THE BILLIONAIRE'S REPLACEMENT BRIDE

SCARLETOn the 5th of July, 2014, Scarlet Lawson died holding white roses.“Where is he?”The priest’s eyes held an impatience that didn’t mirror the calm words that had left him. I turned to the church doors, a part of me hoping he’d miraculously never come through. So that this whole charade would get cancelled and I wouldn’t have to go through with it. Hope was a fickle thing, but was it so bad holding on to it now? “He should be here anytime soon.” My mother had gotten out of her seat at the front row and was now standing a small breath from the alter.I bit my lip when she continued to stare. I knew what that look meant, and it only made the silk lace gown feel heavier.For some reason, my eyes wandered to the placard that stood at the far end of the room. Vivian weds Julian.A cold hand slid over mine as my mom leaned forward, in what looked like affection. I knew it wasn’t. She never really gave a damn if I was alive or not. Not until now.“No mistakes, Vivian.” She sneered

SCARLETI rarely ever had dreams. But that night, I had a very strange one. It was my father. He was fine this time, smiling and even waving at me.When I tried to reach him, I couldn’t move. I cried and tried to call out to him multiple times but he didn’t move.“Please…please don’t leave me.”He smiled again, this time slowly disappearing into the light beside him.“Please!”I woke up with a sharp gasp, something wet hitting my face almost simultaneously. Another gasp left me again, and I tried to wipe some of the water that had gotten into my eyes.Julian’s dark eyes nearly made me jump. When did he get into my room? He tossed the cup that had been in his hand, irritation laced in his eyes.“My mother will be here in a little over an hour. She wants to have breakfast with us. Get your sorry self ready before she gets here.”Without another word, he left the room. His cold words stung, hitting a painful spot I didn’t even know existed in my heart. A small shudder hit my shoulders,

SCARLETI woke up the next morning feeling odd. Not bad or dejected as I had been last night. But odd in a way that I knew things were changing.With a sigh, I got out of the bed and quickly freshened up, getting ready for the day. As soon as I left the room, the first place my eyes wandered to was the master’s bedroom. Julian’s room.I’d known this marriage was a sham along but I didn’t think we’d stay in separate rooms. Of course, this was only expected. Since it was all a ploy.“Maybe I should make breakfast…” I mumbled to myself.It hadn’t been up to two days but this was the best I had ever lived in my life. No shared space with my step-mother and step-sister who never hesitated to make me feel like I was a waste of space.Nothing of that sort. I was left to my own devices here. With a small sigh, I made my way to the kitchen, only to find the maid there already working on breakfast. Her eyes lit up as soon as she saw me.“Good day, my lady.” She bowed a little.I returned the s

SCARLETThe blinding flash lights sliced through the dark night, making my eyes water. The noise outside was completely deafening. It was a chaotic wall of ruthless paparazzi shouting random names with microphones thrust forward like weapons, and the relentless clicking of cameras. I stumbled heavily on the very first step, the towering high heels Chloe had chosen catching precariously on the thick edge of the red carpet. Before I could completely fall, Julian’s hand clamped down on my waist. To the flashing cameras around us, it looked like a breathless, romantic rescue. But his long fingers digging directly into my ribs were bruising, serving as a harsh reminder of the cage I was currently trapped in."Keep moving," he hissed through a perfectly sculpted, frozen smile, his warm breath brushing against my ear. "And stop walking like a newborn calf, Scarlet. You’re supposed to be a heiress, not a pathetic charity case."The sharp sting of his words burned far worse than the blinding

ScarlettMy feet burned inside my heels, but I didn't dare slow down. Julian’s hand was still a suffocating weight on my lower back as he steered me away from the dance floor and straight toward a group of wealthy-looking investors."Smile," Julian murmured, his voice a sharp blade against my ear.My lips stretched into the fake smile again, though my cheeks ached from the effort. My heart was still hammering against my ribs from the dance, a wild, trapped thing. I felt like a lamb being paraded around a room full of wolves, and the biggest wolf of all had his arm wrapped tightly around me."Ah, Julian! A spectacular gala," a heavy-set man with a thick mustache boomed, raising his champagne glass. "And this must be your lovely new bride.""Thank you, Marcus," Julian said. His voice was smooth now, completely different from the icy tone he used when he threatened me. "This is Vivian. She's been the light of my life since we met."I swallowed the lump of disgust in my throat. Light of h