When shy and quiet Emily Hale is forced to take her glamorous sister Victoria's place in an arranged marriage to billionaire Alexander Knight, her life changes forever. Alexander is furious when he sees Emily instead of Victoria, the woman he expected to marry. But the wedding goes ahead, and Emily becomes his wife. Life isn't easy for Emily. She's treated like a maid and kept hidden from the world while everyone waits for Victoria to return. Over time, Emily and Alexander spend more time together. He supports her dream of becoming a furniture designer, and they start to grow closer. When Victoria comes back, she's determined to win Alexander back and push Emily aside. But is it too late? Alexander is already falling in love with Emily, the "maid." And his grandmother would never approve of their relationship. What happens when everyone finds out Emily isn't really a maid but the daughter of the Hale family? Will her love with Alexander survive, or will it fall apart because of Victoria and her mother's schemes?
Chapter 1 The Stand-in
"The bride is gone!" The wedding planner's scream sent the Hale estate into chaos. Maids ran, doors banged, dresses flew, heels clicked, as Victoria's mother collapsed onto a velvet chair, and Mr. Hale her husband's face turned deathly pale. In the middle of it all, Emily stood frozen, heart pounding, as her father's sharp gaze landed on her. "You'll take her place."
"Where is she" Margaret Hale asked the wedding planner as she stuttered, "She...she...she is gone". "What do you mean she is gone" she asked as her husband Charles Hale came in with a worried look on his face and a letter in his hand, "This is from Victoria" he said raising the letter towards his wife as he continued, "She ran away honey. Victoria ran away" she was shocked as she said, "What are we going to do, the company, oh my gosh we are going to lose everything. The knight's invested to save our face on the condition that Alexander marries Victoria and now she is gone. They held their end of the bargain but we, what did we do, we couldn't even keep watch on the bride. I mean how and why did she run away, she was okay with the marriage right?".
"Are you asking me, she is your daughter you should have known about this" she was about to clap back when Emily walked in, then she turned to her as she gave her a slap. Her husband asked, "Why did you slap her, she wasn't the one who ran away". Margaret turned to him as she said, "She deserved that slap and more. I mean she was supposed to watch Victoria right? I mean what else does she do in this house" she smirked as she continued, "I don't blame her, I blame you, I mean you shamelessly slept with the maid and produced her" she turned to Emily as she said, "You should have just died with your mother at birth instead of surviving you killer. Your bad luck is what has cost my daughter the most important day of her life".
Emily stood there crying, it was not new to her how her step mom Margaret treated her all the time, but for each time she always wished that her dad would at least have her back and defend her like he would Victoria if anyone had been rude to her.
"What do we do now honey, the wedding is in a few hours and the bride is nowhere to be found" Margaret and Charles Hale looked so worried as he turned to Emily and then an idea came to mind, he walked up to her as he said, "Go in and get dressed, you are getting married to Alexander knight". She was shocked as she looked at him with her mouth wide open, Margaret dragged her husband by the hand as she asked, "What do you think you are doing, getting this maid married to Alexander?".
Charles Hale sighed as he said, "Maid or no maid, she is a Hale, she is my daughter. I know the world doesn't know this and most people think she is a maid but the truth is what we know and that is that she is my daughter. We promised the Knights our daughter, Victoria ran away so we are left with Emily. She will have to get married to save our family name".
"But dad" Emily said as she cut in, "I don't want to get married at least not now. Mom promised that I would go to college after Victoria gets married as she claimed there was no money to send me since the family was going bankrupt. I want to study, I want to become a designer so please, don't take that away from me and force me into a loveless marriage" she said as she sobbed.
Her father sighed as before he could even speak, Margaret rushed to her as she pushed her a step back, poking on her shoulder she said to her, "You little ungrateful riff raff, you should be lucky my husband couldn't keep his parts in his trouser and he had an affair with your mom. You are a product of a sin, you are a mistake and you should never have existed. We treated you as family because you bear our name. We fed, clothed, bath you, we put a roof over your head and now we need you to do us this favor here you are talking about your dreams to be a designer, what stupid dream" she said as she yelled at Emily.
Immediately she called the wedding planner as she said to her, "Take this peasant to the room, clean her up and get her in that wedding dress". The wedding planner was shocked but she had to do as she was instructed, so she held Emily by the hand and took her to the room. She freshened up and they got on with her hair and makeup.
In the meantime, Margaret and her husband Charles were still on their phone trying to find out where and with whom their daughter was with but all to no avail. "I can't believe Victoria threw away the opportunity to be the wife of Alexandra Knight and now that opportunity is going to that miserable daughter of yours". Charles sighed as he said, "I know you will never forgive me, and seeing Emily everyday reminds you of my infidelity, but look at the bright side of things, her marriage to Alexandra knight will still save our family, our company now we don't have to loose everything we have worked so hard for. Their investment into the company is huge and you know that so relax okay. Victoria lost the chance to be married to him but the goal of this marriage will still be achieved so smile for me my dear wife".
She sighed as she said, "I won't let this marriage last, all Emily is, is a stand-in bride and when Victoria comes back, I will snap some sense back into that empty head of hers and make sure to kick that daughter of a maid out of the position that is meant for my daughter alone.
Her husband sighed and just before he spoke, the doors opened and they both turned, for a moment there Margaret thought it was her daughter Victoria, because she had the dress custom made to fit her body and it was made by one of the best designers in London. Seeing that dress on the body of her husband's child from his infidelity filled her with rage as she walked up to Emily with a smirk and she said to her, "I guess a pig will always be a pig, no matter the fancy dresses you were or makeup you put on, you are a maid and you will forever remain beneath this family okay", Emily nodded with a sad look on her face. She looked at her father whom she expected to at least see a smile on his face and to hear a compliment from but she didn't get any of that as he just stood there by his wife as she said the meanest things to Emily.
Other books by Sawnshine
More