Contract Marriage: The Replacement Groom

It’s been ten hours since Nancy had been sleeping, yet she still hadn’t woken up. Nanny Xie was growing anxious as it was night already. The old woman had gone into Nancy’s room a few times to check on her, and this time made it the fourth or fifth time.

"Boy, what happened to Young Miss? Why is she sleeping so much?" she asked the two guards standing before her at the entrance to Nancy’s room.

"Ms. Nancy hadn’t been sleeping well for nearly five years," Death answered.

"And none of you told me?!" The woman almost bit her tongue from despair. It hurts to know that the child she took care of and watched grow up into a fine lady ended up becoming a shell of herself and growing up to live someone else’s life.

"Nancy is sick! Have you forgotten that?! Now she doesn’t have enough sleep, coupled with the anxiety and stress she is going through every day in that house. Oh, my poor child!... It’s my fault that you ended up this way." The old woman started to wail. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Nanny Xie," Nancy’s voice sounded from behind them. No one knew when she woke up.

The old woman and the guards turned to look at her. She was wearing a long black silky wrapping night dress. She looked beautiful and elegant as always.

"Child, you’re awake. I had the kitchen prepare something for you. Come," the woman immediately pretended like nothing was wrong and ushered Nancy into the dining room, where different dishes of appetizing food were spread on the table.

"I asked the kitchen to prepare your favorites." The old woman smiled.

The two sat on the table as the woman silently watched her eat.

"You should eat something too," Nancy scoped some rice for the woman.

The woman had lost her appetite but could say so for fear that Nancy would also stop eating.

The woman waited for Nancy to finish eating. After the maid came to clear the table, Nanny Xie finally spoke, "Child, what have you decided to do with your illness? I’ve searched for some doctors for you, but after telling them about it, they informed me they can’t do anything." The woman said regrettably. I have been visiting the temple lately to offer prayers for you. Let’s hope..."

"Nanny Xie, you’re not getting any younger, don’t stress yourself too much... Don’t you want me to accompany you in the afterlife? That place must be..."

"Shut up, Nancy!" The woman yelled, causing Nancy to giggle. Nancy has lost hope for a cure!

The old woman wanted to reprimand her, but the sound of her giggle caused the woman to wake up old memories.

Nancy used to be a naughty child and happy child until her life was ruined by the appearance of her mother and sister.

"Nanny Xie, your drink is getting warm," Nancy pulled her mind back from her daydreaming.

"Oh," the woman smiled, "You should laugh more. It makes you very pretty."

"Are you mocking me?"

"Yes, your powder was not well blended." The woman teased.

"Brian doesn’t complain about my face, so I’m fine."

"Enough with Brian, Brian, Brian! He’s not your son, and he’s not going to choose you over his birth mother! The earlier you know that, the better for you!" The woman was pissed that she was making everything about Brian again.

Nancy froze for a moment before she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. The last time Nanny Xie yelled at her was when she stole Brian.

Nancy nodded slowly, "I’ve come to terms with that. When he was almost poisoned the other day, I watched how much pain he was in. I worried about him, but he couldn’t see my love. I made him food like I used to do in the past, but he rejected it, thinking I would poison him." a teardrop slipped down her eye before beads of tears followed.

"Ai..." Nanny Xie left the table and went to console her. She had never seen Nancy cry like this before except when her sister died. "You can’t blame Brian for what he feels about you. It is true that you’ve been protecting him all these years, but he doesn’t know that, child. You’ll feel the same way if you were in his shoes. He felt unloved, used, and controlled. It was a horrible experience for him."

Nanny Xie might love Nancy more than her life, but she never hides the truth or sugarcoats it, no matter how it would make Nancy feel.

"But I did it to protect him, you, and me. Was I wrong? What’s my fault in this whole thing? Why did my life turn out this way? I’m exhausted, Nanny!" she cried even more.

"I’ll repeat it, dear, none of this is your fault except what you did to that innocent woman and her children. It is wrong to separate a child from their mother." The woman lowered her voice as she soothed the crying Nancy.

"I understand you were mad at Hwang, but after what you’ve allowed anger and revenge to do to you, you are no longer different from him. Nancy dear, it’s not too late to make things right."

"How?"

"Tell Brian the truth and set him free. He might forgive you... And I heard you kidnapped his mother?"

She let go of Nanny Xie and nodded, "I did, but I let her go after making a deal with Hwang."

"You didn’t ask him for a child, did you?" the woman glared at her.

Nancy stayed silent, an affirmation of the question.

"How could you?!"

"Nanny Xie, the doctor said I only have this month to get pregnant. He said..." She paused and swallowed. Seeing the horrified look slowly crawling onto Nanny Xie’s face, Nancy nodded slowly as hot tears slid down her cheeks.

Nanny Xie shook her head in disbelief as she took a few steps back," N– no, this cannot be real!"

She glanced at Death and Nightcrawler. The two had their heads down and refused to look at her.

"Talk to me!... Is she telling the truth?!" The woman yelled in pain. One could feel the heartbreak in her voice.

Nightcrawler raised his head and promised, "We’ll search for the Rainborite ore, I promise you, Madam!"

"Is the rainborite ore so easy to find?" The woman broke down in tears and sat on the floor, slapping her chest and blaming herself. If it weren’t because she threatened Nancy with her life, Nancy wouldn’t have agreed to accept her twin sister’s heart, nor would she have accepted to come with her mother to SIN CITY. Everything was her fault! She thought.