Chapter 1
Damian was the heir to a powerful fortune, and my husband of three years.
Three days after our wedding, he took me to a plastic surgery clinic.
He held up a photo, pointing at it as he spoke to the doctor. “I want her to look exactly like the woman in this picture. Understand?”
Then he turned to me, his face devoid of emotion. “Chloe Evans, a slight resemblance isn’t enough for me.”
The woman in the photo was Serena Lewis, the unobtainable love of Damian’s life. Years ago, she’d left him at their wedding, chasing her so-called ‘true love’ to the other side of the globe.
And I, simply because I bore a faint resemblance to Serena, was forced to become a stand-in bride. He promised to cover my mom’s astronomical medical bills. For that, I had to break up with Liam Foster, my childhood sweetheart.
Three years into this marriage, I was no longer Chloe Evans. I was like a puppet on strings, forbidden from having thoughts of my own.
I was expected to imitate everything about Serena: her every gesture, her every smile, her fashion style, her daily habits.
Even the most intimate moments between a husband and wife had to be just like hers.
If I copied her well, Damian would accuse me of dreaming of replacing Serena. If I didn’t do it well enough, he’d find new ways to punish me.
On the first day of our marriage, Damian told me, “From now on, you will learn her tone of voice, her laugh, her preferences—everything. You will learn it all. Do you understand?”
“Why…?” I asked, my voice filled with resentment.
He grabbed my wrist, his eyes icy. “Because you are Serena’s substitute. Turning yourself into her is the only reason you exist!”
In the days that followed, Damian used every method he could to try and transform me into Serena.
“Serena calls me with such tenderness, why do you have no emotion at all?” Damian pinched my chin, his fingers almost digging into my cheek. “Did I marry a robot? Are you even a woman?”
I opened my mouth, but only a dry, raspy sound came out. He made me practice countless times, but I could never satisfy him.
In the steamy bathroom, he picked up his phone. The screen showed a video of Serena dancing.
“Put this on.” He tossed a lace slip dress onto me. “Dance exactly like that.”
“But… I can’t…” I whispered, trying to object.
“Then learn! If you don’t dance well, don’t even think about sleeping tonight!” He cut me off impatiently, his voice leaving no room for negotiation.
I changed into the dress and stood amidst the swirling steam, clumsily imitating the movements from the video.
Raising my hand, kicking my leg – every action felt stiff and awkward.
Damian leaned back on the sofa, watching me with an amused, mocking look.
“Chloe Evans, you’re truly… ugh, a pathetic attempt to mimic her, and frankly, it’s disgusting.”
Humiliation made my eyes burn, but I didn’t dare retort. My mom still needed her medical treatment.
One day, Damian suddenly tossed a shoe box at me. “Put these on and come with me to the party. Hurry up, don’t keep me waiting.”
He actually bought me shoes and wanted to take me to a party?
After being married for so long, he had never acknowledged me in public, nor had he ever taken me to any social events.
For a moment, I was overwhelmed, cautiously opening the box. Inside was a pair of diamond-encrusted high heels.
“They’re beautiful. Are they… for me?” I looked at him, disbelief in my voice.
“Stop asking stupid questions. Just put them on.”
But when I saw the nearly four-inch stiletto heels, my jaw dropped. I never wore high heels, let alone ones this tall.
I looked at Damian, troubled. “Damian, these heels are too high. I really… I can’t wear them.”
“Chloe Evans, look at yourself. Do you have an ounce of elegance befitting a woman from a wealthy family? Does your image even deserve to stand next to me, Damian Hayes? You’re not even fit to tie Serena’s shoes.”
“You’re wearing these shoes today,” Damian commanded.
So, I hobbled along with him to the party in those four-inch heels.
During the event, someone called me Mrs. Hayes. To my shock, Damian’s face turned cold. “Remember, call her Miss Evans.”
I forced an awkward smile, wanting the ground to swallow me whole. Damian wouldn’t even give me a proper title.
By the time the party was over, my ankles were ridiculously swollen, and my toes and heels were raw and bleeding. The pain was excruciating.
But Damian wasn’t satisfied with my performance. As soon as we got home, he dragged me into the bathroom, turning the shower on full blast, drenching me in cold water.
“Your behavior today was incredibly disappointing. Don’t you dare forget your place just because someone calls you Mrs. Hayes. Don’t even dream of replacing Serena. You are nothing to me.” His voice was low and dangerous, his hand clutching my throat. “Do you know how to make up for it?”
“Strip,” he commanded.
I looked at him in horror. “Damian, no, please…”
If the verbal humiliation and physical punishments had already made me numb, what came next was truly degrading.
“Heh, Chloe Evans, why are you pretending to be so innocent in front of me? You’re just an object I own.”
Damian forcefully ripped off all my clothes. I stood there, naked and humiliated, before him.
I turned my head, trying desperately not to let the tears fall, but Damian wouldn’t even grant me that small dignity.
He grabbed my hands, which were covering my chest, and pinned them above my head, pressing me tightly against the wall.
“Call me Daddy!” he whispered in my ear, his breathing growing heavier, his other hand roaming relentlessly over my body.
The shower continued to pour, drenching both of us, but Damian seemed oblivious to the cold.
He was treating me like Serena again. I closed my eyes, pressing my lips together.
When I didn’t respond for a long time, Damian suddenly kissed me, tearing at my lips with force.
Just as I thought I couldn’t breathe, he released me.
“Right. A woman like you, how could you ever make a sound like Serena?”
He continued to roughly rub my body, mocking me all the while.
“Ah, Damian, you’re hurting me…” I finally couldn’t help but let out a whimper.
“Who gave you permission to call my name? I said Daddy, Dad-dy, understand?”
His grip tightened, and I couldn’t bear it any longer. I had no choice but to give in. “Daddy…!”
But Damian didn’t stop. Instead, he became even more aggressive, deliberately targeting my sensitive spots.
He didn’t forget to taunt me with a disgusted tone. “Your voice is truly awful. Not even a fraction as good as Serena’s.”
He tormented me again and again, ignoring my pleas, until I couldn’t get out of bed the next day. He said it was my punishment.
Afterward, he would gently caress my face. “Serena, I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
He always tormented me in bed, all the while calling out Serena’s name.
And I? I was nothing more than an outlet for his unrequited desire.