Substitute Bride: My Perfect CEO Husband

This day, the entire city celebrated the union of the top two families in the country. William Mo, one of the most eligible bachelors at thirty-five-years-old, was set to marry Joy Xu, a thirty-one-year-old heiress.

The wedding ceremony was indeed the grandest display anyone had ever seen. With chandeliers that could last for days and columns that could rival the Greek architecture, it was evident that both parties weren't hesitant in throwing a little bit of cash for grandeur.

However, despite having everything in his pockets, William Mo did not expect that the one thing he would not have on his wedding day was his own bride.

The woman he had loved for ten years was missing at their wedding day.

"I am not sure if I want to marry you, William. I just need some place to clear my head for a while. I'm sorry."

He crumpled the note in his fist, and he clenched his jaw. Various scenarios ran through his mind as he tried to think of a reason why she would leave him so abruptly.

How could she do this to him?

All those sweet words of her loving him and never leaving him-were they all a lie?

"Joy!" he yelled out, fighting the urge to rip off his own suit.

At the sudden commotion, the two families sat at the bride's empty dressing room. Due to the bride's escape, the Xu family couldn't bring themselves to look at groom's family.

Finally, Colby Mo, William's father, stood up, breaking the long, awkward silence. His face darkened tremendously, and he clenched his fists. There were so many guests outside just waiting for the event. He was not going to let this slide and have their family be humiliated like this. "Barth, we must do something," he said in a cold voice. "This wedding must be held. Since Joy has escaped, then you should marry the other daughter of yours into our family."

'The other daughter?'

It seemed that Colby Mo was inferring that he let Amelia Xu marry William Mo. Barth Xu glanced at this adopted daughter, Amelia Xu. 'Won't William feel wronged upon marrying her?' he wondered.

"Amelia, are you willing to marry William as your sister's substitute?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Dad. I do." Amelia Xu nodded with no hesitation. Her curly strands fell to her face, but she ignored them. Guarded emotions gleamed behind her gaze as she stared up at them. "As long as he's willing to marry me, then I'll marry him."

Her immediate answer surprised the both sides. In fact, even William Mo found himself stunned by her firm declaration. 'She's willing to be tied up to me?' he thought.

"Why are you willing to marry me?" he asked.

Hearing him, Amelia Xu turned to look at the man she would soon marry. "Is it all right if I talk to you? Alone?" She pursed her lips. She needed to clear out any confusion they might have with each other.

He frowned. 'Alone?'

"Can't you tell me now?" he asked.

"It's about the two of us, if you don't mind. It's private. Look, after I tell you, then you can decide whether you want to marry me or not," she said firmly, returning the option back to him.

Complicated feelings surged through William's heart as he turned to his parents. There was something that she wasn't telling him, and he was curious to find out. "Dad, Mom, I have to talk to Amelia," he said calmly. "Why don't you wait for me outside?"

"Don't try anything on her, son. She's your only ticket out of here," Colby Mo reminded his son and stepped out of the dressing room with his wife.

Seeing this, Barth Xu and his family merely followed suit.

William watched them leave one by one. Once they were gone, he finally turned to Amelia. He took a deep breath, resisting the urge to take all his anger out on her. "You better not be testing my patience," he snapped. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Do you remember this?" Instead of answering his question, Amelia Xu slowly grabbed her handbag and pulled out a small crown. Despite its size, one could tell that it was extremely exquisite and expensive from the dozens of encrusted jewelry on the surface. "You told me that you'll treat me like a princess and you'll dote on me forever," she continued.

When he saw her pull out the crown, he snatched it from her grasp. "What the hell are you talking about?" he snarled. "I sent this to Joy while I was studying in America. Why is this with you?"

"Because I was the one who'd been in touch with you. I was the one who knitted that sweater for you, the one who gave you scarfs and socks, and the one who cooked you those pastries you loved... not her," she stuttered out. She took a step toward him, and the tears in her eyes were evident. Her hands trembled. "Have you ever thought about it? If it was her, why hasn't she worn the crown before? Why doesn't she know the contents of your letters?"

At her insistence, he could only stare at her in disbelief. "And why would you do that? Why would you let her impersonate you?" he asked.

"Because you grew up together! I saw how hell-bent you were on pursuing her." Tears ran down her cheeks as she fell onto the sofa. "How could I ever tell you my feelings? You loved her too much for you to even look my way."

Seeing the tears that had freely slipped down her cheeks, he felt a sudden ache in his heart.

'Was it really her who had been in touch with me?

Should I trust her? Was she the one writing me letters all this time?'

Then again, it made perfect sense. When he had been in America, he had been unable to reach Joy Xu sometimes.

She didn't return his feelings. That was the whole point.

When he could reach her, she would talk to him via video chat. When he couldn't reach her, Amelia Xu would talk to him.

Somehow, it felt as if all the puzzle pieces were falling into place. "So Orange is your nickname, not Joy's?" he asked, remembering the letters they had exchanged.

