The Substitute Bride: Making Memories Of Us (Lois Stone)

Chapter 39: Deliberately Making Things Difficult For Her 

Saturday came.

Ayla woke up early, took a shower, and changed into a set of simple casual clothes.

She also tied her hair into a ponytail and didn't put on any makeup.

"Mrs.Clark, are you going out? Today is Saturday,"

Maria asked upon seeing her downstairs.

Ayla didn't have classes on weekends, so she usually slept until she would naturally wake up.

"Maria, I have work today, remember? My manager said a VIP customer has booked us today, so as the assistant, I have to be there,"

Ayla replied with a smile.

Unlike other people, she didn't look troubled or unhappy despite having to work on a weekend.

"Oh, yes, now I remember.But you must eat something before you go.Wait a moment."

Maria then went to the kitchen, heated up the milk, and made a cheeseburger for Ayla.

"Thank you, Maria,"

Ayla said as she took the glass of milk and the cheeseburger from Maria.

She drank up the milk and put the glass down on the table.

"I'm late.I'll just eat this in the car," she said, referring to the cheeseburger in her hand.

While in the car, Ayla ate her cheeseburger bit by bit.

It was a good thing that Maria was thoughtful enough to give her something to eat.

Her manager told her that they would be busy all day today, so she couldn't go to work with an empty stomach.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have the strength to run around taking photos.

"Mrs.Clark, water."

Lyle, Brian's driver, handed her a bottle of water.

"Thank you, Lyle."

She took the bottle of imported mineral water, looked at it, and held it tightly in her hand.

For her, it was such a luxury.

"That's Mr.Clark's favorite mineral water, so I always keep a few bottles in the car,"

Lyle explained when he noticed her hesitation and reluctance.

Ayla nodded and looked at the bottle in her hand again.

It turned out that he had a favorite brand of drinking water too.

She thought that he only liked drinking strong black coffee.

Meanwhile, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling French window, Toby seemed preoccupied.

He had a responsibility, and he had to face it.

There was no escape from it anymore.

Hayden had announced at the anniversary banquet that Toby was getting married to Molly and now was the right time.

"Toby, are you okay? What are you thinking about? Hurry, change your clothes now.We have to go.We can't be late,"

Molly said while taking out a set of casual clothes for him.

Today was their appointment for their pre-wedding photo shoot, so they had to be at the wedding photography studio at this time.

When the car pulled over in front of the studio, Ayla thanked Lyle and jumped out.

"Hi, Ayla,"

Alice Jefferson, one of the staff, greeted Ayla while looking at the car outside. Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

She was actually surprised to see Ayla getting out of a luxury car.

"Hello, Alice," Ayla greeted back.

"Am I late?"

She looked at the manager walking towards them.

Alice's eyes were still fixed on the car.

Ayla had already expected that her coworkers would wonder why a mere assistant photographer like her would ride a luxury car.

But she couldn't do anything about it.

If she didn't allow Lyle to drive her to work, she was afraid that Brian would be unhappy.

As much as possible, she didn't want to do something that might annoy him.

"No, you're not late yet.Is the car outside yours?" Alice said after a while.

"Nope.Someone just gave me a free ride."

Ayla's reason might sound lame, but it was indeed true that the car was nothers.

However, she couldn't tell Alice anything about her situation.

At this moment, the manager was already in front of them.

"Ladies, get ready.Mr.and Mrs.Brown will be here soon."

Toby and Molly arrived at the studio at ten o'clock.

"Toby, let's go inside.This wedding photography studio is the best,"

Molly said with a hint of excitement in her eyes.

"As long as you like it, I'm okay with it."

Toby had never objected to any decision that Molly made.

"No.Not because I like it, you will be okay with it.You should like it yourself too."

Molly wanted them to have mutual feelings in everything.

The two of them walked inside the studio, arm in arm.

As soon as the manager saw them, he immediately welcomed them with a friendly smile.

"Mr.Brown, Mrs.Brown, you're here.This way, please."

When they were both seated on the sofa, Ayla brought two cups of tea at once.

