LOGINShare
The unwanted intervention
Last Updated:
2022-02-07 21:52:29By the time it was noon that day, Carol was dead tired and totally swamped with work, so much that she could not even afford to take a lunch break. To worsen situations, the bakery where she worked was unusually busy today, with customers streaming in and out and hardly giving the workers any breathing space. Deciding that she was going to take a break even if it was for five minutes to gobble something down, considering that she had not had anything to eat that morning, she quickly headed out of the restaurant. No sooner had she stepped out of the restaurant than she sighted Victoria, armed with both their parents and heading towards her.
Carol sent a short prayer of thanks upwards that she had decided to step out of the restaurant when she did, otherwise they would have made a scene right in there in front of the customers and everyone else. Her sister was wearing a smug grin while her parents wore the somber and disappointed look that she had come to know so well.āIf youāre here to rant about how I must attend the wedding, you need not bother. Iāll be there.ā Carol said without preamble.āIs that any way to greet your parents? Besides are you not going to welcome us?ā Her mother asked, raising a perfectly arched brow and adopting a superior look. Her father came over to give her a peck on the cheek and then stood aside.āWell, I would if this was my house, but this is my workplace and after your antics got me fired from the last place I worked, you will understand why Iām not rushing to let you in here. I can give you the key if you want to go to my house though.āāYou should mind the way you speak to us. No parent deserves to be spoken to in that tone. Besides, your cubicle wonāt contain us. Weāre lodging in the finest hotel here, courtesy of Victoriaās fiancĆ©e. What a refined gentleman. Now if only you would bring home a gentleman tooā¦ Victoria has done so well for herself.ā Her mother said. As usual, her father stood quietly while he allowed her mother to talk.āMom. Tell her that she has to come with me for my shopping for the wedding. Tell her.āāOh yes. I wonder why that even has to be a problem. Carol, youāre going to go with your sister to shop for things for her wedding. I donāt get what all the song and dance is about.āāWhen do you plan on going for it and what sort of whirlwind romance is this?ā Carol asked, totally fed up with the whole thing.āWell, itās not exactly a whirlwind romance. Two weeks is more than enough time to get to know someone, especially when that person is very rich and handsome. I should know, after all, I married your father after only 10 days of meeting him.āāOh, so youāre truly both in support of the marriage?ā Carol asked, looking from one parent to the other. Her father looked away and fidgeted uneasily, while her mother put on a defensive look. From the look of things, there was something that they were not telling her.āWhat is it? What are you guys hiding?āāHiding? Why on earth would you think that we are hiding anything?ā Her mother retorted, her cheeks turning red as she finally averted her gaze.āOh, my God! Are you pregnant for this man? Is that the reason youāre agreeing to this whirlwind marriage?āāWell, there is that, but there is also the fact that weāre in love too, plus he is also very rich.ā Victoria defended, practically swooning.āWhen do you plan to go shopping?ā Carol asked, glancing at her watch and noting that she had spent far more than the five minutes that she had originally intended to spend, yet she had not even gotten anything to eat.āWell, considering that the wedding is coming up so fast, youāll have to be with her for the rest of the week, preferably from now. So, letās go.ā
Related chapters
The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā Heading home
āIām not going to go anywhere. I have work to do and Iām going to go back in there. Youāre all going to leave now and go back to wherever youāre staying. You canāt just spring something like this on me and expect me to drop everything Iām doing to go shopping with you. Iāll take Friday off so that I can be home for the wedding on Saturday, but as for anything other than that, please count me out.ā Carol said, and walked back into the restaurant, praying inwardly that they would not follow her and leaving them gaping at her in something akin to shock. It wasnāt every day that she was bold enough to stand up to them, but she had to admit that it was extremely satisfying to do so. āYouāre such an ingrate and a terrible sister!ā Belinda shouted after her daughter, before flouncing off in anger, with her other daughter and husband in tow.
