(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

“Enjoy your dinner,” he said again. Gina nodded, kissing Ariana’s cheeks before walking towards the exit, accompanied by her husband who held her back protectively.

“If only I were normal too, Gerald and I would look as happy as that couple,” Ariana thought to herself. She returned to her seat by the window, gazing at the view below. Soon, she saw the couple returning to their seats, placing the baby back in the stroller adorned with special toys. How beautiful, she murmured to herself.

Reluctant to witness the intimacy that made her jealous, Ariana chose to leave the restaurant. The silence of her apartment could be her solace, though it didn’t diminish her longing for Axel and Gerald. What was her husband doing right now? Did he miss her too? One thing Ariana was certain of, he must hate her deeply at this moment.

A knock on the door woke Ariana from her sleep. She glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was two in the morning. Who could it be? If it was Amber, her cousin wouldn’t be knocking on the door at this hour.

Ariana put on her night robe and left her room. “Amber?” she called out. Ariana saw her cousin’s door closed and the lights off. She walked over to check; Amber wasn’t there.

Ariana then walked to the front door, peering through the peephole to see who was knocking. If it was a strange and unfamiliar person, she would call her apartment security. To her surprise, the person outside was Gerald. Oh God, what was he doing here at this hour of the morning?

“Ariana! Open the door!” he shouted loudly. He harshly shook the door handle. Ariana was puzzled. She was reluctant to open the door, but if Gerald continued standing and shouting outside, her neighbors would surely come out and complain. Ariana didn’t want that to happen.

Ariana slipped the door chain and then opened it to a maximum gap. “What are you doing here?” Ariana asked, her tone sharp.

Gerald looked up. His eyes were red, and his breath reeked of strong alcohol. “Hello, Mrs. Aarzu,” he said, waving his hand. “Or should I say, ‘future ex’ Mrs. Aarzu?” he sneered.

“Go away, Gerald. Don’t create a scene here,” Ariana ordered. She still hesitated to fully open the door. However, upon hearing her command, Gerald leaned against the wall next to the door.

“It’s not that easy to get rid of me, Darling. I’m the one who brought you into my life. And I’ll be the one to kick you out if I want. But not now,” he said, his voice slurred.

“How much have you been drinking, Gerald?” Ariana asked again. Instead of answering, Gerald forcefully pushed the door.

“Unlock this damn door or I’ll break it down!” he said angrily.

“I won’t let you in,” Ariana replied firmly. “Where’s Vivan? She should have taken you home instead of letting you wander around like a madman.” She scolded. Ariana didn’t open the door; instead, she walked back to her room and searched for her phone. She intended to call Vivan. However, the sound of the door being smashed made Ariana turn back. Gerald had managed to forcibly remove the door chain lock. The chain now hung weakly by the door. “You! What are you doing! You’re damaging property, and I can sue you for that,” Ariana said angrily.

Instead of answering, Gerald kicked Ariana’s apartment door roughly. “I told you to open it, but you ignored it,” he said angrily. He then walked closer to Ariana. stumbling over the sofa, groaning, and rubbing his foot before kicking the sofa violently. Seeing this, Ariana tried to suppress her laughter.

“What do you want, Gerald?” Ariana asked again. This time, she felt afraid; she saw anger in Gerald’s face. Who knew what a drunken man might do? What if he decided to torment her as an outlet for his rage?

Gerald approached, and Ariana stepped back until she realized she was trapped beside her bed. With lightning speed, Gerald reached out and grabbed Ariana, hugging her tightly and burying his head in the crook of Ariana’s neck, inhaling her scent as if he were thirsty. “I miss you. I love you. Please come back. I forgive you even though you aborted our baby. Let’s consider it wasn’t meant to be. Please, Ariana, come back to me. I can’t lose you,” he said rapidly.

Ariana was torn. She missed him too. Her desire to embrace Gerald was as strong as his. But she tried to resist.

Gerald slowly loosened his grip. His hands moved to hold Ariana’s shoulders. “I won’t allow you to go to Chris. If you truly love a man, don’t love him. He doesn’t deserve your love,” he said with a sharp gaze fixed on Ariana.

“Why? Because he’s your rival?” Ariana asked mockingly.

“Damn it! Not because of that,” he said. Ariana could see the conflict in his face. “All I know is if you love him, he won’t love you,” he said earnestly. “Is that true? Why? Am I not attractive enough to be loved?”

“Damn it, Ariana! Not that!” He then raised both his hands and cupped Ariana’s face gently. “You are very attractive, very beautiful, very kind, and very worthy of love. But that bastard doesn’t deserve your love.”

“Why? Because you think you’re more deserving of being loved?”

“Yes! No?” he said hesitantly. “I know I’m a bastard too. I know I cheated on you. And I don’t deserve your love. But I hope you can love me,” he said loudly.

‘I already love you so much without you asking, Gerald,’ Ariana said in her heart. “But Chris. Why do you have to fall in love with that gay man?” she said harshly.

Ariana frowned. How did Gerald know? Who told him that secret? Even though Ariana didn’t believe her friend’s confession.

“Why can’t you fall in love with a normal man?”

“If I fall in love with a normal man, will you let me go?” Ariana challenged.

Gerald stared in shock. He released his hands from Ariana’s face and said firmly, “No! I won’t let you marry anyone.” He threatened. “Anyone who tries to get close to you or you try to approach. I’ll make that man leave you. Whatever it takes.”

“You’re cruel!”

“Yes, I am cruel. And you made me a villain,” Gerald said passionately. He grabbed Ariana’s arm again and squeezed it gently. “Come back to me, to us. Axel and I need you,” he said. But Ariana shook her head.

“From the beginning, all of this was wrong,” she whispered.

“If that’s the case, I’ll fix everything from the beginning. What do you want? A proper proposal? I’ll do it to your father. I’ll ask him for you. Then what? Wedding party? How grand do you want it? Who do you want to invite? Which celebrities do you want to invite? Where do you want to go for our honeymoon? Whatever it is, I’ll do it for you,” Gerald promised.