Paper Promise: The Substitute Bride - Chapter 19: Chapter 19
You are reading Paper Promise: The Substitute Bride, Chapter 19: Chapter 19. Read more chapters of Paper Promise: The Substitute Bride.
“My mother knew James’s ex-girlfriend.” The words came out in fragments as I frantically searched my purse for the car keys. The coincidence was far too unsettling to be just chance.
Alice bit her lower lip, her gaze meeting mine.
“I’m just as surprised as you. This changes everything, doesn’t it?”
A shiver ran down my spine and, instinctively, I looked back. Mrs. Magnolia remained motionless by the window, her piercing eyes tracking our every move like a predator watching its prey. There was something unsettling in her gaze, as if she knew exactly what we were discussing.
My phone vibrated in my purse, interrupting my thoughts. When I checked it, my heart skipped a beat. Three missed calls from my mother-in-law and a single message that seemed to jump off the screen: “Come back immediately.”
Panic rose in my throat like bile. My stomach twisted into a painful knot. What could have happened to warrant such urgency? Could it be James...?
“Alice, I...” The words hung in the air as I tried to organize my thoughts amid the sudden wave of anxiety. My hands began to tremble.
Her hug was firm, as if she knew something inside me needed that moment of safety.
“Take care,” I whispered against her shoulder before pulling away.
The phone rang again, pulling me out of the stupor. I answered on the second ring.
“Laura, where are you? We need you here!” My mother-in-law’s voice was sharp, laced with impatience.
My heart raced.
“Catherine, I’m already on my way back!”
I left in a hurry, speeding the car.
I arrived at the mansion running, my heart still racing from the urgency of the call. My mother-in-law was sitting in the living room, but instead of concern, her expression was indifferent.
“I got here as fast as I could, and I think I got a speeding ticket.”
“Oh, it wasn’t anything urgent. I already took care of it.”
I stood still for a moment, trying to process her words. I took a deep breath, swallowed the irritation, and went up to my room. I needed to think about everything Alice and I had just discovered.
When I opened the door, my body tensed. James was there, standing in the middle of the room, holding a box. His blue eyes were an enigma to me.
“What are you doing here?”
I was more surprised than angry; James never came into my room.
“I have something to give you.”
He carefully opened the box, revealing a delicate necklace with a pendant that sparkled under the light.
“This is your wedding gift.” James’s voice was softer than usual, almost vulnerable.
“Gift?”
I looked up to meet his eyes, a mix of confusion and distrust coursing through me. In our contractual arrangement, gifts were not part of the deal. What was the real motive behind this gesture?
“I had it made especially for you.” He continued, an indescribable glint in his blue eyes. “I picked it up this morning.”
My fingers hovered over the necklace, hypnotized by the delicate shine of the pendant. The piece was undeniably beautiful — not flashy, but elegant, as if he had genuinely considered my style, something I never imagined he noticed. A lump formed in my throat, and the words felt distant.
“I can’t accept this.” My voice came out lower than I intended, betraying the internal battle between my distrust and the secret desire to believe in that moment.
James tilted his head slightly, a half-enigmatic smile forming on his lips.
“I can’t give my wife a gift?” The tone was almost challenging, but there was something else there — a real question hidden beneath the surface.
James was unpredictable. At times he was cold as ice, and the next moment, gentle.
Before I could formulate a response, he approached. With precise movements, he placed the necklace around my neck. His fingers brushed lightly against my skin, sending a shiver I tried to hide.
“It suits you.”
James’s voice dropped an octave, becoming almost a whisper. His eyes studied me with an intensity that seemed to pierce through every barrier I had built around myself. I felt exposed, as if he could see every hidden thought in my darkest corners. And, inexplicably, I couldn’t look away.
“This is the first time I’ve ever received…” The words slipped from my lips before I could stop them, revealing a vulnerability I never planned to show him.
“A piece of jewelry?” James asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.
My fingers traced the delicate contour of the necklace, the cold metal against my skin contrasting with the heat rising up my neck. A whirlwind of memories surged through my mind, transporting me to an almost forgotten time. The image of my mother materialized vividly — her perfume and her expectant smile. My sixth birthday. The last celebration before everything fell apart. I was sitting in the kitchen chair, hours passing, waiting for her. Waiting.
“A gift, after I became an adult,” I finally confessed, my voice nearly breaking on the last syllable.
Something shifted in James’s expression. A flicker of... was it compassion? It vanished so quickly that it might have been just my imagination.
“Your boyfriends never gave you gifts?” The question lingered between us, loaded with assumptions.
“I never had a boyfriend.”
Confusion crossed his face like a passing cloud, rearranging his usually controlled features. For a moment, he seemed genuinely puzzled, as if trying to fit this new piece into some mental puzzle.
“Molly dated several men.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement loaded with hidden meanings.
I felt my body stiffen, a familiar wave of resentment rising up my spine. Always the comparison. Always her shadow looming over me.
“I’m not Molly,” I replied, each word precise and defined, my gaze holding his without flinching.
Without waiting for my full reaction, he pulled a credit card from his pocket and placed it firmly in my hand.
“Buy new clothes,” he ordered.
“I don’t need new clothes,” I protested, feeling a stab of indignation.
His eyes met mine, unwavering.
“Buy clothes, or I’ll have my mother do it for you. You’re a Reynolds now. You can’t dress like that.”
I stood still, feeling the warmth of his hand lingering over mine.
“I… I…” I wanted to say something, but all the words dissolved in my thoughts.