Last Updated : 2022-02-08The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā Advising Victoria
āI kid you not.ā She was saying as Carol came into the room. āHeās so generous. I mean, just look at this pendant. He got it for me, he didā¦or rather, his father did. That man is sooooo generous. Supposing I was still single, I wouldnāt have wasted any second getting into his bed.ā She confided in a whisper to her enraptured audience of about seven women, but Carol heard her.āMom!āāOh dear, there you are. Now, do hurry to your sisterās room if you do have any plans of still being her chief bridesmaid. You must be careful though, I must say she is in such a mood and we do not want to upset her further. Wedding jitters, I suppose, although why she should be having wedding jitters or second thoughts when sheās getting to such a fine man as he to be her husband is beyond me.āāUm, mum. Do you even know the name of the man your beloved daughter is getting married to?ā Carol asked in shock and watched as her motherās cheek turned bright pink in embarrassment.āWhat a ridicul
Last Updated : 2022-02-09The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā Victoria's first disappearance
It only felt like minutes later when Carol heard an insistent knock at her door that permeated her sleep. Groaning, she turned, stretched while still laying in her queen sized bed and then sat up and looked around in a disoriented manner. It was dark outside from what she could see, so that meant that she had slept for hours. The knock at the door became more insistent as the seconds rolled by and then she heard her mother yell out her name and rap out a series of further knocks. āIām coming.ā Carol yelled out in reply and hurried to get off the bed and open the door before her mother broke it down with her insistent knocking and the way she was banging on it. āWhat is it mum?ā Carol asked, rubbing at her eyes as she stood there in her pink shorts and white singlet. Her mother gaped at her for a few seconds and then screeched. āWhy are you dressed like that?ā āDressed like what?ā āThe way youāre dressed! The guests are already here and youāre
Last Updated : 2022-02-10The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā Meeting Sebastian
"Um, I'm sorry everyone, but may I have your attention please?" Once everyone was quiet, Belinda continued, hardly able to hide the tremor or uncertainty in her voice. "I'm sorry, but we would have to have dinner without my daughter, Victoria. I'm afraid that she's indisposed at the moment, but is recuperating. She's asleep now and we do not want to wake her up so that she will be well-rested for the wedding tomorrow.""Oh. I'm so sorry to hear that. I wish her a speedy recovery." A middle-aged woman said, placing her hand above her chest dramatically. The other people around the table muttered their condolences and wished Victoria well, asking her to give Victoria their best wishes. Carol noticed one man in particular who looked to be in his sixties and was sitting next to Sebastian who was seated across from her. At Belinda's announcement, the man's eyes narrowed, but he did not say anything. He didn't offer any condolences as the others did, but took up his cutlery and began t
Last Updated : 2022-02-11The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā Victoria disappears again
Victoria tossed her head, not showing any concern that they had apparently heard a good part of what she said. As far as she was concerned, that was their goddamn problem. āVictoria, my dear. You sure have grown into a fine young woman.ā Mr. James said, coming over to give her a hug and peck where she was standing. Victoria received them rigidly, her posture giving off āI donāt know you vibes.ā āNow, I know you may not remember me, but I used to be your fatherās best friend.ā Mr. James continued. āYes, yes. We are best friends, honey.ā Their father put in, a tad too eagerly. Mr. James put up one finger to silence him and he snapped his mouth shut as though someone had used a remote button to control him. Carol watched in surprise, wondering what kind of hold this man had over her family th
Last Updated : 2022-02-12The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā The ugly truth
Even before she got downstairs, Carol could hear the strong voice of Mr. James raised in utter displeasure. She could not hear what her parents were saying, but even without hearing them, she knew that they were trying to pacify him. It seemed they succeeded in doing that because he stopped shouting. Carol hurried toward the study and put her ear to the door, trying to hear what they were saying inside the room.āWe can postpone the wedding though. Weāll find and convince her. Iām sure of it. All this is just cold feet, which is not a surprise considering the circumstances. Once she calms down, sheāll see reason.ā Carol heard her mother say.āI donāt have the time or the patience for that. It was difficult enough convincing Sebastian to agree to this in the first place. Heāll gladly back out of the whole thing if he finds out that his bride has absconded. Are you absolutely sure that your daughter has run away?āāYes. She left a note for us.āāWell, in that case, Iām afraid that there
Last Updated : 2022-02-13The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā Substituting the bride
The drive to the church was a tense one that seemed longer than usual. Carol sat stiffly in the backseat with her mother, while her father sat in the front seat beside their remaining driver. They had had to send the other two drivers away more than four months back. It was now everything made sense to Carol. Her parents were in serious debt. Looking at them, however, especially her mother, one would never guess. She was always clad in the latest, most expensive, and most fashionable clothes there were. It did not bode down well at all with Carol that they had to resort to using her as a sort of payment for their debt, but she could not let those bastards kill her uncle for something that he did not know about. Besides, she had no doubt that they would follow through on their threat to kill off the rest of their family. She only hoped that Mr. James would keep to his word and would help pay off her dadās debt.
