Turns Out, I Was Just Her Replacement

Chapter 1 Yasmine Wagner had been dating her younger brother’s best friend secretly for three years. On their anniversary, she had deliberately postponed her company meeting and picked Zachary Smith’s favourite wristwatch, wanting to give him a surprise.

However, she didn’t expect to receive a “special gift” from him before she could surprise him.

She saw Zachary carrying a woman into a hotel. Her brother, Anthony Wagner, was following behind.

At that moment, Anthony grabbed Zachary to stop him. “Zach, you have a girlfriend, right? You’ve never brought her out to meet us all these years. And now, you’re even bringing your ex-girlfriend to a hotel. Do you not care how she’d feel?”

Zachary glanced at the woman in his arms, his voice hoarse as he replied, “Queenie’s been drugged. She’ll only feel better after sleeping with someone. I can’t let another man do it.

“As for my girlfriend… Don’t mind her. I’ve only started dating her back then because she bears a slight resemblance to Queenie.”

Yasmine stood in the corridor at a distance, her head buzzing as those words hit her like a lightning bolt. Was she only a substitute?

Before she could react, Anthony asked in disbelief, “What? A substitute? Wait a minute. I don’t get it. You can get any woman you want with your looks. Why do you have to cling to Queenie?

“Back then, Queenie was the one who pursued you, but you ended up falling so deeply in love with her. You guys dated back in high school. It’s been many years since you broke up, yet you still can’t get over her. Now, you even get yourself a substitute?”

Seeing that his advice was futile, Anthony waved his hand angrily. “Fine. Whatever. I’ll leave you alone. I still have to look for my sister. You’d better not regret this.”

With that, Anthony turned to leave.

Zachary froze on the spot before looking down at Queenie York in his arms. She was barely conscious as she nuzzled against his chest and tugged his collar.

He raised his hand to grab her wrist, his voice deep. “Easy. I’ll satisfy you right away.”

The color drained from Yasmine’s face as she dug her nails deep into her palm.

As the door was closing, she could see Zachary leaning in to kiss Queenie on the lips. His move was exceptionally gentle.

That sight suddenly reminded Yasmine of the night before, when Zachary had tried to get intimate with her. He had been fierce and aggressive, even tearing off the buttons from her pajamas.

At that time, she had been embarrassed, thinking that a young man like him was full of desire and energy. But it turned out that he simply didn’t love her.

“This feels great…” Queenie’s mellow voice rang out from inside.

Zachary’s voice was extremely husky and full of affection as he replied, “If you feel good, then don’t leave me.”

Yasmine felt an excruciating pain in her chest. It was as if someone was hacking it with an axe, making her bleed uncontrollably. The pain was unbearable, and she couldn’t bring herself to keep watching it. Trembling, she turned around.

She had no idea how she returned to her car. Her fingers were shaking as she started the engine and put the pedal to the metal.

She sped all the way to 75 mph. The strong wind gushed in through the open window, yet it couldn’t ease the suffocating pain she felt deep down.

As tears blurred her vision, she suddenly thought of the scene where she met Zachary for the first time.

Three years ago, her car had lost control and crashed into the overpass. Her car had been badly dented, and the oil tank was leaking. It would explode at any time.

The people around her dared not go closer. Lying in the car, she fell in and out of consciousness, thinking that she was dying.

But the next instant, the car door was pulled open forcibly. A young man in a black jacket darted in and carried her out without hesitation.

Later, she only remembered the huge explosion and the button she gripped tightly in her hand. She had dreamed of that man numerous times, and it still made her heart skip a beat.

One day, she had gone to pick Anthony up and saw Zachary wearing the same jacket. Immediately, she thought she had found the person who had saved her.

Yasmine might be three years older than him, but she had many admirers because of her good looks, great figure, and wealth. Yet, she had put aside her pride for the first time to pursue someone younger than her.

She would bring him breakfast, watch his competitions, and take care of him all night when he was sick. When her company was busy preparing to get listed, she had even set aside a project worth hundreds of billions of dollars just to spend the anniversary with him.

Later, he finally agreed to be with her, but he wanted her to keep their relationship a secret.

