I Married My Mother's Lover As A Stand-In Bride

"Why are they not finished yet? The wedding is about to start!" Amelia Lawson screamed, tugging her hair in frustration. Why hadn't her mother just let Jane decorate instead of these people?

'I want everything to be perfect Lia.' Her mother's voice in her head replied to her and she hissed.

They didn't even know their jobs. The finished decorations were tacky and sloppy looking.

*Jane would have done a better job.*

Amelia touched one of the roses and sighed. "Jane's would have done better."

*Perhaps there was something Jane could do before it was too late.* She thinks.

Pulling her phone from the only pocket in her shorts, she dialed Jane's number and got her voicemail the first two times. 'Pick up Jane.'

Jane eventually answered on the fourth ring and Amelia sighed in relief. "It's the esteemed maid of honor. To what do I owe the honor?"

Amelia rolled her eyes, fighting back a smile as her best friend laughed at her sorry excuse for a joke. She would have given into the laughter on a different occasion but right now, she was pressed for time.

The wedding had been slated for 10am and it was twelve minutes past 9, meaning she had less than an hour to see to the last minute arrangements and then get ready.

She is the maid of honor and maid of honor never shows up late.

"Lia?"

"Sorry, I spaced out. Hey, do you think you could get here now, the decorations are all wrong."

There was silence on the other end and Lia wondered if her friend had hung up on her. "Jane Austin, I'm in a bit of a pickle here."

"Sure Lia, I'll get there now. I was actually headed there already."

Best friend to the rescue!

****

"And that's the last one of them." Jane smiled, placing the last of the paper roses she had made inside the vase.

Lia watched her wordlessly, not sure how to thank her. Jane had truly saved the day. Gone were the tacky, unprofessional decorations and now they all looked right, beautiful and perfect.

"What do you think Lia? Did I do any better than those guys?"

Lia just laughed and pulled her into a warm fuzzy hug. "You did great."

Jane groaned and pulled away glaring at her. "Don't get all emotional on me now, you're not even dressed yet!"

Lia laughed and blinked, fighting the tears. "I will get to it now. I had to see to the decorations first. Mr Fernando paid alot of money for this, shouldn't he get the value?"

"Indeed. Well the wedding decorations have been saved but if you don't get changed now, the wedding might need saving!" She replied shooing her away.

Lia blew her kisses and ran off in the direction of her room.

The wedding was taking place at the Dreams Hotel, the place her mother and Mr Fernando had their first date. Her room wasn't just the regular room, it was a freaking suite!

Lia chuckled as she remembered how she had reacted when the manager led her to the room.

****

"This is my room?" Amélia choked, unable to hide her shock and surprise. Sure she knew Mr Fernando was rich but she did not expect this.

She did hope for a regular room, after all it was just so she could be close to the wedding venue.

"Yes ma'am. Your mother and her fiancée have their own suites as well."

"Separately of course." The manager added the last part quickly afraid of what Amelia would think.

Amelia for sure, felt her mother was free to do whatever she liked. Besides she was in love and people in love did stuff.

She didn't want to think about what her mother was 'doing' with her fiancée anyway.

"That's okay. She's a grownup." Came her reply with a wink on top, causing the manager to blush a beet red colour.

*******

"It's all good, I enjoyed the one time I had with you." Amelia whispered to the beautiful stall as she wrapped a towel around her body. Thinking of all the good baths she had.

Reluctantly, she stepped out of the bathroom shutting the door after her.

Leaning against the wall of the hotel room, she sighed sadly.., taking in its beauty. She would definitely miss the suite.

Going home after the wedding would be going back to her old boring shower head that only gave cold water baths. And of course her less cozy, spectacular room.

"Alright, time to get ready."

Lia stood in front of her wardrobe staring at her dress for the wedding. She had picked a style that wasn't too simple or extra. It was a gown with an off shoulder bodice while the rest of it was fitted then flared from the hips down.