Last Updated : 2022-02-16The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā The start of a new life
āYou do have a way with words, donāt you?ā He asked, in what sounded suspiciously like a mocking tone. āIām sorry.ā āYou donāt have to be. My uncle is an asshole, even though I do love him. So why on earth are you married to me instead of your sister?ā āUm, well. Sheā¦she ranā¦ I mean, we canāt find her. We donāt know where she is.ā Carol said, hating herself for the way her voice sounded so high and squeaky and the way she stammered. Sebastian wasnāt even looking at her. Instead, he was busy on his phone as he talked to her. What if he looked at her? She would no doubt curl up into a ball and die. āI canāt say that I blame her. I had the urge to do the same thing too.ā Sebastian said in a sardonic voice. He did not seem to be particularly concerned, pained, or offended. Now that they were alone, a sudden thought that made her suddenly sit up ramrod straight sprung up in Carol's mind. Sex! What about sex? They were married for crying out loud. D
Last Updated : 2022-02-16
Latest chapter
The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā Happily ever after
The sun was shining brightly this morning, and Carol was in lively spirits. It was her vow renewal day. She and Sebastian had opted to just renew their vows, and this time, make them with more meaning. Her joy knew no bounds, and her face radiated with it, as Mrs. James noted with pleasure. āYou look very happy, my dear.ā Mrs. James stated, cradling a three-month-old baby James in her arms, her face taking on the radiant look that many-a-grandmother had when they had the pleasure of holding their grandkids. āI can say the same about you, aunty. Youāre really glowing.ā Carol complimented in turn, taking care not to ruin the work of the lady who was doing her makeup. āI know, right? Baby James here has brought such sparkle into our lives. Iām more than thankful that I live close to you guys. I will be able to see as much of this handsome little face as I want.ā Mrs. James said, looking down at the baby she carried in her arms. He stared back at her and babbled some meaningless baby wo
The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā Booting out the enemy
The weeks after Sebastian came to plead with Carol to come back into his life were the sweetest ones of Carolās life. She had thought that Sebastian was attentive and sweet to her before, but now, she knew that that was an understatement. He treated her like a fragile egg that could break at any time, and Carol was happily soaking up all the attention and affection. She still hadnāt gotten used to the way he just seemed to throw money around, but was more than grateful and touched, when he bought two flashy cars and a huge mansion not too far from them for her father, whom she could tell was very lonely.āI know that youāll love to be close to your grandchild once heās born." Sebastian had said as though it was nothing, waving away Donaldās thanks when the latter had broken down in tears, telling him that he did not deserve it. Now, Carol could easily hang out with her father anytime she wanted, and she was so happy about it.Sebastian didnāt work as hard as he did before any longer,
The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā A happy ending
“Carol.” It was just one word, but that one word was enough to break the stupor she had been in as soon as she saw him.“Sebastian.” She said in turn, standing up to go bring another chair for him to sit down, but in essence, she was trying to buy herself some time to get her breathing under control. He looked so good and smelled so nice that it was all she could do not to throw herself straight into his arms and breathe in his essence as though her very life depended on it. She saw Sebastian’s eyes widen at the small bump under her loose gown, and her hand went to hold it selfconsciously.“It’s growing.” She told him needlessly and then slammed her mouth shut. She sort of felt nervous being in Sebastian’s presence and wished that she had worn a more flattering dress than the one that she had on now, but there was nothing she could do about it now. Sebastian collected the chair from her and brought it over to place it i
The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā Meeting at last
It was a warm, sunny, and bright day, but it was also a slow one. Carol sat in the tiny bookshop in which she had gotten a job the very day she got here, waiting for customers to come in and fighting sleep. She was the only one in the shop, as the owner had dashed off to prepare for her birthday party, leaving Carol all alone in the shop.“Don’t worry. You’ll be able to handle it. Price tags are on every book, so you don’t need to worry about not knowing the prices. If you need anything, my number is pasted on the wall over there, so you can call me. Bye now.” The middle-aged woman had said, sailing out the door before Carol could even say anything else, so here she was, bored beyond measure and counting the seconds as the time ticked slowly by. She had managed to sell two books, but it seemed that the shop did not get any customers, because, for the remainder of the time, she just sat there alone, staring into space … and missing Sebastian,
