Chapter 1: Substitute Bride

"No, Dad, I'm not going to do it. I’m not going to marry Mira’s fiancé," Amelia yelled angrily, her voice breaking with a mixture of frustration and helplessness.

"Lia, can you for once stop being selfish?" Richard’s voice was cold, indifferent. "You know how much this marriage means to us. Your sister is nowhere to be found, and we can't afford to offend the Williams family. The only solution now is for you to take her place and marry him. Do you want the company to go bankrupt?" His eyes never wavered from his phone, as if he were discussing something trivial.

Amelia’s hands trembled at her sides. "But why me, Dad? Why do I always have to be the one to suffer because of Mira’s mistakes?" Tears blurred her vision as the weight of the situation pressed down on her.

Claudia, her stepmother, crossed her arms, her tone harsh. "Well, that’s because you’re the older sister. Sometimes, you have to cover up for her, and that’s exactly what we need you to do now."

Amelia’s heart hammered in her chest. The words stung more than they should. "Is that really the reason? Or is it because I’m not your daughter? Would you have asked Mira to take my place if I had disappeared on the day before mywedding?" The words spilled out before she could stop them, the anger boiling over.

Claudia scoffed, a dismissive laugh escaping her lips. "Enough, Amelia. Even if you aren’t my biological daughter, I’ve treated you as one. The future of this family and the company depend on this marriage. Do you think I’d ask you if I didn’t have to? If you don’t marry Mr. Edward, everything we’ve worked for will crumble." She glanced at Richard, then back at Amelia with an icy stare. "And you know that."

Amelia swallowed, her voice barely a whisper. "But I don’t love him, Mom. I’m already in love with someone else. You know that."

Richard's eyes narrowed, a mockery evident in his voice. "You mean Andrew?" He let out a short laugh, disbelief in his tone. "You think he really loves you? Let me make this clear, Amelia: he’s with you because of your family’s money, not because of you."

Amelia’s chest tightened. She was about to retort when the sharp sting of her father’s words hit her. *Did he really believe that?*

"That’s not true!" she shouted, her anger a flare that she couldn’t control. "Andrew is with me because he loves me! You’re just saying that to make me marry Mr. Edward."

Richard’s lips twisted into a smile. "Really? Since you’re so sure that Andrew loves you, why don’t we make a bet?" His voice was laced with a cruel edge. "I’ll test him. If he proves he truly loves you, I’ll let you marry him. But if he doesn’t, then you’ll marry Mr. Edward."

Amelia’s heart raced. She nodded quickly, too desperate to think. "I agree."

Richard’s wicked grin deepened. "Perfect, call him. Tell him I want to see him."

Without hesitation, Amelia grabbed her phone. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she dialed Andrew’s number. A moment later, he picked up.

"Hey, babe," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Could you come over? My dad wants to see you."

Andrew’s voice, soft and reassuring, answered through the line. "Of course, I’ll be there in a minute."

When he arrived, the tension in the room thickened. Amelia’s eyes lit up at the sight of him, the warmth of his smile immediately calming her nerves. She knew he would rescue her, that Andrew would never betray her.

"Hi, babe," he greeted, his smile genuine, and for a moment, Amelia thought everything would be okay.

As he walked in, Richard didn’t bother with pleasantries, his eyes sharp. "Andrew," he said, motioning for him to sit beside Amelia. "You’re in love with her, right?"

"Yes, sir," Andrew said, his voice steady as he took Amelia’s hand, squeezing it gently. "I love Amelia with all my heart."

A flutter of hope rose in Amelia’s chest. She believed him. She knew him. 

Richard’s tone shifted, pressing further. "So how much do you love her?"

Andrew’s grip tightened, and his eyes softened as he turned to Amelia. "Mr. Richard, no words can truly express how much I love her. I was planning to ask for her hand in marriage soon. You have my word."

Richard smirked, unfazed. He grabbed a check from the table and scrawled something on it, then slid it toward Andrew, his smile turning sinister.

"You claim to love Amelia," Richard began, his voice chilling, "but we both know it’s not about love. It’s about money, and you know it."

Andrew furrowed his brows in confusion, glancing at Amelia, but Richard continued, his words cutting through the air like a blade. "Here’s ten million dollars. Take it and leave Amelia. It’ll be easier for both of us. You don’t have to waste any more time pretending."

Amelia’s stomach dropped. The blood drained from her face as she stared at Andrew, waiting for him to reject the offer. There was no way he would take the money. No way.

But then—Andrew’s hand, the one she was holding so tightly—slowly pulled away from hers. Her heart skipped a beat. Her breath caught in her throat. 

"I'm sorry, Amelia," Andrew said softly, his voice barely a whisper. "Your father is right. I was only with you because of your family’s wealth. I never really loved you."

Amelia froze, the world around her spinning. *No… no, this isn’t happening.*

"Andrew, please," she pleaded, her voice shaking with disbelief, "this isn’t you. You’re only saying this because of the money."

But Andrew didn’t meet her gaze. He pulled away from her completely, walking toward Richard with a resigned look in his eyes. He took the check from Richard’s outstretched hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Richard. From now on, I’ll stay away from Amelia."

Each word was like a dagger to Amelia’s chest. The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over, but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything more. Andrew didn’t look back.

Richard stood up, his expression smug. "Well, Amelia, a deal is a deal. Get yourself ready and also pack your necessary belongings. Mr. Edward will be here in an hour, he will be taking you to the bureau of civil affairs to finalize the papers for the marriage. You will also be following him back to his mansion after the finalization of the papers.

With that, he turned, motioning for Claudia to follow him. They left the room, leaving Amelia alone—her heart shattered, her future sealed.

To be continued…