Cashing Out! The Billionaire's Stand-In Retires

In my tenth year with Julian Sterling, I had mastered three golden rules: First, never ask where he spent the night.

Second, never turn down the jewelry or luxury penthouses he threw at me. Third, after cleaning up his public scandals, always invoice him at market rate.

Everyone in high society mocked me for having no spine. When Julian got blackout drunk at 3:00 AM, I was the one who drove out to pick him up.

When his latest fling made a fool of herself at a press conference, I stepped in to smooth it over.

Even when he brought other women into the home we'd shared for a decade, all I did was tell the housekeeper to set an extra plate.

Everyone assumed I was desperately in love, willing to swallow any humiliation just to stay by his side. Only I knew what I was really waiting for.

I was waiting for his final compensation wire to clear into my bank account. After ten years as his standin lover, the second that money cleared, I was out!

When Julian proposed to Chloe Bennett, I was curled up on the couch in my hillside villa, watching the live stream.

Julian had signed the deed over to me not long ago, my bonus for cleaning up Chloe's PR disaster at a recent product launch.

On screen, Julian dropped to one knee, sliding a massive diamond ring onto Chloe's finger. The camera zoomed in. The venue erupted into deafening cheers.

I leaned back into the cushions, lifting my wine glass. On screen, the host beamed at the newly engaged couple. "Mr. Sterling, rumor has it you spent months planning this proposal.

Could you tell us why you chose today to ask Miss Bennett to marry you?" Julian looked down at Chloe, a rare, tender smile softening his sharp features. "Because I wanted to give her a real commitment." The host seized the moment. "And what about Natalie Vance?

The public has always wondered about your relationship with her..." A dead silence fell over the hall. I gently swirled the cabernet in my glass.

On screen, Julian's expression turned instantly frostbitecold. "Today, I'm only answering questions regarding my wedding." Watching that familiar, handsome profile, I let out a quiet laugh.

Then I took another slow, unbothered sip. Before the broadcast ended, the front door clicked open. Julian walked in.

Seeing the wine glass in my hand, his brow furrowed deep. "Natalie, why are you hiding in here drinking in the middle of the day?" As a seasoned standin, offering emotional comfort and playing the obedient angel was second nature.

I immediately slipped into my sweet, docile expression. "I know. I just thought you wouldn't be coming back today." Julian stopped in his tracks.

His expression softened considerably. "I just came back to grab a few files." "You haven't fully recovered yet, so go easy on the alcohol." "Chloe needs Maggie to look after her right now.

If you're short on help, I'll hire another maid for you." I shook my head right away. "No need." Lowering my eyelashes, I put on a deliberately fragile, pitiful look. "The doctor said my body still needs a lot of rest.

There are plenty of checkups and therapies coming up...

It's probably going to cost quite a fortune." I looked up at him, my eyes wide and hesitant. "Julian... that money you promised me before..." Then, as if terrified of crossing a line, I quickly backtracked. "Never mind.

Pretend I said nothing." I dropped my gaze, my fingers anxiously tugging at the hem of my sweater. "You're getting married now.

I don't want to cause you any more trouble." Julian was caught off guard. "What did you just call me?" I kept my eyes down and stayed silent.

He let out a heavy sigh and reached out, his warm fingers brushing against my cheek. "Natalie, don't overthink things." "You've stayed with me for so many years.

I would never shortchange you." His touch was gentle.

Yet, the moment his fingertips brushed the faint laugh lines near the corners of my eyes, he pulled his hand back in silence. "I'm staying at the family estate for a few days.

I won't be coming around for a while." "Take care of yourself." The family estate? I raised an eyebrow in surprise. It seemed Julian was headoverheels for Chloe Bennett.

He was already bringing her home to meet the family patriarch. I hadn't expected them to move this fast.

After all, the Sterling estate was Julian's deepest trauma, a place he never let anyone touch.

The socialites in his circle always laughed at me for having zero selfrespect. Easy for them to say. They weren't me. They were heiresses born with trust funds and family empires.