She slipped into her gown carefully, mindful of the zipper. *There would be no zipper emergency!*

She spun in front of the mirror and felt proud of her look. She looked beautiful.

Her mother would look like a Disney Princess in her own dress. Lia could only hope her mother was ready. Her mother wasn't the fastest dresser there was.

She picked up her phone and dialed her mother's number several times with no luck. The line was unreachable.

Lia chuckled to herself as she went to get her shoes. Her mother would never change. "I guess I'd have to go there personally and get her."

Lia walked out of the room and slipped into the hallway where she had kept her shoes.

She bent to pick it up and stopped halfway when someone knocked on the door.

It was probably Jane checking on her to make sure she was ready. The maid of honor couldn't be late to a wedding.

It was Jane but she didn't look too concerned about Lia's level of readiness. She looked incredibly worried about something.

*Had something else gone wrong with the planning? The caterer maybe?* Amelia panicked.

"Jane? What's going on?" Lia asked as she stepped aside letting her friend walk in.

Jane would have fallen just as in love with the suite as she had if she had stayed the night. Her fiancée had just arrived last night from a two weeks trip so Lia understood.

"You should sit down for this." Jane murmured, pulling out a chair for her.

"What's going on? Is it Austin? You're scaring me." Lia asked, letting out a chuckle that sounded as fake as the synthetic press on her nails, she had taken great pain to set on her fingers last night.

"You have to sit first."

Lia nodded and gulped taking the chair Jane offered. "What's wrong? Is it Austin?"

"Fernando can't reach your mother." Jane dropped.

"I can't too, probably because her phone is dead or something. I don't know if she has a thing against charging a phone." Lia said laughing and Jane sighed.

"Her suite is empty. I think your mother...."

Jane didn't get to finish her sentence before Lia was out the door running down the hallway barefoot. She didn't care who was looking or how she looked with her hair flying in every direction.

Her mother had gone missing!

***

"I don't understand this. My mum was so excited about the wedding, she couldn't have run off. Something is wrong, I can feel it." Lia sobbed, her tears blinding her vision.

Jane pulled her close and Lia would have thanked her if she had the strength to speak, but she didn't so she just placed her head on Jane's shoulders and cried.

She pulled away after some minutes, to acknowledged her mother's fiancée for the first time since she walked into the room. "Mr Fernando, I'm so sorry about this. I promise you my mum would never do this on purpose. I think something is wrong."

She sniffed and blinked back tears. This had to be a prank. *Where are the cameras?*

"I mean my mum has been talking about this wedding nonstop. Since you proposed, it was all she could think or talk about."

Fernando shrugged nonchalantly in response and Lia narrowed her eyes. He was acting like he didn't care.

"That's all well and good but what will happen now Amelia? Your mother has run off and I am left looking like an idiot on my wedding day."

"I'll be outside, Lia." Jane slipped out after giving her hands a gentle squeeze but she almost missed it.

Lia felt she had been slapped. Gone was the loving man her mother had brought home for the past three years. The man who had paid for the amazing suite she had slept in, the wedding, the other things she now had. That man wasn't the one standing in front of her, she was looking at a stranger.

Where was the man who had been completely in love with her mother?? The man who had been reserved about meeting her for the first time? The man who had sought her blessings so he could ask her mother to marry him?

"I don't understand. Don't you care that my mother could be lying somewhere in pain and hurt? Is your reputation and your guests all you can think about? What about my mother?"

He sighed and Lia suddenly felt guilty for yelling at him. He was hurting too. They were both victims, and so was her mother. There was no way her mother had run off.

"I love your mother Amelia but I have to think about myself, since it's obvious that she must have been thinking only about herself when she bailed on our wedding."

Lia opened her mouth to speak but he wasn't finished.

"That hall with all the decorations is filled with my guests. My family, my friends are there. My business partners are there and I'm sure a few of my enemies and competition are in that room waiting to see the outcome of this.

