The Subtitute Bride

Chapter 14: The Real Bride Returns

Kaela and Rhys returned from their honeymoon after 3 days. Kaela was glowing. Rhys was holding her hand everywhere, even in the elevator. The whole Anderson Corp building was screaming because their cold CEO was now smiling like an i***t.

"Good morning, Mrs. Anderson!" Clara said, winking.

"Good morning!" Kaela giggled, showing her new heart-shaped ring.

Rhys kissed her forehead in front of everyone before going to his office. "See you at lunch, wife."

"I love you!" Kaela said loudly, not caring who heard.

"I love you more!" Rhys shouted back from his office door.

The employees were dead. Their CEO was in love.

But the happiness lasted only 10 minutes.

The receptionist called Clara in panic. "Ma'am, there's a woman downstairs saying she's Mrs. Rhys Anderson! She's causing a scene!"

Kaela and Rhys ran downstairs.

In the lobby, standing with a suitcase and sunglasses, was Katrina. Kaela's older sister. The original bride. The one who ran away on the wedding day.

"Kaela?" Katrina took off her sunglasses. She looked tired, thin, and not at all like the beautiful bride from a year ago.

"Ate?" Kaela's voice shook.

Rhys immediately pulled Kaela behind him. "What are you doing here?"

Katrina started crying. "Kaela, I'm sorry! I made a mistake! My boyfriend left me! He took all my money and left me in Cebu! I have nowhere to go! I heard you married Rhys... I came back to fix everything!"

"Fix everything?" Rhys said coldly, his old cold CEO voice returning. "You ran away on our wedding day. You left your sister to clean up your mess."

"I know! I know I'm a bad sister! Kaela, please forgive me! You're my only family! Mom is still in the hospital, right? I want to see her!" Katrina begged, trying to hold Kaela's hand.

Kaela was frozen. This was her ate. The ate who raised her when their father left. The ate who always protected her. But also the ate who left her to marry a stranger for money.

"Ate... I... I don't know," Kaela whispered, tears falling.

Rhys squeezed her hand. "Kaela doesn't need to decide now. Security, take Ms. Santos to the waiting room. Give her food."

"No! Kaela, please! Tell him I'm the real bride! You were just a substitute, right? The contract was for me, not you! I should be Mrs. Anderson!" Katrina suddenly shouted.

The whole lobby gasped. The word SUBSTITUTE was loud.

Kaela felt like she was slapped. Her knees went weak.

Rhys's jaw tightened. That deadly calm look was back, but this time it was scarier than ever.

"Listen to me carefully, Katrina Santos," Rhys said, his voice low but everyone could hear. "Kaela was never a substitute. She was always the real one. You ran away. You gave up your rights when you left that church. Kaela walked down the aisle in sneakers and messy hair and saved both our families. She is my wife. Not you. Never you."

Katrina fell to the floor crying. "But I love him! I was supposed to be Mrs. Anderson!"

"You don't love me. You love my money. And you lost it when you ran," Rhys said.

Kaela knelt down to her sister, even though she was hurt. "Ate, I'll help you. I will pay for your apartment. I will help you see Mama. But I cannot give you my husband. He's... he's my real husband now. I love him."

Katrina looked up, mascara running. "You love him? You really love him?"

Kaela nodded, holding Rhys's hand. "I do. And he loves me. For real."

Katrina wiped her tears and stood up slowly. She looked at Kaela's heart-shaped ring, and at Rhys's hand holding Kaela's protectively.

"I see," Katrina said quietly. "You glow, Kaela. You never glowed when we were poor. He makes you glow. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for being selfish."

She hugged Kaela tightly. "Take care of him, okay? And take care of Mama for me. I will go to Cebu and start over. I promise I won't bother you again."

Kaela hugged her back, crying. "Ate..."

Rhys watched, his cold face softening again. He realized Kaela's kindness was why he fell for her. Even after being hurt, she forgave.

After Katrina left with some money Rhys gave her (even though he was mad, he still gave her money because Kaela asked), Kaela was quiet in the car.

"Are you okay?" Rhys asked.

"She's my sister. I hate her for leaving me, but I also love her. Is that weird?" Kaela said.

"No. That's what family is. Messy, but love," Rhys said, kissing her head. "You did the right thing. You were kind but you chose us."

"Us?" Kaela looked up.

"Yes. Us. You and me. Mrs. Anderson," he said, putting his hand on her belly without thinking. "And maybe soon, us three?"

Kaela's eyes widened. "Three? What do you mean three?"

Rhys realized what he did and his ears turned red. "Nothing! I mean... I mean you, me, and Grandma! Yeah, Grandma!"

Kaela laughed, hitting him. "You want a baby, Rhys Anderson?"

"Do you?" he asked, suddenly serious.

Kaela blushed. "Maybe... after we reach 30k words?"

Rhys laughed loudly. "What?"

"Nothing! I mean... maybe soon," Kaela whispered.

Rhys pulled her close and kissed her in the car, in the middle of the parking lot, where everyone could see.

"Then let's go home and practice making us three," he whispered in her ear, making Kaela turn red all over.

"RHYS!"

"What? It's for the 30k words goal!" he said, carrying her to the elevator while everyone cheered.

And for the first time, Kaela wasn't a substitute, wasn't a contract, wasn't a replacement. She was home. She was Mrs. Anderson. And she was ready for whatever came next, as long as it was with him.