At first, she thought Zachary simply didn’t know how to explain their relationship to Anthony. Or maybe he wasn’t good at expressing himself because of his indifferent attitude.

It turned out that everything was just her assumption. She was only a substitute. As someone experienced in relationships, she had actually made a wrong judgment and was taken as a substitute by a young man.

Yasmine was in so much pain that she was quivering. She bit her lips hard until the metallic taste spread in her mouth.

The car came to a sudden halt in front of her house. As soon as she got out of the car, she saw Anthony standing in front of the villa and holding a gift box.

“Yas, you’re finally back!” Anthony strode toward her. “My friend’s gone abroad today, so he told me to bring you a gift.”

Yasmine tried her best to keep herself composed, her voice hoarse as she asked, “Your friend’s gone overseas, but why did he send me a gift? I don’t know him.”

Anthony was shocked. “Huh? He saved you during the car accident last time. How could you be so ungrateful?”

Yasmine immediately froze in place. Her voice trembled as she asked, “What did you say? Was the one who saved me… not Zachary?”

Anthony widened his eyes. “Who told you it was Zachary?”

“I remember the person who saved me wore a black jacket. It was exactly the same as the one Zachary wore…” Yasmine said.

“Oh, that jacket?” Anthony pondered for a while. “Both of them have the same jacket. Zachary wasn’t even there when you had a car accident. The one who rushed in to save you was Xavier.”

Yasmine’s mind went blank. So, had she gotten the wrong person? The one she was fond of was never Zachary, but Xavier Sullivan?

Chapter 2 Yasmine suddenly recalled her first meeting with Xavier.

At that time, she was pursuing Zachary. Once, she had found out that he was drunk, so she drove through the heavy snow to pick him up. But when she pushed open the private room door, the first person she saw wasn’t Zachary, but another young man.

Xavier sat in a corner. He stood up immediately when he saw her come in, spilling his red wine all over himself. His eyes were completely different from Zachary’s. His gaze was so gentle and seemed to hold the entire galaxy.

He stared at her for a long time and finally said, “Yasmine, it’s nice to meet you.”

She thought he was a bit brash back then because of his attitude. But now that she thought about it again, she wondered what kind of emotions were raging in his gaze.

Yasmine took a deep breath, the tips of her fingers trembling slightly. “Hold on. Let me process this.”

Anthony looked baffled. “Yas, what’s wrong with you?”

Before she could reply, he chuckled and said, “Hey, don’t feel burdened. It isn’t your fault that you’re born with good looks. Most of my friends adore you, including Xavier, who isn’t interested in anything in the world.

“Of course, Zachary is an exception. He’s crazy and has eyes for no one but his first love.”

Yasmine closed her eyes and gripped the gift, ignoring Anthony’s last sentence. Her mind was flooded with something else. So, did Xavier like her, too?

Just then, her heart started pounding. Her voice turned slightly husky as she raised her head and asked, “Did you just say that Xavier’s gone abroad? Which country did he go to?”

“Uplon. He’s going there for his PhD.” Anthony scratched his head. “He was supposed to go there three years ago, so I have no idea why he only left now.”

Three years ago, after the car accident, Yasmine started searching everywhere for the person who had saved her life.

Yasmine clutched the gift box so tightly that her nails were digging into her palm.

“If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.” Anthony turned around and was about to leave.

“Hold on,” Yasmine called out. “I guess you’ve had enough messing around these years. It’s time for you to take over the family’s business. After this, I’ll hand over the local company to you, and I’ll expand the market overseas.”

“What?” Anthony widened his eyes. “No way, Yas! Why so sudden? I’m not ready!”

Yasmine smiled faintly. “There’s no time left for you to get ready. I’m leaving the country in half a month…”

To pursue her love.

She didn’t finish her sentence and merely gripped the gift box tightly.

After Anthony whined and left, Yasmine went into the villa. She dragged a huge suitcase out and started tidying up the things related to Zachary. Every single item was proof of her trying her best to please him.

