Chapter 7
I dragged my suitcase out of the airport, humid ocean air hitting my face with its salty spray.
I rented a little seaside apartment from this sweet old lady with silver hair who handed me the keys with a smile: “Honey, this place has good karma. Everyone who moves in here gets a fresh start.”
I stared at the peeling wallpaper with crooked sunflower stickers still stuck to it, suddenly remembering how Mom used to grow sunflowers on our windowsill.
“Sunflowers are perfect, aren’t they? They follow the light, and even when they fall down, they can pick themselves back up.”
Tears came out of nowhere.
I quickly turned around to wipe my face and bumped into the old lady leaning in the doorway, holding a little pot with a tiny green sunflower sprout.
“The last tenant left this behind,” she said, pressing the pot into my hands with a warm smile hidden in her wrinkles. “I think you two are meant for each other.”
Three days later, I got an interview invitation from a boutique design studio. I walked into the glass–walled office by
the ocean, clutching my portfolio.
Ocean breeze rustled through design sketches scattered on desks. The man behind the main desk looked up, and his
eyes lit up behind gold–rimmed glasses.
“Wait… isn’t this the series that was shown at the International Emerging Design Exhibition two years ago?”
“This series–it was called ‘Caged Birds,‘ right?”
The guy named River pointed at the designs Jake had forced me to withdraw from the exhibition. His voice was smooth as warm honey.
I froze when I heard that.
Those were designs I’d secretly submitted while helping Jake build his company. Later, Jake said “the company needs to keep a low profile” and made me pull out of the show. I couldn’t believe someone still remembered.
“That was me.”
I gripped my skirt tighter.
Memories came flooding back–staying up all night in the company storage room working on sketches, until Jake burst in and threw coffee all over my drafts, sneering: “Clients want commercial designs! What’s the point of these stupid feathers?”
“They have a lot of value. It’s just a shame we never got to see the rest of the series.” River suddenly stood up, his long
21:00
Just a Stand In?! My Billionaire Hubby’s OTHER Wife…
69.5%
Chapter 7
fingers tracing over the struggling bird patterns in my sketches.
“Anyone who can draw freedom after having their wings clipped is inherently fascinating.”
River pushed up his gold–rimmed glasses, his eyes crinkling into crescents:
“I was one of the judges that year. I gave you the highest score, actually.”
“Start tomorrow. I’ll pay you triple what you were making before, on one condition–you have to finish the ‘Caged Birds‘ series.”
“Deal!”
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