He wasn't shouting but Lia felt the power in his voice, in each word.

"We should tell the guests that the wedding has been postponed then. They'd understand that things like this happen from time to time." She sniffed and stood up meeting his eyes. "Surely that could work."

His chuckle sent icicles rolling down her back. It wasn't pleasant.. it was rather dark and cold. "Sure but that's only if I were some shoemaker in the middle of Manhattan that no one knew but I am Fernando, even you know what that means and we're in New York not Queens."

Lia sighed, exhaustion washing over her. Worrying for her mother was too much already, but what Mr Fernando was saying.. is on a different whole level of worries.

She closed her eyes. *Was there really no way to prevent this honest man from getting tagged in the media? All he had done for her and her family was take care of them, he didn't deserve this. Only heavens knew what condition her mother was in but since she wasn't around, no one would really see it. Mr Fernando was a different story. He was like he said 'The Fernando ' the media would have a field day with this type of news.* She thinks.

She could only imagine the headlines; 'influential billionaire left at the altar after spending a fortune for the wedding '.

She wished this was something she could fix if she closed her eyes. She would give anything for all this to be one big fat nightmare. One she would wake up from and laugh after crying profusely at how real it felt.

But as she opened her eyes, she was face-to-face with Mr Fernando and he looked pissed.

"What other alternative is there?" She asked, her voice coming off as a whisper. "Is there anything I can do?" She tried again.

It wasn't like she could marry him in place of her mother, that would be too absurd.

"Stand in for your mother."

Lia wasn't sure she had heard him. She looked at him shaking her head. "What do you mean stand in ? I don't think I'm following."

"You have to marry me, Amelia. There's no other way."

"Is this some kind of dream?" Lia asked no one in particular as she staggered backwards holding a chair just in time before she fell.

"I am perfectly aware of this situation, it's real-life."

Even his voice sounded robotic and stoic. She was definitely dreaming, she had to be. That would mean she had misheard when he proposed, she takes her mother's place and get married to him instead.

"Of course Lia, it's a dream. Wake up now!" She chided herself and pinched herself yelping at the pain. She gasped and hung on to the chair for support as her legs turned to jelly.

She wasnt dreaming, it was all real. Her mother was nowhere to be found and her mother's fiancée had just asked her to stand-in for her.

"Time is of the essence Amelia. I have important matters to attend to so I suggest we get to it." Fernando reminded her, staring at his wristwatch unaware and seemingly unbothered by her state of distress.

This can't be happening. Lia shook her head violently, too shocked to scream or cry. She wasn't sad or worried at this moment, no she was shocked.

"How can you even ask me to do such a thing? Did you even love my mother?"

Fernando shrugged, not making a move to deny her claim or provide an answer to it. He was a shadow of the man she used to know. "Your mother has chosen her own path but there are consequences for such behavior. I am the victim in this situation."

He took two steps towards her and she moved back suddenly, afraid of this man. This man couldn't be the same one she had come to know and love for her mother.

"It's my wedding and I got stood up by the woman who was supposed to be my wife. This isn't some Harlequin novel where the man lets everything go and let the media speculate about the details. I won't let my name be dragged through the mud by your mother. Since I was never good enough for her then it's good riddance to her."

"Have you even considered that she might have been kidnapped from here?" Lia fired, anger boiling inside her.

"Have you also considered that maybe your mother ran off?" He fired back, maintaining eye contact with her the whole time. "Have you considered that the only victim in this situation is me and I need help getting out of this?"

Lia sighed and ran her hands through her hair. Surely there were other more logical ways to sort this out. Marriage? That was absurd. For heaven's sake he was her mother's fiancée!

"And no, there is no other way. The only solution would have been for your mother to show up out of the blue and fix this problem she created."

"She can't because she was kidnapped." Lia snapped but he ignored her and continued talking.

"The only thing to do now is find someone else that would take her place. Who else other than her doppelganger? The one that looks so much like her people call her the sister?"

