Beyond A Substitute

om was co

amed down her face. Her body trembled-not from the air but from the weight of ev

f the curtain as she stared out at the night

ught. How could I have been s

ands, shaking, rested in her lap. She couldn't stop the wave of memories that rose unbidde

had closed its doors to the public early that

t a surprise. She had laughed the whole way, playfully sw

blindfold, she blinked into

urant was empty-

autifully, a single red rose lying across her napkin. White petals were scatt

?" He just smiled. "Dinner," he said simply, a

the only woman in the world. That night had been no different. They ate, they danc

ic. His lips brushed her temple as he whispered, "I want eve

ight couldn't get more perf

e," he said, reaching

nd then, right there beneath the golden light

r hands covering her mouth as he opened the velvet

've loved you since the first moment I saw you. You make me feel alive. Real. Like I'm not just some puppet in front of

She remembered kneeling to the floor with him, wrapping her

"I love you. I love you. I love you." Like it

of their bedroom,

, sobbing softly. "Was it all a lie?" she

er. She froze. Her spine stiffe

heri

That famil

dn't re

ir between them was tense, weighted. He could

to hurt you,"

face tear-streaked and

I said. I'll make sure you're okay

feet. "I don't want y

d at her,

e said, voice tremb

d, his confident mask slipped, and something

n it wa

herin

back. "Don't say my name like

made me hope. You proposed to me like I was the only woman in y

eth," he s

rising and falling with the weight of her anger and heartbreak. Her eyes-th

ice cold. Kingsley held up the folder in his

re like a choked breath of disbelief. "I can't believe you," she whispered, her voice trembling. "What went wr

dn't answer

e's From your class? Because my family is nobody and hers is everywhere? Is that why you want

sley?" Kingsley sighed, his

t do anyth

ried. "Why are you

ith something unreadable. "I nev

ou. The only reason I married you was because of your eyes. Your facial expressions. The same eyes. T

ainfully. "So I was... what? A Substitute?" Her voice wa

" he said softly. "Even when

her in the first place? Why leave her? Why find me?

frustration building behind his

and made vows to me. You never told me anything about her. I didn't even know she existed. And now yo

y steppe

hing but lies, then I deserve the truth. I need to know the full story. I need to understand why." She straightened her back, her voice firm n

the paper... I'll tell you everything." He walked to the armchair near the window and sank into it slowly, the weight of his past suddenly pressing hard on his

her arms folded tightly across her ch