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CHAPTER 5: THE SUBSTITUTE BRIDE

Author: Lizzie❤️
last update publish date: 2026-07-05 16:09:35

“I would rather die than marry Damien Blackwood!”

Sophia’s scream echoed through the Hayes mansion.

The bridal magazine slipped from Vivian’s hands and landed on the marble floor.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Vivian demanded, staring at her daughter in disbelief.

Sophia paced the living room, her face pale with panic.

“I’m not marrying him!”

Vivian’s expression darkened.

“You’ve lost your mind.”

“No, Mom. I finally came to my senses.”

She stopped pacing and looked at her mother with fearful eyes.

“Everyone is talking about Damien Blackwood.”

“They call him the Devil Billionaire.”

“They say he has no emotions.”

“They say no one dares to look him in the eye.”

“They say he’s cold, cruel, and impossible to please.”

Sophia’s voice trembled.

“What if all those rumors are true?”

Vivian remained silent.

For the first time, uncertainty flickered across her face.

She had ignored the gossip because all she could see was the Blackwood fortune.

But now…

She couldn’t ignore the fear in her daughter’s eyes.

“I don’t care how rich he is,” Sophia continued. “I’m not going to spend the rest of my life with a man everyone is afraid of.”

Vivian rubbed her temples.

“The Blackwoods are expecting an answer.”

“Then tell them no.”

Vivian looked at her sharply.

“You think it’s that simple?”

“If we reject them outright, we’ll offend one of the most powerful families in the country.”

“They could destroy us.”

Sophia’s breathing became uneven.

“Then what do we do?”

The room fell silent.

Vivian stared blankly at the family portrait hanging above the fireplace.

Then…

Her eyes slowly shifted toward the kitchen.

Toward Emma.

A slow smile spread across her lips.

“I have an idea.”

⸻

Emma was washing dishes when Vivian called her.

“Emma.”

She dried her hands on her apron and hurried into the living room.

“Yes, ma’am?”

Vivian studied her quietly.

Emma stood with her head lowered, wearing the same faded dress she had owned for years.

Plain.

Quiet.

Obedient.

Perfect.

Vivian smiled—a smile that sent a chill down Emma’s spine.

“I have something important to discuss with you.”

Emma frowned slightly.

“What is it?”

Vivian exchanged a glance with Sophia before speaking.

“You know about the Blackwood family’s marriage proposal.”

Emma nodded.

“Yes.”

Vivian walked closer.

“The proposal cannot be rejected.”

Emma didn’t understand why Vivian was telling her this.

“I see.”

“But…”

Vivian paused deliberately.

“…Sophia has decided she won’t marry Damien.”

Emma blinked in surprise.

“Oh…”

Sophia folded her arms.

“I’m not marrying a monster.”

Emma remained silent.

It wasn’t her place to comment.

Vivian took another step forward.

“So…”

“…you’ll marry him instead.”

Emma’s eyes widened.

For a moment, she thought she had misheard.

“I… what?”

“You heard me.”

“You’ll take Sophia’s place.”

The words struck Emma like a bolt of lightning.

Her heart pounded violently.

“Ma’am… I can’t.”

Vivian’s expression hardened instantly.

“You don’t have a choice.”

Emma shook her head.

“This marriage proposal wasn’t made to me.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“The Blackwoods only asked for a daughter of the Hayes family.”

Vivian’s voice turned cold.

“Your father gave you our family name.”

“That’s enough.”

Emma took an unconscious step backward.

“I don’t even know Mr. Blackwood.”

“You don’t need to.”

Sophia rolled her eyes impatiently.

“Honestly, Emma, you should be thanking us.”

“Without this marriage, you’ll remain a penniless servant forever.”

Emma’s throat tightened.

“I don’t want to marry a stranger.”

Vivian’s eyes flashed with anger.

“You don’t get to decide what you want!”

Her voice thundered through the mansion.

“I fed you.”

“I gave you a roof over your head.”

“Now it’s time for you to repay this family.”

Emma’s eyes filled with tears.

Repay them?

She had spent three years cooking, cleaning, washing, and sacrificing everything just to survive.

What more did they want from her?

Vivian leaned in close.

“If you refuse…………

Emma’s breath caught.

The room fell deathly silent.

Emma looked from Vivian to Sophia.

Neither woman showed even a trace of sympathy.

To them…

She wasn’t family.

She was simply a sacrifice.

A substitute.

Someone whose life could be traded for their own comfort.

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