There was a limited edition mechanical keyboard, which she had pulled all the strings she could to get. He had casually mentioned a pair of shoes he liked, so she had queued all night to buy them. She even secretly kept the wrist braces he had worn during competitions.

Yasmine spent all night tidying up and only managed to pack everything in a box at the crack of dawn. When she carried the box downstairs, she suddenly paused in her tracks.

Zachary was back, standing at the entrance. His black shirt’s collar was slightly open, revealing his collarbone. A few strands of hair rested on his brows, framing his deep-set eyes.

He looked up at her and seemed slightly surprised. “Yasmine, why are you awake this early?”

It had been three years. They were a couple, yet he still felt distant whenever he called her name. If he hadn’t been so passionate in bed every night, she would’ve suspected that they weren’t in a relationship.

Perhaps Zachary had only been so obsessive every night because Yasmine looked a bit like Queenie.

Yasmine didn’t reply to his question. Instead, she asked, “What about you? You didn’t come home the whole night.”

Zachary seemed to recall something, and a half-smile tugged at his lips. “Something happened.”

She had been with him for three years, but she rarely ever saw the trace of a genuine smile on his face. On the rare occasions when he smiled, it’d be a roguish grin without a hint of warmth in his eyes.

But this time, he was truly happy. The “something” that he mentioned was obviously having sex with Queenie.

Strangely, just the day before, Yasmine had been in so much pain, as if someone was ripping her heart apart. But now, she felt exceptionally calm.

She could only be grateful that she found out she had gotten the wrong person. That was why she no longer felt miserable.

“Oh,” she replied and walked out with the box.

Only then did Zachary sense something amiss. The day before was their anniversary. He hadn’t come home and hadn’t even made a call, yet Yasmine was unmoved.

Frowning, he reached out to grab her subconsciously. “I’m sorry for not spending our anniversary with you yesterday. I’ll make it up to you today.”

Yasmine shook his hand off. “There’s no need.”

He seemed taken aback by her indifference. His gaze dimmed, and he seemed unusually determined. “No. I must make it up to you.”

Maybe Zachary felt guilty about what had happened the day before, so he was surprisingly patient today.

He brought her to all the places she had wanted to go. They went to the theme park for a ride on the Ferris wheel before having a candlelight dinner in a high-end restaurant. For the first time ever, he even went shopping with her and bought her a diamond necklace.

When Yasmine was about to reject it, her phone suddenly rang. It was a call from the bar manager, telling her that she had left something behind at the club previously.

She nodded as she replied, but Zachary was acting uncharacteristically again, insisting on sending her there.

After she grabbed her belongings and was about to leave, a soft voice rang out from behind. “Zach, what a coincidence!”

Yasmine turned around and was greeted with an innocent, sweet face.

Queenie wore a light blue dress and a pair of heels. As she walked over, her gaze fell upon Yasmine for a brief moment. Then, she asked with a smile, “Who is this?”

Zachary hadn’t expected to meet Queenie there. He was momentarily stunned before he replied, “She’s Anthony’s sister, Yasmine Wagner.”

Chapter 3 Zachary was still keeping his relationship with Yasmine a secret, just like he always did in the past.

“We’re having a party inside. Come in and join us!” Queenie invited them warmly.

Yasmine didn’t want to join, but Zachary had already nodded and agreed to it.

Lights flickered in the dim private room as deafening music played in the background.

Yasmine caught everyone’s attention as soon as she got in. She was born with beautiful looks. Today, she wore a body-hugging dress that accentuated her slender waist and smooth skin.

Several guys immediately surrounded her to ask for her number.

If it had been in the past, Yasmine wouldn’t have given them her number. But today, she grinned and agreed to all their requests.

Zachary sat in a corner with a deep frown, his eyes fixated on her.

Queenie looked slightly upset as she asked coyly, “Did you forget that it’s supposed to be a welcome party for me today?”

Only then did everyone try to ease the situation. “Let’s play some games! Yeah!”

Soon, they spun a bottle, which pointed at Queenie in the end.

“The one who loses has to kiss someone of the opposite sex,” someone teased.

Queenie swept her gaze across Zachary, but in the end, she pointed at the man next to him. “Let’s go with him.”

