The Blind & Crippled Billionaire's Swapped Bride

Ava Summers stiffened, blinking in confusion as she tried to make sense of the bomb her father, Richard Summers, had just dropped on her.

"What?"

"I said, you will be getting married to Devlin... Devlin Frost." He repeated, "Do you hear me now?"

She heard him quite alright. It was the words; it just didn't make sense.

"But... Dad... I thought... I thought Eva was the one getting married to..."

"There has been a change of plans." He cut her off sharply, not giving her a chance to complete her statement, "You will be marrying Devlin in her place."

Her eyes widened. Is this a joke?

"Dad..."

"Ava, that's final." He didn't need to shout; there was no need to. His voice was authoritative and had a tone of finality laced to it.

And Ava instinctively knew that this was no joke and also that there was nothing else she could say or do that could change that.

Right from when she and her twin sister, Eva, were born, she has always been the simple and neglected one, whilst Eva has been the delicate, overpampered, and celebrated one.

Anything Eva wanted, no matter what, would be granted by her parents without any hesitation. Eva has always been the one who made them proud... their perfect heiress.

Yeah, of course. Eva was the smart one, easily likeable, and such a ray of sunshine everyone wanted to be around. And she? The complete opposite.

Ava never wanted people's admiration nor praise nor acknowledgement. Hell. To hell with those! All she ever wanted was not to be neglected by her own parents and to be shown the same type of love Eva gets, even if it was just a little tweeny amount.

But now she had given up on that wishful thinking and come to the realization that she would never get that.

Never. Not on her life.

Eva has always been the perfect bride for the one and only Devlin Frost; their marriage was sealed by fate, arranged by both powerful families long ago.

And it was a widely known fact that Eva had always been crazy for Devlin Frost, right from their childhood years. The marriage arrangement was influenced by her.

Eva wanted Devlin. She told Richard. And Richard took care of the rest.

And now here they were, one week away from their wedding day, and her father was sitting right there telling her that she would be taking Eva's place.

Is this a fucking joke? A prank, perhaps? Where are the cameras?

What could have made Eva suddenly change her mind one week before their wedding? Ava couldn't help but wonder. Did she get cold feet? No, that's impossible. Eva has been infatuated beyond reason with Devlin for several years now; getting married to him would be the most wonderful thing that could happen to her.

So, why the sudden change of heart?

"No."

"What?"

"I said no." Ava repeated, voice cold, face as hard as stone as she stood her ground, "I'm not getting married to that cold, emotionless robot just because Eva had a sudden change of heart. I'm not doing it."

Richard's jaw tightened, gaze hardening, "You will, Ava. You're my daughter, and you live under my roof; whatever I say goes."

Ava scoffed in disbelief, "You can't just marry me off like I'm some kind of rebound tool, Dad; I'm a person. A person with feelings and emotions, unlike you."

"Ava, don't try to make this conversation any longer than it needs to be," Richard stated. "I was only telling you so you could be aware before the wedding day arrives."

Ava's eyes flicked over to her mom, Emily Summers, who had been sitting in utter silence throughout the entire conversation.

"Won't you say something?" She asked, her voice breaking.

Emily glanced up and met her daughter's eyes. "Ava, please, don't make this harder than it needs to be."

Tears welled in Ava's eyes and began to trickle down her cheeks.

As if being neglected and unloved wasn't enough, she was now being married off like a piece of tool with no human feeling.

Pain gnawed at her; she wanted to say thousands of horrible things to her parents, curse at them, swear at them, lash out, and throw a tantrum, but none of that would change anything.

Without uttering another word, she spun on her heels and made her way to the stairs but came to an abrupt halt just at the bottom of the stairs.

Eva stood there, her slender arms folded across her bosom, her long, silky blonde hair resting on her perfect shoulder, her succulent lips twitching in a pout. Obviously, she had been listening to the entire conversation.

"Ava..."

Ava didn't give her a chance to finish; she just passed her like she never even saw her.

"Ava." Eva softly called after her, but she still ignored her.

Entering her room, she shut the door behind her and leaned against it, hot tears still rolling down her cheeks.

