stand-in

On their fifth anniversary, Emily discovers that she has merely been a “stand-in” for her boyfriend’s first love, Evelyn. Emily immediately breaks up with Ethan and returns to her old life as an up-and-coming researcher. Having long concealed her status as a brilliant scientist, she earns the support of Daniel, the youngest professor at a prestigious university, and ranks first in gaining admission to the PhD program under her dream advisor. Through hard work and resilience, Emily proves her worth to others and simultaneously exposes the carefully constructed persona that Evelyn built for herself. Only then does David realize exactly what Emily is truly capable of, as well as the love she poured into their relationship, leaving him filled with nothing but deep regret as he watches her flourish in her newly reclaimed life.

Sophia was the invisible wife of James, heir to the city’s most powerful mafia empire. When his childhood sweetheart Vicky returned, Sophia realized she was just a stand-in. Heartbroken and pregnant, she divorced him and vanished to Paris.But James tore the world apart searching—only to find her at Alex’s side.

In order to save her terminally ill sister, she was forced to take the place of her selfish cousin and be sacrificed to the rumored cannibalistic and brutal dragon duke. However, she unexpectedly discovered that the "terrifying beast" was actually a peerless beauty. Not only did he dote on her after marriage, but he also allowed her to make a stunning comeback. She married another seemingly good man who treated her cousin poorly, and after learning about the heroine's life, the cousin went insane with jealousy.

Frankie, a musical prodigy, sacrificed everything to make his wife Sophie a star, only to be cast aside like a forgotten melody.Betrayed and broken, he died in obscurity—until he awoke twenty years in the past. This time, he'll harness his genius for himself, ascending to heights Sophie could never imagine. As his symphonies dominate the world, she and their kids, who have forgotten him, are left with a haunting question:Was their betrayal worth losing a legend?

My father and brother had preferred my sister over me since we were kids. In fact, they hated me. When I was bullied at a party, it was a mafia boss, Edwin Carlson, who stepped in. He saved me and announced right there in front of everyone that I was the woman he loved. He warned that anyone who dared mess with me again would have to deal with him. Edwin bought a castle deep in the forest just for me. He filled the garden with my favorite tulips and held a grand wedding there that made headlines across the country. For a while, I became the woman everyone envied. Seven months pregnant, I attended my father's birthday party. But that night, a sudden fire broke out. My biased father and brother only cared about saving my sister, Kelsey Grant. They rushed her out while I was left behind to die in the flames. In the end, it was Edwin who carried me out. But when I woke up in the hospital, I saw something that shattered my heart. "What the hell were you thinking, starting that fire?" Edwin's face was dark with rage. "Stephanie's only seven months pregnant! Are you trying to force her into early labor? Were you trying to kill her and the baby?" My father and brother spoke in hushed voices, trying to explain. "Kelsey has leukemia. The doctors said we can't wait anymore—she needs surgery soon. And she needs the baby's bone marrow..." "I care about Kelsey's life more than you do. Why else would I have married Stephanie? But you can't hurt her. I have my own plan!" Edwin warned coldly. "Saving Kelsey is the goal, yes—but if you try to save her at the cost of Stephanie's life, I won't allow it!" After hearing that, I fled the hospital room in a panic. So that was why he married me. Not because he loved me, but to save Kelsey. Everything he did for me—his kindness, his care—was all for her. Just like my father and brother, he loved Kelsey. Not me. If no one loved me, then I figured I might as well just disappear.

Forced into marriage, Noelle reluctantly endures a series of blind dates until she meets Sebastian, a charming yet seemingly ordinary man. Enchanted by his allure, she marries him, anticipating a simple life. However, she soon discovers that Sebastian is not as he seems. Unveiling Sebastian's true identity as a billionaire, secrets begin to unravel, thrusting Noelle into an unexpected situation as she gradually uncovers the truth about his past...

Trapped by her adoptive father, Lynette was forced to live under the name Aerith,the hidden hand behind her sister Colette's fame. Her brilliance fed the family's vanity while she remained a shadow.Just as the Shermans prepared to ruin her for their own gain, fate led her into the arms of Asher Herring, the city's most powerful man. One night of unexpected passion marked the beginning of her reckoning.From that moment on, Asher was no longer a distant figure. He tore into the chains that bound her, shielding her from the Shermans' manipulation and exposing the family's twisted schemes.Together, they reclaimed her name, her freedom—and built a love strong enough to last a lifetime.