"You're really serious about this." Lia noted, the shock evident in her tone. He wasn't bluffing, he actually wanted her to take her mother's place at the altar and be Mrs. Fernando.

"I hardly joke around Amelia, especially not with serious situations that are life threatening." He replied and she scoffed.

How was this life threatening? He wouldn't be the first man to be left at the altar and he certainly wasn't going to be the last. What was the big deal?

"There is no life threatening situation here. With all due respect, I think you are exaggerating the situation a little too much."

She wasn't feeling sorry for him anymore. If her mother did run off on him - which she didn't - then it served him right.

"It's life threatening to me because my reputation is at stake. I have told you the only solution available."

"How can you ask me to marry you? You're too old for me!"

Fernando chuckled and placed a hand ok his chest, feigning hurt. "Now I'm hurt. I'm 40, and you I know a lot of young's girls would be on their knees asking to marry me. I am filthy rich, handsome and still young." He made sure to stress the word young.

Amélia snorted in disgust. *How had he hidden this side of himself from them all for the last three years?*

"I can't marry you Fernando, it's impossible. Besides you're my mother's fiancée."

Fernando inched closer to her and grabbed her hand. Amelia squealed in shock and fright struggling to pull away. "I'm not asking young lady." His tone had switched from nice to devilish in a matter of minutes. "After what your mother has done, someone has to pay for the consequences."

Lia was starting to shake now. Her teeth was rattling and her legs were shaking uncontrollably. "Please don't do this."

"Quiet!"

Lia shuts up immediately not wanting to provoke him further. Why wasn't Jane here?

"Your mother has disgraced me and embarased me. Even if I get married to you, it's not going to stop the media from speculating. Intact it's going to heighten their urge to dig for dirt. They won't stop until they find out why."

"Then why do you want me to marry you? Please let me go."

His hold on her arm tightened and Lia winced in pain. "To punish you." He let go of her after a few minutes and Lia took this as an opportunity to put enough distance between herself and him.

Who was this man and what had he done to sweet Mr Fernando?

There was silence in the room now and Lia tried to wrap her head around everything that had happened in the last few hours. The time for the wedding was long gone. What was he going to do? Reschedule? Or make up some excuse?

"Get dressed and be down there in five minutes. " He said and turned to leave.

Lia let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and closed her eyes. She wasn't aware he was still in the room until he spoke, sending her running towards the bedroom.

"I won't touch you, not yet anyway. Don't even think for a second that you can pull a disappearing act on me like your mother. I will find you and take my time punishing you. I will make it so painful you'd beg me to kill you."

With those last words hanging in the air between them, Fernando walked towards the door and let himself out leaving Lia shaking like a fish.

She was too shaken to cry and now wasn't the ideal time for tears. She had to be strong for herself and her mother. Should she blame her mother for this? After all if she had been here, Mr Fernando wouldn't have turned to this lunatic.

"He's just hurt because my mother betrayed him. He will come around eventually." Lia said the words but even she didn't believe them to be true.

She had seen the truth in his eyes. He would really kill her if she didn't marry him.

Where are you Mum?

***

"Where are you going, Lia? What's going on? I tried to talk to Fernando earlier but he breezed past me so suddenly. He had this mafia boss aura. Did something happen in there?

Lia forced a smile for her best friend's sake. "Everything will be fine. Mr Fernando found a solution to the problem. I'm going to find mum and then everything will go back to normal." She lied through her teeth praying she was convincing enough because her best friend was observant.

"A solution? What kind of solution? Is that a wedding dress? Wait, what is going on?" Jane asked, blocking her part and Lia took a deep breath.

She couldn't give anything out, she had to remain as cool as a cucumber. It was to protect Jane. If she told anything then her best friend would have her running for her life risking her safety. "I'll explain later but please just support me."

