Semua Bab The Billionaire’s Replacement Wife: Bab 1 - Bab 10

NARA“You will marry him, and that’s final. I don’t want to hear whatever bullshit you have to say!” my father yelled.“I will not. That man is a widower, for crying out loud!” I shot back, struggling to stop the tears burning in my eyes.“And so what if he is a widower?” My father’s voice dropped deathly low as he advanced toward me.“I will not be used as a replacement for any man. I deserve to be with someone I love—and who loves me too. Not someone who is looking for a substitute.” I was defiant and hell-bent on not marrying Jared Wilson. A billionaire businessman and mogul, he had the looks and the money any woman would normally desire.But I would live a life of eternal sorrow if I married that man, because he was only seeking a breeding tool. He had lost his wife five months ago—Catherine Wilson. She was the opposite of everything he embodied, yet the poor woman had died while giving birth to their child, the acclaimed heir to his family’s fortune.And now he was searching for

Mike woke up the next morning with his chest already tight.The light coming through the window felt too bright, too honest. He lay there staring at the ceiling, replaying Nara’s face from the day before. Her tears. The way she had clung to him like he was the last solid thing left in her world.He sat up slowly and ran a hand down his face.“I have to do this,” he said to the empty room.Getting dressed took longer than it should have.He pulled out his clothes one by one, laying them on the bed, then picking them up again. He tried a shirt, frowned, took it off. Tried another. He kept thinking it looked cheap. Too thin. Too obvious.He settled on the most formal outfit he owned. A dark jacket he only wore for interviews. A plain shirt. No tie. He stared at himself in the mirror, turning left, then right.“Do I look like a joke?” he asked his reflection.The man in the mirror didn’t answer.He fixed his hair twice. Cleaned his shoes even though they were already clean. His hands shoo

NARAI stood in front of the long mirror, the reflection staring back at me looked nothing like the girl who had dreamed of love and freedom. The white wedding dress hugged my body in all the wrong ways, too tight in places, flowing in others, like it was mocking me. I ran my fingers over the fabric, over the lace, over the delicate embroidery, and felt nothing but the weight of my life crashing down on me.How had it changed so fast? One moment I was planning my future with Mike, hoping for a life we could build together. Hoping to see a real tomorrow where we were free from my father’s grasp and Camille’s manipulations. I had imagined creating a life away from all this greed. And then, in one blow, I had lost him.Mike. My heart ached at the memory. I was to be with him but this monster I was to marry made sure to put a wedge between us. Tears welled up, uninvited, hot and relentless. They rolled down my cheeks, burning against my skin.“Miss Nara,” a soft voice came from behind me

NARA“She said what?” Jared asked, his eyes snapping to me. “You told them we consummated our marriage?”My heart raced, sweat beading across my forehead despite the cool air circulating through the house. I had only experienced a fraction of his cruelty on the day we got married, and now it felt as though I was about to face all of it at once.“You suddenly can’t talk?” Jared stood slowly, pushing his plate aside. His stare was dark, his voice low and dangerous.“I… I—your mum and aunt…” I stumbled over my words, my body trembling as panic took hold.“Did you or did you not say it?!” he bellowed suddenly, making everyone at the table flinch.“Jared, what’s the matter?” his mother intervened, concern etched across her face.I looked at her pleadingly, silently begging her to calm her son, but before she could say anything, his aunt cut in.“Now, Jared, there’s no need to be shy,” she said brightly. “Nara told us all about how the night went, and we are very proud of both of you. Isn’t

NARAThe day passed by in a blur, and Jared hadn’t come back home yet. Today was the day of the family gathering meant to celebrate my ridiculous marriage, and my husband was nowhere to be seen. He hadn’t called or reached out to me or anyone else.I had busied myself with little chores since the majority of the housework was being done by the staff. The house had been peaceful throughout, and it actually began to feel more like a home and less like a prison.I was genuinely beginning to enjoy the solitude, and I just wished that this peace would last. Maybe it could even become something frequent with Jared; he would leave the house for days, come back, then leave again.Staring at my reflection in the mirror as I dressed for the party, I admired the way the gown clung to my body like a second skin. Studded with glittering stones and adorned with delicate embroidery, it was beautiful yet simple.Jared’s mother handpicked this gown specially for me. She was such a good woman. If only