He Sent a Stand-In to My Bed, So I Stole His Heir

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My husband wouldn't touch me. Three years, and he was saving himself for his old flame.

Every night, he'd slip a blindfold over my eyes.

Then he'd say he needed a shower firstjust give him a minute to get ready.

The man who came back was never him. It was a midnight stand-in, someone Curt had hired just for me.

I pretended not to know. But this time, I caught the man's wrist before he could reach for protection.

Leave it.

I pressed myself against him and kissed his lips.

Let's have a baby instead, husband.

His breathing turned heavy, and he gave in fast.

Later, I gave birth to twins. Curt Dudley's eyes were bloodshot when he confronted me.

I've never once touched you. Who the did you have these kids with?

For three straight years, Curt had sent another man into my bed to play himthe same stand-in, the same lie, every single night. He'd even had the man slip sleeping pills into my orange juice.

If she keeps clinging to you, just throw her a few kisses, play along for a bit, and keep pouring until she's out cold.

Once she's dead to the world,

she won't know the difference.

Everyone thought I was asleep.

Curt thought so too.

That's the only reason he dared say it out loud, right there in the living roomnot knowing I was lying in the dark with my eyes wide open, hearing every word pass between them.

All this time, I'd believed my bond with Curt was growing deeper by the day.

Turns out, none of it was real.

Even when I couldn't see.

Curt had been playing me like this the whole time.

Every night, once the air between us turned close and heavy, Curt would be the one to reach for the lamp. Then he'd ease the blindfold over my eyes himself, careful as a lover.

At first, I was confused. Curt, why do you make me wear this every night?

Every time, he'd cup my face, stroke my cheek like I was something precious, and give me the same answer.

Because you have no idea how stunning you look like this.

The bedroom would fill with the low sweetness of burning incense.

His lips trailing over me, inch by inch.

Then, just as my skin flushed warm,

Curt would pull away. Said he needed a shower first, needed to get ready.

And every single time, I'd drift off before he came back.

By the time I woke up,

the only way I knew what had happened the night before was because Curt told me.

Last week, he said I'd been like a kitten, sweet and clingy.

The day before yesterday, he said I'd drifted off almost right away, but held onto his waist and wouldn't let go.

Yesterday, he said I was getting more alluring every day, that my waist had gotten even slimmer.

I believed every word without question.

Then yesterday, I got a phone call from five years in the future.

The girl on the other end was screaming, sobbing, telling me:

Georgia Pruitt, don't believe him!

Curt has been lying to you about everything.

From your wedding night, he never once touched you.

That night he went to his old flame, Lila Mercer. They spent the night together in a hotel, the real bride and groom.

And you? The stand-in drugged your juice and you slept the whole night in his arms

Every single night for the past three years, the man next to you in bed was never Curt!

It was a midnight stand-in he hired!

Listening to the girl on the other end, all I felt was that it was absurd. Insane.

Did someone put you up to this? Is this some kind of prank?

When she heard I didn't believe her, the girl got desperate.

Georgia, I am you!

Can't you hear it? My voice is exactly the same as yours.

Your parents split up when you were little. You grew up like an orphanand that's why you've spent your whole adult life desperate for a family of your own.

But Curt Dudley has been lying to you.

If you don't believe me, try something tonight. Don't drink the orange juice he gives you, and see what happens

So tonight, when the orange juice came

I didn't drink it.

Pretended to. Tipped the glass, let it touch my lips.

The second Curt left the room, I ran to the bathroom and spat every drop out.

He thought I was dead asleep, same as always.

He had no idea I heard every word.

You haven't done anything out of line these past few days, have you?

Curt pointed at the security camera in the living room,

a mocking smile curling the corner of his mouth.

Whatever you've done, I already know.

I'm warning youyou're here as my stand-in. While I'm busy with Lila, you keep Georgia from catching on.

If she notices anything off, I'm coming for you first.

Cigarette smoke drifted through the room.

