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

Donovan Preston was in a bind, unsure whether he should hand over the phone or not.

He held on to the phone. "Old Mrs. Ziegler, Mia can come, but she has to go with Adrian."

"Why should she? What’s their relationship now? They’re divorced, so they shouldn’t be dragging things out. Your grandson may be shameless, but my Mia still has her dignity to consider."

"Then neither of them are going!"

With that, Donovan Preston hung up.

Mia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The two of them were over 150 years old combined, yet they were bickering like children until they were red in the face.

"Grandpa Donovan, so... am I going or not?"

"Go... If you go, take Adrian with you. And have them bring you back later. I still need you here, child."

"But we’re already divorced."

"Adrian can go pay Old Mrs. Ziegler a visit too, can’t he?"

"But it’s a family dinner."

"He’s thick-skinned; he can go uninvited."

Adrian, who was standing at the door, had a face as black as thunder. He felt like taking a cannon and blasting his grandfather to bits.

"You two hurry up and get ready. It’s not good to keep them waiting too long. I’m tired, so I’m going to rest."

Donovan Preston pulled the blanket tight, rolled over, and pretended to sleep, praying inwardly, ’Don’t look at me, don’t look at me, I’m already asleep... I don’t know anything.’

Mia had no choice but to look at Adrian.

’So, am I going or not?’

"Adrian, I..."

"Get ready. We’re leaving together."

"You’re going too?"

"I’m thick-skinned. I’ll be going uninvited."

Adrian seemed to say this through gritted teeth.

Donovan Preston trembled.

Adrian went with her, and the atmosphere in the car was heavy and oppressive, almost suffocating.

Mia slowly began to realize something. "You... you don’t want me to go to my grandmother’s family dinner, do you?"

"No. You’re free to go wherever you want."

’But he could subtly guide her decision.’

Mia pouted. ’A man who can’t be honest is so tiresome.’

They arrived rather late, by which time most of the Lynchs were already there.

Relatives living in Argent had all come to celebrate.

Chase Lockwood had arrived earlier and saw that the kitchen was already bustling with activity. Many relatives were in the living room drinking tea and chatting, all gathered around the family matriarch.

He subconsciously scanned the room for a familiar figure, but after looking around, he didn’t see Mia.

’Hasn’t she arrived yet? Did something happen on the way?’

His grandmother noticed that while Chase Lockwood was physically present, his mind was elsewhere.

He was the most successful of his generation in the family, and many people tried to curry favor with him, but he was clearly uninterested.

Seeing this, his grandmother called him aside.

"Why are you so distracted?"

"It’s nothing."

"Where’s your wife? Why didn’t she come?"

"She’s still recovering from the miscarriage, so I didn’t want her to make the trip. I was worried she’d hear people talking about children and get upset."

Chase Lockwood wasn’t heartless; deep down, he still cared for Vivian.

His grandmother nodded in agreement. Though she wasn’t fond of her grandson’s wife, she knew a miscarriage took a heavy toll on a woman’s body.

"About Mia..."

His grandmother had thought of something and was just about to bring up Mia when, to her surprise, Chase cut her off with a serious expression.

"Grandma, even though Mia’s divorced now, my relationship with Vivian isn’t over. I’m not going to divorce Vivian to marry Mia. I was the one who insisted on marrying Vivian, and I have to protect her for the rest of her life. I can’t entertain thoughts of divorce just because she had a miscarriage."

He couldn’t let go of Mia, but it hadn’t reached the point where he would divorce Vivian to marry her.

Hearing this, his grandmother wanted nothing more than to roll her eyes at him.

All she had wanted to say was that Mia might bring Adrian with her, and she didn’t want Chase to cause a scene.

She had heard that Chase and Adrian had a falling-out over the miscarriage, and she didn’t want the family dinner to turn ugly.

But Chase was so full of himself, assuming she was still stubbornly trying to play matchmaker for him.

