She Called Me Fake, I Outshone Her

Chapter 2

I had assumed the video call was from Caelan, ready to end the line, but when I narrowed my eyes to look at the screen, I saw it was my close friend, Coralie Fairholt.

The moment I answered, a stream of complaints poured out of the receiver, sharp and rapid like firecrackers going off in my ear.

"Is Caelan's wife completely out of her mind?" she exclaimed, throwing up her hands in disbelief. "She called me at this hour, saying her daughter was having a severe episode. She even told me you were unavailable, so I agreed to stop by."

She let out an exasperated laugh and shook her head. "But the second I walked through the door, she burst into tears and started claiming that Caelan has not just one replacement, but several!"

She frowned, her frustration evident. "I only visit their house once or twice a year, and every single time, it's with you. How does that make me someone trying to seduce him or replace her? I don't even look anything like her."

She recalled the accusation. "And when I asked what made her think I was a replacement, do you know what she said? She gave an incredulous scoff. She claimed it was because our names share the same syllable. I honestly couldn't believe it."

As she continued with a string of heated remarks, I instinctively held the phone a little further from my ear.

Coralie is a specialist in treating children on the autism spectrum, and it was she who originally recommended me to Caelan.

Unlike me, who came from a modest background, Coralie belongs to a wealthy family. Her status even surpasses that of the Alderidge household.

"Has she forgotten that I attended their wedding?" Coralie asked in disbelief, shaking her head. "Back then, she seemed perfectly normal. How has she become so erratic now? I gave that woman a piece of my mind and left immediately."

Her expression softened as she thought of the little girl. "I just feel so sorry for Lila."

Coralie fell silent for a moment before continuing quietly. "When I walked out, Lila was sitting there again, staring blankly into space. After years of consistent care, she had finally started making such remarkable progress..."

She let out a weary sigh before she continued. "I heard that when Thessaly left years ago, it was because she refused to care for a child on the autism spectrum."

After a brief pause, Coralie spoke in a firm, cautionary tone. "Caelan will probably call you again, but don't let your heart soften. Once you get entangled with someone this unstable, it's nearly impossible to break free."

True enough, half an hour later, my phone rang again. It was Caelan, and his voice sounded exhausted and strained.

"Jovana, I will double your salary. Please come right away. Lila has been crying nonstop, and I do not know what to do."

Thinking of my usual monthly pay, doubling it meant a substantial increase.

I made up my mind, pulled on my coat, and hurried out the door.

When I arrived at the Alderidge residence, I did not hear Lila crying at all.

Instead, I heard Thessaly speaking in a soft, sweet tone.

"Darling, I told you... since I am our daughter's real mother, surely I am the one she relies on most."

As soon as Thessaly spotted me standing in the doorway, her voice rose sharply.

"What are you doing back here? I knew you had not given up. You are still clinging to my husband. But let me make this clear... now that I, his first love, have returned, there is no place left in this house for a replacement like you!"

It was three o'clock in the morning, yet every light in the house was blazing.

The housekeeper and all the staff stood lined up formally on either side of the grand hallway.

They had already been kept awake long past their hours because of Thessaly's outbursts, and when they heard this latest tirade, many struggled to keep their expressions neutral, only to be caught by Thessaly's sharp gaze.

She flew into a rage and began to lash out at everyone present.

Pointing a finger directly at the housekeeper, she shouted, "Do you assume I will be replaced soon enough, so you rush to fawn over Jovana instead? Have you told her that this woman was the first one Caelan ever brought into this house? Using words like that to help her take my place in his heart!"

The housekeeper stood there, completely speechless.

Everyone knew Caelan had a wife and a daughter with special needs, and many women had come and gone from the home over the years.

The idea that I was the 'first' was absurd.

Keeping her head bowed, she dared not utter a word.

Thessaly then turned her fury toward the nanny, Mrs. Pike.

"And you! Did you also tell this woman that my husband had not smiled so warmly in years until she arrived?"

The nanny, caught off guard, stared at her in utter confusion.

The Alderidge Group had been expanding and performing well lately, and Lila's condition had also improved steadily.

Caelan had been in good spirits and smiling often for quite some time.

To be woken and harassed like this in the middle of the night was frustrating, but the staff had no choice but to hold their tongues.

I, however, was not going to stay silent.

I turned to Caelan and said firmly, "Caelan, if you called me out at this hour just to witness this, then I must respectfully decline to remain."

Caelan pressed his fingers against his temples, looking worn out and weary.

"When I called you, Lila truly was crying uncontrollably. But shortly after, Thessaly sat with her and calmed her down, and she fell asleep. I am sorry to drag you out this late. Rest assured, I will pay you triple... no, five times your usual overtime rate."

Thessaly slipped her arm through Caelan's, looking at me with a triumphant glint in her eyes, as if to say I could never measure up to her.

But the moment she heard him promise five times the pay, her mood shifted instantly.

"Caelan, that money belongs to both of us. I do not agree to give her that much..."

I was no longer listening to their argument. My mind was fixed on one thing: Thessaly had managed to soothe Lila and get her to sleep in just a few minutes.

From birth, Lila had always struggled to fall asleep quickly; it was impossible for her to drift off that fast.

I pushed past them both and rushed straight to Lila's bedroom.

I leaned over and gently patted her soft cheek.

"Lila, wake up. Please open your eyes."

But the little girl remained completely still and unresponsive.

Thessaly followed right behind me, sounding annoyed.

"Jovana, I understand you feel bitter. You think you could use our daughter's affection to control my husband. Yet you never expected that a mother and daughter would share a special bond..."

I straightened up abruptly, grabbed Thessaly's wrist, and shouted, "What exactly did you give her?"

Caught off guard by my sudden intensity, Thessaly flinched and blurted out the truth before she could stop herself.

"I... I only gave her a few sleeping pills..."