The Substitute Bride

Six Days Before

"Grace, table five needs their check, and table eight is still waiting on their appetizers!"

I grabbed the coffeepot and rushed past my manager, Marcus, who looked like he was about to have a breakdown. Friday nights at Romano's were always chaos, but tonight felt worse than usual. My feet ached in my worn sneakers, and I'd been on shift for six hours already with three more to go.

"On it!" I called back, forcing a smile as I approached table five.

The couple barely looked at me as I set down their bill. No tip, probably. I could always tell. But I kept smiling anyway because that's what you do when you need the money. And I always needed the money.

My phone buzzed in my apron pocket. I ignored it. Bella knew I was working. Whatever it was could wait until my break.

"Grace!" Marcus yelled again. "Your boyfriend's here!"

I looked up and saw Ryan standing near the entrance, shifting from foot to foot. My heart lifted a little. Ryan never visited me at work. He said he didn't want to distract me, which I always appreciated. Seeing him now, in the middle of my shift, made my stomach twist with worry.

Something was wrong.

"Take five minutes," Marcus said, his voice softer now. He liked Ryan. Everyone liked Ryan.

I untied my apron and walked over, weaving between tables. Ryan's face was pale, and his hands were shaking. My worry turned into fear.

"Hey," I said, reaching for his hand. "What's wrong? Is it your mom?"

"No, nothing like that." Ryan looked around at the crowded restaurant. "Can we talk outside?"

We stepped out into the cool evening air. The street was busy with people heading to bars and clubs, laughing and carefree. I wished I could be one of them, just for one night.

Ryan ran his hand through his hair, something he only did when he was stressed. "Grace, I need to tell you something, and I don't know how to say it."

My chest tightened. "Just say it."

"I can't marry you."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I actually took a step back. "What?"

"I'm so sorry. God, Grace, I'm so sorry." Ryan's eyes filled with tears. "Olivia came back."

Olivia. His ex-girlfriend from college. The one he'd told me about on our third date, the one who broke his heart when she moved to London five years ago. He'd said he was over her. He'd said I was different, that I was the one he wanted.

"She came back last week," Ryan continued, his words tumbling out fast like he needed to get them out before he lost his nerve. "I ran into her at a coffee shop. We started talking, and Grace, all those feelings came back. I tried to fight it. I swear I tried. But I can't marry you when I'm in love with someone else. You deserve better than that."

I couldn't breathe. We were supposed to get married in six days. Six days. The invitations were sent. My dress was hanging in my closet. Bella was so excited to be my maid of honor.

"You're doing this now?" My voice came out shakier than I wanted. "Six days before our wedding?"

"I know the timing is terrible. But wouldn't it be worse to marry you and then realize I made a mistake? I care about you, Grace. I really do. I just—"

"Don't." I held up my hand. "Don't tell me you care about me. If you cared, you wouldn't have proposed when you clearly weren't over her."

Ryan flinched. "You're right. I was selfish. I thought I could move on. I thought I could love you the way you deserve to be loved. But I can't lie to you anymore."

I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to cry. But we were standing on a public street, and I still had four hours left on my shift, and I couldn't fall apart right now.

"Fine," I said, my voice cold. "We're done."

"Grace—"

"I need to get back to work."

I turned to go back inside, but Ryan grabbed my arm. "Wait. There's something else."

Of course there was. Because this night couldn't possibly get worse.

"My brother needs to get married."

I stared at him. "What does that have to do with me?"

"There's a clause in my father's will. Nathan has to be married before his thirty-first birthday, or he loses control of the company. His birthday is in two weeks."

Nathan Hunt. Ryan's older brother. The CEO of Hunt Enterprises. I'd never met him, but I'd seen his picture in magazines. Cold eyes. Sharp suit. The kind of man who looked like he'd never smiled in his life.

"I still don't understand what this has to do with me," I said.

Ryan took a deep breath. "The wedding is already planned. The venue is booked. The guests are invited. My mother thought maybe you could marry Nathan instead."

I laughed. Actually laughed, because this was insane. "You're joking."

"I'm not. Grace, please just hear me out. Nathan is desperate. He's been trying to find someone for months, but every arrangement has fallen through. If we cancel the wedding now, it'll cause chaos. But if you marry Nathan, everything works out. You'd be helping him save the company. And my family would compensate you generously for your time."

"Your family wants to pay me to marry your brother?" My voice rose. "Are you people insane?"

"I know how it sounds—"

"No, I don't think you do!" I pulled my arm from his grip. "You just broke my heart, and now you want me to marry a stranger for money? What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Someone who needs money," Ryan said quietly.

The words hung in the air between us. He wasn't wrong. I did need money. Desperately. But hearing him say it like that made me feel small and cheap.

"Go to hell, Ryan."

I walked back into the restaurant, my hands shaking so badly I could barely push the door open. Marcus took one look at my face and started to say something, but I shook my head. If he was nice to me right now, I'd start crying, and I couldn't afford to lose this job.

I made it through the rest of my shift on autopilot. I smiled at customers. I took orders. I cleaned tables. And I didn't think about Ryan or his insane proposal or the fact that my wedding was cancelled and my life was falling apart.

When I finally got home at midnight, Bella was asleep on the couch with her sketchbook on her chest. I stood in the doorway of our tiny apartment and looked at my little sister. She was so talented. So smart. She'd been accepted into the best art program in the state, but the tuition was impossible. I'd been planning to use some of the money Ryan and I would save by combining households to help her. Now that plan was gone.

My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.

This is Margaret Hunt, Ryan's mother. We need to talk. Tomorrow, 10 AM, Hunt Mansion. The address is attached. This is important, Grace. Please come.

I stared at the message. Every instinct told me to delete it and block the number. But then I looked at Bella again, at the acceptance letter pinned to our refrigerator, at the stack of bills on the counter.

I closed my eyes and texted back one word.

Fine.

I had no idea that single word would change my entire life.