Using Me as a Substitute? Did You Know Your Best Friend Calls Me Wife?

Unfortunately, Mia was still preoccupied with Adrian and failed to notice this subtle detail.

"We’ll see. Things are fine as they are. Sharing a life is the same no matter who it’s with, and Adrian is as good a choice as any."

She looked down, focusing on her design drafts, and missed the flicker of disappointment in Owen’s eyes.

’If he had appeared before Adrian, would Mia have chosen to make a life with him instead?’

Owen knew he should back off. After all, Mia was already married. Even if there was little love in her marriage, his pursuit would be a violation of both morals and the law.

But...

’Just because he was one step too late, he was supposed to lose the woman he loved? How could he possibly accept that?’

’He had to at least try.’

「During this time, Mia dedicated herself to her career.」

Regardless of any prior prejudices people held against her, they had to admire her abilities. An international designer was in a league of her own; she didn’t just blindly chase trends, but had her own distinct philosophy and style.

Mia was especially fond of traditional culture, often expressing historical motifs through her embroidery.

Her specialty was custom-made qipaos, and every client who commissioned one was left singing her praises.

Mia’s reputation was solidified, and her list for custom orders was already booked through the next year.

She and Owen focused on the custom pieces, while the rest of the staff handled the ready-to-wear production line.

The studio was on the right track, with everyone working in a well-organized manner.

Mia also had to attend meetings to negotiate partnerships, which often involved social drinking.

With Owen accompanying her, she rarely had to drink, even though she could handle her alcohol well.

After finishing a negotiation, Owen was so drunk he was staggering and leaning on the wall for support.

He ended up throwing up on the side of the road.

Mia quickly bought some water and brought it over.

"I can actually hold my liquor really well. The amount we had tonight would have been no problem for me. You obviously can’t drink that much, so you shouldn’t try to act tough. You’re going to wreck your stomach if you keep this up."

"It’s better for a woman to drink less. You could get taken advantage of. I... I’m fine... UGH..."

Owen heaved again, his face turning deathly pale.

"Are you okay? Maybe we should go to the hospital."

"No... I’m fine."

He felt a little better after he had thrown up almost everything in his stomach.

She also bought some food for him. After eating a little to settle his stomach, he finally felt more comfortable.

"Let me take you home."

Mia was taking him home, but just as they neared his house, he threw up again, soiling her clothes.

"S-So sorry..."

"It’s fine. It’ll come out in the wash."

When the door opened, Aunt Sinclair pulled her inside.

"Dear, hurry and go take a shower. I’ll find some of my clothes for you to change into. Honestly, this boy... Drinking so much when he can’t hold his liquor."

Mia couldn’t exactly leave in her state, so she used the Sinclairs’ bathroom to shower and change into the clean clothes provided.

She had left her purse in the living room, and her phone began to ring incessantly.

Owen picked up her phone and saw the caller ID: Adrian Preston.

On some strange impulse, he answered the call.

"Mia, are you going to visit Grandpa tomorrow...?"

"Adrian, it’s me."

The other end of the line fell into a dead silence.

"Where’s Mia?"

Adrian’s voice was hostile and cold as ice.

"She’s in the shower. Hold on, I’ll get the phone to her."

"She’s in the shower? Where?"

"At my house. We had a few drinks..."

Owen was being deliberately vague.

The line went dead. Adrian had hung up.

He stared at the phone for a long time, his heart pounding, unsure what had just come over him.

Soon after, Mia came out, freshly showered and changed.

"These clothes look so matronly on me, but they look so wonderful on you! It just goes to show, it’s not the clothes, it’s the person!"

"You’re too kind, Aunt Sinclair."

"You two must not have eaten properly during your work dinner. I’ve made some food, so come and sit down and eat."

"I can’t, I really should be getting back..."

"I’ve been wanting to have you over for dinner for ages. It’s rare to have you here, are you going to refuse my hospitality?"

Mia couldn’t refuse such warm hospitality, so she had no choice but to stay for dinner.

She picked up her phone and checked the call history, surprised to see a call from Adrian.

