Stand-in Wife

The following day was a hectic one for Cecilia as she dragged her luggage out of her room alone until she got to the hallway. She stood still for a while, trying to catch her breath as she didn't know her luggage was that heavy.

Miguel was passing along the hallway when he caught sight of the latter panting. He rolled his eyes before walking up to herm Cecilia caught sight of him and was glad he would finally give her a helping hand.

A smile was plastered on her face as she saw him approaching her, only for her smile to be replaced with a frown when he started questioning her unnecessarily.

"Where're you going with your whole clothes packed?" He asked, weighing the luggage, and giving her an immediate stern look.

"You told me to arrange my things as we'll embark on a journey to your father's house." Cecilia retorted.

Miguel folded his arms, he was caught off guard why the way she retorted that he was expecting less. "Don't worry, I'll have someone take your luggage back to your room leave it here and follow me." He ordered, turning his back on her as he walked past her to the exit.

Cecilia sighed in frustration. She had just wasted her energy dragging the heavy luggage from her room to the hallway and now all her efforts were wasted.

With a sigh, she left the box and followed the tall man from behind, admiring his broad shoulders and how tall he was. She did some comparisons in her head and noticed he was way taller than her and his aura emitted elegance.

The air was hushed and tensed as none of them wanted to break the silence but Cecilia had some unanswered questions to ask and she thought now would be the perfect time.

"What am I going to put on if we eventually spend the night there?" She asked as she hastened her steps to walk beside him.

Her question was followed by an utter silence which made her jaws drop in disappointment.

They got to the exit and found the chauffeur and the driver waiting for them. After settling inside the car, they embarked on a journey to Miguel's father's house where Cecilia would have to play the role of his stand-in wife. Although she wasn't comfortable with it, she didn't have a choice because she had already accepted his money.

The journey to the house of the Gonzalez was long and tiring. Cecilia almost slept off during the ride as Miguel was no fun to chat with. They rode in total silence as Miguel was on his phone listening to some audio messages.

Cecilia also brought out her phone and engrossed herself with the latest news on the internet. She checked her page and saw that it had been a long time since she had posted. She felt bad that she couldn't take a picture of her and Miguel together and share it with the public since that would be against his laws. She knew how much money she could get from just a photo with Miguel but the money she would make out of the photo was nothing compared to the one he offered her.

The buzzing sound of Miguel's phone disrupted the silence in the car. He glanced at the caller ID and his countenance lit up a bit as he proceeded to answer whoever the caller was.

"I've been waiting for your call." He said, his voice gentle.

Cecilia still on her phone, had her ears straightened up to listen to whatever conversation Miguel was having and the reason why his countenance softened.

A feminine voice resounded over the phone and Cecilia's suspicions were clear. For some reason, she was a bit disappointed but she masked it up with a fake smile and focused all her attention on the internet news.

"Miguel, you didn't even bother to return my calls."

Miguel face palmed himself. He didn't apologize but instead, he blamed it on his sleep. "I was exhausted and slept off, that's why." 

The woman over the phone didn't talk for a while as she waited for Miguel to break the silence but Miguel didn't.

"Aren't you going to ask about my health?" She complained, her feminine voice barely above a whisper.

"I was about to do that. How's your health, mia cara?"

"The doctor said I need a lot of supplements but I've run out of cash." 

Miguel knew that was the exact reason she called but he didn't protest or complain. "Send in your account details." He requested his face void of any expression.

"Aren't you supposed to have it already?" She retorted over the phone, oblivious to the fact that Miguel wasn't in the mood for her drama.

"Are you going to send it or not?" He asked almost yelling.

Cecilia, on the other hand, couldn't focus on what she was reading on her phone. She wondered if Miguel was that harsh to his girlfriend and took pity on the lady for having such a strict man in her life. Cecilia was sure to end things with him immediately after he was done using her to fool his father.

The woman over the phone heaved a sigh before accepting defeat. "Fine, I'll send it. Why are you being so cold to your sick girlfriend?" She asked, whining.

"Anna, I'm on my way to see my father. I'll send you the money and endeavor not to call me, or text me, understood?" 

"Fine, have it your way." She yelled, hanging up immediately.

Before Miguel could drop his phone, his phone buzzed again and he saw a text from her, containing her account details. He immediately did the transactions and dropped his phone beside him, resting his head on the headrest with his eyes closed.

Cecelia, however, remained quiet to avoid his wrath. Now that she knew the name of his girlfriend, she became curious about how she'd look. Was she a celebrity or another rich lady from a wealthy home?

"Don't think about it too much and just focus on your reading." She heard him say. Cecelia glanced at the man beside her, his voice sent shivers down her spine and it was as if he could read her thought. 

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Mia Cara is an Italian word for "my dear."