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

The maid had only caught a glimpse from afar and couldn’t make out the details, but since Vivian Lynch had asked, she had to answer.

Upon hearing this, Vivian Lynch felt all the blood rush to her head.

’She knew it. He didn’t want her to come, yet he invited this outsider to the family banquet. It was all just to make things convenient for those two.’

’That old hag never liked me. She knows I’m still recovering from my miscarriage and can’t sleep with Chase Lockwood, so she’s trying to use this opportunity to help Mia Kane take my place.’

’Otherwise, why would she come back now of all times? She just had to pick a time when my body is weak.’

’A conspiracy. It’s all a conspiracy!’

Vivian Lynch stormed off in the direction the maid had pointed. Someone had already informed Orchie Ziegler, and the old woman frowned the moment she heard Vivian Lynch had arrived.

"Where did she go?"

"She went to the laundry room."

"Help me over. Tell everyone to stay here and enjoy themselves. They don’t need to come over."

’After all, this wasn’t the Lockwood estate, but her husband’s family home—her younger son’s house.’

’Most of the guests were from her side of the family, along with relatives from her husband’s side. She refused to be made a laughingstock because of Vivian Lynch.’

The old woman took a shortcut through the back door, getting there a step ahead of her.

"Chase?"

She knocked on the door.

Chase Lockwood opened the door, a confused look on his face. "Grandma, what are you doing here?"

The old woman glanced inside. The two of them were fully dressed, and Chase Lockwood was holding a cup of hot tea.

"What are you..."

"A young maid dirtied my clothes. They’re in the dryer. I’ll head to the front hall as soon as they’re ready."

"Do you have any idea that your wife..."

Before the old woman could finish, Vivian Lynch arrived.

She saw that Chase Lockwood wasn’t wearing his jacket and his tie was slightly crooked. Since this room was so far from the guests in the front hall, her mind inevitably started racing.

Moreover, she had watched with her own eyes as the old woman came over first, seemingly to warn the pair to make a run for it.

"What are you doing here?"

Chase Lockwood’s brows furrowed tightly, his displeasure obvious.

"You dare ask me why I’m here?" Vivian Lynch’s face flushed with rage as she pointed a trembling finger at Chase Lockwood. "Is Mia Kane in there? Are you two messing around behind my back?"

"Shut your mouth! Do you have any idea what you’re saying?"

The old woman was furious.

"Of course I know what I’m saying! You’re just upset because I’ve exposed you. Don’t you dare say this wasn’t your idea. Why else would you invite someone as insignificant as Mia Kane to your family banquet? You’re a shameless old woman, encouraging your own grandson to have an affair!"

"You... you..." The old woman was so angry her lips trembled.

Chase Lockwood, however, was beyond furious. He slapped her across the face.

"How dare you hit me! Chase Lockwood, you’ve really changed. You hit me... for Mia Kane."

"Get out of here right now. Stop making a fool of yourself." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"No! I’m going to catch you in the act! I want everyone from both our families to see what an ungrateful bastard you are, Chase Lockwood! And you," she snarled at the old woman, "you shameless hag, creating opportunities for your married grandson to have a little fun on the side!"

’As long as I can drag Mia Kane out of there, the truth will come out.’

’If they’re going to be shameless, then so will I. Let everyone see. Then Chase Lockwood and the old woman will be the ones in the wrong.’

’Everyone will pity me. I lost my child, and now my husband’s family is treating me like this.’

She burst into the laundry room, just in time to see someone climbing onto the windowsill, attempting to escape.

She only caught a glimpse of a slender, frail back—it was unmistakably Mia Kane.

"Don’t you run! Stop right there!"

Vivian Lynch roared.

The person tumbled from the window, clearly twisting their ankle, and could no longer run.

Vivian Lynch gloated inwardly. ’So, Mia Kane, your day has finally come.’

She yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Everyone, come look! Chase Lockwood is having a secret affair while married! He’s cheating on his wife while she’s recovering from a miscarriage! And his own grandmother, instead of stopping him, is helping them create opportunities! Everyone, come and see!"

