Contract Marriage: The Replacement Groom

They dated for five years until her mother found out and grew mad. Madam Caroline broke them apart and forced Brian out of school with the help of Feng Long.

To make it worse, when Piper entered the entertainment industry, she made Brian’s life a living hell because he still cared, until suddenly he stopped caring about her and instead, brought forth his hatred for her.

Brian became the dark horse in the industry and within a few years, he clinched the top actor spot, with the determination to show Feng Long and Piper what it means to be a bully.

Piper’s company wanted to use the relationship Brian and her shared in the past to take advantage of Brian and ride on his coattail but each time, he embarrasses her like never before.

How could she even think that he would reach out to her with warmth after all they did to him in the past?

Piper felt frustrated. She should have known better. She picked up her phone and called her manager. After a few rings, the call went through and she reported: "I created a mess in the set, I’m not 100% sure that no one filmed it, so get the PR team to be on the lookout for any scandal that might surface and take care of it."

She put the phone down after that and rested her head on the headrest, lost in thought.

...

The car arrived at a fancy restaurant and Piper walked in, wearing the school uniform with a nose mask and a face cap. She didn’t have the time to take off her costume as the time fixed for the date was already glaring at her.

Entering the restaurant, her Assistant went to make an inquiry about their reservation. Soon, a waitress walked them to a luxurious private booth.

Piper entered and made her assistant and two guards wait outside the booth for her, not a minute later, she texted her assistant to return home with the guards.

Meanwhile, Brian was in a nearby booth and saw what happened. Seeing them leave without her, he snorted, "hussy" he whispered under his breath and sipped his drink.

"Excuse me, you said something?" The middle-aged man sitting opposite him asked.

"No, go on, please." He replied.

"Oh," the man glanced at his clothes. Brian was still wearing his costume from the set and he looked a bit exhausted. "How about we postpone the meeting until you are less busy?"

"Don’t worry about my appearance, CEO Dang. I only have today to spare for this meeting. Unless your company can wait for three months."

"Ah, that’s a long time. Today it is then." The man smiled.

...

Piper was sitting meekly and sipping her drink while thinking of the possible reasons her older brother’s best friend who had never spoken to her before would suddenly want to have a date with her.

Even though she never expected her brother to be here, she still felt disappointed.

Inspector Fin glanced at the obviously uncomfortable Piper and sighed: "What happened to your spirit? You look like a different person."

"Because it’s awkward sitting here with you."

He nodded and adjusted his black suit. He hates wearing these things. It makes him uncomfortable. He prefers wearing shirts, just like Maverick.

"I thought of that, which is why I won’t waste too much of your time... Do you have a boyfriend?... Are you into any serious relationship?"

Piper choked on her drink and he offered her a handkerchief to wipe the drink that spilled on her. She was indeed shocked beyond doubt.

"Ahem, Ahem... what are you talking about?" She asked in bewilderment after coughing a few times.

Inspector Fin sighed. He is a sucker at wooing women. Thanks to his job and the company he keeps, he doesn’t know how to use flowery words.

"I find you interesting and I’d like for us to go out sometime."

Piper stared at him, lost in thought for a brief moment before she smiled with her lips sealed and replied: "You are my older brother’s friend. I don’t think it seems right, considering my relationship with him."

"That’s not a problem at all... So, do you have a boyfriend?"

"I don’t have a boyfriend but I have flings... and someone I love." She replied.

"Oh, mind going into details?"

Piper sighed and adjusted her sitting posture. "He doesn’t love me back... in fact, he has no idea I love him and as for the other men, it’s just a one-time or twice thing. No strings attached."

"That’s nice and fine with me... do you care to know about me?"

Piper felt it would be a good start to be close to him and then walk her way to her brothers through Fin, so she nodded.

"I have a woman, but it’s not deep. We are adults, so things happened. I hope you don’t mind that?"

"Of course, I don’t. Do you intend for us to be two?" She wanted to know if he would leave the other woman or practice two-timing.

"I don’t do two. I’ll settle things with her. So you, what do you say?"

"There’s no harm in trying. I’m interested." She smiled.

"Nice, here, cheers to a successful courtship."

...

When Inspector Fin returned home, it was nighttime. He paused at the door to his villa for a while before he turned the knob and walked in.

Just as he thought, she was there, in his bedroom, lying on his bed.

"Welcome back, Fin." Her soft voice greeted him. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"You are here... it’s late, you should be sleeping." He said to her as he walked to his closet.

She got down from the bed in her red nightgown and walked to Fin, then hugged him from the behind. "Fin, have I wronged you?"

Fin stiffened for a moment before he peeled her hands off him and continued to take off his tie. "You didn’t."

The lady smiled bitterly and wiped the teardrop from her sad eyes.

"Fin," she walked to the balcony and stood in the cold wind, looking at the night city. "We used to be better than this." She said like she was reminiscing about something memorable. "I was like a sister to you and you loved me dearly." She wiped the tears that leaked from her left eye, then changed the topic.

"The night is beautiful, but the sky is starless." She took a deep breath.

Fin stood by his closet with his hands in his pockets as he watched the lonely girl. She has no fault. All she wanted was his love but he couldn’t love her even though he had tried to. It was better to hurt her now than let her remain or be in a loveless marriage for the rest of her life.

"You’ll catch a cold," Fin managed to say.

"Mn," she replied and returned to the room to sit on the bed.

Maybe this was one of the reasons he can’t seem to love her. She’s too obedient and peaceful to remain in his life.

Fin’s life is too chaotic to allow a simple and sweet girl to be bathed in messy waters.

"I sold my houses and cars." She broke the awkward silence.

Fin frowned. "Why?"

"I’m leaving the Country." She smiled. Her smiles used to be very beautiful but over the years when she realized that Fin didn’t love her, she became a sad person.

"Why?" Fin didn’t feel comfortable hearing that.

"Nothing is left in the Country. There seem to be unending fights. I also feel like there will be a serious bloodbath soon, where you can’t help but get involved, so I’m worried that I’ll be a weakness if I remain. I don’t want to hold you and your friends back."

Fin grew mad and he yelled: "When will you learn to live for yourself?! Why does everything you do always have to revolve around me?! Why must you be so gentle and kind?! Just why must you only care about me and my happiness and not about you?!! Why!!!" He was frustrated. Why can’t she learn to be selfish for once?

"Fin," she hurried off the bed and hugged him. "Please, be calm. Don’t be angry." She sniffed back her tears. "I’m sorry, you– you work a lot and most times forget to rest. I can’t give you trouble at home after all you’ve been through at work, please understand."

Fin sighed in frustration. Why did he even think she’d understand him anyway. He likes fierce and defiant girls, not submissive ones, they are boring! At least be rebellious once in a while!

Even though he tells her he wants to get another woman, she won’t be angry. To try out his thoughts, he said; "I’m dating another girl now. We should break up."

She broke the hug and took a step back. "Y– you still want to break up with me?" She grabbed his hand and shook her head. "Fin, if you love her, I won’t stop you. I promise I’ll love her too and make sure you two are happy. Just don’t throw me away, please," she broke down in tears.

Fin took a deep breath to suppress his disappointment. "You should go to sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow." With that, he went into the bathroom.

By the time he returned, wearing his night robe, she was still sitting there and silently crying.