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

Owen Sinclair dropped her off at the entrance of the nursing home, only to unexpectedly run into Adrian Preston.

He had also just arrived and was getting out of his car. After recognizing Owen Sinclair’s vehicle, his expression soured.

"Should I get out and explain last night to Adrian Preston? It wouldn’t be good if there’s a misunderstanding."

"No need. He’s not that petty, and he wouldn’t..." ’...care that much about me.’

She left the last few words unsaid.

Owen Sinclair turned his car around and left, and Mia Kane walked toward Adrian.

"Why were you two together?"

"I had a problem with my tire, so I sent it in for repairs. It was hard to get a taxi this morning, so Owen gave me a ride."

"So, you two spent the night together," Adrian Preston said, his voice ice-cold.

"Last night, I was taking Owen home when he threw up on my clothes, so his mother had me clean up before I left. But by then it was too late, and they weren’t comfortable with me going home alone, so they asked me to stay the night. I agreed."

"Why didn’t you call me? I could have picked you up."

"I didn’t want to bother you."

"Mia Kane, I’m your husband. You didn’t want to trouble your husband, but you chose to trouble an outsider instead?"

Adrian’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

Mia Kane pressed her lips together, not answering.

’I don’t want to have any expectations of him right now,’ she thought. ’If you don’t have hope, you can’t be disappointed.’

’Chase Lockwood had hurt me, so when Adrian Preston saved me, I was so grateful I could have cried. I put him on a pedestal, like a god.’

’But during those days when I nearly starved, my mind was surprisingly clear, despite my empty stomach.’

’I had mistaken gratitude for love. I don’t love anyone; I only love myself.’

’You can’t always be thinking about relying on others. You have to become strong on your own and depend on yourself in any desperate situation.’

’If you expect someone else to save you, you’ll be dead before you know what hit you.’

"Adrian, we aren’t a real married couple, so can you please not be so serious? If you’re determined to misunderstand things between me and Owen, then there’s nothing I can do."

"Mia Kane, do you even hear yourself?"

Mia Kane knew she was sounding awful, but she didn’t care anymore.

"Are we going to see Grandfather or not? I don’t want to have these pointless arguments with you."

Growing impatient, she walked into the nursing home ahead of him.

’If he leaves, then I’ll just visit Grandfather by myself,’ she decided.

She hurried to her grandfather’s room.

"Mia, you’re here! I heard you two were coming, so I had the kitchen prepare your favorite foods last night. Stay a little longer today; you can head back after dinner."

"Okay, Grandfather."

"Hm? Where’s that brat? Why isn’t he with you?"

"Something came up at the last minute, so he couldn’t make it. I came to see you by myself."

"You two didn’t get into a fight, did you?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"No, no, Adrian and I are getting along just fine. Why would we fight...?"

Just as she was speaking, Adrian unexpectedly walked in, carrying some things.

Her mouth hung open, and she didn’t know what to say.

’Why is he here? Isn’t he just trying to expose my lie?’

"Didn’t you just say he was too busy to come?"

"Grandfather, we didn’t arrive together," Adrian said.

"You two are a married couple, yet you didn’t come together?"

"Last night, Mia stayed over at a male friend’s house and didn’t come home. This morning, that same male colleague dropped her off. I said a couple of things to her about it, and she started a fight with me. Grandfather, please help me talk some sense into her. I promise I’ll never interfere with her personal space again. I’m begging her, please don’t ignore me."

Mia: "..."

Donovan Preston gave Adrian a strange look, then glanced at Mia, feeling like he was witnessing something impossible.

He wasn’t shocked that Mia had spent the night at a male colleague’s house. He was shocked that Adrian could deliver such a manipulative, woe-is-me speech with a completely straight face, like an emotionless machine reading a broadcast.

’Those words... they sounded so awkward no matter how you heard them.’

"Mia, is what Adrian said true? Did you stay over at a male colleague’s house?"

Under immense pressure, Mia wanted to find a hole to crawl into and disappear.

She hurriedly explained what had happened the previous night.

"Oh, so that’s what happened. While the circumstances are understandable, I still have to criticize you. You are married, after all, so staying at a male colleague’s house is somewhat inappropriate. If it had been a female colleague, I wouldn’t have said a single word."

"Grandfather, it will never happen again."

Mia Kane quickly assured him.

"Grandfather, Mia also said that if I insisted on misunderstanding, there was nothing she could do. Grandfather, am I being too petty?"

Mia and her grandfather both looked as if they’d seen a ghost.

Adrian didn’t look remotely pitiful or wronged. He was just calm and indifferent, his expression showing no flicker of emotion.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees, nearly to freezing.

"You, shut your mouth too,"

the grandfather snapped, unable to bear it any longer. Listening to Adrian was making his skin crawl.

"I’ll scold Mia. You—just act normal."

Adrian frowned. ’Theo Thorne told me to say it just like this,’ he thought. ’What’s wrong with it?’

A moment ago, he had been so angry he’d wanted to just turn around and leave, but he also didn’t want to miss this chance to be alone with Mia Kane.

He knew in his heart that nothing had happened between Mia Kane and Owen Sinclair and that her conscience was clear.

But he still couldn’t control his anger.

He didn’t know how to handle the situation. He didn’t want to give Mia Kane the cold shoulder, but he couldn’t just swallow his anger, so he had contacted Theo Thorne.

Theo Thorne had suggested he tattle to his grandfather.

Adrian had fought back his revulsion to tattle to his grandfather, not expecting to revolt his grandfather in the process.

Adrian sighed helplessly. ’As expected, I’m just not cut out for this sort of thing.’

He turned and headed for the backyard, leaving just the grandfather and granddaughter in the living room.

"Mia, he... he must be at his wit’s end. He wouldn’t have resorted to this otherwise."

The old man covered his face, feeling utterly embarrassed.

’Adrian has never embarrassed me before,’ he thought. ’This is a first. I really don’t want to admit he’s my grandson.’

Mia lowered her head, feeling guilty as well. She hadn’t expected to push Adrian so far that he’d resort to such an unorthodox tactic.

"Mia, you were in the wrong on this. Even if I trust you completely and know you didn’t do anything to cross the line, he’s a man, and he’s your husband. It’s normal for him to be angry. If he stayed over at a female colleague’s house, wouldn’t that bother you? Wouldn’t you be angry?"

"So, you need to apologize to Adrian, understand?"

Hearing this, Mia Kane sighed. When she put herself in his shoes, she had to admit that she was indeed in the wrong.

She couldn’t deny it. ’Forget some random female colleague,’ she thought. ’I get jealous even when it’s just Shannon Preston.’

"I understand, Grandfather."

"You’re a good kid, always quick on the uptake. I trust you’ll handle this well. Go on now, go find Adrian."

Mia Kane got up and went to the backyard.

Adrian Preston was sitting in the pavilion, drinking tea.

Mia slowly shuffled over and sat down beside him.

"What is it?"

Adrian’s voice was crisp and clean, which was finally a relief to hear.

"About last night... I’m sorry. I was being inconsiderate. It was just so late, and I didn’t want to trouble his parents by having them drive me home. I figured since his parents were there and I was staying in a guest room, it would be..."

"It won’t happen again, you can rest assured."

Adrian’s eyes narrowed. ’She made no mention of calling me next time,’ he thought. ’If this happens again, she won’t think of me. She’ll handle it by herself.’

"What will it take for you to not resent me?"