The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā The search
Sebastian fought the urge to retch as he observed his surroundings and the woman in front of him. If this was where Carol was staying, then he would drag her home with him today, even if he had to drag her kicking and screaming. He would not have her stay with this woman who did not like her and was clearly very irresponsible.“Hello, Belinda. Sorry to disturb you, but we’re looking for Carol. Is she here?” Mrs. James asked.“How the fuck am I supposed to know where she is, huh? Anyway, what is it to you? Is the contract not supposed to be over? Why are you still looking for her?” Belinda asked suspiciously, and he could see that she was also high on drugs.“Well, um, we had a little altercation, and I haven’t seen her since then, so I was wondering if she was here. Do you perchance, have her number? Her dad is also not answering his calls.”“Look, I don’t have any business
The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā Finding Carol
It was raining cats and dogs once again, exactly as it had been raining on that fateful day when Carol had left him till now. Sebastian was sitting in his auntās house, sipping a mug of hot coffee and ignoring everything that she was currently saying. He looked like a shadow of himself, which was not a surprise, considering the fact that most times, all he did was drink and have to deal with a nagging Jessica, who was still in his house, even though he had taken her name off the deed to the house. Because of her, he was hardly ever in his house again, but preferred to stay here at his auntās for a better part of the time he was not working himself to death ā¦ literally. āAre you even listening to anything Iām saying, Sebastian?ā Mrs. James asked, shaking him a little to get his attention.āNo, aunt. I canāt say that I am. Iām sorry, but I think I zoned out a little there. What were you saying?ā He asked finally. Mrs. James shook her head, reminding him of when he was still a recalcitra
The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā The threat
āWhā¦what does he mean by this?ā Donald asked at last, after scanning the text message. āYour guess is as good as mine,ā Carol replied, rubbing at her face, hardly able to believe the level to which Sebastian was willing to stoop to be cruel to her. If he thought that she was going to just lay low, act like a sheep and allow him to ride all over her, then he had another thing coming. She just couldnāt get the image of that text out of her head. Good morning, Donald. How are you doing? So, have you heard from your daughter yet? I just wanted to let you know that sheās with something of mine. Something invaluable. I donāt know if she told you about it or not, but sheās pregnant with my child and according to the contract that she signed, if such a thing were to happen, then Iāll have full custody of the child. Tell her to come out of wherever
The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā Crippling loneliness
“I don’t think that what you are doing makes any sense at all, Carol,” Donald said worriedly, looking at his daughter, who averted her gaze and tried in vain to stop the tears welling up in her expressive blue eyes.“Why do you say that, dad?” Carol asked him, wiping away her tears.“Well, maybe because you’re pregnant and you choose to slave away at doing a regular job instead of taking proper care of yourself.”“A lot of pregnant women work at regular jobs, dad.”“I know that, but not a lot of them have huge lumps of money lying in their bank accounts untouched while they look malnourished. Why are you punishing yourself this way, my dear? I mean, it’s only been one month since you left Sebastian. In that one month, you’ve become almost as thin as that girl Jessica., whom we do not like at all.”At this, Carol burst out laughing despite herself. Her father was acting like a
The Substitute Bride SagaĀ Ā Ā Nowhere to be found
It was with a growing sense of urgency that Sebastian drove away from the hospital, Jessica's insults and curses trailing after him until he could no longer hear them. It was a sad thing indeed that she was now the way she was, but there was nothing that he could do about it. He had offered to help her, but she kept turning down his help at every turn, so there was nothing he could do for her anymore. He could not do the very thing that she wanted, which was to be with her, as he did not love her anymore. He stopped by a flower shop on his way back to the house to get some flowers for Carol, knowing that women loved things like that. Hopefully, she would forgive him, and even if she did not, he would keep trying until she did. He still did not know how she managed to wind up pregnant, if she was taking her pills like she had claimed, but he knew that sometimes, those things were not foolproof, especially if the lady who was taking them fell sick during the period. He remembered that C
