look that was more of a challenge than a smile. "You mind if we make a detour? To pick up my girlfriend."
"Of course not."
I should have taken a cab.

2
Lee pulled up near the film set. Among the bustling crew and lingering fans, my eyes landed on Vivian Reed immediately.
She was impossible to miss.
Even bundled up against the cold, she had an unmistakable star quality. When fans started snapping pictures, Vivian pulled her mask down just enough to flash a dazzling smile. "Thank you, darlings! My boyfriend isn't in the business, so could you please not photograph him?"
A fan shouted, "We heard he's the heir to the Sinclair fortune! Is it true?"
Vivian didn't deny it. She just pressed a finger to her lips in a playful shhh gesture.
The moment she slid into the car, she peeled off her sunglasses and planted a kiss on Lee's cheek. "Lee, darling. Have you been waiting long?"
Her gaze then shifted to me in the back. "And you are?"
"Hello," I said, offering a polite smile. "It's a pleasure. I'm Amanda Ashton, a friend of Lee's."
Vivian's own smile widened. "Amanda. I've heard so much about you."
Lee reached over and clicked her seatbelt into place for her. "All set. Let's go."
"Oh, look at me," Vivian pouted playfully. "I always forget. You always have to do it for me."
I turned my head to stare out the window, focusing on the blur of passing city lights, anything to avoid the cloying scene in the front seat.
We hadn't been driving for long when Vivian addressed me again.
"Amanda, did you date anyone while you were overseas?"
"I did," I answered honestly.
"I knew it! A woman as beautiful as youyou look like a movie star yourself!must have men falling at her feet, right? It was the same for me with Lee. He pursued me so hard. All his friends say I'm different, that I'm special to him. His everything. But you know," she mused, her tone turning sharp, "it almost makes me wonder if he has a great lost love somewhere. I hear you and Lee grew up together. You must know who she is. Tell me."
She was looking at me now, her eyes filled not with curiosity, but with scrutiny.
Lees brow furrowed. "I don't have a 'lost love.' That's just them talking nonsense."
Vivian pouted again, turning her attention back to her phone with a dramatic sigh.
The rest of the drive was silent.
When Lee dropped me off at my parents house, he didn't even get out of the car. He just rolled down the window. "My girlfriend's upset. I have to go smooth things over. I'll pass on your hellos to your parents."
Just as I was about to walk away, Vivian called out.
"Amanda, let's exchange numbers!"
I held out my phone for her to scan, but she shook her head. "No, you scan mine. That way I know you won't just ignore my request."

3
My friends threw a small party to welcome me home.
No one expected Lee to bring Vivian.
She came bearing perfectly chosen gifts for everyone, but she saved the most pointed one for me.
"I've heard that Lee thinks of you as family, Amanda," she said, her voice dripping with sweetness. "So when we get married, you have to be my maid of honor, okay?"
The mood in the room soured. A few of our friends shot Lee a look. "Sinclair, you gonna let her run her mouth like that?"
Lee just chuckled. "What, you want me sleeping on the couch?"
Vivian giggled, covering her mouth coyly.
Later, she suggested a game of Truth or Dare. The bottle spun and, of course, it landed on me.
Everyone leaned in, ready with a question, but Vivian held up a hand. "Hold on, everyone! My boyfriend gets to ask first."
Lee took a sip of his drink, his eyes fixed on me. "Did you have a boyfriend overseas?"
"Yes," I nodded.
A few people gasped.
Ryan Cole, one of Lee's best friends, tried to smooth things over. "Come on, Amanda's just joking. Drink up for the fib, I'll take it for her!"
The next round, Lee spun again. The bottle wobbled and pointed right back at me.
"What's his name?" he asked.
"I'd rather not say."
Vivian burst out laughing, loud and theatrical. "Hahaha! Amanda, its a good thing youre not an actress, because your performance is terrible! Men might be dense enough to miss it, but as a woman, I can spot a lie a mile away!"
Lee's usual flings would never have dared to speak like that. But this wasn't just another fling. This was Vivian Reed, the only woman he'd ever publicly claimed.
His silence was her permission.
I swept my hair back from my face and smiled, a cool, sharp thing. "Actors are known for their drama, Miss Reed. I, on the other hand, don't do theatrics."
The smile froze on Vivian's face.
I may have a reputation for being good-natured, but I also have a razor-sharp tongue. It seemed Lee had forgotten to mention that part to her.
But she recovered quickly, her smile snapping back into place as she poured me a glass of whiskey. "A dare's a dare. If you can't answer, you drink. Bottoms up."
"Fine." I downed the glass in one go, the liquor burning a path down my throat.
The bottle in Lee's hand seemed to have a mind of its own. On his next spin, it landed on me for a third time.
He didn't even hesitate. "Why did you come back?"

