(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

Vivan arrived at six in the morning, carrying two paper bags in his right hand and Gerald’s suit still hanging on a hanger, wrapped in clear plastic, in his left hand. He looked more like a laundry worker than Gerald’s assistant.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“Your breakfast, Madam,” he said to Ariana after Gerald took his suit and went into the bathroom with one of the large paper bags in his hand.

“Thank you,” murmured Ariana. Vivan helped Ariana by raising the table next to the bed and arranging all the food he brought.

Warm white rice. Sautéed beef. Steamed broccoli, green beans, and carrots. Fresh fruits were arranged in front of her. He also opened a thermos containing warm green tea.

“Mrs. Rosaline prepared all of this specifically for you. She said she would come here after dropping Axel off at school,” Vivan explained again. Ariana didn’t respond to anything. The food in front of her was far more interesting than Vivan’s words.

Ariana devoured all the food in front of her eagerly. She didn’t intend to leave even a bit for Gerald, regardless of whether he would be hungry later.

Her own stomach was very hungry. Because she didn’t eat properly all day yesterday due to her bad mood. Usually, if Ariana was in a bad mood, food was one of the things that could improve her situation. But yesterday? Forget it, Ariana just wanted to forget everything.

Gerald had come out of the bathroom when Ariana finished her meal. He looked neat in a maroon suit and a white shirt with a tie of a similar pattern that Ariana suspected must be expensive. Seeing him so fresh and smelling good, Ariana couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. She was sure her body smelled of sweat even though the nurse had helped her change her clothes and even washed her body with warm water last night.

The clock showed half past six. But he showed no signs of leaving and instead chose to sit back down next to Ariana’s bed.

“If your company goes bankrupt, don’t blame me,” grumbled Ariana.

Gerald shrugged. “It’s not a problem. If my company goes bankrupt, I can start everything from scratch. Vivan will help me, won’t you?” he asked his assistant, who simply nodded. Meanwhile, Ariana scoffed. “Although I don’t think the possibility of bankruptcy exists,” she replied arrogantly.

Ariana snorted. “I can assure you, if you go bankrupt, no woman will want to come near you,” she said mockingly.

Once again, Gerald shrugged. “Well then, you should be grateful. That way, you won’t have any competitors fighting for me,” he replied teasingly. “But if I go bankrupt, you’ll have to accept it because I’ll bother you even more. I’ll cling to you like a leech. I’ll behave like a parasite, because I’ll be living off you,” he continued, making Ariana’s eyes widen in disbelief. “Aren’t we supposed to support each other as husband and wife?” he added, his tone playful.

Ariana chose to look away. Why did his words sound like a promise that they would be bound for a lifetime? Ariana didn’t like hearing it.

They sat in silence. Vivan was sitting on a sofa with a tablet in his hands, looking serious, presumably focusing on his work. Meanwhile, Gerald remained in his place, casually turning on the television and watching the news.

Ariana felt increasingly irritated. She couldn’t chase him away, and waiting for the doctor felt like waiting for a judge’s verdict.

“Why don’t you force him to leave?” Ariana finally spoke up. She saw Vivan glance up at her, and Gerald refocused his attention on her.

“You can talk directly to me,” Gerald said, chuckling.

“I’ve been talking to you all along,” Ariana retorted. “I outright told you to leave. But you just sit here. Shameless!” she said, clearly frustrated.

Getting scolded by Ariana didn’t anger Gerald; instead, he chuckled in response. “I already said I’ll leave once the doctor comes and checks on you. I just want to make sure you’re okay. After that, I only want to ensure you won’t escape again,” he replied casually.

Ariana snorted. “Haven’t you been watching over me for the past twenty-four hours? Do you think I don’t know that your two bodyguards are always keeping an eye on my every move? Even a house prisoner isn’t imprisoned as much as I am,” she taunted. Vivan tried to stifle his laughter, while Gerald simply smiled.

“Dann’t you should be grateful to have a husband who cares for you like I do? I even hired people to watch over you, all because I care about you,” Gerald stated.

Ariana chuckled bitterly. “Care, you say? That’s not caring, Mr. Aarzu. It’s suspicion. You clearly always suspect me, which is why you’re constantly watching over me. So what’s the point of maintaining this relationship if you don’t trust me at all?” she retorted.

Gerald fell silent. What Ariana said wasn’t entirely wrong, but it also wasn’t entirely right. “Don’t blame me to the point where I do something like that. It’s all because you can’t cooperate,” he replied.

Ariana snorted again. “Cooperate in what sense? Cooperate by imprisoning me and forbidding me from being myself?” she said sarcastically. “From the beginning, everything you’ve done to me has been coercion. And I’ve endured it until now without going insane, which is already lucky. Tell me, what sane woman would agree to a forced marriage like this, where she doesn’t even have the right to enjoy her own life? If you hadn’t trapped me into marrying you, I’m sure I’d be enjoying my life right now, not feeling mentally tortured like this,” Ariana said sharply.

Gerald fell silent, his face clearly showing anger. Meanwhile, Vivan, the man, looked at Ariana with an anxious expression. He feared Gerald, offended, might do something irrational. However, Vivan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Gerald rise from his seat and leave the room.

Vivan followed his boss out of the VVIP room. “Tell them to guard her outside the room!” he ordered harshly. “Don’t let anyone peek in except Grandma. If anyone wants to visit her, they have to contact me first!”

Vivan nodded his head in agreement. Ariana wasn’t wrong; her current situation was even worse than that of a monitored house arrest detainee. The girl was indeed being watched around the clock due to Gerald’s excessive protectiveness. But from Vivan’s perspective, Gerald wasn’t entirely at fault. Love could blind even the most realistic person, turning them into someone irrational, just like what had happened to Gerald.