Owen spoke up at the perfect moment. "I was a bit drunk... I meant to bring you the phone, but I accidentally hit the answer button. I think Adrian misunderstood. You should probably clear things up with him later."

"Okay. Did he say why he was calling?"

"He was asking about seeing Grandpa Preston tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Mia sent a text to Adrian: "I’ll be there at ten tomorrow morning. See you then."

She hesitated for a moment, then added another line.

"Owen drank too much tonight, so I was just dropping him home."

She stared at her phone for a moment, but when Adrian didn’t reply, she decided to let it go.

By the time dinner was over, it was already eleven o’clock. Aunt Sinclair absolutely refused to let her, a young woman, go home alone so late. She insisted that either she and Uncle Sinclair would drive Mia home, or she had to stay the night. After all, the guest room was clean and ready, so it wouldn’t be any trouble.

Mia felt it was too much to ask Uncle and Aunt Sinclair to go out so late, so she agreed to stay over.

Aunt Sinclair was extremely fond of her and held her hand while they chatted for a long time. Mia even promised to make her a custom qipao as a gift.

Eventually, Mia became too exhausted to stay awake and went to bed.

Lynn Yates brought a bowl of hangover soup to her son’s room.

He had just showered and looked much more refreshed, but his face was still pale, a clear sign that drinking so much had taken a toll on his stomach.

"Drink this. You’ve never been one for drinking; you always avoid it for work if you can. What’s changed? Are you trying to kill yourself, drinking on that young lady’s behalf?"

"Mom, I was happy to do it."

"I’m not blaming her. Mia’s a good girl, and I like her very much. But... there seem to be some rumors out there. Is it true she was kidnapped...?"

Lynn Yates couldn’t remember where she’d heard it, only that Mia, a young woman, had fallen into the hands of kidnappers. The story didn’t specify what happened, but... regardless of the details, it was the kind of rumor that could tarnish a woman’s reputation.

"So what? She was the victim. Mom, you are never to bring this up in front of her, do you understand?"

"Of course I wouldn’t bring up her painful past. The poor girl has had a tough life. Our family would never hold it against her, but... Mia isn’t single. She’s Adrian Preston’s wife. No matter how much you like her, you need to know when to stop. It just means you two weren’t meant to be, so don’t try to force it."

"Actually, their relationship isn’t strong. If she’s unhappy in that marriage, why shouldn’t she end it? I’m not being nice to her to force her into a divorce. I just want to be the first person she thinks of if she ever does leave him."

"Oh, you!"

Lynn Yates poked her son on the head. "Just listen to yourself. It’s improper. It’s not as if you can’t find a wonderful girl. Why are you so fixated on her?"

"To me, she’s the most wonderful woman in the world. Mom, I love her. I’ve loved her for many, many years, and the feeling hasn’t faded despite all the time we were apart. She’s the only one I’ve ever loved, and she’s the only one I want to be with."

Hearing this, Lynn Yates sighed and said no more to dissuade him.

"Fine, fine. I won’t nag you anymore."

"Mom, if Mia and I do end up together, can you promise me you won’t hold her past against her? It was my fault for being too late... that’s why she had to endure all that unnecessary pain."

"Silly boy. As long as she’s the one you love, of course I’ll treat her like my own daughter. Mia is a wonderful young woman. If we’re fortunate enough for her to become part of our family, I promise I’ll treat her with all the kindness in the world."

Owen was overjoyed to hear his mother’s words.

’I will succeed,’ he thought.

「The next day」

As Mia was getting ready to leave for the nursing home after breakfast, she discovered her car had a flat tire. It was completely undrivable.

Lynn Yates shot a discreet glance at her husband, her eyes filled with approval.

"Mia, dear, you’re in a hurry, aren’t you? It’s not easy to hail a cab this time of day. Why not let Owen give you a ride? Once we get your car fixed, we’ll have him drive it over to you."

"That’s right. The nursing home is on my way to the studio, anyway. It’s no trouble at all. Let me drive you."

Mia glanced at the time. Worried she would keep Grandpa Preston waiting, she nodded in agreement.