I Pretended To Be A Man For Ten Years, But My Fiancé Married My Imposter

The Vance family code was absolute: the empire only passes to a male heir. To secure my birthright, I spent ten years pretending to be a man. Even Julian, my childhood fiancé, had no idea. To him, I was just Charlie, his best friend. But the moment I finally took complete control of the company and was ready to tell him the truth, Julian grabbed my hands, his face glowing with happiness. "Charlie, I've been keeping a secret from you. Last month, Charlotte quietly came back to the country to find me. We've decided to get married." "She's so much like you!" My entire body went rigid. The sister I had completely made up—the one supposedly recovering in a private clinic overseas? Before I could say a word, a girl with a face seventy percent similar to mine stepped out from behind him. She shoved me aside, her expression dripping with arrogance. "Charlie, I'm back. From now on, you're not allowed to cling to Julian using my name. Have some self-respect, you freak!" "Otherwise, I'll tell everyone you're a creep who's obsessed with his own brother-in-law!" Looking at this smug imposter, I almost laughed out loud. *You're Charlotte?* *Then who the hell am I?* **Chapter Two** "Charlotte, stop it!" "Why are you jealous of your own brother?" Julian gently cut Charlotte off. There was no real scolding in his voice, only a fond, helpless indulgence. He turned to me and explained, "Charlotte is just being childish because you and I have been so close lately. As her brother, don't take it to heart." But hearing this, Charlotte pouted even more. She whined, her voice sweet yet venomous. "I haven't seen him in over a decade. I don't want him as my brother!" "I told you to keep it a secret from him. Charlie clings to you every single day. Who knows what kind of sick fantasies he's had about you over the last ten years? It's disgusting." She turned back to glare at me, spitting out, "You shameless slut. Trying to steal your sister's man!" With that, she tried to pull Julian away. But I stepped in and blocked their path. "You're right. Charlotte and I haven't seen each other in over ten years." I said coldly. "So, what makes you so sure you're Charlotte?" Charlotte's face warped. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she hissed back, "What makes me sure? Look at my face! Isn't this face enough proof that I'm Charlotte?" I let out a dry chuckle and shook my head. "There are plenty of doppelgangers in this world." "Besides, if you're trying to pull off an identity theft, with today's plastic surgery, is it really that hard?" Charlotte choked on her words. Her face turned bright red as she pointed at me, sobbing to Julian. "Look at him! He's just obsessed with you!" "Just because you love me, he won't even recognize his own sister now! He's just making up excuses to throw me out!" She covered her face and ran off in tears. Seeing this, Julian immediately turned to chase after her. I raised my voice, stopping him in his tracks. "Wait!" "Julian, are you absolutely sure that *this* 'Charlotte' is the same 'Charlotte' you fell in love with over the phone all these years?" Julian froze, but then his anger flared up even hotter. "Of course she is! We might not have met in person, but we talked for years. I know her! Charlotte is her!" "Charlie, what you just said went way too far!" Watching Julian run after her, the coldness in my eyes deepened. I took out my phone. It rang three times before the call went through. "Five million dollars. I need you to investigate someone." "I want to know exactly where this 'Charlotte' crawled out from."As soon as I hung up, a Snapchat notification popped up from Julian. To make Charlotte happy, he had decided to throw a massive welcome-back gala in a couple of days as her "fiancé." He wanted to celebrate her return and announce their upcoming wedding to the entire high society. [Charlie, you must attend the welcome party and apologize to Charlotte properly.] [You are her brother. With your mother gone and your father gravely ill, you're the only family she has left to stand by her. You need to show up and give her your blessing.] [If you don't come, you're disrespecting me. And our friendship is over!] Friendship over? I stared at the screen, my fingertips turning cold. Julian hadn't even consulted me. He hadn't even given me a heads-up. He had simply, arrogantly bypassed me—the actual head of the Vance family—to play knight in shining armor for Charlotte. Memories rushed back to me. Over the past ten years, Julian had slung his arm around my