Love Me, Even if It's Pretend

Chapter 1 I, Lena Mitchell, had been with Zachary Henderson for five years. Yet, everyone said I was nothing more than a stand-in.

Once the original girlfriend returned, I was bound to be thrown out. So, they laughed behind my back, all while thinking there was something pathetic about how I bent backward to please him.

They did not know something, though. It was his original girlfriend who had pulled some strings, allowing me to enter Zachary’s world.

I used the money she gave me to hire tutors to teach me etiquette and posture. I even went to acting coaches to learn how to imitate someone.

I played my role so well that Zachary never grew tired of me. What was more, she herself would grant me a handsome reward each year.

However, half a month before the contract expired, I received her message. “I’m returning to Zelzonia in a week. Find an excuse and be gone from Zachary’s world by then. From that moment on, you must erase yourself from Jeldora.”

I replied with a single word, “Okay.”

Then, I tore the pregnancy report I had just received into pieces and threw it into the trash. After that, I texted Zachary a location pin for a lovers’ restaurant.

“I heard this place just got a new head chef. Are you free in the next couple of days? Let’s go try it together.”

…

While waiting for his reply, I drove to a traditional medicine clinic hidden deep in one of the alleyways.

As soon as I stepped inside, Lily Gardner, a young girl who was playing her mobile game, yelled at the top of her lungs. “Grandpa, Ms. Mitchell is here!”

Before her voice could fade, the sound of familiar thumps came into my ears. It was the sound of Mr. Gardner’s cane striking the ground.

Mr. Gardner’s hoarse voice reached my ears before I even saw him. “My dear, it’s far too early for your follow-up appointment. What’s wrong this time?”

The wooden curtain was drawn aside by an aged, weathered hand. Mr. Gardner looked up, squinting as his eyes met mine.

After a moment, he hummed softly and asked, “By the look of your face… you’re with child, aren’t you?”

The moment Lily heard this, she abandoned her game. Then, she hurriedly helped me into a chair.

After patiently having my pulse read by Mr. Gardner, he chuckled and said, “You’re just two months along. Your condition’s stable for now, but your body’s weak. You’ll need to take good care of yourself.”

Upon receiving a prescription to stabilise the pregnancy, I asked for several remedies to relieve morning sickness quickly.

I wanted to be on the safe side.

We chatted for a bit about daily life before I finally and hoarsely replied, “Mr. Gardner… the truth is, I came to say goodbye today.”

Mr. Gardner studied me for a long while before sighing. “I knew this day would come. Wherever you go, take care of yourself…” Then, his gaze fell on my still-flat belly, and his expression deepened with unspoken thoughts. “And that child you’re carrying, too,” he added.

Before leaving, I slipped a bank card with its password written on it between the pages of a medical book the girl often read. I did it while she wasn’t looking.

After that, I bid a solemn farewell to the kind pair for all their help.

…

When I got back to my car, I glanced at my phone. There was still no reply from Zachary.

This sort of waiting should have been second nature to me by now. However, the thought that this might be my last chance to openly contact him with a valid excuse made my chest tighten.

I feared that the longer I waited, the more unbearable parting would be.

I opened the map app and picked a destination far from Jeldora. Then, I booked a flight for next week.

Just as the confirmation text came in, Zachary finally replied, “I’m on a business trip. Xavier will contact you when I return.”

I typed back a single word in reply, “Okay.”

I scrolled through my chat history with Zachary. It was an endless sea of green dotted by sparse white.

Most of them were me asking when he’d have time to meet, while his answers were practically the same.

“When I’m free, my secretary, Xavier Farell, will contact you.”

As a high-ranking government official, Zachary was always busy. I understood as much.

However, his tone with me was no different from how he spoke to anyone else, and that was all the reminder I needed.

With a man like Zachary, one should not hope, nor give their entire heart to him.

Tears blurred the screen again and again. I stopped scrolling when my eyes burned.