In an instant, all the guests from the front hall had gathered.

"Vivian Lynch, have you lost your mind?"

"Have I lost my mind? Or have you just gone too far? I’m already in this state, and you’re still messing around behind my back! Have you no conscience?"

Chase Lockwood’s expression was ghastly, and his grandmother was so enraged she nearly passed out.

"I am not having an affair. A maid spilled something on my clothes, so I brought them here to dry. They’ll be ready in a minute. Vivian Lynch, can you please stop making a scene?"

"You don’t even bother to come up with a good lie anymore, do you? Let me tell you all, the woman Chase Lockwood is cheating with is named Mia Kane! They were together for three years, and they’re still not over each other even after he married me. It’s not Chase Lockwood’s fault; it’s that bitch Mia Kane who’s so manipulative. She’s stringing along Adrian Preston of the Preston Group with one hand while keeping things ambiguous with Chase Lockwood with the other."

"A home-wrecker like her should be condemned by everyone..."

Vivian Lynch was still in the middle of her tirade when she suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.

Her eyes met Mia Kane’s. Her own eyes widened, filled with utter shock.

Her voice died abruptly, making her look ridiculous.

Mia Kane was standing in the crowd, right next to Adrian Preston.

’Then who was the person who fell out of the window?’

"Mia Kane, what are you doing here?"

She pointed an angry finger at Mia Kane.

Mia Kane found the situation laughable. "I just got here. If I weren’t here, where else would I be?"

"Impossible... that’s impossible..."

Vivian Lynch marched over furiously and hauled up the woman from below the window.

It really wasn’t Mia Kane.

"Ma’am, I wasn’t trying to seduce Young Master Lockwood! It’s my first day, and I accidentally got his clothes wet. I was just trying to dry them, that’s all. I really wasn’t trying to seduce him... When you were outside, I got scared, that’s why I tried to run."

"That’s still seduction! Even if you’re not Mia Kane, you did it on purpose. You deliberately got his clothes wet and lured him here. A man and a woman, all alone... what were you trying to do? Isn’t it obvious?"

"You little home-wrecker, you must be desperate for a man..."

Whether out of shame-fueled anger or something else, Vivian Lynch raised her hand to strike, but Chase Lockwood caught her wrist in a vice-like grip.

Chase Lockwood’s face was ice-cold. She had never seen such a cold, merciless look in his eyes. He looked at her not with a trace of affection, but with a gaze full of venomous cruelty!

"Have you had enough?" he said. "I followed her here myself. I figured it would only take ten minutes, and it’s rude to walk around in just a dress shirt."

"You. You’re coming with me. Now."

Chase Lockwood dragged her away with brute force. Vivian Lynch knew he was utterly furious, and a sense of dread washed over her.

After her miscarriage, she had become extremely sensitive and paranoid. Her body was still recovering; her stomach was loose and saggy, there was an ugly scar, and the constant postpartum bleeding left a faint, bloody smell around her. She was terrified that Chase Lockwood would be disgusted by her because of it.

This made her even more fixated on Mia Kane. She hadn’t taken Mia seriously before, confident that she had Chase Lockwood wrapped around her finger.

But now, she saw Mia as a major threat. Any whisper or rumor about her felt like a declaration of war.

"Chase, you’re hurting me..."

Vivian Lynch said pitifully, trying to struggle, but it was no use.

He threw her into the car, and she landed in a dazed heap.

"It hurts..."

Chase Lockwood said nothing. His face grim, he slammed his foot on the gas and sped off.

Sensing the tense atmosphere in the car, Vivian Lynch quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Chase... I don’t know what’s wrong with me. After the miscarriage... I feel like I’m possessed or something. I’m not myself anymore."

"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just thought you and Mia Kane..."

"Mia Kane and Adrian Preston got divorced. I was scared she’d come back for you. I only acted that way because I care about you so much..."

"You care about me?"

Chase Lockwood slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the side of the road. His voice was laced with sarcasm.

"Is this how you show you care? By ruining the family banquet?"