I could picture itCurt on the living room couch, cigarette pinched between his fingers, exhaling smoke like he had all the time in the world.

Rage climbed up from somewhere deep inside me.

Every night, I thought it was Curt lying next to me.

And all along, for Lilahe'd sent a stranger to spend the night in my bed. Three years. Three whole years.

After a long silence, the stand-in spoke again, hesitant.

Mr. Dudley, Miss Pruitt still hasn't realized I'm a stand-in. Do we really keep going?

Richard Gilbert lowered his eyes.

I'm afraid if this goes on much longer, things will spiral out of control

Curt just laughed softly and clapped him on the shoulder. Relax. You're the one person I trust.

When I first had you step in after the wedding, it was because I couldn't stand leaving Lila alone.

Georgia had no clue. The entire honeymoon, it was you beside her the whole time.

Three years and she still can't tell the difference.

With a brain that dense, she'll probably go her whole life without figuring it out.

Something dimmed in Richard's eyes. He opened his mouth, then stopped.

But things have been different lately.

Miss Pruitt, she

Before he could finish, a flush crept up behind his ears.

I knew exactly what he was trying to say.

These past few months, I'd been clinging to him harder at night.

Kisses and holding weren't enough anymore.

I'd been wanting more.

He was barely holding it together.

Curt looked Richard up and down, amused. I know what you're worried about. Don't be.

He clapped the man on the shoulder again, casual and easy, like none of it mattered.

You can't even function in that department. It's not like I don't know.

Even if I put a real beauty in front of you, you wouldn't flinch. Let alone someone as plain as Georgia

Richard said nothing. His throat moved once, barely.

He was thinking about last night.

Georgia in a lace nightgown, every line of her slender figure traced by the fabric.

Just thinking about it made his eyes burn.

That wasplain?

Mr. Dudley, she's still your wife. It's not really fair to her. Maybe tonight, you could stay

Richard hesitated, wanting to say more.

Curt cut him off, impatient.

I don't have time. Lila's pregnant. I promised her I'd take her to her prenatal checkup tonight

His phone rang. He took the call, and within minutes he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

Richard. Play your partbe a good stand-in.

Remember, no matter how much I despise Georgia Pruitt, she's still the wife I married and brought home.

You can look. You don't touch.

Richard nodded, obedient and quiet. Okay.

The living room door slammed shut.

A few seconds of hesitation.

Then the bedroom door handle turned, and the door swung open.

I squeezed my eyes shut, kept my breathing slow and even, pretending I was still deep in the sleep the sedative was supposed to have given me.

His footsteps were soft, as if he didn't want to wake me.

Richard walked to the edge of the bed and stood there for a while.

I could feel his gaze on me, heavy with something complicated.

Georgie? he called, barely above a whisper.

I didn't move.

He was silent for a few more seconds, then reached out and gently lifted the sleep mask from my eyes.

The room was dim. Only the small amber nightlight was on.

I didn't dare open my eyes. All I could do was track his movements by feel.

Richard sat on the edge of the bed and watched me for a long time without speaking.

Then he raised his hand and touched my face.

A shudder ran through my whole body.

The next second, his hand drifted slowly downward, fingers trailing along my neck

Every muscle in me went taut.

Curt had warned him. This was only a performance. He wasn't allowed to touch me. Had he gone rogue?

Did Richard actually feel something for me

While my mind was still racing,

I heard a faint sigh from just above me.

Georgie, if only I were the one who'd married you.

If only

I were Curt Dudley.

Richard leaned down and pressed a light kiss to my forehead.

Then he stood and went into the bathroom.

The water turned on.

Unlike Curt, Richard showered fast. He was out in under ten minutes.

He climbed into bed so carefully, as if afraid of disturbing something fragile.

He lifted one corner of the blanket and slid in beside me.

Same as every other night, his hand slid to my waist and loosely held on.

Restrained. Distant.