Just when she was about to kiss the man, Zachary kicked the coffee table over. As the glass shattered into pieces, he gripped Queenie’s wrist and strode out of the room.

Dead silence filled the entire private room.

Yasmine grabbed her bag and stood up with a smile. “I have something to deal with, so I have to go.”

As she exited the room, she could hear an argument around the corner of the corridor.

“What did you mean?” Zachary sounded like he was suppressing his anger. “I was there, yet you wanted to kiss another man. What did that night mean to you? What am I to you? A backup?”

Queenie replied aggrievedly, “I only wanted to confirm if you still cared about me…”

“Confirm?” The veins on Zachary’s forehead were bulging. “Queenie York, I’m dying to get back together with you. Do you think I don’t care about you?”

Queenie’s voice became soft. “Don’t be mad. I didn’t mean that. I mean… We can get back together, but it’s been so long. I’m afraid that you don’t love me as much as you did before. So, you have to promise me three things.”

Zachary had always acted as he wished, but when Queenie made such an unreasonable request, he still gritted his teeth and gave in. “What is it? Tell me.”

“First,” Queenie paused, then continued, “I want you to break a rib and make it into a necklace for me.”

Yasmine froze. She wondered if that was how the young couples were these days. Zachary couldn’t possibly agree to such a ridiculous request, right?

The next instant, Zachary turned to leave. Yasmine followed him out and saw him get into the car right away. Then, he put the pedal to the metal and crashed right into the tree at the roadside.

A loud bang echoed, and the world seemed to come to a halt for a second. Then, screams, the sound of someone calling the police, and an ambulance’s siren filled the air.

When the paramedic dragged Zachary out of the dented car, he used his last ounce of strength to force his words out. “My rib is broken… Take it out… during the surgery.”

Standing somewhere far away, Yasmine watched everything in silence. Suddenly, she laughed.

Maybe he really loved Queenie. It might be better that way. After she left, Zachary and Queenie could finally be together.

Chapter 4 Over the next few days, Zachary stayed in the hospital, but Yasmine never visited him.

She was having her coffee when she scrolled through Queenie’s Instagram post. In the photo, Queenie wore a short pendant necklace, and the caption read, “A love traded for a life. I’ll keep it.”

Yasmine’s fingers froze before she continued scrolling calmly.

Her visa had been approved, and the flight would be three days later. She had been busy finding out what Xavier liked these days, and she had also gone to the mall to buy him a lot of gifts.

She had bought a limited Montblanc pen, an Arsenal scarf, and many more. She picked everything out carefully, as if to make up for everything she had missed over the years.

When she arrived home with all the shopping bags, she opened the door to see Zachary sitting on the couch.

Yasmine was stunned for a brief moment before regaining her composure. “You’re back.”

Zachary looked up at her with a slight frown.

Yasmine had never visited him even once when he was in the hospital these days. He thought she would’ve at least called him, but the chat with her was silent all the time, as if it didn’t exist at all.

Zachary somehow felt a lump in his chest when he was greeted with her indifferent response.

“Didn’t you know I was admitted to the hospital?” His voice was deep.

“Yeah.” Yasmine placed the shopping bags at the entrance and asked casually, “What’s wrong?”

“Why didn’t you come to visit me?” he asked.

“I was busy in the company,” she explained.

Zachary stared at her back, his fingers brushing against the armrest unknowingly. She was always occupied with work, but before this, she would prioritize him no matter how busy she was.

Just when he was about to say something, his gaze fell on the bags she brought back. All of them were for men. He wondered if she had bought all this for him.

The strange feeling he felt deep down gradually dissipated, but he heard Yasmine say, “You’ve been badly injured. Why have you already been discharged?”

“Tomorrow will be the global competition.” Zachary looked her in the eyes. “Yasmine, go with me.”

Yasmine froze.

As the son of a rich family in Jinhal, Zachary never had to worry about money. However, he had given up on taking over his family business to pursue his career in esports. Now, he had more than 100 million fans and was the ultimate star in the esports circle.

The competition on the following day was crucial to his career. He would achieve a grand slam if he won this, too.

