Her Substitute Groom

Janice POV

Even though the cold floor was piercing through my bones, I couldn’t bring myself to stand up because I was too weak to. Connor never deserved everything I said to him, he didn’t deserve to be treated like that, but if only he knew that I was doing all that to protect him. Carl had become a monster that would kill Connor without thinking twice, and losing him was the last thing on my mind.

The sound of my ringing phone pulled my attention, and I looked at it hesitantly. Carl took my old phone and got me a new one and a new number in a way that Connor wouldn’t be able to reach me again. Even though I knew Connor’s number offhand, I couldn’t bring myself to call him. Who knows, maybe Carl linked the phone to his.

I reached for the phone lazily, and when I checked who the caller was, I scoffed angrily upon realizing that it was Carl. Not that I was ever expecting a call from any other person, anyway. I hesitated before I swiped the answer button.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

“Darling…” His voice was surprisingly calm and not accompanied by the coldness it usually had.

“Are you crying?” He asked when I sniffed, but more tears only streamed down my cheeks, and I heard him sigh.

“Why are you crying, babe? Did I do something wrong? Did something happen?” He asked as if he wasn’t aware Connor was here today.

“I’m fine,” I replied to him and wiped my tears.

“Alright. I’ll be home tomorrow. Let’s spend some time together this time when I come,” My heart sank into my stomach when he said that, and I swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in my throat. I was excited he was going to stay for three days over there. At least, I would have peace of mind for that period, but it seemed like it was not going to work now.

“Are you there?” He asked, and I nodded my head as I hummed.

“Take care of yourself for me. Eat something, and sleep early. Don’t stress yourself, OK?” I was stunned to hear those sweet words from Carl, and what surprised me the most was the sincerity and care in his voice. For a moment, I asked myself if this was the Carl I’d known lately or if someone else was impersonating him. Regardless, I hummed and nodded as if he could see me.

“Good night. I love you,” He said before the call ended, and I checked my phone screen to see that he was really the one.

“What is going on?” I mumbled but shrugged and tossed my phone on the bed.

The sound of the knock on my door pulled my attention, and even though my body felt weak, I managed to stand up to my feet and reached for the door after I made sure I wiped my tears until there were barely any trails of tears.

I pulled the door open, and Jeff welcomed me.

“Jeff?” I called surprisingly because he was supposed to be sleeping by now.

“Sis… Are you not sleeping yet?” He asked as he scrutinized me with his eyes.

“Not yet. I was… dealing with something inside. Why are you not sleeping yet? What about Mom and Dad? Are they asleep yet?” I asked him, and he nodded.

“Can I come in?” He asked as he blinked his brown eyes, and I left the door wide open for him. He walked inside, and I closed the door behind me before joining him.

“Are you ok? You don’t look fine,” I asked him as I sat beside him on my bed.

“I should be asking you that, sis. Are you not happy that we are here? We’ve been apart for so many years and now that we are finally here, you don’t seem so happy about it. What is going on?” He asked, and my jaw dropped to the ground.

“What are you saying, Jeff?” I huffed even though I knew what he was trying to say. I’ve been so distracted since they came here that I barely had time for them as I was always trapped in my thoughts and wallowing in my pain. I haven’t been fair to them.

“You know what I’m talking about, sis… Brother-in-law came to get us and promised to sponsor my education. He promised to take care of our parents and make sure that they are fine… He is even working on giving Mom and Dad the best medical attention, but you don’t seem happy about it. Is there anything you are hiding from me?”

“It’s not what you think, Jeff…”

“Then tell me what it is, sis. This is driving me crazy, and I can’t pretend everything is fine anymore. Everything is not fine,” He shook his head as he rose to his feet, and I sighed. How was I supposed to explain everything to him?

“Come on, Jeff. It’s not like I’m not happy you are here. It’s just…” I paused, unable to come up with anything reasonable to say. I just bit my lip and sighed briefly.

“Do you not love Brother-in-law? He seems to be a nice person, and I’m sure every woman would want to be with him. He is nice to you too. You don’t love him?” He asked me as he raised his eyebrows, and I bit my lip.

“Do you not like brother-in-law?” He asked again, and I huffed.

“How is that possible? Of course, I do. It’s just that I’m trying to figure something out. Jeff…” I paused then cupped his cheeks in my palms and forced a smile.

“You don’t have to worry about me, and one thing I don’t want you to ever think is that I don’t want you here. I really do. Whatever is happening has nothing to do with you or Mom and Dad. I promise to figure things out soon,” I assured him, and he stared at me for a few seconds before he nodded.

“Good boy. You should go to bed now, darling. Let’s have breakfast together tomorrow, ok?” I stroked his hair and patted his head.

“Good night, sis,” He smiled at me, and I nodded. He finally walked out of my room, and I breathed out in relief…