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Chapter 53
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2023-03-30 22:00:48Related chapters
The Substitute Bride Chapter 54
"Mom I can't breathe." Rella protested under Evie's tight embrace. " I'm so sorry, it's been quite a while since I've been able to that." Her mom apologised pulling back a fraction. " I got carried away." Rella's lips twitched as she struggled to hold back a smile. It felt so good to feel her mother's arms around her after so long. Rella had thought it was pointless to remain angry at her parents, Evie Cortes can be unbearable at times, manipulative even but she's still family and family stick by each other's side no matter what. Things might still be a tad bit awkward between them but she was glad to have taken the first step. "Hi dad." Her father pulled her in a momentary hug, he looked older than the last time she saw him but still handsome nonetheless. "I'm glad you could make it." He said. "Now your mother can stop losing sleep over you." "As if you were any better." Her mom remarked. She turned to Rella then and said, "What about Stef
Last Updated : 2023-04-03The Substitute Bride Chapter 55
The White Rose invitation came a day after her dinner with her mom it was a white card sealed with a delicate white rose. The card even smelled like roses which she Rella thought was another level of sophistication.Dear Mrs. Diamond the honorable committee of the White Rose would like to welcome you to the fold as a honorary member. We look forward to your presence at brunch this Saturday.The invitation was written with gold cursive letters. "Do you want to send a response immediately madam?" The butler who had delivered the invitation asked. Rella sighed. Guess she has no choice. "Sure go ahead, tell them I accept their invitation and that I'll be at the brunch." Even though she had made herself resign to the fact that this was a legacy she couldn't escape, Rella had a feeling she was going to regret this sooner rather than later. He made a small bow and left. The silence that fell on the room was deafening. Ten heads turned towards her direction and about
Last Updated : 2023-04-10The Substitute Bride Chapter 56
"Did I wake you?"Rella smiled at the obvious concern in Stefan's voice. "No. It's perfect timing actually because I was about to give you a call myself." " Good thing I beat you to it then. What kind of a husband would I be if I let my wife do all the heavy lifting." She rolled her eyes. " Nobody's keeping score." " I am." " Jeez you're so full of yourself. How did the meeting go?" " The investors could not resist my charm." Rella made a sound in her throat that made Stefan chuckle. " Anyway, I didn't call you to talk about boring business. I miss you." " You've been gone for barely a day." " Precisely! I can't stand to be away from you for even a second. " " You are such a sappy romantic." " And whose fault is that?" " Touché." Rella said with a chuckle. "How has your day been?" "Not bad. I got an invitation from the the White Rose."Stefan was quiet for some time and his ex
Last Updated : 2023-04-11The Substitute Bride Chapter 57
Ash was a flirt through and through and Van thought that if she ignored him long enough he'd get the hint that she wasn't interested but the guy was persistent. Many people had approached her and even tried to be friends when she arrived in Roseville, small towns were often like that everyone is in everybody's business. The first few weeks she had unwanted visitors who were curious about her after having heard she was from Manhattan they wanted to hear about the big city and were fascinated by it but Van wasn't interested. She was too heartbroken and down spirited to entertain anyone but Ash had remained consistent. Even now he was sitted in one of the tables pretending to be reading a magazine when Van got to him. "What can I get you?" He put the magazine down and stared up at her in surprise. "You're not throwing a fit that I've been here every day for the past seven days?" "You're a paying customer so who am I to stop you from coming in?"He smirked. "Is that all there is to i
Last Updated : 2023-04-13The Substitute Bride Chapter 58
Van shook her head, "Doña Corazon I am not your granddaughter." "You're Perla's daughter, my granddaughter!" Van froze at the mention of her mother's name. How does she know that? "H...how do you know my mother?" The woman's eyes were glassy as she spoke. "Perla was my daughter and I just found out she's dead and has two children. You have a brother Karl is his name right?"Van inched away from the woman like she was some plague about to infect her. This cannot be happening… "This cannot be happening." Van barely uttered the word, her mind was reeling from the revelation that she had grandparents...that her mother’s family are very much alive… She shook her head, even though she knew without a doubt that Doña Corazon didn't have a reason to lie to her, she wanted to believe with all her heart that it was just a mistake, a misunderstanding even that could be sorted out but that cannot be because the woman knew her mother and brother’s names. W
Last Updated : 2023-04-14The Substitute Bride Chapter 59
By the time Van stopped walking and her senses was somewhat coming back, she found herself in the middle of an empty pathway far from her apartment. Frustrated, angry and sad she broke down in a sob. Every emotion assaulting her in waves she could not control. She screamed into the vacuum until she lost her voice. She tried to remember happy times she spent with her mom but came up with nothing. Even her face was starting to blur and fade away. "I'm sorry mom. I didn't know. I had no idea. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." If she had known that her mom did nothing wrong. If she had known her grandparents were responsible for half the things that happened to her family. Now all she has left are what ifs. "So what do we do now?" Karl looked at his sister expectantly where she sat curled up on the bed. "I don't know. Those people are strangers to me...to us and frankly all I feel right now is hatred and anger." She said, her gaze was distant. "I feel the same way. I k
Last Updated : 2023-04-17The Substitute Bride Chapter 60
Van sighed finally then she said, "five minutes." She hasn't opened the café officially she'd simply been doing some cleaning when he came in. She’d needed someone to talk to last night and she'd called her best friend and told her all of her woes. Rella understood her more than anyone else does, more than Jake ever did and she'd lend her strength last night even though they're far apart. And another wave of sobs took over and she cried and cried until her voice was gone. Van flopped down onto one of the empty chairs across from him and levelled him a glared. "I know you have a lot of questions." he started carefully. "I'm sorry I lied and kept you in the dark but I didn't want to get anybody's hopes up until I was certain." Van eyed him coolly,"So you knew who I was all along?" Ash nodded grimly. "Well not at first. When I first saw you I was shocked, you looked so much like aunt Perla, I mean the resemblance is striking grandma thought so too."