Deliberately polite.

Like completing a task.

I laughed to myself, cold and silent.

Three years. Every single night, the same thing.

If I was asleep, he'd just hold me like this, proper and still, until morning.

If I wasn't asleep, he'd follow Curt's instructions: kiss her a couple of times, make it look intimate.

But he never crossed the line.

Because Curt wouldn't allow it.

And because Richard couldn't.

I didn't know how long I lay there, until the breathing beside me turned deep and steady.

Only then did I open my eyes in the dark.

In the spill of moonlight, I could see the face of the man beside me. He really did look like Curt.

A single thought.

It rose slowly inside me.

The next morning, by the time I got up, Richard was already gone.

Breakfast sat ready on the table, along with a handwritten note.

Had to go in for overtime. Don't forget to eat. Love you.

My gaze dropped to the signature at the bottom.

I smiled, slow and knowing.

The handwriting was trying its hardest to imitate Curt's.

But everyone has their own habits when they write.

Pay even a little attention, and the tells are obvious.

I finished breakfast and stared out the window at the empty garage for a long time, thinking.

If I'd heard correctly last night,

one very familiar name had come up.

Lila Mercer.

Curt's ex-girlfriend from eight years ago. The old flame everyone thought had burned out for good.

She'd come back to the country.

And she and Curt had been rekindling it in secretfor three full years.

I picked up the phone and called Gwen.

Gwen, is there a pregnant patient named Lila Mercer at your hospital?

Gwyneth Sullivan sounded surprised for a moment. Let me check for you right now.

She seemed to be in the middle of eating. I heard her set something down, then the rapid clatter of a keyboard.

A minute later, she said, There is one.

I let out a bitter laugh. Can you send me the surveillance footage?

Done.

One look.

That was all it took.

Curt Dudley had been cheating on me for a long time.

In the footage, he was guiding Lila by the arm, careful and intimate. Her belly was visibly rounded, five or six months along at least.

He leaned down and murmured something near her ear.

Lila's eyes curved into crescents as she laughed, reaching up to give his chest a playful little punch.

There was no audio, but the picture said everything.

Gwyneth's call came right after.

Georgia, did you see the video?

Yeah.

That Lila

Gwyneth's voice went careful. She's pregnant. Six months alongthat's when the chart was created.

And the father listed on the record is Curt Dudley.

My fingers went white around the phone.

Confirmed?

Confirmed. I checked the system. Her OB is a colleague of mine, and I asked. Curt has been at every single prenatal checkup. Hasn't missed one.

Gwyneth hesitated, then couldn't hold it back. Georgia, has Curt been cheating on you this whole time?!

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. Yes. And he's been lying to me for three full years.

The other end of the line went quiet for a few seconds.

What?

Three years of marriage, and he has never once touched me.

My smile tasted like ash. Every night, the man who walked into my room was a stand-in he hired.

He was at the hospital holding Lila's hand through her checkups. His stand-in was in my bed, playing house.

Gwyneth sucked in a sharp breath.

Holy shit. She swore, then, Is Curt Dudley even human?

He's not.

My voice was calm. He's an animal.

So what are you going to do?

I took a slow breath. Delete the footage.

Gwyneth was stunned.

Georgia Pruitt, have you lost your mind?

That evidence took real effort to dig up! Even if you file for divorce down the line, you could use it in court!

You'd just delete it and let those two walk away clean?

I smiled faintly. Divorce? Why would I want a divorce?

Men were the one thing this world never ran out of.

Curt Dudley played me for three years.

So why couldn't I return the favor?

Gwyneth wanted to press further.

But I told her to keep it quiet and hung up.

As expected, the person who came to see me during the day was the real Curt Dudley.

Richard only appeared at night.

But right now, I wanted Curt todisappear.

So I paid off a few people and had a handful of dried beans scattered across the path Lila walked every day.

That afternoon, sure enough, Curt's face drained of color the moment he took a call. He grabbed his jacket and bolted for the door.