This was his dream, and Yasmine used to be the only supporter of it.

Back then, he had insisted on making esports his career. The entire Smith family had been against it, and even his grandfather, Daniel Smith, had forced him to give up.

Zachary and Yasmine had just gotten together that time. After knowing that, she had gone to look for Daniel with a bottle of liquor.

No one knew what they had discussed, but since then, the Smith family hadn’t stopped Zachary again.

Later, he asked her, “Why did you help me? Don’t you think I’m just fooling around?”

“You’re not fooling around when you’re doing something you like. Actually, I’m envious of people like you who have dreams.” Smiling, she tapped his dimple. “My only goal now is to make money. Even if I don’t have a dream, my boyfriend has one. And I’m happy about that, too.”

Ever since then, she had always been there for every one of his competitions. No matter how busy she was, or even if she had to turn down projects that were worth hundreds of billions of dollars, she would show up in the audience on time.

But this time, Yasmine rejected him nonchalantly. “I’m not going.”

Her reply took Zachary by surprise. He hadn’t expected her to reject him, and the sense of anxiety surged within him again.

“No, you must go.” He grabbed her wrist. Seemingly thinking of something, he softened and said, “Are you busy with Norwale’s project? The Smith family is involved, too. I’ll have my family reduce the price.

“You don’t have to worry. I’ll get rid of any obstacles for you. You just have to follow me to the competition at ease.”

Yasmine fell silent for a brief moment before eventually nodding. “Okay.”

Only then did Zachary feel relieved.

…

The next day, the competition venue was crowded with his fans. They were holding lightsticks and shouting, “Prince Zach, Grand Slam!”

That was his dream and what his fans had been anticipating.

When the car stopped at the venue’s entrance, Yasmine said, “Get out first. I’ll park the car.”

After Zachary got out of the car, Yasmine realized that he had left his phone behind on the seat. The screen lit up as soon as she picked up the phone.

It was a message from Queenie. “Zach, I’m here to watch your competition, too! My second request is to see you fail. So, for this global competition, could you make mistakes ten times and lose the game?”

Yasmine was startled. Before she could react, Zachary noticed that he had left his phone behind and came back to retrieve it.

He glanced at the message, and there was a subtle change in his expression. But soon, he composed himself again.

After he took his phone and was about to leave, Yasmine called him, “Zachary, I wish you’ll achieve a grand slam.”

She was trying to hint that he’d better not do anything foolish.

Zachary’s face froze for a moment. Then, he flashed a faint smile and replied, “I will.”

…

The crowd’s loud cheers filled the entire hall. As Yasmine walked into the hall, she looked up at the big screen.

The camera zoomed in on Zachary, showing his face on the screen. He wore a black jacket and had his earphones on. He had a sharp nose, chiseled features, and eyes that burned with a bold, defiant spark. He was so charming that his fans couldn’t stop screaming.

Only Yasmine could sense something was wrong with him. His fingers were tapping the keyboard unknowingly, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. She knew what he was struggling with.

Then, the game began.

He fed the enemy several times. For the tenth time, he deliberately walked into the enemy’s encirclement. In an instant, the screen dimmed.

Zachary had fed the enemy ten times.

Everyone gasped in shock, and the commentator was so startled that he was at a loss for words. The fans exchanged looks, and some even smashed the support banners furiously.

He had lost!

Chapter 5 In the lounge backstage, when Yasmine pushed open the door and went in, Queenie threw herself into Zachary’s embrace. “Zach, you’re great! You actually lost the competition for me!”

Zachary caressed her hair and wore a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You troublemaker, are you pleased now?”

Yasmine couldn’t help but let out a cough.

Only then did Zachary notice her. He was stunned for a while and had just wanted to explain himself when a frantic fan suddenly barged into the room.

“I knew that Prince Zach could be better than this!” That person’s eyes were bloodshot. She was pointing at Queenie as she roared, “It was all because you persuaded him, bitch! Don’t you know Prince Zach would achieve a grand slam if he won this competition?”

Before she even finished speaking, she twisted open the bottle and splashed it at Queenie.

It was acid.