I remained lost in the stillness for a long moment.

Then, once again, I tapped Zachary’s profile picture. It was a crescent moon hanging against a night sky.

Since I lacked any notable background or connections, no one around him ever took me seriously. At gatherings, they would talk openly about his past relationship right in front of me.

They claimed his profile picture proved he’d never gotten over Selene Capell. They also claimed that Zachary only kept me at his side because of my resemblance to Selene.

And because of the word, Len in my name, which reminded him of her. I’d heard similar remarks more times than I could count.

At first, they stung, but soon after, I grew accustomed to them.

After all, no one knew that I’d change my name to Lena just to get close to Zachary.

Chapter 2 Although I couldn’t manage more meetings with Zachary before leaving, there was a silver lining. His absence allowed me to pack undisturbed.

Raising a child was profoundly expensive. Without Selene’s money or Zachary’s support, I’d have to rely on myself once the baby was born, so until I had a steady income, I couldn’t afford to spend recklessly.

I found an agent online in the city that I planned to move to. Then, I quickly and remotely rented an apartment.

Before leaving, I planned to ship everything I owned there in advance. That should save me a fair amount of money.

The day after I found out about my pregnancy, the morning sickness started. I tried everything Mr. Gardner had taught me, but nothing worked.

Even a sip of water would make me nauseous. Moments after eating dinner, I threw up all of the contents.

That was when regret hit me—hard. Why in the world had I chosen a restaurant for my last private meeting with Zachary?

The physical discomfort and fear of him noticing my condition made it hard to control my emotions.

Curled up on the couch, I couldn’t stop crying. With my phone in hand, I hesitated moving my flight up and leaving immediately.

Just then, Zachary appeared on television. Amid a group of senior government officials, his sharp features and aloof demeanor made him stand out.

Though he stood toward the back, I could still pick him out in the panning shots.

Then, I rewound and replayed the part featuring him over and over. Slowly, a sense of calmness washed over me.

Gently stroking my flat belly, I spoke softly, as if negotiating, “Baby, can you stop making me feel so sick for a bit? Dad can’t know about you, so please behave until we leave, okay?”

Perhaps it was a case of mind over matter, but after saying that, I made myself another meal. When I finished, I still felt queasy, but at least I didn’t have to run to the bathroom.

I was so relieved that I patted my belly lightly and thanked my unborn child.

With some rest, I sped up my packing. Just before Zachary returned, I managed to send out the first batch of parcels.

Just as I was watching the delivery guy leave, my phone rang. It was Xavier.

When I picked up, his polite yet distant voice came through. “Ms. Mitchell, Mr. Henderson will have an hour free at 5:00 pm. Please be ready ahead of time.”

As soon as the call ended, I contacted the restaurant manager and ordered a few dishes according to Zachary’s taste. I specifically requested that they be served quickly.

…

At exactly 5:00 pm, Zachary walked into the restaurant. The moment I saw him, I couldn’t help but smile. However, I remembered what I had come to say, so I calmed myself down as he sat across from me.

“You don’t look well,” he commented, frowning slightly. “Are you feeling unwell again?”

I hadn’t expected him to be concerned about me after days apart.

At that, my heart thumped wildly. Clenching my hands tightly under the table, I maintained a perfectly composed face and remarked, “It’s probably the heat. I haven’t had much of an appetite lately.”

Zachary nodded. He glanced at the order chit, after which he called the waiter over. “Please add a plate of sliced cucumber salad and make sure it’s not too spicy.”

I took a deep breath discreetly and reminded myself. “This is just him being polite. It doesn’t mean I matter to him.”

Aside from that cucumber dish, I barely touched any of the food. However, since I’d said I wasn’t hungry earlier, Zachary didn’t notice.

…

After putting down his cutlery, he said he had work to handle that evening. As he stood to leave, I finally spoke, one word at a time.

“I want to get married, so let’s end this between us.”