Destiny of the Substitute Bride
3. Becoming a Substitute Bride.

Bella had just finished her show off, when Oliver, the Werner family's private driver, suddenly came and knocked on the girl's bedroom door.

He even had to rush to put on his clothes so that Oliver would not wait too long.

Bella was actually surprised by Oliver's arrival at home. Because, at this time he should be driving his father and adoptive mother, along with all the invited guests to one of the Kendrick family-owned hotels, to carry out a lunch that is also held in private.

However, why did Oliver suddenly come home and meet him?

"Miss, you're being asked to come with me to church right now." That's a line that breaks from Oliver's words, when Bella asks why the man came home.

Bella frowned. The time of blessing should have been over, but why were they still there?

"What's wrong, sir? Wasn't I forbidden to go there?" ask the girl in wonder.

"Sorry Miss, I'm not allowed to answer. You can find out directly, when you get there later. It was the Master and Madam who asked me to pick you up" Oliver replied courteously.

Bella was silent. For some reason, suddenly his feelings were filled with discomfort when he heard Oliver's answer.

Why did his father and foster mother ask the girl to go there? He might not be surprised by his father's attitude, but his mother? What a strange thing, when this morning Jessica clearly asked herself not to go anywhere.

Suddenly, Bella's head was filled with questions.

However, despite having a mountain of uncomfortable feelings that roll filled her heart, Bella still complies with Oliver's request. Remember, no matter what the mother's orders are absolute to her.

Not wanting to make Oliver wait a long time, the girl rushed to change his clothes with the best clothes he had, before then joining Oliver to the church, the place where the brother's wedding is going on right now.

Arriving at the churchyard, Oliver immediately escorted Bella in through the back door to a separate building.

"Sir, isn't the church in front? Why are we here?" Bella couldn't help but ask questions. Both are now walking into the hallway of the building.

Oliver ignores Bella's questions. The large-looking man continued to step inside towards the only door that was there.

A few pairs of eyes immediately highlighted the arrival of Bella who had just appeared, not least with Noah and Jessica.

Bella was already used to having such a view from the two of them, just that it seemed like today it looked a little different.

"Ma—maaf Ma, I don't want to come here. I just obeyed Papa and Mama's orders through Mr. Oliver's." A little panicked, Bella tried to explain to Jessica the reason for coming to the place.

"Bella's." Suddenly Harold came to him.

"Yes, Pa," replied Bella.

A gentle smile emerged from the father's face. That was the only warmth Bella could only get during her stay with the Werner family.

"You know, Papa loves you very much, right?" harold asked as he stroked Bella's long hair.

Bella nodded without hesitation. "I know very well" he replied straightforwardly.

Bella was silent for a moment. It seemed like the words that had just been thrown out of Harold's mouth were a little scary as well as confusing.

"Yes, Pa." Bella can only nod her head.

Harold then held Bella's hand with compassion and hope. "Marry Noah." A line of short sentences just slid from the mouth of the man who had raised him.

Enough words made the twenty-seven-year-old girl's chest tighten instantly. The great atmosphere created in this sacred place, even completely unable to eliminate the feeling of the glass that began to mount high.

Bella's legs faltered. The marble floor he was treading at the moment, as if it was not much different from the living mud that could at any time swallow him inside.

It felt much better than facing the conversation that the father had just made, right? Inner Bella screamed.

Knowing the reaction of his adopted daughter, Harold also tried to give a brief explanation of the departure of Maria, who should be Noah's bride today.

It took time for Bella to decide everything, but neither the organizers nor Harold himself could give her a chance to think. In that second, Bella was also required to answer directly.

...**********...

The guests, who had been waiting for the two brides, now stood up to greet Noah who had appeared and stood gallantly on the altar. The man bowed briefly to the guests as an apology for having waited for so long.

Two minutes later, the door of the church opened. However, instead of seeing the figure of Maria walking on a stretch of red carpet, the guests actually found a beautiful figure of a foreign girl that they had never seen.

Not only that made the guests surprised, but also the appearance of Harold who took the girl and drove her to Noah.

Along the way to the altar, Bella was only able to bow to avoid the gazes of the guests. The girl was already quite depressed with her father, and she did not want to get it from the guests anymore.

"Thank you, honey. Papa hopes, Noah and your mother can be more accepting of your existence after this," Harold said in a soft voice.

Bella looked at her father with pushy eyes.

That's impossible, Pa! he said in his heart. The girl still vividly remembered how the look in the eyes of the two of them, a second after she had agreed to Harold's request.

Bella nodded while commenting on the thin smile on the father. Many times he said a sentence in his heart, that the decision he made was one of his forms of dedication to Harold who had been willing to accommodate and raise himself up to this moment.

Both arrived at the altar. Harold hands Bella's hand to Noah and guides the girl to stand next to him.

There was no happiness reflected on the faces of the two men. In fact, after both of them finished pronouncing the wedding vows, they still wore the same facial expression.

Although the man finally landed a kiss on Bella's lips, it was nothing more than a series of processions. Because, right after Noah gave the kiss, he whispered cynically in Bella's ear. "This marriage is not of my will. So, never act like you're my wife!"

Bella tried to stay upright, even though her legs were shaking violently. Instead of getting hurt and crying, the girl put on the sweetest smile she had.

No one knows but Noah that Bella is playing her part.