“And about the poolside meeting, it’s not a social event. They’re just my sister’s friends. You don’t have to attend if you don’t want to.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and left the room, leaving me alone with the weight of the necklace around my neck and the card in my hand.
Alice bit her lower lip, her gaze meeting mine.
“I’m just as surprised as you. This changes everything, doesn’t it?”
A shiver ran down my spine and, instinctively, I looked back. Mrs. Magnolia remained motionless by the window, her piercing eyes tracking our every move like a predator watching its prey. There was something unsettling in her gaze, as if she knew exactly what we were discussing.
My phone vibrated in my purse, interrupting my thoughts. When I checked it, my heart skipped a beat. Three missed calls from my mother-in-law and a single message that seemed to jump off the screen: “Come back immediately.”
Panic rose in my throat like bile. My stomach twisted into a painful knot. What could have happened to warrant such urgency? Could it be James...?
“Alice, I...” The words hung in the air as I tried to organize my thoughts amid the sudden wave of anxiety. My hands began to tremble.
Her hug was firm, as if she knew something inside me needed that moment of safety.
“Take care,” I whispered against her shoulder before pulling away.
The phone rang again, pulling me out of the stupor. I answered on the second ring.
“Laura, where are you? We need you here!” My mother-in-law’s voice was sharp, laced with impatience.
My heart raced.
“Catherine, I’m already on my way back!”
I left in a hurry, speeding the car.
I arrived at the mansion running, my heart still racing from the urgency of the call. My mother-in-law was sitting in the living room, but instead of concern, her expression was indifferent.
“I got here as fast as I could, and I think I got a speeding ticket.”
“Oh, it wasn’t anything urgent. I already took care of it.”
I stood still for a moment, trying to process her words. I took a deep breath, swallowed the irritation, and went up to my room. I needed to think about everything Alice and I had just discovered.
When I opened the door, my body tensed. James was there, standing in the middle of the room, holding a box. His blue eyes were an enigma to me.
“What are you doing here?”
I was more surprised than angry; James never came into my room.
“I have something to give you.”
He carefully opened the box, revealing a delicate necklace with a pendant that sparkled under the light.
“This is your wedding gift.” James’s voice was softer than usual, almost vulnerable.
“Gift?”
I looked up to meet his eyes, a mix of confusion and distrust coursing through me. In our contractual arrangement, gifts were not part of the deal. What was the real motive behind this gesture?
“I had it made especially for you.” He continued, an indescribable glint in his blue eyes. “I picked it up this morning.”
My fingers hovered over the necklace, hypnotized by the delicate shine of the pendant. The piece was undeniably beautiful — not flashy, but elegant, as if he had genuinely considered my style, something I never imagined he noticed. A lump formed in my throat, and the words felt distant.
“I can’t accept this.” My voice came out lower than I intended, betraying the internal battle between my distrust and the secret desire to believe in that moment.
James tilted his head slightly, a half-enigmatic smile forming on his lips.
“I can’t give my wife a gift?” The tone was almost challenging, but there was something else there — a real question hidden beneath the surface.
James was unpredictable. At times he was cold as ice, and the next moment, gentle.
Before I could formulate a response, he approached. With precise movements, he placed the necklace around my neck. His fingers brushed lightly against my skin, sending a shiver I tried to hide.
“It suits you.”
James’s voice dropped an octave, becoming almost a whisper. His eyes studied me with an intensity that seemed to pierce through every barrier I had built around myself. I felt exposed, as if he could see every hidden thought in my darkest corners. And, inexplicably, I couldn’t look away.
“This is the first time I’ve ever received…” The words slipped from my lips before I could stop them, revealing a vulnerability I never planned to show him.
“A piece of jewelry?” James asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.
My fingers traced the delicate contour of the necklace, the cold metal against my skin contrasting with the heat rising up my neck. A whirlwind of memories surged through my mind, transporting me to an almost forgotten time. The image of my mother materialized vividly — her perfume and her expectant smile. My sixth birthday. The last celebration before everything fell apart. I was sitting in the kitchen chair, hours passing, waiting for her. Waiting.
“A gift, after I became an adult,” I finally confessed, my voice nearly breaking on the last syllable.
Something shifted in James’s expression. A flicker of... was it compassion? It vanished so quickly that it might have been just my imagination.
“Your boyfriends never gave you gifts?” The question lingered between us, loaded with assumptions.
“I never had a boyfriend.”
Confusion crossed his face like a passing cloud, rearranging his usually controlled features. For a moment, he seemed genuinely puzzled, as if trying to fit this new piece into some mental puzzle.
“Molly dated several men.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement loaded with hidden meanings.
I felt my body stiffen, a familiar wave of resentment rising up my spine. Always the comparison. Always her shadow looming over me.
“I’m not Molly,” I replied, each word precise and defined, my gaze holding his without flinching.
Without waiting for my full reaction, he pulled a credit card from his pocket and placed it firmly in my hand.
“Buy new clothes,” he ordered.
“I don’t need new clothes,” I protested, feeling a stab of indignation.
His eyes met mine, unwavering.
“Buy clothes, or I’ll have my mother do it for you. You’re a Reynolds now. You can’t dress like that.”
I stood still, feeling the warmth of his hand lingering over mine.
“I… I…” I wanted to say something, but all the words dissolved in my thoughts.
“And about the poolside meeting, it’s not a social event. They’re just my sister’s friends. You don’t have to attend if you don’t want to.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and left the room, leaving me alone with the weight of the necklace around my neck and the card in my hand.
End of Paper Promise: The Substitute Bride Chapter 19. Continue reading Chapter 20 or return to Paper Promise: The Substitute Bride book page.