"Sir, ma'am, have some tea first."

Toby seemed to hear a familiar voice, so he raised his head and looked at the woman in front of him.

And he was surprised to see the woman he had been wanting to see every day.

"Lala? What are you doing here?"

He noticed that she was wearing the staff's uniform of the studio.

Was she working here? Shouldn't she be with Brian? She should either be at school or in the Clark family's villa at this moment.

"Toby?"

Ayla's whole body froze as a trace of surprise was also written all over her face.

She didn't expect that the VIP customer her manager was talking about was Toby.

He and Molly were getting married, so naturally, they needed to have a pre-wedding photoshoot.

But why did her heart seem to ache at the thought of it? Molly also saw Ayla, and she couldn't help but secretly give a snort of disgust.

Of all people, why did they have to meet Ayla here? And seeing how Toby stared at Ayla, she got furious at once.

"Ayla? What a coincidence! I didn't expect that you work here."

She clung to Toby's arm, raised her head, and glared at Ayla.

Indeed, it was a coincidence.

But Ayla didn't like it at all.

Yes, she couldn't forget Toby, and she had been wanting to see him again.

But she didn't intend to meet him in this kind of situation.

Molly didn't want to give Toby and Ayla a chance to talk to each other, so she asked Ayla to accompany her to choose a wedding dress for the photo shoot.

"What do you think of this one?" she casually asked, showing Ayla a white wedding dress.

Ayla shook her head.

"Miss Smith, this one is..."

"Please call me Mrs.Brown,"

Molly corrected her, throwing the wedding dress away.

"Okay, Mrs.Brown."

Ayla was just a mere assistant while Molly was a VIP customer.

She had to be extra courteous in front of her.

"That's better.Then what kind of wedding dress do you think will Toby like me to wear? You choose one for me."

Molly looked at her.

"You are very much familiar with him, aren't you? You know him well."

Ayla didn't say anything.

She quietly walked to another wardrobe and took out a bright red handmade strapless wedding dress from the hanger.

"Miss...Mrs.Brown, you have snow-white skin, so I think red suits you well.This will look good on you."

She chose the wedding dress for Molly.

Toby once told her that he loved seeing her wearing red.

He even told her that he would give her a red wedding dress in the future.

His words still lingered in her mind.

However, things had changed between them.

They had to separate.

She had to marry Brian while he had to marry Molly.

"Oh, really? But I think this one is too bright and old fashioned.I still prefer white."

Molly disgustedly shook off the wedding dress that Ayla handed to her.

Actually, she found the red wedding dress lovely too.

But since Ayla chose it for her, she pretended not to like it.

Of course, Ayla knew that Molly deliberately refused what she chose.

Although she didn't know what kind of wedding dress Molly liked, she believed in her own taste.

It had been a long time, but Molly had not decided what to wear yet.

She declined all the wedding dresses that Ayla recommended to her.

Toby ran out of patience, and he couldn't wait any longer in the lounge, so he went to the second floor where the collection of wedding dresses was.

And his eyes widened in shock when he saw so many wedding dresses scattered on the floor.

"No! I don't like that.Don't you have good taste? I don't understand why this shop has hired you.You don't even know how to choose what wedding dress suits your client.Call someone else to serve me here.I don't want you anymore!" Molly yelled.

Toby witnessed and heard everything.

"Such an ignorant woman!"

She arrogantly stepped on the wedding dress that Ayla was about to pick up.

"Molly..."

Toby called out her name, trying to hold back his anger.

How could she treat Ayla like this? As soon as Molly heard his voice, she immediately put on a smile and turned to him.

"Toby, why are you here?"

She couldn't help feeling nervous.

Actually, she wanted to ask how long he had been there.

How much did he see and hear? However, he didn't answer her question.

Instead, he asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like any of these wedding dresses? Do you want me to choose for you?"

He was talking to her, but as he spoke, his gaze was fixed on Ayla.

Without waiting for Molly to respond, Toby took the initiative to help Ayla out.

He knew that Molly was giving Ayla a hard time purposely, and Ayla had to bear it.

It made him feel sorry for her.