The Perfect Stand-In

To give his son a complete family, he found mea woman who bore a faint, passing resemblance to his unforgettable first love.

For three years of our marriage, I was the quiet woman behind the scenes for both father and son.

Virtuous, considerate, empathetic, and above all, I maintained an incredibly stable emotional state.

One day, I went to pick up his son from school and overheard him telling his classmates that I was just his nanny, and that his real mom was coming back soon.

My heart leaped with joy.

Shes back? Fantastic. That means I can take my payout and get the hell out of here.

It was a Friday, the day Caleb Vance usually picked up his son.

This was their weekly father-son bonding time, and Caleb would typically take him to a family-friendly restaurant for dinner.

For three years, it had been a routine without fail.

But today, Caleb called me last minute, claiming he had an urgent business trip and needed me to pick up Leo.

I rushed from the hospital straight to the kindergarten.

The classroom was mostly empty, save for three or four kids still waiting for their parents.

Leo was surrounded in the center of the room, the other kids staring in awe at the custom-engraved silver locket around his neck.

"Wow, Leo, your necklace is so cool!"

"Where did you get it? I'm gonna ask my mom to buy me one too."

Leo lifted his chin, looking incredibly proud. "My mom custom-designed this just for me. You can't buy it anywhere."

"Whoa, your mom is amazing."

"She can bake little bear cookies and design jewelry! I wish she was my mom."

"I want your mom too. She's so nice, my mom is so strict."

Except for Fridays and extremely rare circumstances, I was always the one who dropped off and picked up Leo.

Leo was much more mature than kids his age, and a bit withdrawn. Afraid that he might be isolated at school, I often baked homemade pastries to hand out to his classmates.

Because of that, Leo was very popular at school, and everyone naturally assumed I was his mothereven though he had never once called me that.

I did bake the bear cookies, but I certainly didn't know how to design jewelry.

I silently pulled back the foot I had just stepped into the classroom with.

Sure enough, a second later, Leo's childish but distinctly disdainful voice rang out:

"I'm not talking about her!"

"She's not my mom, she's just our nanny."

"My real mom is a jewelry designer, and she's super famous!"

The kids let out a collective gasp of awe, crowding around Leo and chattering excitedly, asking all about his amazing mother.

Standing by the back door, watching Leo passionately brag about his mother, I didn't feel much of a stir in my heart.

In a way, his words were harsh, but they weren't exactly wrong.

It was just... a bit too blunt.

Ever since I got together with Caleb, taking care of him and his son became my only full-time job.

Though the work was essentially the same as a live-in nanny, Caleb and I had signed the papers. We were legally married.

At the very least, I shouldn't be called a nanny. I was a stepmother, at worst.

Leo was the child of Caleb and a brilliant designer named Ashley. But right after Ashley recovered from childbirth, she vanished without a trace, leaving them without even a legal marriage certificate.

As Leo grew older, Caleb began to realize the gap in their family dynamic.

So, he started looking for a stepmother to give Leo a complete home.

Relying on a face that looked thirty percent like Ashley's, I stood out among a sea of candidates.

From the very first day I stepped into their lives, Leo knew I wasn't his mother, and I never once tried to replace her.

After all, Caleb and I were just a contract couple, bound for three years.

For these three years, he got a stand-in wife, Leo got a stepmother, and I got three million dollars.

I had no reason to refuse. I was desperate for the money.

On the drive back, I pretended I hadn't heard a thing. I asked Leo how his day was and what he wanted for dinner, just like always.

I knew my place. I only took what was mine, and I didn't care about anything that didn't concern me.

Leo kept a straight face and rattled off a few dishes.

I caught him secretly swallowing back saliva, and I had to suppress a smile.

If nothing else, my cooking skills were genuinely top-notch. Over the past three years, both the Vance men had filled out quite nicely.

Once we got home, Leo immediately locked himself in his room.

I didn't mind. I walked straight into the kitchen and started cooking.