"Are you getting married?" Jane asked and then her eyes grew wide as saucers. "Wait, you're getting married to Fernando?! Have you lost your mind?"

'Not yet but I might lose my life if I don't keep walking.' Lia spoke in her mind. "I have to do this Jane. I will explain when all this is over."

"But it will be too late to stop you then. Tell me Lawson, what's going on?"

Lia couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Jane pulled her close and they stood there for a while, Lia forgetting the time limit she had been given.

"Come on Amelia, what's going on?"

"I'm worried about Mum, Jane. She could be anywhere."

"That doesn't explain why you're wearing a wedding dress and walking towards the hall where your mother is supposed to get married."

"I have to stand-in for mum to protect Fernando and his reputation. Remember I look like mum so it won't be so obvious which one of us it is." Lia smiled through her tears trying hard to sell her story. She couldn't tell Jane the real reason. "How do I look?"

Jane smiled, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. "You look divine. I think you're the most beautiful stand-in bride I've ever seen."

Lia sniffed and blinked, willing her tears to stay put. She didn't have enough time to apply another coat of mascara. "My mascara.."

"Right, no more tears." Jane wiped her cheeks with her hands and smiled. "Let's go, my lady. I guess I get to be the maid of honor after all."

They laughed as they walked towards the hall but none of them was really happy. This wasn't how weddings were supposed to go.

Lia fought back tears as Jane opened the door leading to the hall where her 'groom' was waiting.

"Let's get you married!"

***

"Do you Amelia Lawson take Fernando James as your lawfully wedded husband?"

Lia almost missed the question. It took her a good three minutes and a tap on her arm from Fernando for her to respond. "Yes, I do." She forced a smile for the sake of the media.

The minister asked Fernando his own question and then it was time to exchange rings.

Lia's hands shook as she slipped the ring on Fernando's finger. This ring symbolised the reality of the situation. With this ring, she was bound to him, for life.

She watched him slip the ring on her finger and shivered when his hands remained on her arm longer than necessary.

How was she supposed to live with a man whose touch repulsed her?

You don't have a choice Lia.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr & Mrs James Fernando."

Lia stiffened as Fernando reached for her no doubt to seal the deal with a kiss. Just the thought of his lips on her sent shivers down her spine. Surely he wouldn't ask for her to consumate their marriage?!

"Relax darling, I don't bite." He winked at her before his lips descended on hers.

Lia expected to hate the kiss and be inclined to end it. Instead, she found herself leaning into her husband as he explored her mouth with his tongue.

The man could kiss!

When he pulled away from her, she bit her lip and looked at her best friend who was already looking at her. Heck, half the room was staring at them. It had been a heated kiss so the guests wouldn't suspect a thing. Only three people in the room knew the truth and it'd stay that way.

Lia didn't recognize any of the people who came to congratulate them as they walked out of the hall towards the reception for the after party. They were probably her mother's friends or Fernando's friends. She didn't want to know them, all she wanted was for the ceremony to end so she could hide in a room with a key and a door.

"Welldone, Amelia." Fernando said, patting her head and Lia resisted the urge to pull away.

How strange would it look if a wife was repulsed at her husband's touch? Besides he was in a good mood, why ruin it?

"The bride is going to sing for her husband." The MC announced and the guests cheered.

Lia choked back a cry of protest, people were watching her, a little too closely at that.

Her mother had loved to sing so she had been the one to add that bit to the ceremony.

Lia didn't want to do it. Not because she couldn't sing, she could after all she was her mother's daughter. She had a beautiful voice that could move people but she didn't want to sing for him.

This was all a sham, why waste her gift on a sham?

"Baby, you don't have to if you don't want to. She's very shy." Fernando said beside her and Lia looked at him. She looked at his eyes, searching to find the truth in his words. "I mean it," he whispered under his breath. "Your mother had included that there despite my refusal."

Lia relaxed at his words glad that she really didn't have to sing in front of all these people who believed this was real.