She curled up against the door and cried her little eyes out, wallowing in self-pity and self-hatred.

Only if she were perfect and lovable like Eva, then none of this would be happening.

No. She thought suddenly. I won't get married to that cold robot, not on my life. I can't let them dictate my life or who I get married to. I can always run away; after all, I have Cole.

Suddenly finding her confidence and courage back, she wiped her tears and sprang to her feet.

No way in hell is she getting married to Devlin Frost!

She tried calling her boyfriend, Cole, to tell him all about what was going on, but he wasn't picking up, so she figured he might be asleep since it was late.

As a last resort, she finally sent him a text, alerting him she would be coming over to explain everything. Grabbing a bag, she packed some of her clothes and her essentials, then sat down and waited.

The clock finally struck 12:00 AM... the official time, the butler turns off the lights, and every maid retires back to their quarters.

Her heart pounding on her chest, her mouth dry, she tiptoed down the stairs to the foyer, barefoot. She carefully made her way to the garage and drove her car out, driving to Cole's penthouse.

Richard Summers stood on the banister, a cigarette clenched between his fingers as he watched his daughter drive away.

His phone immediately rang.

"Mr. Summers, she just left." A man's voice reported.

Richard blew smoke into the air. "I know. Keep following her, but stay out of sight. Cole will take care of the rest."

"Yes, sir."

The line went dead.

Emily walked out of the room and wrapped her arms around Richard.

"Aren't you cold?" She asked, burying her face in his back.

Richard stubbed out his cigarette, turned around, and hugged her. "I was just about to come inside."

"Has Ava left?" She inquired.

"Yes." Richard grinned mischievously. "Marc is following closely behind her. Come on, let's go to bed."

As Ava sped down the road, full of optimism, she didn't know it yet, but she was in for a heartbreak.

Cole Parker lived at Sunshine, one of the most luxurious penthouses situated right in the heart of the city. It took Ava about a thirty-minute drive before her arrival.

She parked and stepped down. Right behind her, in the shadows, a dark, sleek car also halted.

Ava had no idea she was being followed; although if she had been paying attention, she might have noticed, but all her thoughts were on meeting Cole.

She rode her way up to the last floor and rang the doorbell, but no response came. Considering how late it was, she figured Cole was probably asleep, so she tried again.

This time, the door swung open, revealing Cole, who was clad in a bathrobe, his blonde hair slightly disheveled, and his eyes appearing tired.

Ava's lips curled into a smile.

She didn't know she could even smile amidst all this, but somehow, seeing Cole, she felt all her problems had suddenly disappeared. Gone. Dead to the world.

She felt safe and secure, like nothing was impossible as long as she was with Cole.

"Hi, did I wake you?" She asked innocently, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I called and texted, but..."

"Ava, what are you doing here?" He inquired, voice cold, cutting off the rest of her statement. "It's midnight and..."

"I know. I know." She interrupted, tucking a few strands of hair off her face, "And I'm sorry. I had a good reason for coming here at this time, and I promise I'll explain everything. Can I come in?"

Cole hesitated, swiftly glancing back into the dark room. "Ava, this is a bad time."

Ava paused.

Why was Cole acting like this? The Cole she knew and fell in love with would have already offered her a seat and asked her what was going on.

"Cole, please let me in." She pleaded, "I'll explain everything."

"Look, Ava..."

"Honey, who is it?" A feminine voice asked, followed by footsteps.

Panic instantly materialized on Cole's face, while Ava's jaw slightly dropped in disbelief, and her eyes widened a bit.

It can't be.

The lady finally emerged from the darkness and wrapped her arms around Cole, her sparkling red hair illuminating the dark night.

"Hi," She smiled at Ava, who quickly took three steps back as though she had just seen a ghost. "Who are you?"

Ava began to tremble, her big eyes flickering to Cole, who had exactly the look of someone that has been caught cheating.

It can't be.

The red-haired lady tilted her head up at Cole. "Baby, who's she, and what does she want at this time of night?"

"Nothing." Ava finally found her voice, albeit it didn't sound like hers. "Sorry, I came to the wrong building. Please, enjoy your night."

