He Dumped Me for a Fake, I’m the Real Heiress

My boyfriend, Owen Hart, had a talent for showing up late. Dates, meeting my parents, even our engagement party, he was late to all of them. Eventually, I hit my limit. I asked him straight out whether he even wanted to marry me. With a weary sigh, he finally dropped the act. "I'm actually the heir to the Hart family, and I've had a fiancée all along. Our wedding is in three days. I only stayed with you because you cost me nothing. Now it's time for me to go back." I went stiff as I watched him raise his phone and show me a photo of himself with his fiancée. The funny thing was, I knew her. She was Lydia Blake, the fake heiress who had taken my place for 25 years. Owen didn't notice the change in my expression and kept talking. "Other than the title, I can give you anything. My love, my body, whatever you want. You won't blame me, will you? As long as you know how to behave, I'll talk my fiancée into accepting you." I stared at him like he had lost his mind. Did Owen really not know that the heiress of the Blake Group had been replaced a long time ago? When Owen saw that I had gone silent, he assumed I was too upset to speak. He tried to pull me into his arms like he always did, but I dodged him before he could touch me. Irritation flashed across his face. "Celine, we come from completely different backgrounds. There's nothing I can do about that. You're always so understanding, so you won't make things difficult for me, right?" My voice turned cold. "If my family had the same status as yours, would you be singing a different tune?" He frowned. "Don't say things you don't mean. I know exactly who you are. Even if I go back and marry Lydia, I won't leave you with nothing. You'll be well taken care of financially." My breathing grew uneven. I looked around the apartment we had rented for five years and finally saw Owen for who he really was. Owen and I were college classmates. We only got together because he had pursued me relentlessly, and he had even helped me get rid of a group of thugs who kept harassing me. During our five years together, he took care of me in every possible way and always made me feel like I came first. But recently, his habit of putting things off had gotten out of hand. No matter what I asked him to do, he was always late. The worst part was that he had even shown up late to our engagement party. I had originally planned to use that occasion to tell Owen about my background. My parents waited only 10 minutes before leaving early. They told me sternly, "He was late when he was supposed to meet us the first time, so he never even showed up. Now he's late again. It's obvious you aren't important to him. You have to break up with him and come back to the Blake family for good." I cared about Owen too much, and I had been torn. Now that he had suddenly come clean, I actually felt relieved. Just then, Owen's phone rang. He answered it right in front of me, and Lydia's voice came through the phone. "Owen, I'm downstairs at your place. Why aren't you coming down yet?" His eyes softened with endless affection. "I'm coming." After hanging up, Owen stood with the light at his back and said, "Behave yourself. Don't try to get Lydia's attention." I didn't say a word the entire time, and I almost wanted to laugh. He probably never imagined that his fiancée was nothing but a fake who had stolen someone else's place. I stood on the balcony and looked down. Lydia leaned against Owen's shoulder with a smile on her face, while Owen lightly squeezed the back of her neck in an intimate gesture. It was something he used to do to me all the time. Then my phone buzzed. I received messages from Owen. Owen: I know you're lurking, but a man can't put his life on hold. You have to understand me. When it comes to marriage, I can't afford to drag my feet. Owen: Even after I get married, you can still stay with me as my mistress. After all, I've already had my fill of you. I doubt anyone else would want you. I stared at those humiliating words and decided the five years I had given him had been wasted on a man who never deserved them. Once I finally saw him for what he was, I called my parents without a second thought. "Mom, Dad, Owen and I are done." My parents couldn't have been happier. "We told you he was no good. Don't worry. We'll find you a much better man next time."