Billionaire’s Substitute Bride

SOPHIA CASTILLO

I suddenly lost my appetite to eat. It wasn't that they said anything bad about me, but I hated looking pitiful.

I smiled weakly at them before turning on my heels to leave.

"Ma'am," I heard the voice of the maid that brought me to the kitchen and I halted on my track.

I tilted my head to look at her. "Yes," I answered.

"Aren't you here to get something? I mean if you changed your mind, I could bring something for you to eat in your room," she said to me.

I smiled at her gratefully. "Thanks but I'm fine. I will let you know when I am hungry," I told her and continued on track.

"What's your name?" I asked the maid, halting on my track once again.

She smiled at me. "Sarah," she said and I nodded my head.

Hearing her name reminded me of my older sister.

I walked away quietly into the room. I haven't been able to do anything since morning because of Adrian.

I went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and took my bath before coming out to wear the same clothes Adrian gave me to wear yesterday.

I was yet to get my clothes from my parents' mansion and I didn't have anyone to drive me there and no money to go to my parents' place.

I sat down on the floor and hugged my knees while crying in silence

**

TWO WEEKS AGO

I knocked on the door of my sister's room. It was time for breakfast and she was yet to come down.

"Sarah, are you in there?" I asked before knocking on the door again when I got no reply.

"Sarah!" I called again.

When I didn't get a reply for the third time, I opened her door and went in.

"Sarah," I called as I stepped my feet into her room. It was unlike her to not be down for breakfast by this time.

She is the one who wakes me up all the time.

I sighed when I removed the duvet and saw that she wasn't the one sleeping but on pillows. I furrowed my brows in confusion as I wondered why she would put pillows under her duvet.

I wasn't hearing the shower run but still, I went to the bathroom to see if she was there and she wasn't. Panicking gripped me when I didn't see her on her balcony or any other place. This was unlike her.

I ran out of the room to go inform my parents.

"Mom, Dad," I called for their attention.

They both tilted their heads to stare at me.

"Yes?" They answered simultaneously with a questioning look on their face.

"What is it?" My mother asked.

"Sarah is not in her room," I informed them.

"What do you mean by she is not in her room?" My father asked.

"Sarah is not in her room. I checked her bathroom and balcony but she isn't in her room," I said.

My mother got up from where she was alongside my father and we all went back to her room to search for her.

We couldn't find her. My mother went around the mansion to check for her but she wasn't there.

"I can't find her, I...I saw her sleeping last night before I went to bed," my mother said frantically.

"She wasn't the one sleeping. She put pillows under her duvet to make it seem like she was the one,"  I told them.

My mother gasped. "Sarah...no... No. It's not possible," my mother shook her head vigorously.

My eyes darted to the pillow and I saw a letter under it. I furrowed my brows before attempting to take the paper.

After taking the paper, I gasped when I saw the heading.

                              Dear Mom, Dad, Sophia,

I am sorry to have left this way without informing any of you. I am sorry, but I can't do it anymore.

I can't get married to Adrian.

He is not a human being.  He is a beast and a heartless person and I can't continue to act like I am alright when I am not.

I can not marry him also because there is another in my heart and I look forward to a happy future with him.

Please do not look for me because I will be alright.

I'm sorry once again and I love you all.

****

Tears streamed down my cheek as I recalled how it all started and why I had to marry Adrian instead of my sister.

My father refused to marry Adrian as he feared I might run away like Sarah if I did, but I was adamant.

Not only was he going to go to jail if he wasn't able to give back the investors their money, but we were also going to be rendered homeless and I couldn't bear that and so I persisted that they let me marry him.

I begged my father for days before he agreed.

From the day I met Adrian till the very moment, all I felt was pain and I understood why my sister had to leave.

I wipe the tears from my eyes quickly when I hear the sound of the door opening.

I raised my head to see that it was Adrian and now he was standing in front of me with a blank expression on his face.

"Are you seriously going to cry all the time? Why are you doing this? Do you think I will pity you if I see you cry?" He asked before squatting down to my height level.

My eyes locked with him and I shuddered a little.

"Do you know the kind of people I hate the most?" He asked rhetorically.

"I hate people who cry the most and people who always want to play the victim and you know why?"

"It's is because those people are very dangerous and you won't even see it coming when they want to stab you because they know how to manipulate others very well," he said, making emphasis on his eyes words while staring deep into my eyes.