Billionaire’s Substitute Bride

SOPHIA CASTILLO

I groaned silently as I woke up. I felt pain in my left arm and I knew it was because I slept on it. I set my foot on the tiled floor and yawned.

"I see you are awake."

I froze when I heard Adrian's voice. I looked towards the direction his voice came from to see him all dressed up with his hands in his pants pocket.

"Good morning...sir," I greeted him, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Good morning? What is good about the morning? The fact that I have to wake up and see your face every day or the fact that we share the same room? Which is it, Sophia?" He asked.

He was speaking calmly as always, yet it made me nervous.

"Do you know what time it is?" He questioned and I looked around the room to find a wall clock or an alarm clock.

He began to walk toward me and my body stiffened.

"I will tell you the time," he raised his hand to look at his wristwatch.

"It's fifteen minutes to ten," he said and I gasped.

I couldn't believe I slept that long, but I guessed it was because of the stress I went through yesterday.

"You must feel so comfortable sleeping on that couch, don't you?" He chided and I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat.

Every step Adrian took toward me made my heart race faster than normal. I was nervous.

I didn't want him close to me. I felt my eyes blur from tears that formed in them.

My eyes locked with Adrian for the shortest seconds before I quickly looked away from fear.

"There she goes again, crying as always. Don't you get tired? Why do you keep doing this? It only makes me disgusted if you do not know that. It only makes me angry. I mean if you didn't want to marry me, you could have said so. I guess your sister has a better conscience than you do because I mean, you are so good at the game," he snarled.

"That's not true," I said in a whisper.

"What did you say?" he asked me. He was now squatting in front of me.

"That's not true," I repeated myself.

"Then what's the truth? I mean your father's company was at the edge of bankruptcy and to save his company, he came to my grandfather and, in return, my grandfather offered to help him if one of his daughters got married to me. Now here is what I am saying. I am asking what father would marry his daughter off without a reason? I mean I wouldn't do that to save my company. It's like selling my daughter in exchange for my company's growth, and for his daughter to agree, she also has a part to play," he expatiates.

I clenched my fist. I had not noticed I was crying until a bead of tears touched my skin

"You know nothing," I told him.

"Really? I know nothing? I mean why are you married to me? How old are you again? I mean if you didn't have a part in any of this, you wouldn't get married at this age. Your..."

"You don't know anything!" I exclaimed in anger, cutting him off from saying any more words.

I realized what I had just done as my little action had taken him by surprise. I ran into the bathroom, not wanting the same space as him.

I began to cry out there.

I was tired of holding it, I was tired of acting strong when I am not. I was tired of being accused. From the moment he set his eyes on me, all he did was accuse me and call me names that I am not.

After crying my heart out in the bathroom, I went back to the room to see that Adrian was gone and it made me feel at ease as I did not know how to face him, not after raising my voice at him.

I walked out of the room and down the stairs to go find something to eat. I didn't know anywhere in the mansion and so I didn't know where to go when I came down the stairs, but luckily for me, a maid walks by.

"Good morning madam," she said to me and I smiled back at her.

"Good morning," I replied politely.

"Please where is the kitchen?" I asked.

"I will show you where the kitchen is, kindly follow me, but first what do you need? I could get it for you," he suggested.

"Do not worry. I will get what I want by myself. You do not have to worry, and thank you," I said to her.

She nodded her head. "Okay, ma'am. Kindly follow me," she said and I followed behind her.

Just as I reached the entrance of the kitchen, I heard whispers, but what caught my attention was my name.

"That's her name?" One of the maids said.

I couldn't see their faces as they were backing me.

"Yes. Sophia. You should have seen the way Sir Adrian kept a distance between them. He wasn't happy at all," another maid said.

"What's worse is, I was passing by their room this morning and I heard voices. I wonder what could be going on," the maid sighs.

"I just feel for her. When I asked if I should call her for breakfast this morning, he said not to bother. He didn't seem to care. I mean he has always been cold to everyone, but at least he should show mercy to the poor girl," the first maid who spoke said.

The maid that directed me to the kitchen cleared her throat, getting their attention. They all turned to look at her and I did not miss the surprised expression on their faces the moment they saw me.

They quickly bowed their heads and greeted me. "Good morning Madam," they said simultaneously.