I poked my head out of the study.

Honey, where are you going?

Curt didn't even turn around. Important client I need to meet. Have the housekeeper make you dinner. I'll be back to keep you company later!

Before, even when he was lying to my face,

he would at least commit to the devoted-husband act. He'd never slipped this obviously.

But I let a slow smile settle on my mouth and turned toward the attic.

That was where Curt's loyal stand-in livedRichard Gilbert. I pulled up the surveillance feed, and sure enough, Curt had barely walked out the door before he was on the phone with Richard.

Some idiot scattered beans on the road and Lila took a fall. She's in the hospital. I need to be with her the next few days.

Richard, these next few daysday and nightyou stand in for me and stay with Georgia.

And remember, she cannot find out.

Sure enough, an hour later.

Richard walked in pretending he'd just come back from outside.

I lifted my gaze slowly, looked at the man in front of me wearing the exact same face as Curt Dudley.

And smiled.

Honey, you're back so soon? Done with the client already?

Richard froze for a beat, then recovered fast.

Handed the client off to someone else.

Georgie, you can't sleep without me next to you. No matter how busy I am, I'm always coming home to you.

That night, when Richard tried to give me the glass of orange juice, I took it from his hand.

And poured it straight into the flowerpot.

Richard's eyes widened. GeorGeorgie, you

Not drinking that tonight. You're taking me to a dinner party.

I stepped forward and looped my arm through his. Come on. Help me pick out a dress upstairs.

A few minutes later, Richard held out an orange gown.

This color suits you. You'd look like a princess in it.

Oh?

I raised an eyebrow, smiling. If my husband picked it, it must be beautiful.

Then I started unbuttoning my blouse.

Richard shot to his feet, color flooding all the way to the back of his ears. What are you doing?

I blinked at him, innocent as anything. Changing, obviously.

Honey, it's not like you haven't seen me undressed before. Why so shy?

He was clenching every muscle trying to look calm, but the vein standing rigid on his neck told the whole story.

One more second and he was going to detonate where he stood.

That was when I finally let up and stopped teasing him.

After the dinner party, I'd just gotten out of the shower when my phone lit up with a photo and a text from an unknown number.

Georgia, see this? Your husband's been with me the whole time. Three years of marriage and you can't even hold on to your man. Why not just admit you're pathetic?

Look at me. Six months pregnant. Curt says he's taking me abroad to have the baby, and after that, every last piece of the Dudley empire goes to my son.

So what if you're sitting pretty in the wife's seat? When it's all said and done, you'll still have nothing.

Anonymous number or not.

I already knew exactly who sent it.

Three years of marriage to Curt, and Lila had never been content to stay a nameless mistress.

This kind of thing was hardly the first time.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the study where I'd planted a listening device,

Richard's voice came through, begging.

Mr. Dudley, please, you have to come back. If you don't come back soon, things are going to

He didn't even finish before Curt cut him off, impatient.

God, Richard, are you still this much of a coward?

It's not your first day. Three years and you're still not used to it?

Actually, I was just about to call you about this.

Lila's going abroad to have the baby. Between the delivery and recovery, she probably won't be back for a year

So this next year, I'll need you to keep being me.

Same thing I always tell youGeorgia is my wife. You can look, but you don't touch. Hear me?

Richard was still pressing, desperate. Mr. Dudley

Enough. If that's all, I'm hanging up.

The line went dead, nothing but the flat pulse of a dial tone.

Who was that?

Richard flinched when I appeared, spinning around.

It was nothing. I was just on a call with a client

What a pathetic excuse.

Drop the act.

I walked toward him with a smile. He's taking that woman overseas to have the baby, isn't he?

Richard's head snapped up, shock and disbelief raw across his face. Georgia, what are you talking about?

I smiled and got straight to the point.

You wear his exact face. So why not replace him entirely?

Hmm? Richard Gilbert?