Zachary’s pupils constricted. He pulled Queenie into his embrace and shielded her with his back.

Yasmine, who stood at the side, didn’t get to dodge in time. The acid splashed on her arm, corroding her flesh and forming a horrifying wound in no time.

The excruciating pain made her scream and stumble to the ground. As her vision went blurry, she saw Zachary holding Queenie tightly without sparing her a glance.

…

When Yasmine regained her consciousness, she was greeted by a stretch of blinding white.

The smell of antiseptic lingered. The wound on her arm was wrapped in a thick bandage, and she could still feel a slight, persistent pain.

She turned her head slightly and saw Zachary sitting next to her bed. His eyes were ringed with faint, blue-gray shadows.

Seeing that she was awake, he immediately leaned in and said in a low voice, “You’re awake. Does it still hurt?”

Yasmine said nothing and merely stared at him.

Zachary furrowed his brows slightly and explained, “It was such a critical moment, and I could only save one person. I’m sorry for neglecting you.

“I’ve arranged for the top surgeon in the hospital under Smith Group to perform the surgery. There won’t be any trace of a scar.”

Hearing that, Yasmine suddenly grinned. Her voice was soft as she said, “Zachary, you said you could only save one person. I’m your girlfriend, but why did you save her instead?”

Zachary was taken aback by her question. Just when he was about to say something, Yasmine had already closed her eyes. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter anymore. I want to rest, so please leave.”

Those words struck Zachary’s heart like needles, stirring up an indescribable tension in him. Without saying a word, he stood up and left the ward.

After that, he continued showing concern for Yasmine—something he had never done before.

He transferred the best medical team under Smith Group here and went through all the treatment plans for her personally. When the nurse did her dressings, he would wait outside with a deep frown, as if they were performing a major surgery.

However, he only cared for her for half a day.

At noon, Yasmine saw the screen of Zachary’s phone flicker. His expression changed immediately after he read the message. After talking to the nurse, he left in a hurry.

Yasmine watched him rush out as she grabbed her phone and found Queenie’s latest post on her Instagram. “A handsome man asked for my contact number. Should I give it to him?”

Yasmine sneered and tossed the phone aside.

Zachary didn’t return at all after he left.

At night, Anthony darted into the ward, holding bags of supplements.

He felt so bad for Yasmine when he saw the wound on her arm. “Yas, I thought you only went to watch the competition. How did things end up like this? Didn’t Zachary protect you?”

Yasmine shook her head. “I’m only his best friend’s sister. He was holding another woman, and it was only natural for him to protect her.”

“Queenie York?” Anthony rolled his eyes. “I’m not surprised, then. You have no idea how possessed Zachary seems whenever he meets her.”

Anthony seemed to have found the right listener. He couldn’t stop talking about what Zachary had done for Queenie over the years.

“Back in high school, Queenie casually mentioned that she wanted desserts from a store in Westale. Zachary skipped class and went all over Jinhal to buy it for her. On her birthday, he spent ten million dollars to light up fireworks in the entire city. He even bought a theme park and named it after her.

“He was even crazier after they broke up. Queenie went overseas, so he booked a flight there on her birthday and stood below her apartment the whole night just to give her a bouquet of flowers.

“Yas, don’t you think he’s crazily in love with her?” Anthony propped his chin in his palm, seeming intrigued. “Do you think they’ll get back together?”

Yasmine nodded in response. “Yes.”

“I feel bad for his secret girlfriend.” Anthony sighed. “I bet she doesn’t know about this yet. I don’t know how he’s going to break up with her later.”

Yasmine looked out of the window, and the sun was shining brightly. “She’ll meet someone who loves her as much as she loves him.”

Chapter 6 The day when Yasmine was discharged from the hospital, Zachary came to pick her up.

“I’m sorry. I was busy with the club these days, so I didn’t come to visit you,” he explained.

Yasmine didn’t expose him and merely hummed in response.

Zachary paused for a while, then continued, “It’s Queenie’s birthday today. She’s invited you to come along.”

The birthday banquet was held at a private club, and the place was lavishly decorated. There was a chandelier, a floral arch, and a band performing. It was romantic, and Yasmine could tell that Zachary had prepared all this.

