Page 62 of The Substitute Fiancée

Kristel stares back at me, her eyes blazing with resentment.

I hold her gaze.

“Here’s a reality check, Kristel. Life is unfair. No matter what cards life deals you, what matters is the work you do on yourself—the choices you make with what you’re given. If you choose hatred, you reap hatred. Sam was mistreated by her family too, but she chose to remain luminous. That’s the difference between the two of you.”

“It was always her!” she spits.

“Yes,” I say simply. “Because she never lied to me. Because she never manipulated me. Because with her, I get to be myself. And if you spent less time watching Sam and more time building your own life, maybe you wouldn’t be so bitter. And less alone.”

“I’ll get my revenge,” she hisses, her eyes burning with fury. “You’ll both regret this.”

“I already regret it,” I say calmly. “I regret not seeing who you really were. I regret losing three years of my life with someone who used me to hurt her own sister. I regret every kiss. Every promise.”

My voice hardens.

“But you know what? I’m glad you cheated on me. Thank you for opening my eyes. Thanks to that, I’m finally free of your manipulation. Of your toxicity.”

She raises her hand to slap me, her face twisted with rage. I block her easily, gripping her wrist firmly but without brutality.

“Don’t even try,” I say as I release her.

I look at her one last time. The woman I thought I loved. The woman I thought I knew. I feel nothing now. No love. No hatred. Just an immense weariness—and a deep relief that it’s over.

“Goodbye, Kristel. I sincerely hope you find peace someday.”

I leave her there, in that dark courtyard, and head back into the restaurant. My hands tremble slightly. I pause for a moment, take a deep breath, straighten my shoulders, and return to the dining room. I need to be calm for Sam.

Kristel’s friends are gone. Sam is back at the table, her dress still slightly damp. When she sees me, her eyes search mine—questioning, worried.

I walk over to her and gently rest my hands on her shoulders. She looks up at me, and I see all her questions, all her fears.

“Are you okay?” she asks softly.

“Yes.”

Then I lean down and whisper in her ear.

“Come home with me tonight.”

“Let’s go,” she replies without hesitation.

We say goodbye to Oliver, David, and their partners.

In the car, I keep one hand on Sam’s thigh as I drive. Emelyne and Mara, in the back seat, respect our silence.

I drop the two sisters off in front of their building. Emelyne holds Sam’s hand for a long moment.

“Call me if you need anything, okay?” she says.

“Always.”

When we pull away, alone in the car, the silence grows heavier. More charged. Sam finally speaks, her voice hesitant.

“We heard you,” she says. “Emelyne and I. When we were in the restroom. Do you want to talk about it?”

I keep my eyes on the road for a moment, then say quietly,

“When I think that she knew you loved me—and seduced me because of it…”