He Lost His Mind after I Refusing to Be a Stand-in

It was night, and I had just stepped out of the shower, eager to collapse into bed. My head was spinning slightly, not feeling quite right, and I wanted to rest early. But just then, my phone on the bedside table started ringing at the worst possible moment. The ringtone was sharp and relentless, echoing like a harbinger of doom. Seeing the caller ID, my description wasn't an exaggeration. The call was from one of Colin's buddies. "Hey, sis-in-law, Col's had too much to drink. Can you come...?" The man's voice carried an unusual hint of apology. He didn't even need to finish; I already knew what he wanted me to do. It was likely another one of Colin and his buddies' pranks to mess with me. Thinking of Colin's face, I resigned myself to it, "Where is he?" The person on the other end quickly rattled off the name of a bar, to which I softly replied, "Okay." Upon hearing my agreement, the noise of cheering on the other end grew louder. Just before the call ended, I caught Lin Yichuan's nonchalant words in my ear. "See? I told you she'd come." Pretending not to hear his comment, I quickly changed and hailed a cab to the bar. The bar's music was deafening. The noise pierced my head, making my brows furrow involuntarily. I scanned the room, searching for Colin. When I spotted him, he was raising a glass, looking far from drunk. Colin was undeniably handsome, and under the bar's dazzling lights, the mole by his eye seemed to glow, making him even more captivating. That mole was the reason for our entanglement to this day. I moved closer to him. He saw me, but seemed to be waiting for me to approach him. So he pretended not to notice me. Instead, a somewhat unfamiliar face stood up, waving me over, though he looked a bit uneasy. "Over here, sis-in-law." I nodded at him and walked over to their side. For some reason, Colin looked displeased, "Why'd you call her over? She's not blind." The man said nothing and sat back down. "Stop drinking, it's bad for your health." Watching Colin pour himself another drink, I kindly reminded him. Colin, however, retorted mockingly, "Worried about me, Eve? If it weren't for Betty, do you really think you'd have any right to be here?" In front of his friends, Colin's attitude towards me was even worse. I knew I was just a stand-in for Colin. Betty was his one true love. His one true love was abroad recovering, and I was just a trivial pastime for him here. So, to stay by his side a little longer, I played the role of the stand-in diligently every day. Saying nothing I shouldn't, doing nothing I shouldn't. Perhaps to spite my words, Colin downed another glass of wine. The air grew thick with tension. I stood still, while he continued to drink, one glass after another. Colin's face turned a shade of red from the alcohol. His friends didn't dare ask me to sit down, only urging him to stop drinking. "Col, lay off the booze. No need to wreck yourself over what she said." After some persuasion, Colin finally stopped. Now, he truly looked drunk. Because of my arrival, Colin's drinking session ended on a sour note. His friends got up to leave, confidently leaving the drunk Colin in my care. Why were they so confident? Because I'd handled this situation countless times before. Bringing a drunk Colin home, making hangover soup, wiping his hands and face, staying up all night to take care of him. And when Colin sobered up, it was only then that he showed me a hint of warmth. This time was no different. With care, I helped Colin to his feet. He wasn't completely out of it, and he irritably shook off my hand. Which almost sent him crashing to the floor. Seeing his eye almost brush against the table corner, I quickly steadied him. Once I was sure he was fine, I led him out of the bar and back home. I turned on all the lights in the house and settled Colin on the sofa. Then, as usual, I went to the kitchen to make hangover soup, then to the bathroom to wet a towel. Kneeling beside the sofa, I gently wiped Colin's face with the towel. I gazed at his closed eyes, my fingers instinctively drawn to the mole near his eye. Only at times like this could I touch the mole that haunted my thoughts day and night. I caressed it, but another face appeared in my mind. My fingers pressed harder without realizing it. Colin felt the pain and swatted my hand away, mumbling something under his breath. Thankfully, his eyes remained shut, still adrift in the fog of his drunken slumber. I stood up, placing the towel back in the bathroom. Returning to the kitchen, I watched the simmering soup, my thoughts wandered into the shadows of the past. The first time I met Colin was at the hospital. That day plunged me into the darkest abyss of my life. My sister was taken from me in a car accident. She was struck by a drunk driver who fled the scene in fear. The doctor mentioned there was a sliver of hope for her survival. I listened in silence, my mind filled with memories of her smiling face. I could almost hear her calling me "sister" with her laughter echoing in my mind. Xavia and I spent our childhood in the cold embrace of an orphanage, perhaps abandoned so easily because we were girls. Even as twins, our parents left us without a second thought. The headmistress bestowed upon us names that, together, meant "happiness." "My condolences," the doctor said, watching as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face, unsure of how to console me. Watching me crumpled on the floor, tears streaming, she sighed softly and slipped away. "Are you okay?" I looked up at the speaker. Upon seeing my face, his smile vanished, replaced by a spark of astonishment in his eyes. In hindsight, Colin was likely struck by how much I resembled his beloved. From that day forward, I often encountered him, though most of these meetings were orchestrated by me. While sorting through my sister's affairs, I stumbled upon some chilling truths. Her death was no accident. Thus, a plan began to take shape in my mind. Yet, without certainty, I hesitated to pull the trigger on my plan.