(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

Gerald went upstairs shortly after instructing his staff to deliver breakfast to their room. Midway up the stairs, he met his grandmother. The woman looked at Gerald inquisitively.

“Ariana came home last night?” she asked. Gerald nodded.

“She’s feeling unwell,” he informed briefly. Mrs. Rosaline just nodded. “Is there any recent news you haven’t shared with Grandma?” she asked again.

Gerald smiled. He was quite proud of his elderly grandmother’s sharp mind, despite her advanced age. “It seems like a surprise will be coming our way soon,” Gerald replied. His grandmother simply nodded. She continued her way downstairs, while Gerald proceeded upstairs to their room.

Gerald sensed a different atmosphere when he opened the bedroom door. Ariana’s gaze had returned to its usual intensity. Sardonic and challenging. Not soft and compliant like it was last night. What had changed in her during the few minutes Gerald had been away?

“Axel, sweetheart. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for school?” Gerald asked, trying to make small talk.

“Why should I go to school? Dad said if I behaves well at school, Dad will bring Mommy home. And Mommy is already home, so I doesn’t need to go to school, right?” the child asked innocently. If the situation weren’t so cold, both Gerald and Ariana would have laughed at the child’s naïve question. But now wasn’t the time for laughter.

“No, sweetheart. It’s precisely because Mommy is back that Axel should go to school more diligently. So Axel can show Mommy what he learns at school,” Gerald said again. Axel stared at his father in confusion before turning to look at Ariana.

“Is that true, Mommy?” he asked, puzzled. Ariana just smiled and nodded. “Okay then. If that’s the case, I will shower and then go to school. Mommy will take me, right?” the child asked hopefully.

Ariana hesitated for a moment. “Axel’s friends are usually accompanied by their moms. Axel is the only one Mommy doesn’t take. Axel is tired of being taken by Grandma all the time,” the child pouted. Ariana just smiled, ruffling the child’s hair.

“Axel, Dad already said that Mommy isn’t feeling well,” Gerald reminded him. Immediately, the child’s face turned sad.

“Mommy will take you later. Axel, shower now, and then we’ll have breakfast, alright?” Ariana said. The child’s expression brightened instantly. Axel nodded enthusiastically. He approached Ariana, kissed her cheek, and then jumped off the bed, running out of the room.

Ariana also got up from the bed, intending to walk to the bathroom. But Gerald stopped her. “Where are you going?” he asked, puzzled.

“To shower, take Axel to school, and then go to the restaurant,” she replied flatly.

“You’re not well, Ariana. You should rest first. Amber and Jody will understand,” Gerald pleaded gently. But Ariana countered him with a sharp glare.

“They will surely understand, but it’s me who doesn’t want to understand. I need to get out of this place,” she said curtly, pulling her arm away from Gerald’s grip.

“Ariana, what’s going on with you? I saw you perfectly fine not long ago,” Gerald muttered, watching her walk slightly unsteadily towards the bathroom.

Ariana paused for a moment, half-turned, and looked at Gerald with her sarcastic gaze. “I just realized who I am and where I should be,” she replied. She continued into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Gerald stood in silence, trying to understand the meaning behind her words. He wanted to ask further, but he knew he wouldn’t get any answers from her.

Frustration? Of course, Gerald was frustrated. Among all the women he knew, Ariana was the one who always left him puzzled. Hadn’t he said that before?

Annoyed, Gerald walked out of the room. He quickly made his way to Axel’s room. If he couldn’t get answers from Ariana, he hoped to find some from Axel. He needed to know what the child said when Gerald wasn’t around.

Axel was still playing in his bathtub when Gerald entered the room. The child was humming the children’s song ‘Bangun Tidur Ku Terus Mandi’ while rubbing his body with soap. “Dad!” the child’s shout startled his nanny.

Gerald asked the nanny to leave the bathroom and instructed her to prepare Axel’s change of clothes while he took over to bathe the child. Gerald sat on a small chair where the nanny had been and started helping the boy lather his body. “Axel?” Gerald began the conversation. The little face looked up with a questioning gaze.

“Yes, Dad,” he replied.

“Did you say anything to Mommy while Dad went downstairs?” he asked, curious. The child seemed not to understand what Gerald was talking about, which was understandable given his young age. “I mean, what did you talk to Mommy about when Dad wasn’t in the room?”

The child fell silent for a while, as if recalling something. “Mommy asked if I went to school,” the child replied innocently. Gerald nodded. “I told Mommy that Dad said if I went to school, Dad would bring Mommy home again.” Gerald nodded again. Surely, this wouldn’t be something that would provoke Ariana’s anger, would it? Gerald wondered.

“After that, what did you say to Mommy?” Axel thought for a moment and then shook his head. “Did you not say anything else to Mommy?” Axel shook his head again.

Then what had made the girl revert to her previous self? Cold and untouchable?

“I just told Mommy that Grandma said to me that the one who will love me is Mommy Karen, not Mommy Ariana.”

Ouch. The child’s statement clearly pierced Gerald’s heart. He felt angry hearing it, and he imagined Ariana felt even worse. “Why did you say that?” Gerald asked, curious.

“Because I asked Grandma where Mommy went. Grandma said, Mommy Ariana wouldn’t love me, but Mommy Karen would.”

“Did Grandma really say that?” Gerald asked again. Axel nodded innocently. “When Grandma said that, was anyone else there?” Axel then pointed to the bathroom door.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“Aunt,” the child replied. Gerald nodded in understanding. He then continued cleaning Axel’s body and drying him off before leading him out of the bathroom.

The woman in her forties took Axel and prepared to massage him with baby oil. Her face visibly tensed because Gerald was still standing there, staring at her intently.

“What did Mommy say to Axel yesterday?” Gerald asked in a low voice. The woman immediately stiffened. “Um, sir,” she stammered.

“You know who signs your paycheck here, don’t you?” Gerald asked, his tone threatening. The woman clearly swallowed hard out of fear. Gerald’s threatening tone made her feel like she was on thin ice. Nevertheless, working as Axel’s nanny was advantageous for her. Besides the substantial salary she received, taking care of Axel was not difficult because the child was independent for his age and not troublesome. Moreover, Gerald’s family treated her with respect and never belittled her.

“Madam told Master Axel that his mother is not Mrs. Ariana. But it’s Mrs. Karen,” she answered, her voice trembling.

“Is that true?” Gerald asked.

“Y-yes, sir.”

“What else did she say?”

“Madam said that Mrs. Ariana’s presence here is only temporary. Tomorrow or the day after, there will be a woman named Karenina. She will be Master Axel’s mother and my employer, sir. She said that because she was afraid I would be shocked. Because Madam Ariana and Madam Karenina look the same,” she replied fearfully.

“Besides Aunt, who else did Mommy tell this to?”

“Everyone who works in the house, sir. My husband also said the same. But then, Mr. Yosef said it’s not true,” the nanny replied again. Gerald simply nodded. Alright, now he knew what was troubling Ariana.

Gerald rushed to their room, but Ariana was already gone. Their bed was neatly made, as if it had never been slept in.