THE BILLIONAIRE SUBSTITUTE BRIDE

"What do you think?" Kathrine asked, strutting out of the dressing room in what was probably my sister's fifteenth gown of the evening. My mother looks up from her phone, her face morphing into a grin as she takes in the image of my sister.

"This is the one," she beams as she gets up from her chair and walks up to my sister, who still looks fidgety in her dress. "Absolutely marvelous; I just know Xavier won't be able to keep his eyes off you during the wedding," my mother continues to gush. The long, flowing, ivory strapless gown was embellished with little decorations along the bodice and waistline. My sister's blonde hair fell down her shoulders in soft waves that framed her delicate features.

Kathrine looked unsure, her voice filled with skepticism as she asked, "Are you sure?"

"Trust me, sweetie, you look absolutely breathtaking." Mother assures her.

She tilts her head slightly at her reflection in the mirror, examining how the fabric clings to her skin. "I think the bodice is a bit too tight."

"Nonsense, it looks marvelous; Olivia, tell your sister she looks beautiful." Mother said, turning her attention to me. I shuffle uncomfortably in my seat under her intense gaze.

"I think you look great," I tell her. My mother's expression reverts to her earlier grin as she continues telling my sister how beautiful she looks. I tune out the rest of their conversation, not wanting to put myself through the torture. My sister's phone rings, and my heart drops when I see her face break into a smile. A smile I recognized because she only had it around him. Kathrine excuses herself as she answers the call and presses the phone to her ear.

"Who would've thought that Xavier and your sister would've found love in the midst of all this." my mother muses as she watches my sister happily babbling away to her fiancé in the corner.

"And to think your father thought he had feelings for you," my heartaches at her words. If things hadn't happened the way they did, I would've been the one in that dress. It would've been me answering Xavier's call with that stupid grin. If I had just been braver about my feelings, maybe I wouldn't be a spectator to my sister's happiness; instead, she'd be a spectator to mine.

My sister returns just as my mother is rambling on about how lucky my sister was.

"Xavier is sending over a car," she announces. My mother's face lights up, and she claps her hands delightedly.

"Oh, how thoughtful of him," she chimes, telling my sister how lucky she was that Xavier chose her to unite our families. Their relationship started as an arrangement between my family and the Sinclair's. I still remember the day my father announced that Eldora fashion company was merging with Sinclair Enterprises, and for it to be a sealed deal, Xavier's grandfather insisted that one of us marry Xavier. I still remember how my heart soared at the possibility of me being chosen, only to get my heart broken later that evening when Xavier proposed to my sister during the party at their place. Apparently, Xavier and Kathrin had been secretly dating each other a month before the agreement was made between our families. I remember crying my eyes out while my best friend and Xavier's sister comforted me.

"if he can't see how great a person you are, then it's his loss." We spent the night eating ice cream in her room and watching reruns of Pride and Prejudice. When I returned home the next day, I found Kathrine and my mother on the sofa, already planning the wedding.

Of course, during the wedding process, I found ways to distract myself with work and drawing. I barely came around to the house anymore unless it was completely necessary, and all my efforts to avoid my sister worked except today when Kathrin insisted I follow her and my mother dress shopping.

My mother waves over a staff of the boutique. "We'll take the dress." She tells her. The staff nods, offering my mother a well-rehearsed smile as she escorts my sister back to the dressing room to help her take off her dress.

When we exited the boutique, the car Xavier sent was already parked outside, waiting for us. My sister and mother enter the backseat of the car, and I take the passenger seat.

The driver drops me off at my penthouse, and I thank the driver for the ride while I say goodbye to my mother and sister.

The penthouse I lived in was my personal haven, away from all my problems and wedding preparations. I kick off my shoes at the entrance and make my way to the bar, where I pour myself a glass of wine. As I am about to take a sip from the glass, my phone lights up, and my best friend's name flashes across the screen. I pursed my lips as I picked up the call and placed the phone to my ear.

"What's up?" I say, keeping my voice light and sweet.

"My brother is an idiot. That's what's up," she groans into the phone. I take a sip from my glass as she continues.

"Can you believe he put me, Adrian, and I on the fantasy land project?" I fake a gasp

"No way." It wasn't unusual for Xavier to do something that would tick Mia off occasionally.

"I know, right?" She lets out a shaky breath, and I imagine her eyebrows thin the way they do when she's pissed off. For as long as I've known Mia, she never let anyone get to her except one person, and that was Adrian Rodriguez. They had always been at each other's throats, pulling crazy stunts in order to sabotage one another. Just last week, Mia had punctured his tires, making him late for an important meeting, and Adrian had retaliated by spilling coffee all over her presentation.

"I swear it's like he enjoys seeing me suffer live." She huffs.

"I highly doubt that's the case," I said. I could practically feel her rolling her eyes at me.

"Then explain to me why he would do this to me. he knows how much I despise Adrian and how much I wanted to work on this project." She groans, and I shrug.

"Who knows why your brother acts the way he does." To say Xavier Sinclair was a complicated man would be an understatement. He barely gave any explanation for his actions and loved to put his sister in a tough spot.

"I know what will take your mind off of things," I say, dropping my glass on the coffee table and sitting on the sofa.

"What?" she asks, voice laced with suspicion.

"Let's go out, just the two of us; God knows we could both use the distraction." she considers my offer momentarily.

"Alright, let's do it." She agrees. We plan to meet in an hour, and I end the call. A night out was just the distraction I needed away from the what-ifs and thoughts of my sister and Xavier. I drink the rest of my wine and make my way to the shower. Tonight was going to be fun.