The Replacement Bride

CHAPTER ONE : Rejected By My Family

Layla’s POV

“You need to leave this house, and if your sister is not found, do not come back.”

Those words fell into the room like something heavy had dropped on the ground, and for a moment I just stood there, hoping I had heard them wrong or misunderstood their meaning.

I slowly turned toward my mother, searching her face, waiting for even the smallest sign that she would take it back or soften what she had just said.

But there was nothing in her expression except certainty.

My father’s voice followed immediately, sharp and full of anger, as though he had already made up his mind without needing to hear anything else.

“Aria is missing. We cannot be looking for her while you stay here.”

At that moment, my chest tightened in a way that made it hard to breathe properly, and I tried to steady myself as I spoke.

“I have been trying everything to find her,” I said quietly, hoping they would at least listen.

My mother gave a short laugh, but it did not sound real or warm, it sounded forced, almost like she no longer recognized me.

“That is exactly what someone guilty would say.”

My fingers curled slightly at my sides as I tried to understand what was happening.

“You think I am involved in Aria’s disappearance?” I asked, my voice lower now, almost careful.

My father did not hesitate.

“We think? No. We are sure you know something.”

For a second, my breath got stuck in my throat.

My mother stepped closer, her eyes cold and sharp in a way I had never seen before.

“You have always wanted her place,” she said. “And now that she is engaged to Jake, you suddenly do not like it.”

I shook my head slowly, as if that alone could stop everything from falling apart.

“I am her sister.”

Her expression did not change.

“Half-sister,” she corrected. “Do not pretend you belong here more than she does.”

Those words sank deep into my chest, painful and heavy, like they were meant to stay there.

“That is not true,” I whispered, even though my voice no longer felt strong enough to defend myself.

My father’s face hardened completely, and when he spoke again, there was no emotion left in his voice.

“Leave this house. We do not want you here.”

My hands trembled as I looked at them one more time, waiting for something, anything, to change their minds, but nothing did.

I took one slow step forward, then another, hoping they would call my name or stop me, but the silence only grew louder.

So I turned, opened the door, and walked out.

The moment I stepped outside, everything hit me at once.

Flashes from cameras, voices from everywhere, people pushing questions at me like I was already guilty of something I did not understand.

“Is it true your sister disappeared after a fight?”

“Are you being investigated?”

“Did jealousy cause this?”

I did not answer any of them, because there was nothing I could say that would make them believe me.

My feet just kept moving, faster at first, then slower, until I was walking through the street like someone no one really noticed anymore.Like I was already guilty in their eyes.

Only when the noise faded behind me did I finally stop.

My hands were shaking, and my chest felt tight, like something heavy was sitting there and pressing down slowly.

Why would they think I did this? And yet, I was the one who was supposed to marry Jake.

Jake had once said that whoever saved him from the fire accident would become his wife, and I was the one who saved him.

My parents knew that, and still they gave the credit to Aria.

I never fought it, because she was the real daughter in their eyes, and I was only the adopted one.

That thought burned inside me.Around me, life continued as if nothing had changed. People were laughing, cars were moving, the world was still alive.Only mine felt broken.

I did not know where I was going.

I just kept walking until I stopped in front of a bar I had never seen before.

Warm light spilled onto the street, and soft music drifted outside, as if the place was meant for people who wanted to forget their problems for a while.

And maybe I needed that.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Warm air touched my face, and for the first time that day, no one looked at me, no one judged me, and strangely, that silence hurt a little less.

I walked to the counter and sat down slowly.The bartender looked at me and asked, “Tough day?”

A small breath left my lips, almost like a laugh that had no strength in it.

“You have no idea.”

“What do you want?” he asked.

I stared at the bottles for a moment, longer than I should have, trying to silence everything in my head.

Then I answered,“Something strong….Something to quiet my thoughts….Something to make me forget my name.

I drank from one glass to another until everything around me started to blur and lose shape.

My parents did not want me home, so I had no reason to go back. That was the only thought I could still hold on to.

I needed somewhere to stay.

I needed a hotel, maybe the one attached to the bar.

At some point, I stood up, though I barely remembered leaving properly. My steps were unsteady, and the world felt like it was moving slightly off balance.

Alcohol was in control now, not me.

I saw a door slightly open, and in my state, it felt like the only place I could go.

I stepped inside and there was a man in the room.

I did not care who he was. I only knew I wanted everything to stop, even if just for a moment.

He looked like he had also been drinking, like he was trying to escape something too.

That was enough for my mind, I walked toward him.

Before I could think again or stop myself, I kissed him. “You don’t know how hurt I am,” I whispered to him.

“I need everyone to see I didn’t do anything wrong.”

The words came out slowly, tangled with alcohol and emotion.

Then I heard his voice.“You asked for this?”

I did not fully understand what he meant.

But I still nodded.