Chapter 1: Substitute

Annalise Ysia Villareal’s Point of View

“I apologize for my hectic schedule. You know, I’m currently striving hard on my novel and I feel delighted when I accomplish it. I submitted it to my editor a few days ago, and I was simply waiting for the results—”

“So you’re concerned with your profession and neglecting your partner? Annalise, did you truly love me, or do you merely enjoy the thought of loving me? Because I can’t feel it,” Fitz said. “You always claim you have affection and concern for me, but I fail to sense it. Your behavior seems to indicate otherwise.”

I was simply gazing at him, speaking with those aggravating remarks that I had never imagined I’d received from him. For three years, he’s been a nice, caring, and affectionate partner, but now I can no longer recognize him. Did I neglect him, causing him to be like this?

I hadn’t predicted this since I assumed he’d understood me in attaining my goals, but it turned out that he was left with no option but to acknowledge me. What happened? It pains to witness him say such things, considering it is for the sake of our future. It’s not merely for myself, but for us since we’re partners, and he’s consistently had my back, encouraging me anytime I felt bad.

“I’m exhausted. Let’s put an end to this,” he said, giving me chills in my body. “I am not interested in being your partner anymore since you don’t give a damn about me. Where are you when I need someone to rely on? Where the heck are you while I’m fighting for my existence? You are pursuing your fucking ambitions! And today is the time to pursue your ambitions, knowing that they have always been the most important thing to you, correct? So, what is the purpose of my existence to you? I can’t believe I’ve thrown away three years of my life simply to be with you!”

He turned his back on me and began walking away without glancing behind. My heart shattered, blurring my vision and causing tears to pour down onto my cheeks like a torrential downpour. My lover left me because I pursued what I wanted.

I had no idea for how long I had been shedding tears while staring at the route he had chosen, but I realized I had come back to reality when my phone buzzed, indicating that I had received a text message.

Without wiping away my tears, I grabbed my phone in my jeans pocket and clicked on the message, only to discover that it was from my Editor, who stated “I liked the way you wrote, but it is not appropriate for the reader’s perspective. I asked you to revise this to meet the reader’s preferences. Thank you.”

“Great! My lover left me because I had pursued my ambition, but I got a ridiculous rejection because my novel didn’t meet their preferences,” I murmured, laughing sarcastically.

Instead of being taken over by my mental state, I chose to go for a stroll instead of taking a taxi to clear my mind and alleviate the pain that was bothering me. Why not, right? Walking has several benefits, and I’ve been stuck in my room for approximately a month, striving my hardest to complete the novel, but it was declined. I was confident that it was unique and full of unexpected developments, precisely what they were looking for, yet it was turned down.

While strolling, I noticed a woman at the bridge about to jump into the deep river. I was uncertain what was on my mind, but I put my worries away and grabbed one of her hands, hoping to attract her attention and prevent her from jumping.

“Hey! What are you doing at this moment?” I asked, which prompted her to glance at me with a pleading expression. I also noticed her eyes streaming, which made me pity her, even though I didn’t know why she wanted to jump.

“Let me go! I do not want to live anymore!” she yelled, but I used my strength to drag her.

“If you have an issue, talk to me. You can’t simply end your life,” I murmured, kneeling in front of her. She had attractive features, and I believe she has mixed blood from another ethnicity since her attractiveness is unusual.

I watched how her shoulders moved and how she was trying hard not to whimper, but I knew she had a lot of trouble. “You may tell me about your issues. I won’t judge you if that’s what you’re thinking.”

I waited for many minutes until she calmed down and when she looked at me, “Thank you for saving my life, but I don’t think I can’t live anymore.”

My forehead wrinkled as a reaction to what I learned, and I was fascinated. I wanted to hear what she was dealing with so I could give her some advice, even if I couldn’t give myself any. “Why?”

“My grandfather assigned me to marry his friend’s grandson. I’m not sure why, but it’s unfair to me because how can I live quietly if they have control over my life? So I planned a strategy to violate the contract by taking my life. I can’t marry a cruel man,” she said.

I am devastated after listening to her issues. We are both dealing with the most tough challenge of our lives, one that we do not know how to overcome. I feel very bad for her, but also for myself because my lover left me and my novel was rejected. I’m not sure what to do anymore, but one thing is certain: I was interested in helping this woman.

Arranged marriages are common among wealthy families, for circumstances I don’t understand. Some claim they do it for the sake of their business and money, and I had never seen it in real life until I met this woman, who became engaged to the most cruel man.

What if I substitute her? So I can gain fame and achieve my dreams in just a blink of an eye? It will benefit us, right? She will have the freedom that she’s been dreaming of for a while. I’ll enjoy the fame because I will marry the man that she wanted to escape. There would be an advantage for me if I marry that man, especially if he’s powerful enough to make my name known.

If I’m not mistaken, the items she wears cost hundreds or millions of money, depending on the brand. I’ve been eyeing several prominent brands from across the world because the people in my novels are typically elite, therefore I had to research all of them simply to make my novels convincing.

“I apologize if this is a personal investigation, but are you one of our town’s aristocratic families?” When I questioned her, she nodded and smiled slightly.

“Yes, and perhaps that’s one reason my grandfather agreed to arrange a marriage,” she added quietly.

“Will you agree if I become your substitute? I’ll be the one to marry him so you can enjoy your peaceful life,” I whispered, barely enough for her to understand what I was saying. I’m desperate to fulfill my goal, thereby I’m attempting this. Besides, my lover left me, so what’s the point of pursuing my ambition without him? I can’t even handle things without him. He’s the reason I’m pursuing my ambition for our future, yet he abandons me, forcing me to plummet down the staircase I climbed.

This would be my last opportunity to show him that my ambition isn’t impossible to achieve. I know this isn’t the way I intended it, but there’s nothing wrong with trying it, right?

“Are you sure? He executed people who dared not to follow him. I’m afraid that you can survive if you become his wife.”