shoulder countless times late at night. Tipsy and completely trusting, he would pour his heart out to me, telling me how much he longed to meet the "Charlotte" on the other end of his phone, how perfect they were for each other, and... how much he loved her. Meanwhile, I had to swallow the bitter sweetness and comfort him like a bro: "Don't worry, man. I'm sure she's waiting for you, too." Ha. How much did he love her? So much that he couldn't even recognize the person standing right in front of him? After a long silence, I picked up my phone and replied: [Fine. I'll be there.] On the night of the gala, the ballroom was packed with the city's elite. Julian spotted me the second I walked in. He quickly made his way through the crowd, his face lighting up. "Charlie, I knew you'd make it!" Standing beside him, Charlotte clung tightly to his arm. She eyed me up and down, her gaze mocking. "Julian, why did you have to invite him? Look at how dressed up he is. I can't tell if he's here to 'apologize' or if he's just trying to seduce you." Seeing that Charlotte was still angry, Julian gave me a gentle nudge. "Since you're here, just apologize to Charlotte. What happened last time was indeed your fault." I looked up at Charlotte's smug face. Corner of my mouth twitching, I let out a submissive smile. "Fine." I turned and waved over a waiter, picking up a cup of mango pudding from his tray. I slowly held it out to Charlotte. "I was wrong last time. Have some dessert and let it go." "Don't hold a grudge against me, okay?" Charlotte's eyes flicked between me and the pudding. She let out a haughty sniff before condescendingly reaching out to take it. "Hmph, that's more like it." She poked at it a couple of times with a silver spoon. Finding the dessert delicious, her expression softened slightly. "As long as you get out of Julian's sight and stay far away from us." "Maybe I'll actually tolerate you enough to call you 'brother' once in a while." Her words were incredibly malicious. But I only chuckled and shook my head, showing no anger at all—playing the part of a doting, patient brother to perfection. Seeing the tension melt between Charlotte and me, Julian finally relaxed. Beaming with pride, he took Charlotte’s hand and walked up to the central stage. He took the microphone from the host, his voice echoing through the entire hall. "First of all, thank you all for coming tonight. Please join me in welcoming my love, Charlotte, back home!" Thunderous applause erupted. Julian cast a deeply affectionate look at the blushing Charlotte beside him and continued, "And on this special occasion, I want to share some more wonderful news—" "Charlotte and I will be officially getting married very soon!" The applause grew louder, mingled with cheers of congratulations. Julian’s expectant gaze swept through the crowd and locked onto me. He called out loudly, "Now, let’s invite Charlotte’s brother, and my best friend—Charlie, to come up and say a few words!" Every eye in the room instantly turned to me. I walked onto the stage with steady steps, took the microphone, and stood tall. "Good evening, everyone. I am Charlie Vance, the current head of the Vance family." I paused deliberately, casting a heavy, suffocating gaze over the two standing next to me. The smile on Julian's face stiffened. He obviously didn't understand what I was doing. Meeting his confused and suspicious eyes, I said clearly, word by word: "On behalf of the Vance family, I completely oppose the marriage between Mr. Julian Sterling and this Miss Charlotte Vance!" Before the words even fully left my mouth, gasps echoed through the room. I suddenly raised my hand, pointing directly at the girl clinging to Julian. "Because this Charlotte... is a complete and total fraud!" **Chapter Three**The entire ballroom exploded into whispers, every guest wearing a look of shock and disbelief. Julian was the first to react. He took a step forward, practically yelling, "Charlie, do you even know what you're saying? Have you lost your mind?" Julian’s defense instantly gave the panicked Charlotte a boost of confidence. She stepped out from behind him, tears welling in her eyes, and glared at me. "Don't listen to him! He's lying!" "Charlie, do you think no one sees through your sick, twisted mind? You couldn't have Julian, so you lost your mind! You're actually accusing your own sister of being fake just to ruin us! You have no decency!" "You're just a twisted, disgusting creep who's obsessed with his own sister's fiancé!" Charlotte's voice grew more and more hysterical. Faced with this massive wave of slander