Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl

Chapter 1207

Esther found herself caught in a truth she didn't want to believe, but she had no choice because Summer, her close friend, was the one who told her. Summer was always honest with her.

"Do you know what that woman looks like?" Esther asked, thinking she might recognize her.

Summer heaved a sigh. "That woman is my boss' ex-girlfriend... He dated someone around three to four years ago. He didn't know you at that time, but he was very nice to that woman and doted on her.

"Everyone thought they'd end up married. But then, the woman disappeared for three years. We think maybe she thought he wasn't good enough, or maybe something happened with her family. It was a rocky relationship," Summer explained, leaving Esther feeling heartbroken.

"What happened after she disappeared?" Esther needed to know.

"They broke up. My boss was really sad for a long time. But then he met you and started to feel better," Summer told her.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Esther sensed something was off. "What do you mean by that?" She braced herself for Summer's next words, knowing they'd hit hard.

"It sounds like a soap opera, but it's true," Summer said, trying to prepare Esther for the shock.

Esther, familiar with dramatic TV plots, asked with a sad smile, "I look like that woman, right?"

"How did you know?" Summer was surprised. Seeing Esther's distress, she tried to be gentle. "It was a long time ago. My boss doesn't see you as just a replacement..."

But Summer's attempt to comfort only filled Esther with grief. "So, you're saying James liked me because I remind him of her?"

Esther's world was crumbling. She thought her happiness was her own, not a shadow of someone else's past.

As Esther pieced everything together, she realized why James had been so generous and attentive from the start. She knew why he had suddenly spent so much on her when she made her debut.

It all made sense now.

Somehow, Esther ended up back on the set without remembering how she got there. Her mind kept replaying Summer's story.

Sitting alone on the couch, lost in her thoughts, Esther faced the painful truth. James had left her because the 'original' had returned. Esther now had to step aside.

His kindness, she now understood, was a way of compensating through her.

Esther kept her head low and sobbed quietly, overwhelmed by her grief.

Caleb, noticing her crying, rushed over, worried. "Esther, what happened? Who made you cry?" Seeing her in such a state was shocking for him. "Please, stop crying and tell me what's wrong."