Swap Bride, Fiancé Discovers He’s a Stand-in

I was the eighteenth substitute Alexander Kingsley found for his lost love.

I was also the one who looked the least like her.

He announced our relationship to the world with a fleet of a thousand drones on Valentine's Day. He journeyed to a treacherous, snow-capped peak to retrieve a rare mountain blossom, just to soothe an old ailment of mine. When his family refused to accept a "gutter girl" like me, he staged a hunger strike and even endured his fathers brutal cane to win their approval.

Everyone said he had long forgotten his first love, that he was utterly devoted to me.

But on the eve of our wedding, he had the brides name on everything changed to Isabelles.

When his friends questioned him, he just smiled.

With her around for the past few years, my parents finally stopped suspecting I was flying abroad to find Isabelle.

She was just a tool, a distraction to draw their fire so theyd finally give in. The only one I ever intended to marry was Isabelle.

Everyone was waiting for me to have a meltdown.

But I just clutched the check with its staggering number of zeroes and breathed a sigh of relief.

Perfect.

At least now I wouldn't be committing bigamy.

After a full day of grueling "wifely instruction" at the Kingsley family manor, I dragged my aching, exhausted body to the wedding venue.

Hearing those words had left me numb. So this is what it was like to truly love someoneto willingly clear every obstacle and thorn from their path.

I forced a smile and greeted them.

When Alexander saw me, a flicker of guilt crossed his face. He cleared his throat and had his planner friend cover up any wedding items that showed a brides face. Then he smiled and reached for my hand.

The moment his fingers brushed mine, I sucked in a sharp breath of pain.

He froze, his brow furrowing as he looked down at my battered palms. "They punished you again?"

I managed a weak smile. "Yes. I was too clumsy, kept making mistakes."

He sighed. "That will all be over soon. I promise."

Ever since hed declared he would marry no one but me, parading me at family dinners and anniversary celebrations, Id been summoned to the manor for regular lessons. Id spend hours kneeling before the stern portraits of his ancestors, copying pages of their family history. One mistake meant the sting of a hard wooden ruler against my palms until they were raw and bloody. One misremembered fact earned twenty sharp slaps across the face, forcing me to choke back the taste of my own blood and continue.

Once, I shed a single tear in his presence and was accused of failing to be a stoic partner. My punishment was to kneel for hours on the freezing marble of the winter veranda.

He had shown a brief flash of pity for me then, telling me to just hold on, that all this suffering would end after we were married.

But it was only a flash. The moment he saw a message from Isabelle on his phone, he abandoned me without a second thought. And because I had "failed to hold my husband's heart," the maids stripped me, took photos, and sent them to him.

Even that didn't stop him from running to her.

And just like that, I became the laughingstock of high society.

As I was lost in thought, Isabelle burst into the room, her eyes red.

"You're really going to marry her? You told me you would love me forever, that you'd marry no one else! Did you call me back just to watch you get married to someone else?"

With a dramatic flourish, she ripped the cloth from the welcome stand. When she saw her own portrait printed on it, her tears turned into a triumphant smile.

"I knew you were just trying to make me jealous!"

She looped her arm through Alexander's and shot me a smug look. "Honey, you see now, don't you? He was waiting for me all along. Sorry you had to take the heat for a few years."

"If you ever fall on hard times, let me know. For playing the part of my stand-in, I'll be sure to help you out."

They exchanged a knowing glance. The panic in Alexander's eyes melted into a look of pure bliss.

He pulled out a crisp new credit card and handed it to me. "I'm sorry I deceived you. I only ever saw you as a shield to protect Isabelle. Now that things are back to how they should be, we're finished. This is more than enough to set you up for life. Find a good man."

I stared at the card, the scene suddenly reminding me of the day I said goodbye to the husband I thought I'd lost. A sourness pricked my eyes.

"Can't we... wait? Just a few more days."

My voice was a whisper, lost under the rattling of the crystal chandelier overhead.

He leaned in, about to ask what Id said.

In a flash of sparks and a sharp clink, everyone's eyes shot upward.

"Look out!"

Alexander instinctively pulled Isabelle into his arms.

My own instinct was to shove him clear.

Thump.

Something warm trickled down my neck, followed by a dull, throbbing pain in the back of my head.

"Are you insane?"

Seeing the flicker of alarm on Alexander's face, I shook my head.

Before I could speak, Isabelle cried out. "Alex, my hand hurts..."

The concern in his eyes for me vanished instantly, replaced by sheer panic as he scooped her up. "Isabelle can't stand pain. I'll have the driver take you to the hospital."

He was gone like the wind, his retreating back and hers blurring through my tears.

"Why do you always leave me behind?" I whispered.

His footsteps faltered for a second, but then he was gone.

I woke up in a hospital.

Alexander stood over me, his brow furrowed in apprehension, as if terrified I would use this "life-saving" act to blackmail him.

"You know I hate clingy women," he said coldly. "But since you saved my life, I'll give you three days. Heal up, get all your things out of the villa before the wedding. I don't want Isabelle to be upset by any of it."

I nodded, my gaze dimming.

My reaction must have been too placid, not at all what he expected from someone supposedly deeply in love. He seemed about to say more, but his phone rang.

Isabelle was on the other end, sobbing hysterically.

The ache in Alexander's eyes was palpable. "Alex, I'm so sorry, I never should have come back! If I hadn't, Amelia wouldn't have felt so threatened and staged that whole heroic rescue act."

"Thank God I only got a small cut. If you had been hurt, how could I ever face your parents?"

He didn't engage with her accusation, just offered a few soothing words and hung up.

We looked at each other for a long moment before I spoke softly. "It wasn't me."