and the suspicious looks from the crowd, I merely let out a soft chuckle. I looked at Julian, whose face was completely pale, and asked casually, "Julian, do you remember the time you and Charlotte were rushed to the hospital together when you were eight?" The question was so sudden. Julian froze, his voice stiff. "Yes, I remember. Why... why are you bringing that up now?" I didn't answer him directly. Instead, I shifted my cold gaze back to Charlotte. "That's because Charlotte is extremely allergic to mangoes. You sneaked into the kitchen with her and ate the mangoes meant for dessert, which caused severe laryngeal edema. She almost choked to death." "But Charlotte, the dessert I just gave you was a mango pudding. You ate quite a bit of it, yet you didn't have any reaction at all." "Care to explain?" Hearing this, Julian gasped, suddenly realizing something was wrong. He instinctively let go of Charlotte's hand. Charlotte’s eyes darted around, and she shrieked, "Explain what? It was just a childhood allergy! People outgrow them all the time!" "You said it yourself, it happened when we were eight. Because that allergy was so severe, I underwent advanced immunotherapy when I was abroad. I've been cured for years!" "Wrong again!" The moment she finished, I smirked and shook my head. "I lied to you. It didn't happen when we were eight. It happened when we were seven!" "It was the day right after your seventh birthday party. Right, Julian?" Charlotte never expected my real trap to be here. Her eyes widened in panic. She instinctively looked at Julian. Julian didn't say a word. Instead, under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, he stared at Charlotte and took several steps back, putting a clear distance between them. His silence was deafening. Instantly, the atmosphere in the ballroom grew tense and bizarre, filled with hushed whispers. Charlotte began to panic, but she still desperately tried to deny it. "That was a childhood memory! It's been over ten years! Who remembers things that clearly?" "Besides, everything you've said is just your speculation and testing. Where is your proof? You have no real evidence! You're just playing word games to frame me!" Taking a deep breath, Charlotte looked around the room. She put on a brave, wronged front, squaring her shoulders as she spoke. "Fine! Since everyone is doubting me, I know that if I don't clear my name today, I'll never be able to hold my head up in this city again. Charlie, go ahead! Bring out whatever 'proof' you think you have!" "But let me tell you, I knew a sick freak like you would target me when I returned. I came prepared with absolute proof of my identity! But if it turns out you are just slandering me—" "I want you to get down on your knees and beg for my forgiveness! And then, you will pack your bags and get the hell out of the Vance Group!" I smiled with satisfaction. "Deal." Truthfully, I was tired of playing games with this imposter anyway. I shrugged, raised my hand toward my assistant standing offstage, and ordered, "Gary, since everyone is waiting for proof, bring it out." **Chapter Four**Gary quickly ran onto the stage with a flash drive and plugged it into the laptop. The massive screen in the ballroom lit up. The first photo was a close-up of a faded, yellowed picture. On five-year-old Charlotte’s inner forearm, there was a distinct pink birthmark. I walked over to the fake Charlotte, grabbed her arm, and turned it over to reveal her completely flawless, smooth skin. "Charlotte, where is your birthmark?" Her expression turned grim, but she didn't lose her cool. She yanked her arm out of my grip and gestured to a nearby waiter to bring over her purse. She calmly pulled out a folder of documents and held them up for everyone to see. Tears welled in her eyes as she spoke with a perfect mix of lingering fear. "When I was fifteen, shortly after I moved to London for boarding school, I was in a terrible car accident." "My arm was severely scraped, and the birthmark was completely destroyed by the scars. Here are the medical records from the hospital and my annual check-ups. See for yourselves!" The waiter quickly projected the documents onto the big screen. Julian stared at the detailed medical reports, fell silent, and handed her a clean handkerchief. Not bad. She managed to survive the first round. I tilted my chin up, gesturing to Gary to show the next slide. It was a postcard Charlotte had allegedly sent to Julian last year, with a simple greeting written on the back. "Charlotte, surely you haven't forgotten your own handwriting in just a year, right?" "Why