Seven years ago, Clara Snow saved Clyde King, the tycoon of Portis, and later gave birth to his child. Now, with the Snow family bankrupt and her son in need of medical treatment, Clara agrees to marry for money. Meanwhile, her former maid Mary Cox returns from abroad and catches the eye of Clyde's father, who arranges her marriage to Clyde. To outshine Clara on their wedding day, Mary deliberately schedules her ceremony for the same day. But in a twist of fate, Clara ends up mistakenly married to Clyde...

My sister fled on the day of her Bonding Ceremony. I was forced to marry the Lycan King known for his brutality. Six years later, she returned. Still as bold and brazen as ever, she pressed a crimson kiss against Kael’s collar—right in front of the entire Council of Elders. Kael went rigid. Then she turned to me, her eyes gleaming with mockery. “Little sister, thank you for keeping my throne warm all these years. Now that I’m back, it’s time you gave me back my place as Luna Queen.” Silence swallowed the hall. Everyone remembered what happened when she ran away. Kael had nearly slaughtered half a rival territory in his rage. So now? I wondered too. Would this unpredictable, brutal King lose his mind for her once again?

Kyle Cooke believes he and Sara Wood are a loving married couple—five years of marriage as proof of their happiness.However, when he goes to the city hall to replace their coffee-stained marriage certificate, he’s shocked to discover the system shows him as “unmarried,” while Sara’s spouse is registered as another man—Noe Gibson. This discovery unveils a brutal truth: Kyle once caught Sara in an intimate moment with Noe, but she begged forgiveness claiming she was “looking for a stand-in,” even threatening suicide. After learning of her determination to “never let him find out,” Kyle’s heart dies completely. He decides to cancel his domestic identity, change his name, and disappear forever.

Kyle Cooke believes he and Sara Wood are a loving married couple—five years of marriage as proof of their happiness.However, when he goes to the city hall to replace their coffee-stained marriage certificate, he’s shocked to discover the system shows him as “unmarried,” while Sara’s spouse is registered as another man—Noe Gibson. This discovery unveils a brutal truth: Kyle once caught Sara in an intimate moment with Noe, but she begged forgiveness claiming she was “looking for a stand-in,” even threatening suicide. After learning of her determination to “never let him find out,” Kyle’s heart dies completely. He decides to cancel his domestic identity, change his name, and disappear forever.

I was the eldest daughter of the Shadow Wolves pack. Anyone who married me would gain the full support of Shadow Wolves. Every wolf in the pack knew that Ryan Trivett and I had grown up together, practically destined for each other. I'd been infatuated with him for as long as I could remember. In this life, though, I didn't choose Ryan. Instead, I ended up with his uncle, Lucas Trivett. Why? Because in my previous life, I had been married to Ryan for five years, and he had never touched me. I used to think he had his reasons—some secret burden he couldn't share. But one day, I accidentally stumbled into the hidden chamber behind our bedroom. There, I saw him pleasuring himself to a photo of my cousin. That was the moment I realized the truth. He never loved me. He had only ever used me. Now, with this second chance at life, I had decided to let them have each other. But when I walked down the aisle in my wedding dress toward Lucas, Ryan completely lost it.

I had been in a secret relationship with my mafia boyfriend, Dante Castellano, for seven years. No public contact. No photos together. No proof I had ever stood by his side. He told me, "Once I'm powerful enough that no one dares touch you, I'll make it official." I believed him. The day before our seventh anniversary, I found a ten-carat diamond ring in his suit jacket. I cried with joy, thinking seven years of hiding were finally over. The next morning, I wore my most expensive dress and sprayed on the only perfume he had ever given me. I practiced my smile in the mirror, the one I would give when he proposed. Then, my phone lit up with a breaking news alert. [Breaking News: Seven-Year Love Story Reaches Perfect Ending—Romance Blogger Alessia Romano Accepts Boyfriend's 100th Proposal!] In the photo, the influencer with eight million followers stood on her tiptoes, kissing a man. His hand rested on the back of her neck. On that hand was a scar I would never mistake. It was the scar Dante got when he took a knife for me.

