(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

Ariana swallowed hard in distress. Why did Gerald have to promise her all those beautiful things? Why did he have to offer something irresistible to women? Why was he so in love with her? Why didn’t Gerald want to lose her? These questions flooded her mind, creating a strong pulse there.

“Please,” the man pleaded. His hands reached for Ariana’s arms and squeezed them gently. Then, he lifted Ariana’s hand to place it on his broad shoulder. He then cupped Ariana’s face with both of his hands, running his thumb over her jaw. “I love you, Ariana. Can’t that reason make you stay by my side?” he asked again. “Or should I beg you to stay?” The man touched his forehead to Ariana’s. Ariana could faintly smell the mixture of perfume, body odor, and alcohol.

Gerald brought his face closer to Ariana’s. His breath brushed against her face. His lips neared Ariana’s, causing her heart to beat faster involuntarily. Gerald then touched his lips to Ariana’s. Warmth. That’s what Ariana felt. Oh God, how she missed the sensation of his lips.

Seeing that Ariana did not resist his lips, Gerald became bolder, kissing her even more deeply. Ariana welcomed it until she felt her heart racing, making it difficult for her to breathe.

Ariana tried to push Gerald’s body away, but he seemed reluctant to comply with Ariana’s command. He continued to try to kiss her until Ariana pushed him away with the remaining strength she had.

“Go away, Gerald!” Ariana said with a gasping breath, an effect, Gerald assumed, of their recent kiss. Part of it was true, but another part was due to different reasons.

Gerald tried to approach again, intending to persuade Ariana, but she grabbed his arm and squeezed it tightly as a form of defense.

The tightness and the accumulating pain in her chest caused Ariana to finally collapse in front of her husband.

“Ariana?” Gerald called her name. However, Ariana seemed unfocused on him. Her eyes closed and opened slowly. The grip of her hand on his arm was quite strong.

“Ariana?” Gerald called her name again, but somehow, Ariana fell into his arms. “Ariana?!” Gerald shouted loudly. His hands gently slapped Ariana’s cheeks, trying to wake her up. But she didn’t respond at all.

“Ariana, don’t make me panic,” Gerald said. It was evident that he was genuinely scared at this moment. He quickly stood up, carrying Ariana in his arms. Instead of laying her on the bed, he carried her out of the unit and continued taking her out of the apartment.

Gerald’s private driver promptly opened the back door upon seeing Gerald exit the basement elevator. “To the hospital, quickly!” he commanded, answered by the driver’s nod. “Ariana, darling, wake up. What happened to you?” The man spoke softly, full of plea.

If Ariana suspected Gerald came to her apartment drunk, she was mistaken. As Max had mentioned earlier, the longer one drinks, the higher the alcohol content in the body, not the other way around. Gerald had deliberately come to Ariana’s residence pretending to be drunk, hoping for her pity. Or perhaps he used alcohol as a shield for his courage? The bottom line was that Gerald could no longer contain his longing for Ariana.

The hospital was now in sight. The driver stopped the car in front of the emergency entrance. Gerald again carried Ariana with both hands and walked inside. A man in a white uniform approached and pushed a bed towards Gerald. “She suddenly passed out, I don’t know why,” he said, met with a scoff from the male nurse. Clearly, the nurse must have caught a whiff of alcohol on him. “I’m not drunk! Quickly, take action!” Gerald snapped at the nurse.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

The nurse swiftly pushed Ariana’s bed. A woman in scrubs approached. She looked at Ariana and then Gerald alternately. “What are you looking at?” Gerald grumbled. “She’s the one you should examine, not me!” He scolded harshly as the woman remained silent. “Are you a new doctor?” Gerald asked later when he noticed the woman trembling in fear. “Summon a more senior doctor!” He shouted at anyone in the room, immediately drawing the attention of many. “I don’t want my wife to be handled by someone incompetent!” He emphasized, more directed at the young doctor.

A man in scrubs approached and then stared at the figure lying with widened eyes. “Step aside,” he said roughly, then examined the patient’s condition. The man leaned his head against Ariana’s chest while his right hand felt her wrist and pressed his index and middle fingers on her pulse. Afterward, he put on a stethoscope and placed the diaphragm on Ariana’s chest, listening for a moment while shifting the round object several times. Then, he took a small flashlight from his pocket and opened Ariana’s eyes.

The young male doctor, just like the young female doctor, gave instructions to the nurse and ordered her to take Ariana to the ICCU (Intensive Coronary Care Unit).

“Are you a family member of the patient?” the doctor asked coldly.

“Her husband,” Gerald replied just as coldly.

The doctor seemed to lift the corner of his mouth in a mocking manner. “You better clean yourself before accompanying the patient in the ICCU, Sir.” It wasn’t a suggestion but a command. Unwillingly, Gerald had to admit that what the man said wasn’t wrong. “But before that, you can register her at the administration desk,” he continued and then walked away without another word.

For the first time in his life, Gerald received rude treatment from a man. However, he also knew he was at fault, as the doctor likely assumed he was currently drunk, given the strong smell of alcohol emanating from his clothes. Damn it, even though he bought expensive drinks, why did the scent still seem cheap?

Gerald walked towards the administration. Usually, in times like this, he would rely on Vivan or Yosef, but since both were absent, Gerald had to do it himself. He called his driver to bring the spare clothes he kept in the car’s trunk and instructed him to bring them into the hospital. Afterward, he asked about the location of a public bathroom and cleaned himself there. And again, for the first time in his life, he hurriedly showered in a public restroom much smaller than the luxurious bath in his home.

Gerald was now wearing a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. He walked towards the ICCU, but overheard the grumpy doctor instructing a nurse to take Ariana. Gerald was told to put on sterile clothing before entering. Inside, he could see Ariana lying with an oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth. Various devices were attached and peeking out from beneath her clothes. The nightgown she had worn earlier was replaced with a plain pajama with buttons in the front. A monitor was also installed on the right side of her bed, and an IV was attached to her left arm. Gerald furrowed his brow. What happened to Ariana? Just a while ago, his wife seemed perfectly fine. Why was she now being treated like a patient in distress?

Doctor Akara reentered the room. “You look fresher,” he said flatly, whether intending to mock or genuinely compliment Gerald. “Is your mind also free from alcohol now?” he asked, and this time there was clearly a hint of disdain in his tone.

“I’m not drunk,” Gerald retorted sharply. He radiated a clear sense of hostility toward the young doctor.

“Well, that’s good then,” the doctor said again, glancing once more at the papers on the clipboard in his hand.

“What happened to my wife?” Gerald finally asked, growing weary of the silence in the room.

The doctor looked at Gerald with confusion. Of course, as a doctor, the young man found it strange to hear a husband who didn’t know what had happened to his wife. Especially considering it wasn’t the first time Ariana had been admitted to the hospital for the same reason. “You don’t know?” the doctor asked, puzzled.