Last Updated : 2023-04-18The Substitute Bride Chapter 61
Had it been up to Van she wouldn't be here–the last place she wanted to be–but she was doing it for her grandmother, the old woman was sweet and warm and very attentive to Van, she felt like she needed to make up for all those years she didn't know they existed. There was nothing welcoming about the way her grandfather greeted them the next morning. Karl had wanted nothing to do with their new family so she had to convince him. "Contrary to popular belief," her grandfather said, giving them all pointed looks. "I am not a heartless person, I love my family and I will do anything for them." his eyes rested on Karl "What school did you attend son?" "I'm a bus driver." grandfather gave a sound of disgust. "You have to go back to school, you cannot hope to establish your life without a college degree these days." he turned his sharp gaze towards Van and after a moment's appraisal he said in what could only be a note of finality. "You have grown into a beaut
Last Updated : 2023-04-19
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The Substitute Bride Chapter 105
Walking down the aisle towards the man of her dreams had always been Rella's dream. Yes she was a hopeless romantic and right now her focus was on the man at the altar. There was just him, everyone else seemed to fade away and when he smiled up at her there was no doubt in her heart it was all for her. No more pretense, no more lies, no more deceit, she wasn't walking down the aisle towards someone else's fiancé in someone else's dress no, she was walking down the aisle towards the love of her life who sees the real her in her own gorgeous wedding dress. Stefan was impatient for the ceremony to end not because he wanted to get it over and done with like the last time but because he couldn't wait to have her all to himself. Never in a million years had he ever thought that he might end up madly in love with anyone to the point that he couldn't start a day without her infectious smile and he couldn't end his day without tasting her lucious lips. They exchanged their vo
The Substitute Bride Chapter 104
" I've missed you so much it hurts. " Stefan murmured against her neck. They managed to make it back to the bedroom before he could devour her on the stairs. "I've missed you too." Rella said a moan escaping her lips. She cupped his engorged member and Stefan stiffened and pulled back. "I think we should stop before things get a bit too heated." "Why? In case you haven't noticed I want you too." "I don't want to hurt you. You just came out of the hospital." "I'm not an invalid you know." "I'm just being cautious." " Such a spoil sport."Stefan chuckled. "why don't we get you to bed… " "You're leaving, please stay." Rella protested. "I'm not leaving." Stefan assured her before he climbed in after her and gathered her in his arms. "Try not to wiggle too much." "Like this?" Rella said wiggling her behind against his crotch.Stefan hissed out a curse while she snickered. "Fiend." It
The Substitute Bride Chapter 103
Stefan realised too late that he didn't get flowers, but no matter he was going to get her back first and then he'd give her all the flowers in the world. He punched the doorbell in anticipation, a woman in her late forties almost identical to Evie Cortes stood by the open door and Stefan knew without a doubt that he was at the right address. "May I help you?" "Uh, good evening ma'am my name is Stefan and I have come to see Rella.Marjorie stared at him long and hard then assessed him from top to bottom and her eyes widened for a second before it was gone in a snap. "Rella isn't here." She told him and Stefan's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. " What, but I was told she'd be here? " " You were told wrong. I haven't seen my niece in a while. "She must be lying. Stefan thought. But what reason does she have to lie to him? If Rella wasn't here, if she didn't come here at all then where could she be?This isn't how he envisioned the day would end. No,
The Substitute Bride Chapter 102
Stefan smiled as he took out the gold band with a heart shaped diamond atop it. It couldn't be more perfect conveying all of his feelings at once. She's going to love it he was sure of it. "You've found her." Stefan shut the jewelry box before he turned to find his grandfather leaning on his cane by the bedroom door "The love of your life." Because that's what the ring is meant for, his grandmother's ring given to her by his grandfather before they got married which has been passed down the family for many generations now. "Not yet in a manner of speaking but I will." "When I saw your grandmother for the first time I knew she was the one and I did everything I could to make her realise that I was the one as well." His grandfather explained. " I know we haven't been able to see eye to eye since your parents died and I know that you think me controlling and insufferable but I try my best to raise you well. Everything I've done good or bad were all for you
