The Substitute Bride

A little too smoothly than usual, Black entered Holley's office. As soon as he stepped inside, she raised her head and smiled warmly at the man. Even though he was in anger, the sight of her smile had him almost palpitate in amazement.

Determined to demand an explanation, he calmed himself down. Instead of dragging things on like this for too long, he wanted to clear things up himself and put an end to it.

Holley, however, had no idea what was to come as she stood up and came over to give Black a warm hug.

"Darling, I missed you so much!" Her affection seemed endless.

That, at least, made Black sneer. Slowly but decisively, Black shrugged off her hands and gently pushed her away from him.

"What's wrong, Black?" The longer she looked at him, the worse feeling in her gut grew.

Because he was against the light, his expression wasn't too clear. Still, she could feel a cold air radiating from him.

"I think you can tell me that. I've seen how intimate you are with Charles. You were with him in the hospital, taking care of him, weren't you? That was the important meeting you were in when you rejected my call. And now you have the nerve to ask me what's wrong? Holley, what am I to you, huh? Tell me." Unable to restrain his anger any longer, he howled at Holley with red fury in his eyes.

The accusation made Holley turn ghastly pale, her eyes full of panic.

Internally, Holley cursed the world. How could Black have known? What should she do, then? Thinking that the stocks were still in his hands, she decided that she had to do all she could to put him at ease. With her goals so nearly achieved, she couldn't give up because of a blip like that.

As the gears in her head turned and worked faster than ever, she tried stringing together words that would make him cooperate with her.

With her hands clenched into fists, and her eyes unsteady, panic and fear surged through her like crashing waves.

"That's not true, Black. Let me explain.

Things aren't as they seem."

As she anxiously explained, drops of sweat started rolling down her temples.

In spite of his little outburst, Black's desperate eyes seemed to find a bit of light. Because he loved her so deeply, he had hoped that all he had seen was merely a huge misunderstanding. Even as

ally, he hugged her back, and Holley could release the breath she was holding. Wanting to believe her once again, he hoped with all his heart that she wouldn't let him down.

After heading back home, Holley racked her brain for ways to avoid meeting Black's parents. After all, agreeing with him on the spot was her only option.

Suddenly, an idea clicked, like a bulb that switched on. Of course, she would need to injure herself to win his trust.

If she was severely ill, enough that he would believe she couldn't walk, perhaps, Black wouldn't force her to meet his family so soon.

When she stepped into the bathroom, she used the cold water, soaking even her head to stimulate her nerves.

As time went by, she could feel her body stiffening in the cold. At one point, she couldn't feel a thing. When she walked out of the room, she made sure not to dry off properly and simply waited until the evaporation took any kind of warmth away. Eventually, she trembled terribly, numb all over her body.

Determined to get sick, Holley threw herself on the bed and fell asleep, regardless that she was soaking wet.

Unable to fall asleep well, she only grew dizzy and powerless. When midnight came, she lay awake in her bed, still feeling utterly cold.

As she waited for dawn, she kept her eyes open wide. The view from her window was of a dark night, a void full of mist. After a long while, the sun gradually rose, scattering the mist, shining light onto the world. From where she lay, Holley could feel its warmth.