He took a deep breath. "I know. You were at the manor being punished all day. And my friends have never liked you enough to help you pull a stunt like that. One of them already told me what happened. It was her. She felt insecure when she saw me showing you some concern, so she staged the whole thing."

He then took my phone and deleted the contact information of all his friends. "There. I'm leaving. Get some rest."

Just as he turned to go, the door to my room flew open.

Isabelle's mother swept in, followed by the family butler carrying a box of their cruel instruments of "discipline."

Without a word, she slapped me hard across the face. "How dare you endanger Alex just to win his affection? If we don't teach you a lesson now, you'll be completely out of control after you're married!"

They dragged me onto the floor.

Alexander started to speak, but Isabelle rushed in. "I'm the one who told her, Alex. You're not mad at me, are you? I just want anyone who tries to hurt you to pay the price!"

The butler pulled out a pair of pliers and forced my mouth open.

My eyes, wide with terror, locked onto Alexander's. "It wasn't me, it was her"

The next instant, terrified I would expose Isabelle, Alexander snatched the pliers and shoved them into my mouth.

With a sickening crack, two of my lower teeth were ripped from their sockets.

His voice was savage, yet it trembled. "You do something wrong, you face the consequences! Even if you are my fiance! Let this be a lesson. Never again say things you shouldn't, or manipulate others into doing your dirty work!"

Blood filled my mouth, hot and choking.

They left in a storm of righteous fury, leaving me crumpled and disgraced on the floor.

A moment later, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Alexander.

I haven't told my family about the change of bride yet. Isabelle was just scared of losing me, so she acted out and framed you.

If my mother found out she was behind it, she'd never accept her. You're used to the Kingsley family discipline. Taking it one more time won't kill you. Consider it interest paid for all the years you had me to yourself. Be grateful.

A tight, crushing pain seized my chest.

He knew I wasn't the one marrying him. He knew I was innocent. Yet he still made me endure it all.

Tears splashed onto the phone screen.

He would never have treated me like this.

After sending his mother-in-law-to-be away, Alexander returned with Isabelle. As compensation, he had the best dentist flown in to repair my teeth.

On the way back to the villa, Isabelle sat in the passenger seat, chattering about her exciting life abroad, the two of them reminiscing about their sweet past. Watching the tender, adoring look on Alexander's face, a wave of bitterness washed over me.

If it weren't for the accident, I could have had a life filled with that same warmth.

My eyes welled up, and I ducked my head, sniffing quietly.

Suddenly, Isabelle glanced at me in the rearview mirror, her eyes mocking. "Oh, I shouldn't be talking about all this, should I? I'm making you sad. You can't bear to part with Alex, can you? Why don't you stay on as a maid? It suits your background perfectly. You can take care of him and still see him from time to time to ease your lovesick heart."

"What do you think, Alex?"

Alexanders eyes met mine in the mirror. He slammed on the brakes at a red light, turned, and cupped her face, kissing her deeply. They only broke apart when the horns behind them started blaring.

"You don't need to test me," he murmured to her. "I only love you."

"But," he added, glancing back at me, "if you want a capable maid, she can stay. She knows how to do everything. I'd feel better knowing she was here to look after you."

They flirted and teased the rest of the way home, their affection thick and cloying.

The moment we walked through the door, they disappeared into the master bedroom, a tangle of limbs and pent-up desire.

I went to my own room to pack.

The sounds from their room were impossible to ignore, each cry louder than the last, a blatant performance meant for my ears. Even with headphones on, I couldn't block them out.

After a long while, my door opened. Alexander tossed a soiled bedsheet at my feet. "Hand-wash this. Then go make her some restorative soup. I have to go deal with wedding preparations. To avoid my family getting suspicious, you'll pack your things while taking care of her for the next few days."

"Once the wedding is over smoothly, you can leave."

I opened my mouth to protest, but a gasp came from the other room.

Isabelle appeared, wrapped in a silk robe, her steps unsteady and her face flushed. In her hand was a necklacecrudely made, but crafted from the finest materials.

"Alex, darling... when we were... well, it hurt a little, and I accidentally pulled on this. It snapped. I hope it wasn't important."

It was a gift Alexander had won for me at a high-end auction last year, on our anniversary.

All he knew was that I had a tacky affection for such artless things.

What he didn't know was that it was one of the last things my husband had left behind before he faked his death, a decoy created to throw his enemies off his trail. It was our promise, our token of love.

I had searched for it for years, finally spotting it at that auction.

Seeing the necklace lying in two pieces, my vision blurred with red. I lunged forward and shoved her. "You did this on purpose! I kept it hidden in a drawer! Who told you to touch my things?"

She stumbled and fell, the loose robe slipping to reveal the dark bruises of passion on her skin. She looked up at me, a perfect picture of wounded innocence. "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry."

Alexander's face contorted with rage. He slapped me, hard. "Amelia! This is my house! How dare you lay a hand on her? Have I been too lenient with you?"

"Apologize to her! Now!"

The wound in my mouth split open again, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of my lips. My hands trembled as I gathered the broken pieces.

"Why... why couldn't you leave me with this one thing?" I whispered, my voice breaking.

Alexander paused, mistaking my grief for heartbreak over his gift. His tone softened, but it was strained. "It's just a necklace. I'll buy you a hundred more, alright?"

He swept Isabelle up into his arms. "This is the first and last time. I don't want to see you act out against her ever again. You know what I'm capable of."

Watching them, so intimate and connected, I pushed down the acidic burn in my chest.

Suddenly, a notification pinged in my headphones. An anonymous, untraceable message popped up on my screen.

The wedding. Wait for me.

The familiar tone made my dead heart leap.

It was finally coming to an end.