Even if they walked away from a man, a powerful dynasty had their backs. I had nothing. Julian and I first met at a highprofile charity gala.

Back then, he was already the golden heir of New York, but he suffered from a secret torment: chronic, crippling insomnia.

Because he had watched his mother leap to her death from the family terrace as a child, he was left with severe psychological scars.

The Sterling family had hired the world's best doctors and therapists, but nothing worked. Until that night, when by some twist of fate, I ended up talking with him for hours.

For the first time in years, he fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

In the end, Julian's grandfather came to me in person. "Natalie, you're the only one who can help Julian sleep peacefully." "I need you to stay by his side." My job was straightforward: keep him company so he could rest.

No emotional attachments, no prying into his private life, no crossing boundaries. I took the paycheck; he got his sleep. Strictly business.

As the years went by, Julian grew to trust me completely. Whenever he couldn't sleep, I would lie quietly beside him, keeping him company through the endless, agonizing nights.

When he woke up gasping from violent nightmares, I would hold his hand and sit with him until dawn broke.

During those years, there was no Chloe Bennett, and none of the calculating games that came later. It was just him and me. Leaning on each other in the dark.

I knew that with my background, I could never become Mrs. Sterling. And yet... When his fingers tangled in my hair...

When his lips met mine and he whispered sweet nothings in the dark... When he spent six figures just to fill my entire penthouse with fresh imported roses...

A faint, foolish glimmer of hope couldn't help taking root in my heart. That illusion lasted until my twentyfifth birthday.

That day, I went to his corporate office to ask him out for a birthday dinner.

Just as my hand reached for the doorknob, his voice drifted through the crack in the door. "Her?" Julian let out a light, dismissive chuckle. "She's just a woman I keep around to help me sleep." "I've given her more than enough money over the years." "She's sensible.

She knows her place." My mind went blank with a deafening ringing sound. In a split second, I plunged straight from heaven to hell. It was at that exact moment I woke up.

No matter how well Julian treated me, no matter how deep my feelings ran, in his eyes, I was merely a paid mistress who could never be introduced in the light of day.

He would never love someone like me. And he would never truly be mine. I also knew Julian would never let me walk away willingly. He was born possessive and controlling.

What belonged to him, no one else was allowed to touch, even if he grew tired of it. I refused to keep drowning in this deadend arrangement.

Before he grew completely sick of me, I had to pave my own way out. That was when Chloe Bennett walked onto my radar.

She was vibrant, youthful, and instantly caught Julian's wandering eye.

I deliberately leaked inside info to her, coaching her behind the scenes into the exact archetype Julian craved. Just like that, they grew closer and closer.

Chloe did everything she could to tear me down, desperate to clear the board and become the true Mrs. Sterling. And the more she bullied me, the guiltier Julian felt toward me.

The guiltier Julian felt, the larger the compensation checks grew. Large enough for me to wrap up my "golddigging" career early, long before my youth and looks faded. Buzz.

My phone screen lit up. The final wire had cleared! Staring at the eightfigure sum, a genuine smile spread across my face.

The lingering bitterness in my heart vanished in a heartbeat. This was perfect. She got Julian. I got the bag. Everyone got what they wanted. Winwin.

Once Julian was gone, I took inventory of my assets. Thirty million dollars in cold, hard cash. More than enough to live in luxury for the rest of my days.

After doublechecking every account, I booked a oneway ticket to Geneva, Switzerland. Flight departure: in exactly three days.

Once I tied up the final loose ends, I would be completely free. Just as I finalized my itinerary, Julian's call buzzed through.

My heart skipped a beat, wondering if he had uncovered my plan.

Then his arrogant, commanding tone came through the line: "Come to the estate." I frowned. "What for?" "Chloe wants to try on the heirloom jewelry my grandmother left behind." He paused, his voice so casual it sounded like the most ordinary errand. "Bring it over to the estate." Gripping the phone, I nearly laughed out loud.

The Sterling family heirloom was finally going to be worn by the real lady of the house.

