(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

That figure approached and stood at the slightly ajar door, gazing at Gerald with a worried expression.

“Gerald, you okay?” she asked, her voice filled with panic.

Instead of answering, Gerald glared back at the woman through the glass, his eyes filled with anger. “What are you doing here, Shelma?” he accused, his eyes pointedly locked on the mirror in front of him. The woman attempted to step closer before Gerald extended his left hand, silently instructing her not to approach. “Don’t come any closer, your scent makes me nauseous!” he rasped. As Gerald took a breath, he felt the unbearable nausea return. God, his throat was really burning now.

“Gerald?” the woman spoke softly. However, her call was drowned out by Gerald’s retching.

“Yosef!” Gerald shouted loudly. He clutched his stomach, feeling the tension. “Yosef!!!” he yelled even louder.

“Yes, sir,” Yosef came hurriedly. He stood at the doorway right next to Shelma, who was looking at Gerald with a furrowed brow and a scornful expression.

“Take that woman away from here. Her smell makes me sick!” he said, sitting weakly on the closed toilet seat. Both of his hands massaged his temples, trying to get rid of the throbbing pain that refused to go away. “And get her scent out of my room, now!” he ordered, which Yosef acknowledged.

“Come on, Miss,” Yosef requested. He politely gestured for Shelma to comply with Gerald’s wishes. Shelma glanced at Gerald before turning her gaze to Yosef with an accusing look. She stomped her foot harshly on the floor before walking out of the room.

“What’s wrong, Gerald?” the soft voice came from Mrs. Rosaline. She stood where Shelma had been standing before.

“Nothing,” Gerald replied weakly. He tried to get up but his knees felt weak. He ended up plopping back onto the cold toilet seat and rubbing his temples again after wiping his face roughly. “I just…” he said. “I don’t know,” he said wearily, his slumped shoulders even more slouched.

Gerald rested his head against the wall behind him. His eyes were still closed, but he could feel when Mrs. Rosaline approached and gently squeezed her grandson’s shoulders. “Are you sick? Should we go to the doctor?” she asked again.

Gerald shook his head, lifting the corner of his mouth. “I’m fine, Grandma,” he answered sarcastically. “Just need a little moment to rest,” he said softly.

“Gerald?” Mrs. Rosaline called softly. Eventually, Gerald opened his eyes and locked eyes directly with his grandmother. The old woman could see Gerald’s eyes turning red. Not from anger, clearly not from the vomiting either. But his eyes were red from trying to hold back tears. Tears of pain, tears of longing, tears of love. “If you miss Ariana so much, why don’t you go to her?” she inquired.

“After she aborted our child?” Gerald snorted disgustedly. “What’s the point?” he asked more to himself.

“To talk,” Mrs. Rosaline said softly. “Grandma knows you want to keep her by your side. Otherwise, you wouldn’t make your divorce with her so complicated.”Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“I did it because I didn’t want her to be happy so easily after making me suffer, Grandma,” Gerald said sharply.

“If you really hated her that much, Grandma knows you could be even more cruel than that,” Mrs. Rosaline reminded.

Gerald chuckled. “So what does Grandma think?”

“Grandma thinks you still want her. You miss her. You love her. And more than that, you forgave her even though you know she made a mistake with that baby, didn’t you?” Mrs. Rosaline probed. “I don’t know,” Gerald replied sorrowfully.

He tried to stand up again. He stood tall in front of his grandmother and walked back to his room with his remaining strength. Somehow Yosef managed to remove Shelma’s scent; now, it was Ariana’s perfume that Gerald smelled there. A scent he had missed so much.

Gerald instantly looked at his grandmother walking behind him. “Why is this perfume still here?” he asked accusingly. Mrs. Rosaline just shrugged in response.

“Stop holding onto your ego, Gerald. If you really want her, go to her and convince her. Maybe that’s what she needs from you,” Mrs. Rosaline said earnestly.

Gerald sat on his bed, snorting. What kind of foolish advice was that? he asked himself. “As if I haven’t done that all this time,” he muttered dully. “As if I haven’t begged for her love and attention. She never believed. She was never sure if I loved her. Why? Because she didn’t love me,” Gerald said angrily.

“But that’s not what Grandma sees in her,” Mrs. Rosaline replied softly.

Gerald raised his head and looked at his grandmother with a mocking gaze. The elderly woman in front of him seemed to have lost her sensitivity. Yet she was someone who could be said to be good at reading people’s minds.

“If that’s the case, what does Grandma see in her? Love? Or disgust?” Gerald challenged.

“Neither,” Mrs. Rosaline replied softly. She sat down next to Gerald on the bed. For a moment, she bowed her head, her two fingers, wrinkled with age, appeared to twist. Gerald could hear her taking a deep, not-so-graceful breath before exhaling it quite loudly. “Whatever Ariana feels for you, it’s her right to say it directly to you,” she answered wearily. “Grandma is curious,” Mrs. Rosaline said softly. “Honestly, this is the first time Grandma has seen you fall in love with a woman.”

“Yes, and unfortunately I fell in love with a woman who has no heart,” Gerald interjected with his sharp tone.

Mrs. Rosaline shook her head again. “No, dear. Not like that,” Mrs. Rosaline said worriedly.

Gerald looked at his grandmother with a confused furrowed brow. What was wrong with this elderly woman in front of him? Mrs. Rosaline wasn’t the type to be nervous. She wasn’t the type of woman to hesitate. She usually acted with certainty or not at all. And this time, Gerald saw her in a dilemma- or fear? Was that what Gerald saw on her face right now?

“You and Grandma know why we agreed to Isidora’s plan to marry you to Karenina. It’s because of Axel,” she said softly. “Let’s consider all of this just a game. You get married to gain custody of Axel, so when Karenina is absent, and Ariana appears. Grandma still thought, ‘Okay, everything will be fine. Your marriage is your business, and Axel’s affairs will be my responsibility.’ That’s what was on my mind back then.

But when I first saw Ariana, saw the hatred in her eyes for Caitlyn, Grandma knew something was wrong. But for some reason, my feelings told me that I liked her. Everything about her, her demeanor, reminded me of your late mother.” Mrs. Rosaline said with a tear falling from the corner of her eye.