When Love Shifts: My substitute Husband

May, in Cereston City. The floating clouds hang low, and the weather brews a sultry heat. Just after the typhoon has passed, the air carries a moist mist, drifting into the room with a gentle breeze through the window. The clock ticks, slowly pointing to eight o'clock. Upon a faint knock reverberating from the door, and following a response from Arabella Crawford, Lizbeth Luciano, attired in a crisp professional ensemble, made her entrance into the hotel's luxurious presidential suite. The company she works for, Merbeil, is renowned in the industry, specializing in catering to high-end clients. Naturally, the services provided are exceptionally thoughtful and meticulous, justifying the million-dollar fees. Two months ago, Merbeil received a commission for a noble wedding. After internal competition, Lizbeth Luciano stood out and officially secured the planning for this aristocratic ceremony. The Simo Hotel's top-floor presidential suite exudes a simple and elegant style, maintaining a luxurious touch hidden in the details. Even the casually placed water glasses on the coffee table are custom-made by Queen-W. Upon entering the room, Lizbeth Luciano sees the bride, Arabella Crawford, standing silently by the window. With a poised smile, she considerately inquires, "Miss Crawford, it's still early. Would you like to rest for a while?" Arabella turns at the sound, her bright phoenix-like eyes clear and captivating. With chestnut hair, red lips, delicate features on her oval face, and a swan-like neck, her skin is as fair as jade, radiating a porcelain-like glow. Despite being alluring, she doesn't carry even a hint of worldly dust. Clad in a loosely draped bathrobe, she captivates Lizbeth Luciano, who can hardly look away. The beauty's gaze lingers on the wall clock moving ceaselessly, then she smiles gently and asks, "Is it still early?" Her voice, soft and low, seems like a question to Lizbeth Luciano and, at the same time, a murmured reflection, leaving Lizbeth Luciano a bit puzzled. After all, it's just past 8 o'clock, and following the wedding schedule, Mr. Wilson will arrive in another two hours. As the wedding planner, Lizbeth Luciano naturally knows the bride and groom. The Wilsons are a family of considerable renown, with the groom, Noah Wilson, currently at the helm. The illustrious Mr. Wilson truly is truly a favored child of the gods. He educated in prestigious schools throughout his education. He successfully launched a startup overseas during his studies, which later went public. After inheriting the family business, he also facilitated the largest medical merger in the industry. However, the dazzling diamond bachelor, Mr. Wilson, is most famously associated with a rumored romance. Numerous gossip accounts suggest a certain flirtation between the charismatic Mr. Wilson and the rising star in the entertainment industry, Bridget Jones. Naturally, Lizbeth Luciano is curious too. Yet, after interacting during this period, she can't help but feel that Mr. Wilson's caring and protective attitude towards his fiancée, Miss Crawford, seems genuine. Miss Crawford possesses both exceptional looks and temperament, easily holding her own against the outstanding beauty of Bridget in the entertainment industry. Rumors have it that she entered Yale University with a perfect A-grade record and later pursued further studies at the Lawton School of Business, an indisputable academic achiever. As an heiress with a prominent background, not only does she boast an outstanding resume, but her personable and unpretentious demeanor has endeared her to Lizbeth Luciano over the past two months. Lizbeth Luciano has become a devoted supporter of Arabella Crawford. Rising Star Bridget Jones has a deep and carefully curated background, with any negative news thoroughly expunged. However, Lizbeth Luciano heard from her screenwriter friends that Bridget often behaves arrogantly and acts like a diva on set. Surely, unless Mr. Wilson is blind, he wouldn't neglect his stunning fiancée for Bridget, who only knows how to oversell her beauty. Lizbeth Luciano thought that perhaps the rumors are just idle gossip, mere conjecture by netizens. Unaware of Lizbeth Luciano's thoughts, Arabella Crawford checked her phone and, closing the window, went to sit on the sofa. "Lizbeth, I remember you once lived in Verona. Have you ever calculated how long it takes to get from Verona to Cereston?" "By plane, it's less than two hours... but today is an exception. My friend was planning to visit Cereston today, but according to their social media, many flights from Verona have been canceled." Both Cereston and Verona are coastal cities, and this season frequently sees typhoons, resulting in occasional flight delays due to weather. As Lizbeth Luciano finished speaking, two of her colleagues walked in, pushing a rack hung with a wedding dress. Arabella Crawford, with a languid posture, casually nodded from her position on the sofa, indicating she didn't wish to continue the conversation. ...... The presidential suite has a separate dressing room, where Arabella Crawford went to change. The wedding dress was a special custom design by Arabella Crawford's friend, Daisy Miller's personal brand. The pristine white veil fell in layers, embedded with hundreds of pearls and tiny diamonds that shimmered subtly. The off-shoulder design accentuated her delicate collarbone and her enchanting figure. It must be said, the wedding dress was a perfect match for Arabella Crawford, and everyone praised its beauty. At this point, Lyra, the wedding team's executive assistant, came over to help adjust the train of the dress. While the Crawford family may not be as prominent as the Wilson family in recent years, they are still one of the most notable families in Cereston. Most importantly, Arabella Crawford is about to marry into the Wilson family, officially becoming Mrs. Wilson. Keen on currying favor, Lyra not only helped adjust the dress but also offered compliments. "Miss Crawford, I've worked with many clients, but this is the first time I've encountered a groom as handsome as Mr. Wilson. He mentioned you both met when you were 16. If you ask me, love that blossoms at such a young age is the most sincere." Despite Lyra's attentive demeanor, Arabella Crawford seemed lost in thought