Letting out a breath of relief, I changed into a simple dress and drove straight to the estate. The Sterling family manor hadn't been this lively in years.

The circular driveway was packed with luxury sports cars and Maybachs. Grandfather Sterling's booming laughter echoed across the marble halls. "Good, good!

The Sterling line continues!" "You ran wild for years, Julian, but you're finally settling down." Chloe sat in the center of the drawing room, one hand resting protectively over her flat stomach.

Julian sat right beside her, peeling an orange with a rare, tender smile on his face. The room was packed with highsociety guests singing their praises.

I was long used to being relegated to the shadows. Yet, hearing them casually brainstorm baby names, my hand instinctively dropped to my own flat stomach.

There had once been a baby in there, too. Julian's and mine. That day, Chloe and I had an argument at the top of the grand staircase.

Hysterical and dramatic, she grabbed my arm, and my heel slipped. I tumbled all the way down. By the time I woke up in the emergency room, the baby was gone.

When the blood had soaked through my clothes, I was completely terrified. Helpless and sobbing, I called Julian over and over again. More than a dozen missed calls.

In the end, all that answered me was Chloe's breathless moans drifting through the receiver.

It wasn't until the next afternoon that Julian learned from his assistant that I had miscarried. He gave no excuses. He only offered two brief sentences: "We're still young.

We can have another baby." "Focus on recovering first." But I knew there would never be another child. Afterward, Julian promised me a massive financial settlement.

He didn't pay it out in one lump sum; he paid it in installments. Back then, I comforted myself with a bitter smile: An unborn child in exchange for a lifetime retirement fund.

Not a bad trade. Every installment brought me one step closer to leaving Julian for good and living the life I actually wanted.

Yet now, watching the boundless adoration spilling from Julian's eyes, watching how eagerly he anticipated fatherhood...

An unprecedented wave of grief crashed over my chest. "What took you so long?" Julian's cold voice shattered my thoughts.

His gaze swept over my pale face, finally landing on the velvet box in my hands. "Chloe is going to be the mistress of this house soon.

Let her try it on to see if it fits." I glanced down at the box. Inside rested a priceless, museumgrade heirloom set of emeralds and diamonds.

Julian's late mother had stated in her will that this set could only be passed down to the true lady of the Sterling dynasty. Clearly, Julian had found his woman.

I smiled faintly, carried the box over, and offered it to Chloe. "Go ahead and open it." Chloe took the velvet case, a vicious spark of triumph gleaming in her eyes. "Natalie, why don't you put it on for me?" I paused for a second.

Still, I lifted the heavy necklace and clasped it around her slender neck. In the vanity mirror, Chloe looked radiant wearing the Sterling family jewels.

And behind her was me, looking like nothing more than a faded background prop. Fair enough. A paid mistress. What right did I have to throw a tantrum?

Unabashed giggles and snide remarks drifted from the crowd behind us. "My, Natalie really is generous, isn't she?" "The Sterling heirloom is on Miss Bennett's neck now." "Looks like Mr.

Sterling has made his final choice." "Of course! The real Mrs. Sterling shouldn't let an outsider occupy the position forever!" I had heard lines like these a thousand times.

I lowered my eyes, helped Chloe adjust the matching earrings, and quietly counted down the days until my flight. Lost in thought, someone tapped my shoulder from behind.

It was Julian's assistant. He grabbed my hands and shoved them directly into a bucket of antiseptic wash.

Then, handing me a surgical mask, he said flatly, "Miss Bennett says she has severe germaphobia.

She thinks a woman of your background is filthy, so you must disinfect thoroughly before entering the estate from now on." "She also said looking at your face makes her sick to her stomach, so you're required to wear a mask in her presence." "And another thing.

Leave right after this. Today is a private family banquet. You have no seat at the table." Childish, petty games. I had seen these cheap tricks dozens of times.

As long as the money was in my account, I couldn't care less. I nodded obediently.

After securing the jewelry, I closed the box and asked quietly, "Is that all?" "Yes." Chloe admired her reflection in the mirror, smiling with pure smugness.

