Substitute Bride; My Husband's Mistakes

CHAPTER 3

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

“Alright, boss,” came the calm response from the driver. I sat there nervously as Jace and I sat 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. I opened my mouth to speak, thinking of what Clara would have said if she was the one.

I was still overwhelmed, so I told him the truth. “I am just overwhelmed.”

“Why is that? You didn’t believe me when I told you that I will marry you and no one else. I love you, Clara, and I meant every word that 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 modelling career. How about your twin sister? I didn’t see her at the wedding.”

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

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

“Yes. Celine travelled to help me cover for my modelling shoot abroad. You know that I told you that it means so much to me. So she had to travel in my replacement. 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 up for you, but you should have allowed her to attend our wedding at least,” Jace said, drawing closer to me at the rear as he kissed my neck.

I gulped hard and told him, “It doesn’t change anything. So long as I am 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 travelled. You never let me meet your sister, you know,” Jace spoke once more. My jaw dropped as I looked at his handsome face in shock.

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

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

“How about her bakery shop? I haven’t gone there, but you said that she has a shop. Wouldn’t her bakery goods get spoilt or experience momentary losses now that she travelled for your modelling?” Jace looked concerned about me.

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 rejected me from getting married to Martin Enzo, my boyfriend.

“About Celine’s shop. I will be going there for her until she is 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 doesn’t like to cook.

“Alright.” Jace agreed, then said, “We have arrived. Let’s go in.”

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

****

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

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

How does she feel, seeing that I am taking her place as the bride?

It was not like I snatched Jace. Clara was the one who put me into a tight situation to marry her fiancé.

Jace and I were invited on the 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 sister’s wedding.

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

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

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

At a point, it felt like I am the one getting married. But then, I am not the real bride—Clara was.

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

I felt restless, as I hadn’t expected this kind of elaborate wedding.

How can 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 my face once my blue eyes snapped open. I hadn’t expected this ceremony to be this way.

I wasn’t the media type of person. I mostly lay low, and now I was a public figure. The lavish wedding made me sick because I knew it was fake. I felt quite emotional. Jace pulled me into a warm 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 am okay,” I smiled at him sadly, knowing that this was supposed to be him and Clara’s happy day. I tried not to think of what the future holds for us, as I didn’t even know when Clara will 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 am Clara. Besides, the wedding banner was Clara weds Jace—and not Celine weds Jace. But he was so kind that I don’t think my sister deserves him. An honest woman does—not me or her.

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

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

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