4
I gave up on answering.
Lee saw it in my eyes and slammed his hand down on the bottle, stopping its spin. "Why. Did. You. Come. Back?"
His knuckles were white where he gripped the glass.
"To get married," I said, my voice weary. I figured there was no point in hiding it; Id be inviting them to the wedding soon enough anyway.
A beat of silence, then
"PfftHahahahahahaha!"
The whole room erupted in laughter.
"Wow, Amanda, you've been gone for years, and your pranks have only gotten more childish."
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
"You were never a good liar, Amanda."
I turned my gaze to Vivian. "So, I'm sorry, but I can't be your maid of honor. My wedding is next month."
"Is it with that boyfriend you had overseas?" she pressed, her eyes glinting. "Why not just tell us who he is, Amanda? Its not like we're going to judge him if he's not up to your standards, right?"
I had no intention of explaining myself to her. "He's an exceptional man, but I can't disclose his identity."
Suddenly, Lee shot to his feet, pulling Vivian up with him. "Vivian, your acting is much better than hers, but I've had enough of this show. We're leaving."
Ryan grabbed his arm, whispering urgently, "Don't, man. If you miss this chance, who knows when you'll get another one?"
Lee shoved his hand away. "What chance? When have I ever been waiting for her? Huh?" His voice was raw, cutting through the noise. "I've been with more women than I can count these past few years. Every single one of them is better than Amanda Ashton."
Ryans words died in his throat.
My eyes met Lee's across the room. I could see the tremor in his gaze.
I stood frozen, feeling the blood turn to ice in my veins.
"Have some self-respect, Lee," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "Don't you feel disgusting?"
He licked his lips, a bitter, mocking smile playing on his face. "That's none of your damn business."

5
After the party broke up, Ryan caught up with me. "Amanda, are you for real about getting married? Or is this all just a game?"
I nodded calmly. "It's real."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Come on, you don't have to lie to me. I know what's going on with you and Lee. You two just can't get over that one hurdle from the past. The truth is, Lee"
"Ryan," I cut him off. "It wasn't a hurdle. It was a person. I am getting married. For real. This isn't a lie or some childish attempt to make him jealous."
Ryan looked like Id just struck him. "Amanda! After what he's become these last few years, how could you?"
"I don't know what he's become," I said, my voice hollow. "But you do. You've seen how much he's enjoyed his new life."
"Enjoyed it? Amanda, for years, Lee has looked at a parade of women who look just like you, and the only thing he ever says is, 'She looks like her, but she's not her.'"
My voice broke. "But you saw him tonight, Ryan. He still hates me."
...
Halfway home, Lee's car screeched to a halt.
He turned to Vivian, his voice cold. "Get out."
Vivian's smile faltered. "What? So you say you don't believe her, but the second you hear she's getting married, you fly into a rage?"
Lee's eyes darkened into two chips of ice. "Vivian, know your place. I can end your career with a single phone call."
Faced with a choice between a verbal jab and her entire future, Vivian chose her career.
She had thought she was different. No other woman had ever sat in the passenger seat of Lee's car. No other woman had been publicly acknowledged as his girlfriend. Other women were dropped the moment Amanda's name was even mentioned.
Vivian didnt believe Amanda was the untouchable first love everyone claimed she was.
She thought it was something much deeper. She thought it was hate.
A love that had curdled into a bitter, all-consuming resentment.
Every woman in their circle wanted to be Mrs. Sinclair. And Vivian, having gotten her foot in the door, was determined to kick it wide open.

6
Vivian posted online.
It was a grainy photo she must have secretly taken of me at the party, showing only my back against the dim lighting of the room.
The caption read: [Heard his one true love came back, and suddenly Im just a stain on the wall.]
A minute later, she deleted it.
But the damage was done. Vivian was a top-tier celebrity, hand-picked and promoted by Lee himself. Her every move made headlines.
And this time, the trending topic included my name.
Her fans were furious.
[What 'one true love'? She's the one who dumped him in the first place, and now she can't stand to see our Vivian happy, so she came back to wreck it.]
[OMG, so she's a homewrecker?]
[She's worse than a homewrecker. She's a murderer. She got one of their best friends killed.]
[Not many people know the story, but let's just say Amanda Ashton comes from big money. You can connect the dots]
[Vivian, are you being threatened? If you are, post a single period on your next update.]
Vivian's next post was a single period. She deleted it a second later.
The internet erupted.
When she showed up at my door to "apologize," she was the picture of innocence, dabbing at crocodile tears.
"I'm so sorry, Amanda. I was just posting a line from a script. I had no idea people would react like this, that they would attack you online. I'm so, so sorry." She cried so beautifully it was almost convincing.
"You wanted to hurt me without offending my family," I said, my voice flat and cold. "Vivian, you can't have it both ways."
"Amanda, I know it's all true. That you and Lee had a history. I understand why you'd target me, but please, leave him out of this."
Before I could respond, Vivian suddenly pitched forward, her forehead cracking against the sharp corner of the coffee table.
Just at that moment, Lee walked in.
He saw her collapse, saw the blood bloom on her forehead, and rushed to her side. He scooped her up in his arms as the blood streamed down her face, staining the shoulder of his coat a deep crimson.
"Amanda," he snarled, his eyes blazing, "I already had the posts taken down. Don't push your luck."
"You think I did this?" I shot back, incredulous. "Who do you think sicced her fans on me in the first place?"
Lee's laugh was a bitter, ugly sound. "But which part is wrong, Amanda? The part where you left without a word, or the part where you got someone killed? Hm?"
The words caught in my throat.
Without another look at me, he carried Vivian out the door and rushed her to the hospital.