"Back home, my dad and sister would call me Orange. You can ask Dad if you don't believe me. I've loved oranges ever since I was little." She let out a bitter laugh. Of course, the dad she was referring to was none other than Barth Xu.

William Mo froze, finding it hard to breath as the realizations hit him one by one. The news was like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky.

Amelia Xu was Orange, and yet he had spent nearly ten years on another woman!

He couldn't help but remember all the times he would go to the Xu family's villa to visit Joy Xu. He remembered talking to Amelia Xu and professing how much he loved her sister. He winced at the thought. Those words must've been torture for her to sit through.

He was such an ass!

Kneeling down, the man slowly wiped her tears. Seeing her state, he couldn't help but reach out and pull her into a hug.

But before he could, she quickly dodged his hold. She moved to the other end of the couch and bit her lips. "I never expected that you'd love me, William. All I ever hoped was for us to be in good terms–that I could watch you from afar. But now that you know everything, I won't allow you to hug me unless you love me."

She didn't want William to treat her like that just because he felt sorry for her. Sympathy was far more hurtful than indifference.

He froze, eyes widening by a fraction.

"You don't want me to hug you, yet you want to marry me?" he questioned.

"I love you, so I want to be your woman. But there is no way I can accept that you hold me in your arms while being in love with another woman. You can't torture me like this, by making me wonder who you're thinking of while you're hugging me."

She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that the earth would just swallow her up. If that happened, did she even have the strength to love him still?

William Mo slowly stood up and gazed up at her figure, feeling his heart pain at the sight. He used to profess his love for Joy Xu. Now that he finally knew the truth, how could he say those same words to Amelia Xu?

Even if he wanted to, he couldn't bring it in himself to say it.

"I want to marry you," he said seriously, forcing her to look him in the eye. "You're my wife, and mine only." William Mo walked to the door and looked at the people outside the room. "Dad, Mom, call the make-up artist in," he ordered. "I want Amelia to be the most beautiful woman in the wedding."

Colby Mo and his wife, Maria Lu, shared a look before glancing at their son in surprise. Had he really made up his mind that fast? Or did he just want to continue the wedding so that the Mo family wouldn't be a laughingstock?

"Son, do you really want to marry Amelia? Or do you want us to announce that you're still marrying Joy?"

Amelia's face turned pale upon hearing that. If she was nothing but a substitute, then what else could she do? Was her abandonment inevitable?

William Mo turned around and gazed to Amelia Xu, whose eyes were sad and bloodshot. He took a deep breath before turning to his father. "I think you've misunderstood," he stated. "There's no substitute. I'll marry Amelia, the second daughter of Uncle Barth."

Aside from the Xu family and the Mo family, no one knew that Amelia was adopted. The only reason why the Mo family knew was that the two families had been best friends ever since Barth Xu and Colby Xu were children.

Barth's face brightened. "Yes. She's our second daughter, meaning she also has the right of inheriting our property," he said proudly. "Don't worry. We will give her the same dowry as Joy's."

Maria Lu pursed her lips. Although she didn't like Amelia Xu and didn't want to accept her as her daughter-in-law, she could make do after hearing what Barth Xu said.

"Now that you've made up your mind, then go ahead. Don't let our guests wait too long. Otherwise, they will laugh at us," Colby Mo said. Then he turned to his wife. "Go and call the make-up artist in. Let's get this over with."

Maria Lu quickly did as she was told. William Mo glanced at Amelia Xu one last time before heading out of the room.

Amelia's heart was suddenly filled with happiness. He had just stated that he would marry her and she was not a substitute.

"Cherish what you have now, all right?" Barth Xu whispered in her ear as he hugged her. "Don't act like your sister."

Amelia Xu nodded. She had longed for this moment since she was a child. There was no way she was going to run away from this.

"Dad, I'll love him," she said firmly. "From now on, William is my husband, and I'll treat him as such."

"William has always been a good man. Now that you're his wife, I believe he will treat you well." After saying this, Barth Xu let go of her. With a small smile, he turned. "I'll go out first, all right? Wait for the make-up artist."

"Yes, Dad."

Amelia stared at Barth's retreating figure as she sat quietly in the dressing room, waiting for the make-up artist.

At exactly eleven forty, the wedding began. Amelia arrived at the banquet hall with Barth right beside her. She gazed at the white scenery, admiring the chandeliers. The wedding designer truly didn't hold back when it came to its extravagance.

This wedding should've been blessed by many. However, as Amelia and Barth walked down the red carpet, she could hear doubtful whispers from either side of the carpet.

"She doesn't look like Joy Xu."

"I heard that Joy's a stunning woman. This one is so ordinary! Could she really be Joy?"

"Maybe the Xu family wants to trick the Mo family!"

"I've seen Joy before. This woman looks absolutely nothing like her! Who the hell is this woman?"

"I heard that Joy left right before the ceremony. Someone saw her at the airport. I thought it was a rumor, but it's probably true!"