The MC took the hint and moved on to the next item; cutting of the cake.

Lia rose to her feet accepting Fernando's hand that was stretched towards her and together like a happy couple, they walked towards the cake that Lia had actually picked out.

It was eight layers of cake with a mixture of red velvet, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavours.

Chocolate was her favourite, red velvet was her mother's, vanilla was Fernando's and strawberry was just an added flavor.

She stiffened as Fernando pressed against her, his crouch pressing into her butt. She forced a smile as he dug his fingers into her arm, a silent warning for her to behave.

"Spelling the bride's name to cut the cake. J."

Lia gulped and wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole. Of course her mother's name was the name the MC would call. She wasn't the bride!

She fought back tears focusing on cutting the cake. With each letter, a piece of her broke and she wished she could turn back time. She shouldn't have gotten married to him, she should have fought.

"T!" The final letter and she let Fernando do all the work. She just stood there while he pushed her hand down with the knife.

It was time for the couple's dance afterwards.

*******

The driver pulled up in front of a huge mansion and Lia stuck her head out to stare, her mouth hanging open.

Was this his house? He really was 'the Fernando'.

"Are you awake?" Fernando asked, stretching his neck and Lia closed her eyes hurriedly cursing herself for it.

Why was she closing her eyes?

"Well I guess you'll be spending the night in the car tonight then. I can't carry you, it's not my style since I'm not a gentleman."

Lia heard movement around but she didn't open her eyes or shake. Fernando would know she had been faking if she made a move.

"Liam, help me get the madam into the house." Fernando's words reached her ears and she relaxed glad that he wasn't going to touch her.

She heard her door open and then someone, Liam perhaps lift her into his arms. She relaxed against his chest playing along, not ready to wake up just yet.

She heard a door open and she opened her left eye slightly to peep and quickly shut it when she thought she'd be caught.

She was exhausted so it was nice having her feet up for a while. When Liam placed her on the bed, she stressed and rolled to one side attempting to wake up.

Lia was just about to open her eyes when something cold splashed on her. Alarmed, she cried and shot out of bed staring at Fernando who was standing in front of the bed holding a bowl.

Did he really splash water on her? What did he want now? "What is the meaning of this?"

"I'd watch your tone if I were you." He replied and walked away disappearing behind a door. Lia assumed it was the bathroom and suddenly wished she could take a shower. Surely such a big house would have a stall as elegant as the one in her hotel suite.

"Now, we have to establish some ground rules." He continued as he walked into the room and settled on a couch Lia hadn't noticed before.

Lia remained where she was even though the temptation to go back to the bed was great. "What kind of rules?" She asked, already dreading what was going to come out of his mouth.

"We are only married in the eyes of the world and nothing more. To the outside world, I am your husband and you are my wife. But inside this house, you're no better than my servants." He paused and Lia listened raptly, not sure she could do anything else.

She wasn't surprised by his words, to be honest she had expected something much worse. Or perhaps he still had other things to say.

And he did. "You will cook my meals, wash my clothes, make my bed, iron and prepare all my clothes for the day. I mustn't have to go without a suit simply because you haven't washed it."

"Of course."

"You're not to tell anyone anything. If word gets back to the media, things will get harder for you. By the time I am done with you, your mother will think twice before leaving a man at the altar."

Lia simply nodded, choking back sobs at his words. He was really hurt because she disappeared on their wedding day. No matter what he did or said, he was covering his pain.

Lia made up her mind there and then to ignore whatever cruel thing he did to her. The fact that she looked like her mother would only make things worse but she would take it all.

"Now I'm starving and the staffs are not around. Go make something for me. If it isn't edible, you'd suffer the consequences."

"Yes." She walked out of the room without another word and climbed down the stairs feeding her eyes as she went.

The house was huge and beautiful. There was so much to see and touch. Pictures of Fernando were nowhere to be found making her frown. Didn't he like taking pictures? He had taken plenty today at the wedding but those had probably been for the public eye.

