"Don't make things difficult for Keith."
Chrisley brushed her fingers lightly against my cheek before standing up, her heels clicking softly as she sauntered out of the room.
I watched her proud silhouette disappear down the hallway.
That was the moment I made my decision. 'Keith, I'll make sure you two get what you want.'
Chrisley didn't leave immediately. She lingered in the living room with him for what felt like forever.
I was starting to doze off when I suddenly heard Keith's voice.
"Stop it. Reese might still be awake. We're here, so be a little more careful."
His voice was low, but I heard it crystal clear.
Through the crack of the door, I caught their figures.
Chrisley was already draped over him, her arms wrapped around his neck.
Her actions got bolder, and only when it went too far did Keith pull out her hands and give her a warning.
But she didn't seem to care, her lips curling up in a seductive and smug smile.
"What are you so scared of?" she asked. "You invited me here, didn't you? Isn't this what you wanted?"
After saying that, she pulled him in and nestled against his chest like a kitten.
Keith glanced toward the bedroom. When he didn't see any movement, his courage grew a bit.
They kissed passionately for a moment before he pulled away, giving her a sharp look that said, not here, not now.
But Chrisley had no shame. His warnings meant nothing to her.
Their figures were reflected in the glass cabinet, and I could see everything clearly.
"Keith, don't take that woman too seriously," she murmured. "We both know she's just my stand-in. Sooner or later, she'll have to leave."
As she kissed Keith, her voice was low and seductive.
"And honestly, doing this right under her nose? It's exciting."
"She's so weak after surgery. There's no way she'd notice anything."
"Besides… even if she does, so what?"
She tightened her hold on Keith's neck.
I couldn't watch what would happen next, so I turned my head away, shutting my eyes tight.
But my ears couldn't escape the sounds of their intimacy.
Each moan felt like a blade driving deeper into my chest, leaving nothing but a piercing pain.
I couldn't help but think back to the day I met Keith.
I'd just graduated from theater school, a clueless girl in a big, unfamiliar city.
I was running between auditions, ten, fifteen a day, desperate for a role—any role.
Finally, one production gave me a chance. But during the audition, the director cornered me, demanding things no woman should ever have to endure.
It was Keith who saved me.
He looked like a hero straight out of a fairytale. He kicked the door open, dragged that sleazy director to the ground, and beat him so badly the man couldn't even stand.
Afterward, Keith took me, dazed and shaken, and got me out of that nightmare. He stayed with me the whole night, comforting me.
From that day on, he arranged work for me, visiting my sets from time to time, making me feel safe and cared for in this huge city.
And somewhere along the way, I fell in love with him.
I knew, though, that I wasn't good enough for him. I wasn't from his world, after all.
But then, to my shock, he confessed first.
He asked me to be his girlfriend.
I was over the moon, so happy that I couldn't even hold back my tears when he asked.
I used to think of him as the most important person in my life.
But now, I realize…
That same day, when he started hiding his affair with Chrisley, he must've already decided to use me as her substitute.
From the very beginning, I was just part of his plan to marry her someday.
Their lingering voices tortured me for half an hour before the living room gradually went quiet.
Then I heard him grab his keys to take her home.
When I heard the door close, the grief in my heart suddenly just… disappeared completely.
My body was so weak, my belly still aching from the surgery, but I managed to grab the suitcase I'd packed weeks ago from the cabinet.
And the divorce papers? I'd written those the second I lost our baby.
By the time my plane left, I'd deleted everything about him—his number, his messages.
'Keith, I'll always remember how you saved me once. But this? Being your placeholder for your real love? I'm done. Goodbye.'