’Matchmaker my ass,’ she thought. ’He should take a piss and look at his own reflection to see if he’s even worthy anymore. Even I, his own grandmother, think he’s disgustingly filthy.’

"You’re thinking too much. I had absolutely no intention of setting you two up."

"N-No?" Hearing this, Chase felt thoroughly embarrassed.

"You think you’re some great catch? If I had a daughter and she wanted to marry you, I’d break her legs! What I was trying to say is that Adrian will be coming with Mia later. I don’t care about the bad blood between you two, but don’t you dare start a fight in my house."

"Adrian? They’re divorced. What’s he coming for? This is a family dinner. What right does he have to be here?"

Chase Lockwood’s expression darkened.

"So they can’t come together just because they’re divorced?"

His grandmother retorted.

"Of course! They’re divorced, which means they have no relationship. Why is he still shamelessly clinging to her? Does he have no dignity at all?"

Hearing this, his grandmother’s expression turned cold. She confronted him, "Oh, so you *do* know that people should keep their distance after a split. You and Mia broke up long ago, and you have a wife now. So why are you still stringing Mia along?"

"Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on just because I’m not always in the country. You couldn’t let Mia go, so how much trouble have you stirred up for her? You think I don’t know? Since you’ve broken up, have some dignity and stop meddling in her life."

"Grandma, that’s different... Divorce is more serious. That should be a clean break..."

"And you’re married! You’re even more shameless than Adrian, eating from your own bowl while eyeing what’s in the pot!"

"Grandma, I’m not like that."

But Chase’s words rang hollow.

His grandmother shot him a glare. "You’d better be on your best behavior later. When the dinner is over, take some restorative foods back for your wife. I may not be fond of her, but as long as she doesn’t stir up any trouble, I can tolerate her presence."

After his grandmother left, Chase felt a wave of shame wash over him. He had actually thought she was stubbornly trying to play matchmaker.

And while he would have refused, the fact that his grandmother had no such intention left a bitter taste in his mouth.

’Am I not better than Adrian?’

’Adrian has a fiancée, yet he’s here with his ex-wife at someone else’s family dinner. He’s the one who’s truly shameless!’

’At least I only got close to Mia after Vivian agreed to it.’

’But would Charlotte agree to Adrian getting entangled with his ex-wife again?’

Chase was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice a maid carrying a tray of tea as she crossed the courtyard.

The tea spilled all over Chase’s suit jacket.

The maid was terrified and apologized profusely.

"I’m so sorry, Young Master Lockwood, I didn’t mean to..."

"It’s fine. It was my fault for not paying attention."

"Young Master Lockwood, if you give me your jacket, I can go clean it for you."

Getting a new suit jacket at such short notice wasn’t practical, and one bought last-minute might not match his trousers. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Only a small patch was wet; if it was dried and ironed, the stain wouldn’t be noticeable.

The maid took his jacket. "Um... could you please not tell anyone? They’ll dock my pay... Young Master Lockwood, I’m begging you."

Chase nodded. There was no need to make things difficult for her over such a small matter.

The maid’s face immediately lit up with a brilliant smile.

Chase watched her, somewhat entranced. Mia used to smile at him like that, but he had taken it for granted back then.

Now, whenever Mia saw him, her expression was either indifferent or hostile. It had been a long time since she had truly smiled at him.

At this thought, it felt as if a large, invisible hand was squeezing his heart, making it hard to breathe.

"How long will this take?"

"Not long. Just ten minutes or so."

"Alright, I’ll go with you. I’ll put it on as soon as it’s ready."

The maid nodded and led him to the drying room.

He had barely left when Vivian Lynch stormed in, furious.

"Mrs. Lockwood?"

A servant spotted her.

"Where are Chase and Mia?"

Vivian’s tone was accusatory. She scanned the room but couldn’t find either of them.

"Young Master Lockwood? I think he just went over there with someone?"

"Someone? A man or a woman?"

"A woman, I think."