7
I drove to the cemetery.
The sun was bright, the air was still, but the place felt heavy with unspoken words. I stood before a simple headstone and pulled a pack of cigarettes from my pocket.
I lit one and placed it on the ground before the stone.
"Your favorite," I murmured.
I looked at the smiling face of the young man in the photograph, his life frozen forever at twenty.
Leo Vance.
An orphan, with no family to speak of.
The three of us had been inseparable.
One day, while helping Leo move, his journal fell out of a box in the back of my car. It fell open to a page that would shatter our world.
A small photo of Lee was taped to the corner of the page. Surrounding it, in Leos familiar handwriting, were wordsparagraphs of themdetailing a love for Lee that was raw, secret, and absolute.
At the time, Lee and I had just found our way to each other after my own six-year crush. We had been officially together for less than a year.
And for seven years before that, Leo had been by Lees side.
I stormed to Lee's place, my hands shaking with rage, and confronted him.
"Leo has been in love with you for years! How could you not know? You kept him by your side for seven yearswere you both lying to me this whole time?"
"What are you talking about?" Lee roared back, his face a mask of disbelief. "If Leo was in love with me, then pigs can fly!"
I slammed the journal page down on his desk. "See for yourself! This is how he's loved you for seven years!"
But Lees eyes weren't on the page. They were looking past me, toward the doorway.
I turned. Leo was standing there, his face as white as a sheet.
He turned and fled.
He ran out of the building, into the street, and right into the path of an oncoming car at the intersection just a block away.
He was killed instantly.
Later, when the shock subsided enough for me to think, I found the last page of his journal. The grief hit me like a physical blow.
Leo had written: To find someone you love who loves you back is the rarest thing. Amanda and Lee are my best friends. They have to be happy.
Tears streamed down my face, hot with regret.
We were only twenty years old. Our love was too young, too fragile to bear the weight of a life. It shattered.
From that day on, every time Lee looked at me, there was a flicker of hatred in his eyes. Leo was my friend, but he was the brother Lee never had.
I couldn't blame him.
When the icy ocean water rose to my chest, a kind stranger pulled me back.
"You're so young!" he yelled at me, his face furious. "What gives you the right to give up on your life?"
"I took a life," I sobbed. "I owe him this."
"Listen to me," he said, shaking me. "You think dying is your escape? How selfish can you be? If you want to atone, then live with the guilt. Live with it forever!"
So I ran. I ran from Lee, and I ran from myself, carrying my guilt with me to the other side of the world.
I went to Murmansk, the city Leo always dreamed of visiting.
The year-round ice-free port. For a year-round unforgivable sin.

8
With a massive bandage on her forehead, Vivian started a livestream.
Her fans were frantic.
[Vivian, what happened? Did someone hit you? Tell us, we'll protect you!]
[Just a bystander here, but this is horrifying. Please call the police, sweetheart.]
[I'm literally sobbing. Can someone please save this precious, kind soul?]
Vivian managed a weak, pale smile. "Everyone, don't worry. I was just clumsy and bumped my head."
Then, she tilted the camera just enough to show Lee's back in the background. He appeared to be cooking for her in her kitchen.
"Okay, my darlings, be strong, no more tears," Vivian said. "And I guess every cloud has a silver lining. Because of this, my boyfriend is finally home, cooking for me."
The comments exploded.
[So that homewrecker had him tied up all this time? Amanda Ashton is shameless!]
[Don't let one home-cooked meal fool you, you sweet girl! You're always so kind, but who's looking out for you?]
[I hope Amanda Ashton dies!]
Just before Lee could turn around, Vivian angled the camera back to her face.
She feigned concern. "Everyone, you've misunderstood. Amanda is a dear friend to both of us. I hope you all can respect a private citizen's life and leave her in peace, okay?"
The comments only grew more vicious. Watching them scroll by, Vivians smile deepened with satisfaction.
She ended the stream.
Across the city, I put down my phone and rubbed my temples, a headache blooming behind my eyes.
Just then, an unfamiliar number called.
A deep, steady voice came through the line. "Amanda. My flight lands tomorrow afternoon. We need to discuss our wedding plans."
My fingers tightened around the phone. "Okay," I replied. "I'll be there to pick you up."
That night, a rumor began to circulate through our social circles.
Robert Croft, the legendary lawyer whose name made corporations tremble, was coming home.
Someone once gave a piece of advice that became gospel:
If you don't want to get sued into oblivion, don't piss off Robert Croft.