don't you write a few words right now so we can compare?" Gary handed her a pen and a piece of paper right on cue. Charlotte took a deep breath, hesitated for a second, and actually began to write. A moment later, Gary projected her writing onto the screen. To my surprise, the two handwritings—from the pressure of the pen to the spacing of the letters—were virtually identical! Julian stared intently at the handwriting. He staggered forward a step, his eyes filling with tears of joy, and murmured under his breath, "Charlotte... it really is you..." Seeing his reaction, Charlotte felt a surge of relief. She turned to me, chin held high, her voice dripping with smug arrogance. "See, Charlie? Even Julian recognizes it! What do you have to say now?" "Where's your next slide? Is that all you've got?" The guests in the hall held their breath, waiting for my next move. But I remained perfectly still, just watching her quietly. Thinking I had run out of tricks, Charlotte raised her voice triumphantly. "Fine! Since you have no real proof, let's look at mine!" She snatched another document from her bag and practically threw it at Gary. "Go ahead, project it!" she snapped. "Let everyone see the truth!" "All your suspicions are nothing but baseless jealousy. What I have here is hard, scientific proof!" Gary shot me a questioning glance, and I gave him a subtle nod. The screen lit up once more. This time, it was a DNA paternity test! Everyone leaned in, their eyes scanning the page. The key conclusion was highlighted in red: [The biological relationship between the tested father, Arthur Vance, and the tested daughter, Charlotte Vance, is confirmed to be 99.9%.] "Do you see that? I knew you'd try to pull something like this, so I visited Dad in the hospital before coming here and got a DNA test done. It's black and white. I am his biological daughter." "If I'm not Charlotte, then who is?" "Is it you?" Charlotte’s shrieking voice echoed through the grand hall. Indeed, the situation seemed to have hit a dead end. Julian lunged forward, quickly flipping through the original hard copy of the report. When he looked up, his eyes were filled with immense guilt and tender affection for Charlotte. "Charlotte, I'm so sorry. I let you down." He shielded her behind him and threw the report violently at my feet. "Charlie, I was blind. I can't believe I called a malicious, scheming snake like you my best friend for ten years! I won't let you drag Charlotte's name through the mud ever again!" Julian took a deep breath, his eyes cold with pure disappointment. "As of today, we are done! Our friendship is dead!" "If you touch her or try to hurt her again, I will make you pay!" With Julian turning against me, the guests believed her completely. Cruel whispers began to circulate like venomous snakes. "The DNA test is right there. Charlie has nothing to say now. What a monster, trying to frame his own sister!" "Didn't you hear Charlotte? He's a sick creep. No wonder he's been clinging to Julian since they were kids. A closeted freak trying to steal his sister's man? Disgusting." "How shameless! Trying to steal his own brother-in-law. Does he even deserve to run the Vance Group?" ... Seeing me completely cornered, Charlotte lost all her panic. She flashed me a cruel, mockingly innocent smile. "Charlie, aren't you going to get down on your knees and beg for my forgiveness?" "Don't worry. I know about the family rule—only a son inherits the empire. If you bow low enough, I might be generous enough to let you stay in the Vance Group." A dead silence fell over the room. Everyone was waiting to watch my downfall. But I completely ignored Charlotte’s taunts and didn't even spare Julian a glance. I simply raised a hand to my assistant. "Do you know why I was absolutely certain you were a fake the very first second I saw you?" I paused, letting my question echo in the quiet room. Then, with absolute composure, I pulled a thin card from my inner suit pocket. At that exact moment, a new image flashed on the massive screen—a high-resolution government-issued ID card with sensitive numbers blacked out. On the right side was my photo. But the information on the left sent a shockwave through the entire crowd: Name: Charlotte Vance. Sex: Female. Gasps of pure shock erupted across the ballroom! I slowly swept my eyes over every stunned face in the room before finally landing on the trembling imposter. With a mocking smile, I said, "Because you got it wrong from the very beginning. I never had a sister recovering in a private clinic overseas." "I am Charlotte Vance!" **Chapter Five**