Bride Substitute for the Fake Heiress

Three years after I ran away from home, my parents finally remembered me.

The fake heiress, Kelly Horner, was not satisfied with her groom, so they came up with the idea of having me marry him in her place.

When Mom saw the man who had eloped with me sitting in a wheelchair and picking up garbage, she felt extremely pleased. "She gave up being a wealthy heiress and even pushed Kelly off a building to run away. She must be regretting it now."

Alex Cameron appeared absent-minded as he muttered, "She does regret it. She regrets ever going back to that home with you guys."

Dad scoffed. "Enough with the fuss! Tell her to come back immediately for the wedding and we'll call it even!"

Seeing Alex remain silent, Dad kicked over his wheelchair. "You cripple, where have you hidden my daughter?"

I floated in the air, watching Alex writhe on the ground. My soul felt like it was being ripped apart. "Dad, Mom, I've been dead for three years. How can I marry in Kelly's place?"

Three years after my death, my soul was still trapped beside Alex Cameron. I witnessed how the once energetic young man turned into a cripple.

At this moment, Alex was hunched over, rummaging through smelly trash cans. I floated above him. Looking at his messy, hay-like hair, I felt so heartbroken that I wanted to cry, but I could not shed a single tear.

"Alex, stop it. Your hands are wounded..." My ghostly fingers passed through his dirty cheeks. He could not hear me. He just numbly turned the wheelchair and prepared to go to the next trash can.

Just then, a black car blocked his way. The car window slowly lowered, revealing the familiar faces of my parents, whom I had not seen in three years. At that moment, my spirit body involuntarily trembled.

"Hey, isn't that the tough peasant boy from back then?" Mom took off her sunglasses and took out a handkerchief from her bag, tightly covering her nose. "How did you end up like this? Weren't you tough when you took Naomi Horner away?"

She contemptuously glanced at Alex, her tone filled with a sense of superiority.

Dad, sitting in the driver's seat, did not even bother getting out of the car. He only snorted coldly. "I told you, some people just can't be helped. That unfilial daughter was blind to give up her comfortable life as a wealthy heiress to suffer with someone like you."

I floated in mid-air, looking at their condescending attitude, and felt a chill run through me. They thought I was hiding out of shame, but they had no idea that I was already dead. I died on the day they thought I eloped.

Three years ago, Alex's seriously ill mother wanted to see me one last time. Alex's mother was also my adoptive mother. She cared for me for over 20 years before the Horner family found me.

I anxiously rushed to the hospital with Alex, only to be stopped by the fake heiress, Kelly Horner.

In a moment of panic, I yelled at her, and she tumbled down the stairs. My parents happened to witness this upon returning home. Unable to explain myself and only wanting to see my adoptive mother, I left home without explaining.

Later, Kelly distorted the truth in front of my parents, saying that I cruelly pushed her off the building so I could elope with Alex. My parents believed her. To this day, they still believed I had eloped with Alex.

Mom urged impatiently, "Where is she? Tell her to stop hiding and get out here right now. We've arranged a marriage for her. The man is a bit older, but he doesn't mind her past. Once she marries him, she won't have to suffer with you anymore."

Dad chimed in, his tone condescending, "Yes, we're just soft-hearted. Look at Kelly. She's been so sensible these past few years, often persuading us to forgive Naomi. If it were anyone else, they would have disowned this daughter long ago."

My soul trembled violently at the mention of Kelly's name.

Ever since the day I was found and brought home, Kelly had seen me as a thorn in her side and made me disliked by my own parents.

I waved angrily in the air, but no one could see me.

Alex slowly looked up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the two people in the car. "You... will never see her again."