9
At the international airport, Robert stood out. Dressed in a black cashmere overcoat, he commanded attention without trying.
I walked up to him. "Welcome home, Counselor."
Robert leaned in and brushed a quick, firm kiss across my lips. "Amanda. It's been too long. I missed you."
That night, I stayed at Robert's apartment.
After a tangle of sheets and whispered words, I lay with my head on his chest. "Robert," I asked, "are you confident about that case?"
He looked down at me, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You're not going to ask about our wedding first? You jump straight to the case? You're in a hurry, Amanda."
I playfully punched his chest. "Who's in a hurry? I've already made the arrangements. We're trying on wedding dresses tomorrow, and you're coming with me."
"Alright."
I turned off the light, but sleep was a long time coming.
The next day, at the bridal boutique, I ran into Vivian.
She was preening in front of a mirror, draped in a gown that looked more like a coronation dress than a wedding dress. Her smile vanished when she saw me.
"Amanda. What are you doing here?"
I noticed she was holding her phone, clearly in the middle of a livestream.
She turned back to the screen. "Darlings, calm down. Amanda has amazing taste. Lee probably sent her to help me choose. The wedding date? Oh, he's picking one out now. It's happening very soon."
She glided over to me, positioning her phone so we were both in the frame, like a selfie. "Amanda, say hi to my fans! And maybe you can clear up your relationship with Lee, so they don't get the wrong idea?"
The comments flew by in a blur of hatred.
[WHAT SHOP IS THAT I'M ON MY WAY TO DEFEND OUR QUEEN!]
[She's so ugly! Do homewreckers have no standards these days?]
[Ugh, can this bitch just die already!]
I slapped the phone out of her hand. "Vivian, stop this. You're a public figure. This is a disgrace."
She glanced at her dark phone screen on the floor and smirked. "Lee and I are getting married. Aren't you panicking?"
"I'm shaking in my boots, can't you tell? Now, if you'll excuse me, you're in my way."
"I recall calling the manager and booking the entire store," a familiar voice cut through the air. "Why is there riffraff here?"
Lee was standing behind us.
Vivian gathered her massive skirt and ran to him. "Lee, thank God you're here! Amanda was looking at me so frighteningly, and she smashed my phone. Oh, but I'm not blaming her! She's probably just emotional."
Lees gaze was locked on me. "Amanda, what are you trying to pull this time?"
"Does she need to explain herself to you?"
Another voice, cool and steady. Robert walked towards us, draping his suit jacket over his arm as he removed his gold-rimmed glasses. He slipped an arm around my shoulders. "Sorry I'm late, Amanda. Got held up."
Lee took a step forward, his eyes narrowing as he sized Robert up. "Croft?"
Robert smiled, a sharp, humorless thing. "A pleasure to meet you. I am Robert Croft. And I'm Amanda's fianc."

10
Lee's eyes snapped to me, wide with disbelief. "He's the boyfriend you couldn't talk about?"
"It seems Amanda has already told you about me," Robert said smoothly. "Our wedding is early next month. You'll be sure to come, won't you, Mr. Sinclair?" His tone was pure acid.
I knew the dress fitting was a lost cause.
I took Robert's arm. "I booked another boutique. Shall we go there?"
"Of course. Whatever you want."
As we walked past Lee, his hand shot out, trembling, brushing against my arm before he snatched it back as if burned.
We had just exited the boutique when a man with a dark hoodie and shadowed eyes stepped into our path.
He lunged, a blade flashing in his hand.
"You hurt Vivian, you bitch! You die!"
In a split second, Robert moved. He shoved me behind him, his leg snapping out in a vicious kick that sent the man sprawling to the ground.
Ever since Vivian's self-inflicted drama, I'd been getting calls from unknown numbers. Hysterical strangers screaming at me, telling me to die. Once, I even received a graphic, violent video threatening me. I never knew a stranger could hate someone they'd never met with such intensity.
Today, the knife-wielding man was one of Vivian's fanatics. He'd figured out my location from her livestream and had come for revenge.
After the police had taken the man away, Robert asked, "Do you want me to sue Vivian for you?"
I shook my head. "Just focus on the case."
A thin, red line had been carved into Robert's left forearm. It wasn't deep, but blood was welling up.
"Amanda," he said, his voice quiet and intense, "sometimes I really wonder if you feel anything for me besides... utility."

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