Without another word, I turned to leave. Just as I reached the foyer, a sharp scream echoed behind me. "Chloe! Your face!" I whipped around.

A furious red rash had suddenly erupted across Chloe's cheeks, spreading rapidly down her swollen neck. "It itches so badly..." She clutched her throat, gasping violently for air.

Julian's face drained of all color. He scooped her up immediately and bolted for the door. I stood frozen in place, watching the chaotic scene unfold.

After an entire night of panic at the hospital, Chloe was finally declared out of danger. By the time I returned to the hillside villa, it was nearly 4:00 AM.

My body hadn't fully recovered from the miscarriage, and dull cramps kept me tossing and turning for hours before exhaustion finally pulled me under.

Just as I drifted off, a blinding pain shot through my wrist. Julian stood over my bed, his face terrifyingly dark.

He violently yanked me up by the arm. "What did you do to that jewelry?" "Chloe broke out in a lifethreatening allergic reaction the second she put it on!" Dazed and dizzy, I stammered, "I don't know what you're talking about!" Julian glared at me, letting out a venomous sneer. "Drop the innocent act!

Don't think I don't know what kind of parasite you are." "You're just like the shameless golddiggers who drove my mother off that roof, willing to do anything disgusting for money and status!" "Because you lost your own baby and failed to secure your spot, you tried to murder Chloe's child?!" My wrist throbbed agonizingly under his grip.

A sharp, tearing pain flared through my lower abdomen. I shoved Julian away with everything I had and yelled back: "Julian, have you lost your damn mind?

What does Chloe's allergy have to do with me?!" "She's the one who killed my baby! Even if something happened to her, it's nothing less than karma!" Smack!

A brutal slap landed squarely across my face before the words even cleared my throat.

Julian grabbed my throat with one hand, his eyes blazing with murderous fury. "Natalie, who the hell gave you the right to slander Chloe?!" "Isn't money all you care about?" "Haven't I given you enough over the years?

Mansions, diamonds, multimilliondollar checks... Which of those didn't come from sleeping with me?" "You thought keeping my bed warm for ten years actually made you Mrs.

Sterling?" He looked down at me with cold, dripping contempt. "Know your place." "You're just a woman I paid to keep around." "When I'm in a good mood, you sleep with me and keep me entertained.

When I'm not, I can replace you at any second." "A greedy escort like you. Who else would ever want you if you left me?" His insults grew viler with every breath.

I simply stared at him in dead, hollow silence. Suddenly, Julian ripped open my silk robe. Before he could do anything more, his phone rang shrilly.

Whoever was on the other end said something that turned his fury into instant terror. He bolted toward the door.

At the threshold, he stopped and looked back at me with a lethal glare. "You'd better pray Chloe and the baby are fine." "If anything happens to them, I will ruin you!" With a violent slam of the door, Julian was gone.

Silence swallowed the room once more. The metallic taste of blood spread across my tongue.

Sitting on the bed, staring at the purple bruises blooming on my wrists, tears finally spilled over my cheeks. I took a deep breath, fighting to steady my racing pulse.

Then my phone buzzed. Chloe had called to gloat: "Natalie, you lost again." "Julian is right here holding my hand.

He promised he'll never leave my side." "If you have any dignity left, pack your trash and get out of the Sterling family's life!" In the past, I would have recorded the call and played it for Julian later when he was feeling guilty, using it to milk another massive wire out of him.

This time, I didn't bother. Holding my swollen, stinging cheek, I walked into the living room.

I took the black Centurion card Julian had given me and laid it on the marble console table, right beside the handwritten farewell note I had prepared days ago.

Before boarding the plane, I took one final look at the New York skyline, the city where I had wasted ten years of my life. Then, without looking back, I stepped through the gate.

Not long after, Julian opened his phone at the hospital, only to be hit with a breaking headline exploding across the internet: "Mystery Mistress of Sterling Heir Commits Suicide for Love, Leaving Behind Farewell Note and Millions." "What Dark Secrets Lie Behind the Tragic Romance of New York's Elite Dynasty?"