The Substitute Bride Chapter 101
Stefan made a mad dash home after he was told she discharged herself. He didn't wait to kill the engine before he was flying out of the door and running towards the house like a mad man. "Rella!?"He yelled out her name. "Sir is something wrong?" Henry the butler asked meeting him halfway through the living room. "My wife, is she here?" "Madam hasn't been back since both of you left yesterday." "You're sure?" "Absolutely." Stefan walked past the old Butler and made for the stairs holding on to the possibility that she might've come home without Henry's knowledge.He pushed open their bedroom door calling out her name once more but there was no answer. He threw open the closet to find everything intact; no item was out of place. She'd taken nothing with her. Stefan staggered back, it was all he could do to avoid breaking down completely. He whipped out his cellphone and began making calls. " I'm sorry Stefan I don't know wher
The Substitute Bride Chapter 100
Rella's world had slowed down in that moment when she saw Stefan's horror mirroring her own, when she realised that they were both thinking the same thing. Everything that happened after that was a blur. She heard him yelling to someone to bring the car around and then he was lifting her up. The ride to the hospital took a lifetime. "I'm sorry but your wife's had a miscarriage…"They were too late and now the doctor is saying she's lost her baby. She tuned out the doctor's words after that first damning sentence. Everything was spinning and she couldn't breathe. Rella started sobbing while Stefan turned and left the room–he probably couldn't wait to get away from her. The doctor was still talking to her but Rella had since tuned her out, her voice getting drowned by the silence in her head–normally there'll be a roaring–but there was utter silence that Rella was afraid she wasn't in her skin anymore.Rella was oblivious to when the doctor left the room and Van was there w
The Substitute Bride Chapter 99
It was on a magical evening one month later that her best friend Van and her husband Jake Calloway renewed their vows and it was everything they both could've hoped for. Family and friends who weren't present the first time they said their vows were present today. Van was surrounded by family she thought she never had and right there under the arch in the shape of two swans decorated with daisies, her friend said her vows again. Rella was happy for Van of course, after everything that's happened her best friend deserves to be happy but she was also jealous, she could not help this foul feeling churning in her guts that made her wish she was in Van's place instead surrounded by so much love and not in this sham of a life she was living pretending everything was okay. But this day was Van's happy day and so she smiled throughout the whole ceremony unitl her cheeks ached. Rella glanced sideways at Stefan who was sitting beside her, she knew if he could help it he'd be far from her
The Substitute Bride Chapter 98
Van hated hospitals. Especially when it reminded her of her dad's condition, and how much he suffered before his passing. Hospitals are filled with gloom and despair. People die in hospitals and she couldn't shake up the thought that Jake might die just like her father.No, she had to believe that nothing would happen to Jake, that he wouldn’t share the same fate as her father because she didn't think she had it in her to survive another tragedy. Jake’s friends; Christian, Dave and Max, were all there including Rella her best friend and her husband Stefan Diamond who's also Jake's friend. They'd arrived a few hours ago and were as worried and afraid as she was but they were trying to make her feel better instead. Rella had held her hands through out the waiting period while Jake was being operated on and Van had cried on her shoulders voicing out her fear. Her grandfather had called to hear how Jake was doing after Jake was transferred to the recovery room some time late
The Substitute Bride Chapter 97
Over the next few days it was safe to say that Van's relationship with Jake was getting better. Jake was determined and patient. If there was anything she loved about him it was his resilience and ability to focus and get what he wants. Van also loved his warm smile, his strength and his ability to love no matter what. She felt giddy with his courting, like she had the first time he asked her out. Van pressed the phone against her ear and smiled a good natured smile like she never had in a while. Her heart almost on the verge of exploding with joy and happiness and everything that was good. "Look out the balcony, I have a surprise for you." Jake told her and when Van looked out she saw him standing outside the gate holding out a banner that read: I love you Vanessa Wilkins Montenegro. Van still wasn't used to being referred to as a Montenegro but she was certain she would get used to it pretty soon. After her father’s death Van thought that she and her
