The Substitute Bride

Still deeply asleep, Nick savored what he had just achieved in his dream. In all his life, he had never been so proud of himself. The excitement and satisfaction in his heart were too much to contain. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he was eager to share his joy. Right when he was about to dial up Sheryl and Isla, a figure of a woman came into his view.

The sight startled him and he struggled to see her clearly. The woman walked toward him with a gentle smile on her face—the smile was so sweet that it made him too dizzy to even recognize her. For some reason, he felt like he had to turn his eyes away. When he was about to try and shake himself out of her spell, the woman quickly took a step forward to stop him. Standing before him with her hands on her hips, she surprised Nick with the aggressive action.

Dumbfounded by the gesture, Nick stayed frozen where he was, gulping out of nervousness. Slowly, she began to move closer to him again, the charming smile never leaving her face.

Eventually, the two were so close that Nick could clearly observe every little detail of her face. Her light skin radiated beauty, youth, and vigor, so much that her prolonged presence made Nick feel more and more ashamed. Before he could pull his eyes away, the woman's lips met his. Her lips felt so soft and warm as if they would soon melt and flow into his mouth like chocolate. The surreal kiss drove away all his anxieties.

Suddenly, the woman drew her head back and smiled at him. After Nick came back to his senses, he lifted his eyes and met her gaze, finally face to face with the woman who had just claimed his lips.

Their proximity made him turn bashful. Nick could feel his blood rushing up to his head, making him unable to move with his heart going a mile a minute.

"Do you love me?" asked the woman. Her voice was as gentle and velvety as the way she kissed.

Without the sweet smile leaving her face, she retreated a couple of steps. Nick had to pause for a moment after hearing what she said.

"Yes…" he replied, at last. "I love you." His voice seemed rather vague and his cheeks emitted a soft red glow.

"Well, that's good to hear." In an instant, her sweet smile disappeared. In place of gentle eyes was an angry glare as she asked, "But do you deserve me? Do you really think a man like you deserves a woman like me?"

The sudden switch in her aura made Nick uneasy. What he had been anxious about all along finally surfaced in his subconscious, even if he had been trying so hard to avoid it. At the thought, his heart sunk.

Used to being afraid of getting hurt by the one he loved, he had learned to be very careful to not fall in love with another woman. In fact, he had built quite a sturdy barrier for himself to keep a good distance from women. In his dreams, he still had to face it.

At the very least, he was different from whom he used to be. The current Nick was a wealthy, successful businessm

It's not necessary.

Honestly, I don't think the hospital meals are bad at all."

At his pretense, Cassie couldn't help but laugh.

'Who was it that almost vomited as soon as he took his first mouthful of hospital food?'

Cassie's smile made him feel ashamed—he knew she was mocking him.

For some reason, he felt obliged to explain and he raised his eyes to meet hers. Before he got to say anything, though, her sweet smile had him captivated. For a moment, his eyes stayed glued to her face before he lowered his gaze to her whole body—it was like he had forgotten how to speak.

Since Cassie was on leave that day, she wasn't in her nurse's uniform like Nick was used to seeing her in. Instead, she wore a blue skirt that reminded him of water. The shade made her fair skin look even brighter. Her neckline exposed most of the snow-white skin on her torso, putting on display her two sharp and charming collarbones.

In her everyday life, Cassie was often wearing a skirt, but it wasn't until that day when Nick paid any attention. Seeing her in something other than her uniform's skirt, Nick found her very attractive and a part of him felt like he couldn't have enough of her.

Nick's dumbstruck face made Cassie feel a little nervous. To try and snap him out of the little trance, she waved her hand in front of his face.

"Are you feeling okay? Nick? Are you thinking about what to eat? Please tell me."

"Ah…what was that?" Finally, Nick came back to reality, feeling the shame of having his earlier thoughts overcome him. Quickly, he responded, "Anything is good. I'm not picky when it comes to food."

"I know you're not picky about food. It's only the cook you're particular about." In spite of the situation, Cassie couldn't help but grin again, so amused by his reactions. After a moment, she added, "How about this? I'll get you some steamed food with a bowl soup. That should help settle your stomach since it'll be easy to digest."