When the three dishes and a soup were ready, I went to call him for dinner. Before I could even knock, I heard bright laughter coming from inside.

Leo was on a video call.

He had it on speaker, so I could hear everything perfectly.

I heard Caleb's voice, and another woman's voice.

She called Leo "baby," and Leo called her "Mom."

Leo excitedly told her how jealous all his classmates were of his necklace.

I had assumed the necklace was just another gift Caleb bought to humor him; things like that had happened before.

Even though Ashley had been gone for years, Caleb carefully maintained a connection between her and Leo, all so that if Ashley ever returned, she could seamlessly step back into her son's life.

But now it seemed the necklace really was designed by Ashley.

After six years, Caleb had finally found her.

Today's supposed "business trip" was just him rushing off for love.

How deeply romantic.

I had no intention of interrupting their beautiful family reunion, so I quietly sat back at the dining table and scrolled through my phone.

Only after I was sure Leo had hung up did I go back to knock on his door.

After dinner, as I was clearing the table, Leo sat in his chair, looking like he wanted to say something but swallowing the words.

Leo looked almost exactly like a miniature Calebhandsome and aristocratic.

But Leo's eyes were much prettier, probably because they were still so pure.

They looked a lot like the eyes etched into my memory, though still not quite a match.

I leaned against the table and smiled at him. "Is there something you want to tell me, sweetie?"

Leo bit his lip, ultimately saying nothing, and scurried back to his room.

I didn't care, nor did I have the energy to pry.

My job was strictly to ensure he was well-fed, dressed, and safe.

Anything beyond that wasn't my business, and wasn't within my control.

Later that night, wrapped in a blanket on the living room sofa, I sobbed uncontrollably while watching a sad movie.

When Caleb walked through the door, that was exactly the state he found me inmy face completely swollen from crying.

He looked shocked. I felt deeply awkward.

I quickly stood up, my voice thick with congestion.

"Why are you back so suddenly?"

He walked over to me, his gaze settling on me with a quiet, gentle weight. Even his voice was much softer than usual.

"Why are you up so late?"

I pointed at the TV. "Watching a movie."

He stared at me for a moment, let out a soft sigh, and reached out to pat my head.

Before I could dodge his hand, his phone rang. The caller ID read: Ashley.

He stepped out onto the balcony to take the call. I tactfully retreated to the kitchen, waiting until he hung up before walking back out.

"Caleb, let's go file the divorce papers next week."

Ashley was back, and our contract was expiring soon anyway.

I thought Caleb would agree instantly. After all, my usefulness as a stand-in had run its course.

But Caleb's expression instantly turned freezing cold.

"You want a divorce that badly?"

"I'm busy next week."

With that, he ignored me entirely and walked straight into Leo's room.

I stood there, completely baffled.

Caleb and I called ourselves husband and wife, but it was really an employer-employee relationship. He paid me, I did the job.

Now that the contract was up and he had successfully found his true love, shouldn't we quickly terminate the agreement so everyone could be happy?

What kind of mood swing was this?

Over the weekend, Caleb spent both days working overtime at the office. Leaving early and coming back late, he gave me no chance to bring up the divorce again.

On Monday morning, he suddenly shoved a small velvet box into my hand, claiming it was just some trinket he picked up at an auction.

I was in a rush to get Leo to school, so I casually tossed it into my purse.

As usual, I brought a batch of freshly baked cookies to the kindergarten. The kids swarmed me, sweetly chirping, "Thank you, Chloe!"

Leo stared at me quietly for a moment before pushing past the kids and walking into the classroom.

After drop-off, I had the driver take me to the hospital.

When I reached the room, Mia was standing by the window, doing her morning yoga routine.

She smiled brightly when she saw me. "What delicious food did you bring today?"

I shook the insulated thermos in my hand. "Your favorite. Chicken and wild rice soup."

We each poured a bowl and sat on the edge of the bed to eat.