During the gift-giving session, Zachary took out a velvet box.

Everyone gasped in shock at the sight.

It was a diamond-studded necklace, glittering under the light. The necklace cost at least hundreds of millions of dollars.

Queenie covered her mouth in surprise, and her eyes turned slightly red. “Zach, this is too expensive.”

Zachary gently put on the necklace for her, his fingers brushing against her nape unknowingly. His eyes were fixed on her as if she were the only person he could see in the world.

Standing in a corner, Yasmine watched everything silently.

Just then, Zachary seemed to recall that Yasmine was also present, so he turned to look at her. Just when he wanted to explain, his phone rang. Frowning, he walked out to answer the call.

Not long after he left, Queenie immediately walked up to Yasmine, flashing her a sweet smile. “Yasmine, it’s been a while.”

Yasmine replied indifferently, “Happy birthday.”

Queenie chuckled. “Thank you. But… how could you still bring yourself to congratulate me?”

She took a step forward and suddenly lowered her voice, a vicious look flickering in her eyes. “You had to watch your boyfriend prepare a birthday banquet for me and look at me with affection. Besides, he even gave me such a valuable gift. You must feel awful, right?”

Yasmine narrowed her eyes. “What did you say?”

“Stop pretending.” Queenie sneered. “I found out that Zachary’s dating someone who resembles me secretly. I recognized you right away the first time I saw you.”

She tilted her head. “I didn’t expect you to love him that much. You know you’re a substitute, yet you still put up with it until now.”

Yasmine wanted to say something, but Queenie taunted, “Do you think he’ll fall in love with you just because you pretend to be forgiving? If he had had the slightest bit of feelings for you, he wouldn’t have made you suffer such a serious injury.

“And now, I’m back. It’s time for a substitute like you to get lost.”

Upon hearing that, Yasmine pursed her lips and grinned.

“Girl, who do you think you are? How dare you talk to me like this?” Yasmine’s voice was soft, but her presence as someone with a higher status was overpowering.

“I’m Yasmine Wagner from the Wagner family. Even your parents have to show respect in front of my family. Didn’t they teach you the rules of the upper class? Or should I call your parents now and tell them to educate you personally?”

Queenie’s expression changed instantly, and she spat through gritted teeth, “The Yorks might be nothing compared to the Wagners, but there are three prominent families in Jinhal. They’re the Sullivans, the Wagners, and the Smiths! Have you forgotten how Zachary is deeply in love with me?”

She sneered. “Just you wait. I’ll make sure you regret humiliating me today!”

With that, she turned around and walked away, looking slightly defeated.

Yasmine merely thought her actions were ridiculous. Did this young, naive woman think she could mess with her?

Later, as Yasmine felt extremely bored at the party, several men came to approach her. She casually responded to them until Zachary came back from answering his call.

Just when Yasmine was about to tell Zachary that she wanted to leave, Queenie suddenly rushed over in tears. “Zach! I lost the necklace you gifted me!”

Sobbing, she pointed at Yasmine. “I only interacted with Yasmine just now. She might be your guest, but it doesn’t mean she can steal my stuff! That gift means a lot to me!”

Everyone fell silent in an instant and fixed their eyes on Yasmine.

Yasmine almost burst into laughter. “I stole your necklace? Ms. York, I can afford anything I want. Do I need to steal yours?”

Queenie refused to relent and even requested the bodyguard to conduct a body search.

Yasmine swept her cold gaze around. “Try if you dare!”

At that, Queenie turned to Zachary, her eyes brimming with tears. “Zach, can you tell her to cooperate? It’s just a body search.”

Tension filled the air.

Wearing a deep frown, Zachary seemed to be pondering something. A brief moment later, he said to Queenie, “I’ll buy you a new necklace. Forget about this one.”

Queenie stared at him in disbelief, and tears kept streaming down her face. “No! I only want this one! Haven’t you been asking me what my third request is? I want…”

Pointing at Yasmine, Queenie enunciated every word. “I want to search her body!”

At that moment, the air seemed to freeze.

Zachary closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, his