Her hand clutching the bag tightly, she scurried onto the elevator, then rode to the ground floor. It was only when she got into her car that she finally broke down in tears.

She cried her little heart out for a long, long time.

This is officially the worst day of her life. As if being told that she was going to be married off to an emotionless robot wasn't enough, Cole, her comfort, the only human being in the universe who understands her and makes her feel like home, is also cheating on her.

What on earth has she done to deserve any of this?

When there were no other tears left to trickle out, she finally sat up and stared into the dark night.

What on earth was she going to do now? She had hoped that Cole would crash at Cole's place until he came up with a solution. He has always been the one who comes up with solutions whenever a problem arises.

Looks like she's gonna have to deal with this one herself. One thing was for sure: she wasn't going back to that house.

Never. No way in hell.

So she drove to the nearest motel. Cole kept calling her phone and dropping numerous texts, so she turned off the phone.

All she needed right now was a good night's sleep. She will have more time to think about her problem with a clear head in the morning.

She was lucky to find a room. She checked in and had a really cold shower before passing out on the bed.

The loud banging on her door woke her up the next morning. She groggily got off the bed and made her way to the door.

"Coming," She mumbled, yawning in the process.

She froze, her eyes widening in horror upon opening the door.

Marc stood there in the doorway with a smile on his face.

How on earth did he find her?

"Hello, Miss Ava."

On reflex, she hurried back into the room and made to slam the door on his face, but he stuck one foot in, stopping her from doing so, then gently pushed the door open.

"What are you doing here?" Ava demanded, eyes hard and cold, lips trembling as she took several steps away from Marc.

"Your father has asked me to carefully escort you back home." Marc replied politely.

"I'm not going anywhere." She quavered, "Now get out!"

"Miss Ava, please." Marc pleaded, "Come with me."

"Get out! I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Marc pressed his lips together. "I'm afraid I have no choice then."

"What..."

Before Ava knew it, Marc had already closed the space between them and scooped her to his shoulders.

"Hey! Let me down! Let me down right this instant! Let me down!" She kept yelling at the top of her lungs, kicking, hitting, and flailing, "Let me down! I said to let me down!"

With Ava on Marc's shoulder, he made his way out of the motel. Ava finally gave up and accepted her fate. There was no way she could slip free from these hard, muscular bones.

Ugh, she felt like such a big fool, pathetic, humiliated, and utterly devastated. How could she think her father would just let her escape like that?

Richard Summers has eyes and ears everywhere. Wherever she goes, she will be found within a few hours.

"My clothes, my phone." She muttered.

"Don't worry. They'll all be retrieved." Marc reassured her, carefully placing her in the passenger seat of the car. "I'm so sorry about this, Miss Ava."

"I understand." She said in a husky voice, laced with utter despair and painful acceptance.

"Thank you."

Then Marc shut the door.

"Ava," Richard's voice came from the dining hall as Ava walked into the house with Marc trailing behind her. "In here."

Ava paused, then sighed helplessly. She retraced her steps and headed into the dining hall.

There they all sat, Richard at the head of the table, Emily by his right, and Eva by his left. Ava thought they looked so perfect without her in the frame.

"Marc, you're excused."

Marc gave a slight bow, spun around, and disappeared through the doors.

"You really tried to escape," Richard pronounced, mocking sarcasm laced in his voice.

Ava folded her hands, eyes hardening, "You gave me no choice."

"What made you think that you would slip my grasp, Ava?" He enquired, "You must have forgotten that I control some of the high officials in the city."

Ava made a disgusted face. "You make me sicker than you already do when you brag."

Richard frowned. "I brought you into this world, Ava; whatever I say goes."

Ava has finally accepted her fate. There was no escape. She was going to get married to Devlin Frost, no matter what she did.

Hey, who knows? Maybe this is all she needed. If she gets married to Devlin, she will be out of here, away from this sick building of a home.

She has no one. Nowhere to go. No place to hide. Maybe this was all for the best. If she gets married to Devlin Frost, she will no longer have to feel terrible whenever Eva gets treated like she is the queen of England.

