Substitute No More

Not long after Justin left, Sandra came to comfort me.

She sat down beside me and gently took my hand as she said, “Eva, I know today was hard for you. You’re my daughter, too. Of course, I feel for you.

“Be good, alright? Justin is someone you can trust with your future. He just gets a little stubborn sometimes.

“I’ll help keep an eye on the wedding planning. I won’t let you suffer anymore.”

Hearing her words, I buried myself in her arms and cried. At that moment, it felt like only family could ever truly love me.

Later that night, though, as I passed by the study, I overheard something that shattered my heart.

“I really wish I could have seen Stella get married. We asked Eva to help fulfill that dream, and she still won’t cooperate. She’s so ungrateful!”

“There, there, my dear. Don’t be upset. Eva grew up in the countryside. How could she ever compare to our Stella?

“But now that Stella’s gone, we still need to keep ties with the Davidsons. Right now, it’s all about keeping Eva in line. Show her more care. We still need to get more access to the Davidsons through her.”

“I know. Why couldn’t it have been Eva who died instead?”

It felt like I’d fallen into a pit of ice.

The biological parents I had only just reunited with after more than ten years never saw me as a daughter. I was just a tool to them.

There was no longer any reason for me to stay.

I pulled out my phone and booked the next available flight. In two days, I’d be away from this place and Justin.

The next morning, I was packing when I got a text from Justin.

[Come downstairs. We’re going to the wedding rehearsal.]

I ignored it.

However, the next second, another message came through.

It was a photo of Grandma, the woman who farmed to raise me in the countryside. Justin had brought her to the city. In the photo, she stood smiling next to him.

Grandma was showing signs of early Alzheimer’s. She couldn’t handle stress and sometimes didn’t recognize people.

She’d been doing well in the care facility. Yet Justin would go to such lengths just to use her against me.

My hands were shaking so badly that I almost dropped the phone. My chest felt like it was being crushed.

Then a video call came through. I answered immediately.

Justin looked at my panicked face and smiled, clearly enjoying it.

“Miss Walker, ready to come downstairs now?”

Seeing his indifference, I trembled with rage and gritted my teeth.

“Justin, you know Grandma is everything to me.”

His expression faltered for a second, guilt flashing across his face. It vanished quickly, replaced by his usual smug look.

“Relax, Miss Walker. I know what I’m doing. I just want Grandma at your wedding.”

“She’s at the best facility now, with full-time nurses and doctors on call. She’ll be there on our wedding day.”

I stared straight into his eyes, trying to see if he meant a word of it.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I closed my eyes.

Enough. I couldn’t keep being this foolish.