I pulled out my phone, opened a photo gallery, and handed it to her.

"This is our house in Asheville. I already hired someone to deep-clean it."

"When you're discharged next week, take Noah there first and see if we need to buy any new furniture. As soon as I wrap things up here, I'll come meet you guys."

Mia looked through the photos, saying nothing, only nodding.

Holding my bowl, I turned to look out the window.

Through the glass, the sky was a brilliant blue. Fluffy white clouds drifted slowly with the wind, and the willow branches swayed gently.

"Chloe, we really dragged you down."

I watched those glowing white clouds and asked out of nowhere, "Mia, do you think Noah will like the yard?"

Mia paused for a second before her gaze turned distant and soft. She smiled.

"He will. He always loved places with a breeze."

I smiled too. "That's good."

Mia didn't say anything else, just let out a soft sigh.

We sat together on the edge of the bed, watching the clouds, the trees, and the sun.

We watched the people sitting on the hospital benches change from a mother and daughter, to a married couple, and then to a lonely old man.

Just like the passing strangers in everyone's lives, always coming and going in such a rush.

I said softly, "Mia, you and Noah never dragged me down."

"Without you and Noah, Chloe wouldn't even exist in this world."

"We are a family. We have been for ten years."

That afternoon, I went to the grocery store and then headed to pick up Leo, but his teacher told me he had been picked up that morning.

She said Leo left with his mom and dad.

Sitting back in the car, I thought about it and decided I should probably call Caleb just to be safe.

Even though it was highly likely he and Ashley had picked him up, when it came to a child, I couldn't be too careful.

Just as I was about to dial, I noticed a red notification dot on Caleb's Instagram feed.

I clicked on his profile.

Posted five minutes ago.

It was a 9-photo grid. The center photo was a joyful selfie of a family of three. The background was a sunny beach, and they were all wearing matching outfits.

I could tell Leo was genuinely thrilled. It was the first time in three years I had ever seen him smile with such pure, unbridled joy.

It was also the first time I'd ever seen Caleb wear such bright colors. Standing next to Ashley, his usual stern aura had melted away, leaving him looking incredibly soft and warm.

They were a picture-perfect family.

Since Instagram had already confirmed it for me, there was no need to make the call.

With Caleb and Leo out of town, I essentially had a mini-vacation. Every day, I cooked, took food to the hospital to eat with Mia, and then we'd take relaxing walks together.

It was wonderfully peaceful.

Calebs call came in the dead of night.

I was fast asleep when the ringtone jolted me awake.

Caleb's voice sounded utterly exhausted, mixed with the sound of Leo crying frantically in the background.

"Chloe, can you come to the pediatric urgent care right now?"

Caleb explained that Leo hadn't been sleeping well for the past few days, and after playing out in the ocean wind, he had suddenly spiked a massive fever. They were at the clinic now, but Leo was crying hysterically and refusing to let the doctors examine him.

I checked the pitch-black sky outside the window, got out of bed, and started packing a bag.

Leo had always had terrible sleep quality. When I first moved into the Vance house, he would frequently wake up in the middle of the night screaming in terror. I spent countless nights pacing the floor, holding him and singing lullabies until dawn to get him back to sleep.

He had improved significantly over the last two years, but he was still incredibly particular about his bed.

If he ever had to sleep away from home, he absolutely needed his specific pillow, his favorite blanket, and his own pajamas, or he wouldn't sleep a wink.

In the past, whenever Leo traveled with his grandparents, I always packed these things in advance.

Since I was always the one handling it, Caleb simply had no idea.

Even from down the clinic hallway, I could hear Leo's wails. His voice was completely hoarse.

I had assumed Ashley would be there, but to my surprise, it was only Caleb and Leo in the room.

Caleb's face visibly relaxed the second he saw me. "You're here."

Leo was thrashing on the examination bed, his little face beet-redwhether from the fever or the crying, I couldn't tell.

