Substitute Bride; My Husband's Mistakes

Chapter 3

(Celine's POV)

Once we got to the waiting black car, Jace carefully put me in the back seat, and I didn’t even have time to see what brand it was. But it was a beautiful luxury car, and he told the driver, “Roy, take us to the reception venue.”

“Alright, boss,” came the calm response from the driver. But I sat there nervously as Jace and I settled in the rear.

I shifted away from him, but I remembered that I had to pretend I was my sister.

Jace didn’t say anything as he looked at my face and held my hand in his.

“How do you feel about this day, my love?” he asked me, and I opened my mouth to speak, thinking of what Clara would have said if she were the one.

I was still overwhelmed, so I told him the truth: “I’m just overwhelmed.”

“Why is that? You didn’t believe me when I told you that I would marry you and no one else. I love you, Clara, and I meant every word I used to confess my feelings to you. So you don’t have to be afraid, thinking that this marriage is a trap. And I will always support your modeling career. How about your twin sister? I didn’t see her at the wedding.”

Jace looked at my face lovingly, and I knew that this was the right time for me to tell him I wasn’t Clara, his woman. But I recalled my father’s warning that Jace would deal with all of us if he found out that Clara had fled before her wedding day with him.

“Clara,” he called my sister’s name, and I snapped out of it, reminding myself that my new name was Clara.

“Yes. Celine traveled to help me cover for my modeling shoot abroad. You know that I told you it means so much to me. So she had to travel in my place. And that’s why she couldn’t attend our wedding.” I faked a smile and met Jace’s gaze. His black, curious eyes held my blue ones, and he smiled.

“Alright. I know that you said your sister normally covers for you, but you should have allowed her to attend our wedding at least.” Jace said, drawing closer to me in the rear as he kissed my neck.

I gulped hard and told him, “It doesn’t change anything. So long as I’m here with you.”

“I know, but a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime day. You shouldn’t have sent Celine away. Maybe after our wedding she could have traveled. You never let me meet your sister, you know.” Jace spoke to me once more, and my jaw dropped as I looked at his handsome face in shock.

I recalled that each time Clara had asked me to accompany her to see her boyfriend at his house, I had normally refused.

“Yes. You don’t have to worry about Celine. She’ll get to meet you once she’s back,” I lied.

“How about her bakery shop? I haven’t gone there, but you said she has a shop. Wouldn’t her bakery goods spoil or her business experience momentary losses now that she’s traveled for your modeling?” Jace looked concerned about me, and I felt bad that I had spoken so badly about him before, when he was a gentleman despite his wealth. I had thought of him as an arrogant billionaire, and I was similarly angry because my parents had rejected my marriage to Martin Enzo, my boyfriend.

“About Celine’s shop—I’ll be going there for her until she’s back to take over her business,” I told Jace as the car pulled to a stop at the reception venue: a mighty white hotel in the city.

“Can you cook?” Jace asked me in shock, and I smiled.

“I can try,” I lied, knowing that Clara hated the kitchen and didn’t like to cook.

“Alright.” Jace agreed while he said, “We’ve arrived. Let’s go in.”

I sighed and got out of the car with him as we went into the hotel for the wedding reception.

****

The wedding reception ceremony was lively and more crowded than I had expected. Media crews were recording, and many top celebrities attended the wedding, congratulating Jace and me.

They obviously thought I was my famous sister, and I had to pretend that I was her, wondering how Clara was faring abroad.

How did Clara feel, seeing that I was taking her place as the bride?

It wasn’t like I had snatched Jace; Clara was the one who had put me into this tight situation, forcing me to marry her fiancé.

Jace and I were invited on stage by the MC to cut the huge white cake that had almost eight layers. I smiled, knowing that I was the one who had baked this lovely white cake for my twin sister’s wedding.

My best friend, Ava Kingsley, was present as my assistant to help me present the cake and make it ready for the wedding reception.

“Three, two, one, go!” The MC squealed, and Jace held my right hand gently as he sliced the cake in two.

Once we cut the cake, the audience erupted in a round of applause for us, and I wanted to step away from Jace—I was still overwhelmed.

At one point, it felt like I was the one getting married. But then, I wasn’t the real bride; Clara was.

Jace wrapped his arms around my waist as the DJ changed the music to a love song for us, and the MC invited Jace and me on stage once more to dance while the guests cheered us on and brought numerous gifts and checks for us.

I was so nervous; I hadn’t expected this kind of elaborate wedding.

How could Clara give up her wedding day for work? I shut my eyes, but I felt Jace bring his face closer to mine and whisper in my left ear.

“Open your eyes, Clara.” He looked at me once my eyes snapped open, and I hadn’t expected the ceremony to be this way.

I wasn’t the media type of person. I mostly lay low, not as a public figure. The lavish wedding made me sick because I knew it was fake. I felt quite emotional, and Jace pulled me into a hug and kissed my forehead tenderly.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and Jace whispered in my ear once more, “What’s wrong, babe? Should we go home? If you’re tired of the wedding reception, you should let me know.”

“No, I’m okay,” I said, smiling at him sadly, knowing that this was supposed to be his and Clara’s happy day. I tried not to think of what the future held for us, as I didn’t even know when Clara would be back.

I promised myself not to fall in love with my sister’s fiancé. He was her husband now, so I tried to dance and act like I was Clara. Besides, the wedding was Clara weds Jace—and now Celine weds Jace. But he was so kind that I didn’t think my sister deserved him.

An honest woman does—not me or her.

The wedding ceremony came to an end, and Jace took me back to the black car and said, “We’re going on our honeymoon, babe. Happy marriage to us!”

Jace brought out a champagne bottle drink from the car’s fridge and popped it open.

*Oh no! I don’t drink champagne,* I thought. Well, for my sister’s sake, I had to sacrifice and do what her husband wanted.