No more neglect. No more constant comparison. No more self-hatred and self-pity. Just Devlin Frost. Who knows? Devlin Frost might have changed over the years; he might no longer be the hateful, emotionless bastard he was as a kid.

"So, you will get married to Devlin in six days," Richard concluded.

"Fine." She declared.

There was a pause.

Did she just say... No, perhaps they heard her wrong?

"I said fine." She repeated, "I will get married to Devlin Frost since that's what you all want."

None of them ever expected that Ava would accept in just a speck of hours. They had expected her to keep throwing tantrums, but what is this? She will get married to Devlin Frost? Just like that?

Either way, this new development was fantastic. After all, it was what they all wanted.

"Um... okay." Richard beamed brightly. "Very good, Ava."

"That's all, right? May I go now?" She turned to leave.

"Actually, there is another thing," Richard said, halting her in her tracks.

"What?"

Richard glanced at Emily, at Eva, then back at Ava. "You won't be getting married to Devlin as Ava Summers; you will be getting married to him as Eva Summers."

Ava stayed quiet as she absorbed the news. She didn't even know how to feel. Just when she thought they were done with her, they found another way to screw her over.

"You mean... I have to pretend to be... Eva?" The disbelief in her voice was palpable.

"Yes."

Ava burst out laughing.

They all exchanged annoyed glances.

"What's so funny?" Richard demanded.

"You," Ava replied amidst laughter, "You are so funny... and ridiculous! And stupid!"

Richard's face darkened.

"Ava, don't speak to Dad like that." Eva cautioned.

Ava threw her a glare, "You, shut up." Then she returned her gaze to her father's annoyed face. "What in the world made you all think I could ever pretend to be Eva? Huh? I mean, look at her, she's the perfect daughter, the most beloved girl, always full of radiant smiles and energy that attracts everybody around her. The perfect girl who always knows what to say and do in every situation. Daddy's and Mommy's little girl! What in the world made you think I, the confused, imperfect daughter who doesn't even know what to do with her life, could pretend to be her?"

"I will teach you." Eva offered, "I will teach you how to be like me."

"Oh, I do not want to be anything like you!" Ava snapped at her, "You know that!"

"Ava, you've agreed." Richard pronounced, "We are not doing this again. You will pretend to be Eva, and no one... no living soul will ever know! Else, there will be consequences," His face darkened, "You know damn well what I can do. Am I understood?"

Ava felt defeated.

She has no idea why they were doing all this. If Eva grew cold feet and had a change of heart, why couldn't they just call off the wedding? I mean, the Frosts and the Summers have been friends for ages, so why are they forcing her to marry Devlin in Eva's place whilst pretending to be Eva at the same time?

There was a whole lot more to this.

"Fine!" She threw up her hands in resignation, "It' not like I have any say. Besides, I do want to know what it feels like to be the perfect, radiant Eva everyone loves! Can I go now?"

She spun on her heels and exited the dining hall. She locked herself up in her room, showered, then changed into something nice.

Twenty-four hours ago, if someone had told her that she would not only find out that Cole was cheating on her, but also that she would be the imposter bride to that emotionless robot, she would have laughed in their face and told them that they were ridiculous.

Everything was happening so fast that she couldn't keep up.

Now she was going to pretend to be Eva. That would be harder than getting married to Devlin.

She knows Eva all too well. Eva is phony. And two-faced. She gives people what they want, with that constant deceptive smile that has worked charms for her.

She loves being the center of attention. She is socially manipulative. And always dresses and walks like a supermodel on the Vogue runway. With her perfect hair and makeup.

Ugh, what a headache. Now, how in God's name was she going to pull all that off?

The light knock on her door broke into her thoughts. She sighed and rose to her feet, then made her way to the door.

Eva was standing elegantly at the door, a slender hand on her knees, her perfectly shaped lips pursed.

"What the hell do you want?" Ava demanded hostilely, eyes hardening as she folded her arms defensively.

"Oh, don't get your panties in a twist, Sis, I come in peace," Eva grinned at her. "I'm here to give you a makeover. On how to be me."