With a sigh, she searched the big house for the kitchen praying it had everything she needed to make a decent edible meal.

She was too exhausted and battered to start thinking of a dish on her feet. Whatever the ingredients said, she'd do.

"Wow." She gasped as she walked into what looked like just another room except it had pots, pans and other cooking utensils. This was the kitchen. Why was it more beautiful than her house, the one she lived in with her mother?

Lia spent ten minutes checking all the available cupboards in sight and ended up surprised and amazed at what she found. This wasn't a regular kitchen, it was a gourmet one; the kind of one found at restaurants.

Did Fernando love cooking or was it just a part of the elegance the house spoke of?

She opened the fridge and stared at the ingredients. Someone had definitely gone grocery shopping. There was lots of food there and she had too many options for dinner.

If she wasn't so tired and if it had been a different situation, she would have taken her time and thought about a befitting dinner. But right now, she scanned through the ingredients and she chose some eggs, bacon, spaghetti, some fresh tomatoes and other things that she could throw together.

Spaghetti it is.

***

The aroma of something sweet reached Fernando in the master's bedroom and his stomach growled.

The food, the caterer that had been hired for the wedding had made didn't quite do it for him. If the food Amelia was cooking tasted as good as it smelt then, he was never letting her go.

He loved food. Being a chef himself, he had installed his own gourmet kitchen so he could produce his own food.

He had lied, he didn't have servants. Apart from Liam who was his driver, Susan, his housekeeper and the gardener, he had no other workers. He told her that so she could behave.

Amelia was a sweet girl, innocent in every sense of the word. She didn't deserve to be punished for her mother's crime.

If his plan worked out perfectly then Janet Lawson and not Amelia would pay for her crimes.

He just had to play his cards right. In the meantime, he planned to enjoy his time with her. If she could cook this well, then perhaps this wouldn't be such a bad arrangement after all.

He'd hate to punish her for a crime she didn't commit but he couldn't turn a blind eye to what Janet Lawson had done to him.

No one had ever humiliated him as much as she had. She did it and without much effort.

He was so close to letting Amelia go but when she kept defending Janet, he got angry and reacted.

Marrying Amelia was an impulsive decision he hoped he wouldn't come to regret when all this was over.

No doubt she hated him and never wanted anything to do with him. He couldn't blame her but he also couldn't let her go.

He had to make one of the Lawson women pay dearly. If ber mother took his bait then she'd be free to go.

His phone rang pulling him out of his thoughts and he sighed reaching for it. It was his business partner, Adam.

"Congratulations on your wedding man. How is the Mrs doing?"

She ran away. He thought but said instead. "She's fine, cooking dinner."

"Already? That's not right man. Couldn't you have checked into a hotel for at least this night? It's your wedding night man."

'Wedding night ' Fernando thought in disgust. "Well I wanted to sleep in my own bed. What's wrong with that?"

There was laughter on the other end. "Nothing man. Don't you dare show up for work tomorrow, you're fired for the week."

Right, it was his honeymoon. Fernando scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed. How had everything gotten so bad?

Why did Janet leave? Did he offend her without knowing? Everything had been going so well. Why did she have to ruin it?

The door of the room opened and Lia walked in looking beautiful in her mother's wedding gown. Fernando tried to imagine what Janet would have looked like in it and anger bubbled inside him.

"The Mrs is here man, I've gotta go. Take care of things and call me if anything..."

Adam hung up before he could finish, the dialing tone ringing in his ears. Fernando gritted his teeth in anger.

***

He used his eyes to follow Amelia's movements and knew the exact moment she felt his eyes on her.

She stiffened and pulled her gown closer to her chest.

Time to execute a part of the plan.

Fernando rose up from the bed and walked towards her aware of how uncomfortable she was getting as he inched closer.

Be scared and hide , Amelia. You have to pay, you have to.

"It's our wedding night Amelia."