All Chapters of The Replacement Bride : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Hilary Windsor After I left Bennett, on getting to my room, I closed my door behind me, I wasn’t even sure what I was feeling anymore. My legs felt weak, my heart was still pounding from that phone call with Vivian. How in the world had I managed to speak to her like that? It felt like someone else had taken over my body.I sat on the edge of my bed, my hands were still trembling slightly. In between all this, for some reasons I felt so satisfied. Just then my stomach gave a loud growl, interrupting my thoughts. I pressed a hand over it and frowned. I hadn’t eaten properly all day, and the truth was, I was starving. But I didn’t want to admit it. Not after walking away from the food Bennett had cooked earlier. I had wanted to just take a breath and calm down in my room and now I was curled up in my room, sulking and hungry.Fine. If I wasn’t going to eat, then I needed a distraction. I turned on the sewing machine, letting myself get busy. Work was my only escape. Out of nowhere th

Hilary Windsor Bennett actually brought his fiancee to the house; he didn't even make mention of it to me at all. I pressed my forehead against the cool wall of my room, my hands were shaking as if they couldn’t decide whether to clench into fists or just hang uselessly by my side. My heart wouldn’t stop beating hard, like what I feared the most had finally catched up with me. Somehow I could still smell the faint traces of food drifting from the kitchen earlier.I couldn’t stand it. Every time my mind replayed the image of her in that kitchen, working like she’d lived here for years, my chest tightened. What was I supposed to do in this house now? Pretend I didn’t exist? Watch Bennett and his lover do their things, while I stay here as a third wheel?I gripped my head, pacing back and forth in the room. Why would he bring her here? after signing a contract with me and making it clear that no romance was allowed, then he brings his fiancée into the house like I was invisible?Do th

Hilary Windsor I felt ashamed of myself. So, so ashamed. What the hell had I been thinking?Starving myself all day, hiding away like some coward, working myself into a frenzy only to find out she wasn’t Bennett’s fiancee at all, she was just a chef. A chef.I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. Why did it sting so badly in the first place? Why did my chest feel like it had cracked open when I thought she was his woman? Why was I so pained when Bennett never once promised me his love, never gave me reason to believe this marriage was anything but what it was a contract?I pressed my palms into my face, trying to hide from myself. I didn’t even recognize that person I had been just a few hours ago.I had never imagined I could be an overthinker, overthinking every little thing and imagining crazy scenarios like some jealous lover. Me, Hilary?. I guess I just surprised myself.The shame sat heavy in my chest. And yet, I couldn’t ignore the relief that spread through me when Bennett

Hilary Windsor I honestly didn’t know what to expect when we stepped into the Landon mansion. My heart was still racing from the reporters outside, but when my eyes landed on the dining table, I froze.Vivian. Emily.They were already there.Relief washed over me. I had half-expected them to arrive late, maybe sweep in with drama, but instead they were seated neatly, smiling like dutiful daughters. Their confidence almost made me laugh. Bennett had once told me desperation can make people do anything, and tonight I finally understood.I swallowed hard and slipped into the seat beside Vivian. She leaned close, her perfume sharp and suffocating. Her eyes locked with mine for a stretched moment, warning in their depth, before she looked away with her perfect, polished smile.Dinner carried on. Vivian spoke the most, her voice smooth and professional, as though she were running the wedding plans herself. I cut my food in tiny pieces, eating quietly, pretending not to notice. What could I

Bennett Landon The first thing I noticed when I woke up wasn’t the light slipping through the curtains, but Hilary.She was asleep on my chest, her cheek pressed against me, one arm wrapped tightly around my side. Her breathing was soft, steady, almost childlike. She looked… peaceful.It had been weeks since we last shared a bed. I’d grown used to the quiet, to stretching out alone at night with no one beside me. The silence had been strange at first, but I learned to live with it. Waking up to find Hilary curled against me now felt unfamiliar, but not in a bad way. In fact, it stirred something in me.This morning, she held on like she didn’t want to let go.I stayed still, not because I had to, but because I wanted her to stay exactly where she was. Last night she was different. More touchy, brushing her hand against my arm, holding on even when she drifted to sleep. I didn’t mind. In fact, I enjoyed it more than I should admit. For a man who prided himself on control, it was almos