Chapter 2 A Substitute

The staff at the City Hall adjusted his spectacles, peering at the copy of the marriage certificate again and again.

At last, he spoke. "Ma'am, the document you've presented is counterfeit. Our records show no marriage registration whatsoever between you and Mr. Colin Palmer."

Brinley stiffened when she heard this.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came; her lips only twitched.

"This... this can't be," she finally muttered, her voice almost inaudible. "We were married here... two years ago..."

The staff shook his head, looking sympathetic. "I'm sorry, but this is the truth: I can't find any information about your marriage in our system. If you believe you've been deceived, it's best to report the matter to the authorities."

Nodding stiffly, Brinley accepted the copy of the marriage certificate as he handed it back to her.

Her fingers trembled when they brushed its edge.

The document she had treasured for the past two years turned out to be fake. How preposterous!

Outside the City Hall, Brinley halted on the steps, her head dizzyingly light.

She needed time. She needed somewhere quiet to untangle the storm of thoughts threatening to consume her.

She wandered into a small café nearby and ordered an iced black coffee, strong and bitter.

The sharp taste filled her mouth, but it could not compare to the bitterness clawing at her heart.

At that very moment, her phone lit up with a message from Colin. "Brinley, what would you like for dinner tonight? I'll pick something up after work."

A surge of nausea rose within her as Brinley stared at the message on her screen.

Drawing in a shaky breath, she typed, "Don't worry. I'll cook."

Almost instantly, Collin replied, "Alright. I'll be home on time after work."

Brinley didn't respond.

Instead, she checked the clock; it was half past three.

Then she decided to pay a visit to Colin's office without informing him beforehand.

His tech firm was located in a modern tower on the east side of the city.

She had delivered him lunch there many times, enough that the receptionist recognized her at once and greeted her with a smile, waving her through.

The elevator carried her to the 28th floor, and she stepped out, following the familiar path toward Colin's office.

But as she rounded a corner, the sound of his familiar voice drifted from the break room. "I'm conflicted, but you know... I just can't let go of Milly."

Brinley stopped in her tracks, her body stiffening as though the world itself had frozen around her.

Quietly, she backed up and pressed herself against a column, straining to listen.

"What do you intend to do, then?" a man asked.

Brinley recognized the voice immediately. It belonged to Vance Graham, Colin's close friend.

"Are you planning to stay with Brinley while marrying Milly Russell? Colin, that's not fair."

The words struck Brinley like a violent blow. She had to grasp the wall for balance.

Milly Russell? Who was she? Colin was marrying that woman?

Each word felt like a blade slicing into her chest.

"I know it isn't fair," Colin admitted with a weary sigh. "But when Milly left to pursue her career abroad, I was heartbroken. Then Brinley came along... she reminded me so much of Milly that dating her finally brought healing to my broken heart."

Brinley bit her lower lip until she tasted the metallic tang of blood. She reminded him of Milly?

So that was what she was? A substitute?