The Substitute Bride

Rachel frowned as she wondered why Edward was thinking about another woman while she was in his arms dressed in a sexy nightgown.

"I am fine, " Edward answered. Evidently Edward simply didn't know how to explain the situation to Rachel, so in an attempt to change the topic, he said, "I am going for a shower."

"Wait a moment and please hear me out!" Rachel pulled him back as she held his arm and said, "I don't know what has happened to you but I am your girlfriend now and we are getting married next month, so I can only hope that you trust me. The foundation of any relationship is trust, so no matter what it is that happened and is troubling you, let's face it together. You are not alone in this. Please open your heart to me without having second thoughts. Moreover, please don't leave me alone, with me guessing what you're thinking, like an idiot."

"Rachel, it's rather complicated to explain everything now. Please give me some time to think it over..." Edward looked at Rachel with embarrassment.

"Is this about the girl in the photo you are holding? Who is she? Is she your ex-girlfriend? Or your ex-wife?" Rachel asked Edward while pointing at the photo.

"I..." Somehow in that moment Edward felt sorry for Rachel. She stood up immediately and said, "It is okay for a man of your age to have been with several unforgettable women in your life. I just want to know what happened with you because I hate to be kept in the dark. I hope you can understand that."

"Rachel please don't dwell much on this." Edward sighed as he sat beside Rachel and said, "Fine, I'll tell you everything since you want to know the truth."

Edward showed Rachel the photo and started narrating, "The girl in the photo is Maggie. She is my ex-girlfriend."

"She is beautiful." Rachel sincerely praised the girl's features. Maggie looked even more graceful than Rachel.

"Yes, she is quite a woman." Edward said with a smile. He then touched the photo carefully and looked at it with deep affection. His eyes shimmered with tenderness. Rachel looked at him and

Edward grabbed her hand tightly and explained, "I'm just worried that the things in the past will come to trouble you in our present. I was a single man without children when I promised to marry you but now... I have learned that I have a daughter who is almost the same age as you, so I'm afraid..."

"Please don't be afraid." Rachel held his hand and said gently, "Edward, when I say I don't care about your past I mean every bit of it. I just want to be with you for the rest of our life."

"But..." Edward frowned. Chris didn't like Rachel so she couldn't get along well with Rachel if he married Rachel. He felt regret for Maggie and Chris. Now all he could think was to reunite with his daughter and to try his best to compensate her for all the years she spent without her parents.

"Rachel, Chris is my daughter with Maggie. I just found out about this today. I think you can tell that Chris doesn't like you, so I..." Edward was in a dilemma. He didn't know what he should do now.

"How could it be possible?" Rachel was shocked beyond belief. She considered for a moment and realized that Chris really resembled the girl in the photo. She clenched her teeth out of resentment for Chris.

She would get married to Edward soon and get the chance to approach Charles. Even though she couldn't be with Charles now, at least she was connected with Charles closely.