and responded with a polite smile, but did not engage in the conversation. Lyra felt a bit awkward, but luckily, Arabella Crawford's phone rang at the right moment, providing an opportunity to switch topics. With a smile on her face, she said, "Mr. Wilson is so considerate, even calling at this time." Seeing Arabella Crawford furrow her brows slightly, thinking she may not like Lyra's behavior, Lizbeth Luciano raised her voice, "Alright, don't disturb Miss Crawford. Let's go over the wedding process again." After all, Lizbeth Luciano was the person in charge of the entire wedding. Though Lyra had some backing, she didn't dare openly defy Lizbeth Luciano, thus she could only bite her lip in dissatisfaction. The three of them quickly left the room. __________________________ The room quieted down as Arabella Crawford walked to the window and dialed Noah Wilson's number. The man's voice was gentle and calm, "Bella, I'm sorry. The flight got canceled, and I won't make it back in time." Arabella Crawford massaged her forehead, as if she had anticipated this, and responded calmly, "Hmm, I know." Her voice, as always, was soft, easing Noah Wilson's concerns on the other end of the line. Then, his voice was steady and sure, his manner as businesslike as settling a business merger. "It's still early. We can reschedule the wedding for tomorrow. I've already called Jacob. He'll inform the guests shortly. Don't worry." Worry? Upon hearing Noah Wilson's words, Arabella Crawford couldn't help but chuckle. Yesterday, when Noah Wilson said he had urgent business in Verona and rushed there overnight, he used the same gentle and calm tone to reassure her, assuring that he would make it back without affecting the wedding. "Noah, I heard Bridget was admitted to the hospital last night. Are you at the hospital now?" Noah Wilson evidently hadn't expected her to already know the reason for his visit to Verona, and there was a moment of silence on his end. Arabella Crawford's gaze dimmed slightly, a self-mocking undertone coloring her eyes, as she spoke knowingly, "So, you're at Bridget's apartment." There was a pause on the other end, and Noah Wilson spoke in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't tell you yesterday because I was afraid you'd misunderstand." "Afraid I'd misunderstand? But you see, even though you knew I might misunderstand, you still went." Her tone revealed no emotion, but carried a hint of sarcasm. Noah Wilson became somewhat indifferent, "Bella, I know you have some bias against Bri, but she's your cousin. When she's hurt, neither you nor I can turn a blind eye." The evident defense of Bridget by the man caused Arabella Crawford's knuckles to tighten slightly. She took a deep breath and quietly lowered her gaze, "Yes, Bridget Jones is my cousin." And she is also Noah Wilson's ex-girlfriend!!! More importantly, she is Noah Wilson's first love from his youth. The Crawford and Wilson families have been family friends for generations. Bridget moved to the Crawford family at the age of six with her mother, and she and Noah Wilson are true childhood sweethearts. Earlier, when Lyra was trying to please her, Arabella Crawford remained silent because the feelings Noah Wilson had developed in his early years didn't belong to her. "How is she now?" Due to the many conflicts caused by Bridget in the past, Noah Wilson, not willing to dwell on the topic, simply responded, "She's been discharged, no major issues." "Is that so." Though she had anticipated it, Arabella Crawford still breathed a slight sigh of relief. With Grandpa Freddie's health not being great these past two years, if Bridget had really gotten into trouble, Grandpa Freddie probably wouldn't be able to bear the shock. However, when she received those photos just now, Arabella Crawford already understood that Bridget probably wasn't really in trouble. The man slowed down his tone, "Bella, I didn't think it through coming to Verona before the wedding. But for now, can we focus on arranging tomorrow's wedding, okay?" Due to Bridget's injury, he had to postpone the wedding. Arabella Crawford was acutely aware that from the moment Noah Wilson proposed to her, the significance of this wedding in their hearts was different. Her expression remained calm as she gazed silently out of the window. The city buzzed with activity, skyscrapers standing tall. Perhaps the indoor air conditioning was too strong. With one hand wrapped around her arm, she stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the bustling traffic, yet feeling no sense of reality. It was as if she had returned to the year she turned 16. After a pause, she spoke again, "Noah, do you remember when I first returned to the Crawford family, and I lost the necklace the dean gave me? I searched for it for a long time but couldn't find it. I hid in the attic and cried. Later, you found me in the attic, didn't tell anyone, and secretly helped me find the necklace." Her voice was ethereal and soft, causing Noah Wilson to involuntarily get lost in the memories, softening his heart. Afterward, he chuckled lowly, "At that time, I thought, how could someone hide and cry just because they lost something? But seeing you cry so sincerely, I could only help you find it." Arabella Crawford smiled. In truth, she knew that Noah Wilson never found that necklace. It was just the manners and upbringing he had developed since childhood that prevented him from watching a girl cry and doing nothing. So, he bought one that looked the same. "Why bring this up all of a sudden?" Noah Wilson asked. "I just suddenly felt that losing that necklace wasn't worth being so sad about." With that, most of the emotions in her heart dissipated. Initially, her tears were more a result of receiving various gazes and suppressing too many emotions upon returning to the Crawford family. Later, when she got into Yale University and went abroad, she heard plenty of flattery from outsiders. The necklace Noah Wilson bought for her also went missing, but she seemed to feel nothing. Ultimately, time will eventually heal all wounds, and there's nothing that can't be changed. So all these years, what exactly was she insisting on? It was as if she had been pondering on something for too long and finally, at this moment, she made up her mind. "Noah, call off the wedding." "Let's break up!!!"