Everyone in southern Italy knew that Lorenzo Moretti loved me like a madman. And yet he had been keeping a much younger woman in Naples. They said she looked just like I had years ago. He told people she was only a reminder of the woman he had once loved most. He also gave strict orders that no one was to let me hear about her. Until the day I found out I was pregnant. I went to his office to tell him the news myself, only to stop outside the door when I heard a young woman’s voice from inside. “Lorenzo… am I only here because I remind you of her?” The door was slightly ajar. Through the gap, I saw a young woman who looked too much like me, wrapped in his jacket and holding his glass. I stood there, barely breathing. Then I heard him answer. “Don’t compare yourself to her.” “She could never be what you are.” I turned and walked away without making a sound. That night, I called my mother. “Mother, I’ve made up my mind.” She was silent for a moment. “I want a fire,” I said. “Something no one survives. By the time it’s over, Sophia Moretti needs to be dead to the world.”

My father and brother had preferred my sister over me since we were kids. In fact, they hated me. When I was bullied at a party, it was a mafia boss, Edwin Carlson, who stepped in. He saved me and announced right there in front of everyone that I was the woman he loved. He warned that anyone who dared mess with me again would have to deal with him. Edwin bought a castle deep in the forest just for me. He filled the garden with my favorite tulips and held a grand wedding there that made headlines across the country. For a while, I became the woman everyone envied. Seven months pregnant, I attended my father's birthday party. But that night, a sudden fire broke out. My biased father and brother only cared about saving my sister, Kelsey Grant. They rushed her out while I was left behind to die in the flames. In the end, it was Edwin who carried me out. But when I woke up in the hospital, I saw something that shattered my heart. "What the hell were you thinking, starting that fire?" Edwin's face was dark with rage. "Stephanie's only seven months pregnant! Are you trying to force her into early labor? Were you trying to kill her and the baby?" My father and brother spoke in hushed voices, trying to explain. "Kelsey has leukemia. The doctors said we can't wait anymore—she needs surgery soon. And she needs the baby's bone marrow..." "I care about Kelsey's life more than you do. Why else would I have married Stephanie? But you can't hurt her. I have my own plan!" Edwin warned coldly. "Saving Kelsey is the goal, yes—but if you try to save her at the cost of Stephanie's life, I won't allow it!" After hearing that, I fled the hospital room in a panic. So that was why he married me. Not because he loved me, but to save Kelsey. Everything he did for me—his kindness, his care—was all for her. Just like my father and brother, he loved Kelsey. Not me. If no one loved me, then I figured I might as well just disappear.

My father and brother had preferred my sister over me since we were kids. In fact, they hated me. When I was bullied at a party, it was a mafia boss, Edwin Carlson, who stepped in. He saved me and announced right there in front of everyone that I was the woman he loved. He warned that anyone who dared mess with me again would have to deal with him. Edwin bought a castle deep in the forest just for me. He filled the garden with my favorite tulips and held a grand wedding there that made headlines across the country. For a while, I became the woman everyone envied. Seven months pregnant, I attended my father's birthday party. But that night, a sudden fire broke out. My biased father and brother only cared about saving my sister, Kelsey Grant. They rushed her out while I was left behind to die in the flames. In the end, it was Edwin who carried me out. But when I woke up in the hospital, I saw something that shattered my heart. "What the hell were you thinking, starting that fire?" Edwin's face was dark with rage. "Stephanie's only seven months pregnant! Are you trying to force her into early labor? Were you trying to kill her and the baby?" My father and brother spoke in hushed voices, trying to explain. "Kelsey has leukemia. The doctors said we can't wait anymore—she needs surgery soon. And she needs the baby's bone marrow..." "I care about Kelsey's life more than you do. Why else would I have married Stephanie? But you can't hurt her. I have my own plan!" Edwin warned coldly. "Saving Kelsey is the goal, yes—but if you try to save her at the cost of Stephanie's life, I won't allow it!" After hearing that, I fled the hospital room in a panic. So that was why he married me. Not because he loved me, but to save Kelsey. Everything he did for me—his kindness, his care—was all for her. Just like my father and brother, he loved Kelsey. Not me. If no one loved me, then I figured I might as well just disappear.