I had Caleb lift him up while I quickly swapped the scratchy hospital sheets for his blanket and pillow from home, then quickly changed Leo into his own pajamas.

I pulled Leo into my arms, lying down sideways next to him and gently patting his back. Slowly, his crying died down.

He curled up against my chest, his little fist gripping the edge of my shirt, murmuring "Mom."

I touched his burning cheek. He was completely delirious from the fever.

I wasn't his mom. I was just his nanny.

After a bit more soothing, Leo finally fell into a deep, stable sleep.

The nurses successfully started an IV, and Caleb and I collapsed onto the small waiting sofa.

Caleb handed me a cup of water, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry for waking you up."

I shook my head. "It's fine. It's my job."

"Next time you take him out of town, just remember to bring his pillow, pajamas, and blanket."

Caleb looked at me for a long moment before asking, "Did you ever open that little box I gave you?"

"Not yet. Was it something important?"

I pulled the velvet box out of my purse and clicked it open. Inside sat a stunning diamond ring.

Caleb suddenly reached over and covered my hand with his. "Chloe, don't divorce me. Please."

I had no idea what happened between Caleb and Ashley to make him abandon the woman he had waited six long years for, only to turn around and propose to me.

But I knew one thing for certain: it wasn't because he was madly in love with me.

Caleb Vance was a terrifyingly disciplined and pragmatic man. Every decision he made was calculated, the optimal choice after weighing all the pros and cons.

But I had no desire to analyze his underlying motives.

I never liked wasting energy on things that didn't matter.

I pulled my hand out from under his and placed the ring on the coffee table.

"Caleb, we are a contract couple. The contract is over, and so are we."

He sat beside me, acting as if he hadn't heard a word I said, and continued explaining on his own:

"Chloe, if you're worried about Ashley, you don't have to be."

"She and I are completely finished. We only went on this trip because she wanted to see Leo. After this, we won't be in contact anymore."

"Having you by my side these past few years has brought me so much peace, and Leo relies on you completely. Can't we just keep living our lives together, just like this?"

I looked at Caleb, my expression completely flat. "No."

"Whatever is going on with you and Ashley, I don't know, and I don't care. But there is no 'us'."

The only reason I ever agreed to be his contract wife was to afford Mia's medical treatments.

Now that Mia was better, we had our own lives to live.

We were going to settle down in a house with a breeze.

Caleb clearly hadn't expected such a blunt rejection. A flash of genuine hurt crossed his eyes.

"Chloe... do you really have absolutely no feelings for me?"

I offered a small smile. "I do. I feel profound gratitude toward an incredibly generous employer."

I meant that from the bottom of my heart.

If it weren't for the three million dollars he gave me, Mia and I would have been dead a long time ago.

Because of that, for three years, I poured my soul into taking care of him and his son. Whatever they needed, whenever they needed it, I was there.

But that was where it ended.

I thought I had made myself perfectly clear, but Caleb still refused to accept it.

"You don't have to answer me right now. I'm not in a rush."

"It's late. I'll have the driver take you home to sleep. I've got things handled here."

Because Leo's fever had burned for so long, it triggered a mild case of pneumonia, requiring him to stay in the hospital for a few days.

Caleb practically moved his office into the hospital room, staying by his son's side around the clock. Ashley, on the other hand, never visited once.

Every day, I cooked meals at home and delivered them to the ward.

One afternoon, I was spoon-feeding Leo his lunch when my phone suddenly rang. It was the main hospital. They told me Mia had suffered a massive, sudden brain hemorrhage and was currently in emergency surgery.

My hand gave out. The bowl crashed to the floor, the shattering porcelain making Leo jump.

Caleb was just walking through the door. He rushed over to me, asking what was wrong.

My hands were shaking violently. My brain completely short-circuited, and even pulling oxygen into my lungs felt impossible.

How could this happen?

When I saw her yesterday, she was perfectly fine.

She was supposed to be discharged tomorrow.

Everything was getting better.

How?