"Wait! I know her. She's Amelia, Joy's younger sister. Why is William marrying her?"

Amelia's face turned pale as the whispers reached her ears. It seemed that they all thought Joy and William were the perfect match. She was nothing more than a third wheel.

Barth and Amelia finally reached the pedestal, and the back of her hands were already sweating from the pressure. William's words rang at the back of her mind as she timidly looked up.

"They all know that you're to marry Joy," she said in a light voice. "I don't want you to be mocked. Maybe I should..."

Seeing her timid expression, William pursed his lips.

He didn't care about any of those people. All he ever wanted was to be with someone who truly loved him.

Not wanting to hear any more of her nonsense, he lowered his head and kissed her, silencing her worries.

Everyone gaped at the scene. Soon enough, the action was followed by many whispers and gasps. No one had thought that William would've done such a bold move at the wedding.

They had always seen him as a reserved man who kept his hands to himself. There were many guests present, so it wouldn't be polite to do such.

Amelia froze as she succumbed into his hold. When he finally let go of her, her cheeks reddened tremendously.

"Y-you just kissed me," she stuttered out, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"You taste sweet. That was your first kiss, right?" he flirted, as if he had forgotten that there were a lot of guests at the venue.

Lowering her head, she slowly nodded.

The more he talked to her, the more he liked her. Today was the second time that she had surprised him. Not only was he her first, but it also seemed that he was the only man who could ever touch her like he did.

Suddenly, William held Amelia's hand and turned to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have you attention, please? I'll be marrying Amelia Xu today, not Joy Xu. As for the bride's name on the invitations, the wedding organizer must've made a mistake. The woman standing next to me, Amelia Xu, is my bride."

Hearing his words, Amelia couldn't help but glance up at him. It was as if he was her knight in shining armor.

He was her protector. At his words, Amelia straightened her back and stared at the crowd. She was no longer a shadow that hid behind her sister's back. Now, she was his wife.

Hearing William's words, Barth nodded, impressed by his confirmation.

With William taking care of Amelia, Barth was more than relieved.

The guests exploded in applause. The rumors that had circulated around the hall had been silenced. No matter whose name was written on the invitations, William was marrying Amelia now. It was obvious that he adored the woman next to her. There was no argument about it.

Seeing this, William smiled and assisted Amelia up the stage.

The host didn't bother with any formal introductions, given that they had already introduced themselves to the guests. However, they still had to go through all the wedding procedures that had been planned beforehand. One of them was the couple eating an apple together.

The host's assistant came up to them with an apple tied to a stick. The host gazed at them. "Today is a big day for the two of you, and of course, we all wish you the greatest of happiness," he said joyfully. "But if you want to be happy for the rest of your lives, you have to eat the apple together. It may look delicious, but there's actually another meaning behind this gorgeous fruit. The apple symbolizes happiness. The more you eat, the happier you'd be. Let's see how much you can eat! Are you ready?"

Amelia glanced at her newly married husband before turning to the ring on her finger. The diamond glinted under the lights as she nodded.

She planned to eat as much as she could. The only thing she ever wanted was to be happy with William.

The groom was also ready. With a nod to the host, they bent their heads and readied themselves to take a bite of the fruit.

However, before it could even reach William's lips, the apple swung out of their view-being manipulated by the assistant. At the sudden movement, William found himself stumbling onto Amelia's face, kissing her in the process.

Although it was just a peck on the cheek, her face turned bright red.

It was the first time he had ever seen such an innocent woman. She was not some teenager, but she was very easily flustered.

Laughing, he winked at the assistant and continued to play the game.

The hall was now filled with cheers and laughter as the couple tried to get a bite out of the apple. Amelia glanced at William, finding herself in a deep daze. Did he really want to be happy with her?

After several kisses, William finally took a bite out of the fruit. Every time they neared, Amelia would blush. Every time her cheeks colored, a part of him felt like celebrating.

Somehow, a part of him was happy that Joy had left him. Without this occurrence, he might never be able to get to know Amelia.

The wedding ceremony didn't end till ten o' clock in the evening. William's parents had gone back first. Since Amelia wanted to head back to the Xu family to fetch something, William decided to go with her.

The car ride was short. The moment they arrived, she immediately ran upstairs to her bedroom. William furrowed his eyebrows, wondering why she was in such a hurry.

She quickly raced to her room and pulled out a box from under her bed. She had hidden it under her bed because she was so afraid that Joy would find it. The contents were inside a small cookie box.

Without even bothering to take a look, she rushed downstairs.

Sitting on the sofa, Barth glanced at William. "I've raised Amelia all these years, and I've never seen her this happy," he noted. "I hope that you'll hold yourself to that promise of making her happy."

"I will, Dad. I will make her the happiest woman alive," he promised solemnly. Although he had been angry at first, it seemed that he truly made the right choice.

"William!"

Amelia called. She had raced down the stairs in her high heels that she almost tripped.