❝in which she lives a double life❞
― *
After losing her parents, Hailey Marshall yearns for an escape from reality. Moving to a new town offers the perfect opportunity, but she's thrust into a bizarre scenario: everyone mistakes her for "Veronica G...
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Hailey's pov:
I am scrolling through the internet when my phone pings.
The sound reverberates round the room, pulling my eyes off my computer screen. With a tired sigh, I roll over on my bed and reach for the nightstand. Once I have my phone in my hand, I unlock it.
the money has been transferred to your Aunt's account as requested.
My fingers stay frozen over the text. My first pay; gotten through illegal means; gotten from a job I ended up hating. I took the name of someone else and dealt with her shit for her. It sounds like a good deed, but it's not. I'm surprised I have it in me to make such outrageously terrible decisions.
Let's talk, Hailey. It's not right to leave this way.
I choose to ignore Dimitri's text. Turning my head back to my computer, I resume scrolling down the article I found about the Richards and the Gates. A few minutes ago, before Dimitri's text came in, I found the reason why I wasn't allowed to break off Adam and Veronica's relationship. These two aren't just high school sweethearts. They are engaged— set to get married five years from now.
Veronica's family is willing to sell their only daughter off to some asshole just to sustain the family's legacy. This engagement is not of love, neither is it of consent. It is a political alliance to keep the family's name and influence.
I grip the edges of my monitor, squinting at the photo which was used to announce their engagement six months ago. Though we are different, there's still so much similarities between Veronica and I. Like how she forces a smile to cover up her agony in the engagement photo; how she fists the ends of her white dress, and angles her head away from Adam.
Body language says a lot about a person's emotions— she is unhappy.
However, it is not the same for the golden prick of Brick Way High. In the photo, Adam's smile is as bright as ever as he links his arm around Veronica's waist, lovingly.
I scoff. It's all for the camera. I bet they felt like gutting out each other's insides while the picture was being taken.
How can Adam smile like that after what he does to Veronica?
I did say I was going to ruin Adam Richard's life, but I can't do that if I quit being Veronica, can I?
With that thought in my mind, I gaze at my phone.
I groan, frustrated as I fall back onto my bed. I stick my hands underneath my head, and I gaze at the ceiling.
