Chapter 3

Mr. President's substitute wife~

"What do you mean she disappeared?" Alejandro hissed out angrily, his suit jacket had now been pulled off and thrown somewhere. The entire family was in the Anderson home, tension high.

Willow paced around in her room, arms crossed against her chest, her heart beating harder than normal, lip caught between her teeth. She stopped, placing her ear against the door yet again. She didn't even need to go through the trouble, The Holdings were yelling at the top of their voice that even the dead would hear them clearly. The anger embedded in their voice shook Willow to the core. She took out her phone and dialed Sophia's number for the hundredth time that day and yet it was the same thing. She switched off the phone and no one could get through to her. Willow swallowed anxiously.

"This is a joke, right?. It has to be a joke! There's no way in hell Sophia would disappear from the wedding and you'll have me marry her! Are you insane?" Alejandro snarled out, his voice laced with seething fury, the words escaping like a venomous growl. His voice broke through the thick air. Willow whimpered at the fury in his voice. She didn't blame him though, he deserved to be angry at the unfortunate situation. Willow sighed, running her fingers through her hair, her mind going back to the second Alejandro had pulled the veil off and saw her face there instead of his supposed bride. Willow remembered the clear confusion mixed with anger in his eyes.

"Explain this! Giving us your defective daughter while hiding the other? Is this your way of repaying our kindness?" Eloise, Alejandro's mother screamed, running her fingers through her now distorted hair. Willow froze, the lump in her throat growing, Eloise's words ringing in her head now. The defective daughter? Her reputation has gotten so bad?

"Calm down, Alejandro. There has to be a reason why Mitchel would deceive us. Right, Mitchel?" His father, Tyler voices out, his hands slipped into his trousers, he looked at Willow's father. Mitchel looks way, head lowered in shame. Shame Sophia had brought upon them.

"Speak up, Mitchel! What the hell is going on here? Aren't you man enough?!" Tyler snarls

Jasmine looked up at them, taking a step forward trying to salvage the situation.

"Ale- she'll be back soon. It's just a matter of time. Sophia will be back soon, I know it." She says, her voice trembling as she spoke. Willow could hear the shame coated in Jasmine's voice. She wondered yet again why Sophia would do this?

"She shouldn't have disappeared in the first place. It was your job as the mother to take care of your daughter and even that you failed to do. You and your daughters are a disgrace, Jasmine." Eloise snapped angrily, taking a step closer to a panicked looking Jasmine. She stopped right in front of the woman "You couldn't bring up the brat well and you still couldn't keep her in check. What kind of a mother are you?" She hissed out without hesitation, not minding how deep her words will cut Jasmine.

Mitchel cleared his throat, taking a step forward." There's no need to cry over spilled milk. We will do all we can to get Sophia back but for the main time, we have to keep this under wraps. We can't let the media catch a wind of this." Mitchel says confidently, it made Willow wonder if he had thought of the situation beforehand. She pressed her ear against the door harder now, their voices were slowly quietening down.

Tyler scoffed, eyebrows cocked up. "If we don't get Sophia in a week, you will pay back every penny you have taken from us. We will terminate the contract between our companies and trust me I will make sure your company goes under rocks." Tyler gritted out, his threat hung in the air. Willow gasped, she knew the Holdings were powerful but hearing this made it impossible to ignore.

"Father!" Willow hears Alejandro yell affrontedly, Appalled they would even think of this.

"This will just be for the main time, Alejandro. It's temporary. We can't have news of this break out to the media. You know it." Tyler continues, Eloise stood beside him, glaring hard at a fuming Jasmine.

Willow doesn't hear anything again, she took a step back, breathing heavily. She wondered what their conclusion was. She lifted her phone, eyes on Sophia's name boldly written across the screen. She once again wondered what the fuck was going through Sophia's head when she disappeared. Willow tried to crack her brain, wondering if there was a moment she had ever seen Sophia sad or doubtful about the wedding but the truth remains, she didn't. Sophia was happy all through the wedding planning process. She wanted to be involved in everything, down to the flower arrangements which makes this whole situation weird.

A knock on the door jolted Willow out of her thoughts and the door opens, A woman stepping into the room, shutting the door behind her. Willow's shoulder sag when she sees the woman, their long time worker, Olga. The Middle aged woman stood by the door, a small sad smile on her face.

"Madam Jasmine is asking for you." Olga says calmly, her gaze dropping to the wedding dress Willow had on.

"She is? How is the situation out there? Are they still upset?" Willow rushed out, unable to resist the insane curiosity. Olga simply smiled, shaking her head.

"I have to pack your things now, please excuse me." She replied and walked to get started. Willow took a deep breath and walked to the door, knowing with all that's been said, she will be leaving.

Willow walked down the hall towards the living room, she could hear the murmurs from them, her heart beating harder the closer she got. She paused to take a deep breath, now able to hear them clearer.

"I hope you know I expect more, Mitchel. Having your lesser illegitimate daughter in the Holdings household carrying our prestigious name is a huge deal." Willow overheard, she gulped hard, her hands trembling. She walked into the living room and all eyes were on her instantly.

Willow tensed up, eyes down trying to evade the gaze of the others eating her. "So this is her? She's not worth it." Eloise spat out the second she laid eyes on Willow. Willow snapped her head up, eyes on the tall woman.

"We know, she has a lot of shortcomings and isn't up to par when compared to Sophia but she will make do." Jasmine quickly interrupted, walking over to where Willow stood, her hands draped over Willow's shoulder. Willow lowered her gaze, a lump formed in her throat. She's being sold like some worthless goods.

"Come here, child." Eloise called out. The woman herself scared Willow. Eloise stood tall and dignified, she emanated a powerful presence that commanded attention. Her confidence was palpable. Willow is pushed forward by Jasmine, making her stumble slightly. She watched as Eloise cocked her eyebrow up at the slight stumble, already judging her. Willow walked towards her on steady legs and finally stopped a few feet away from the woman.

Eloise stared at her for what seemed like hours yet it was only some few seconds, she lifted her hand towards Willow, holding Willow's chin hard, she tilted the other's head slightly and then proceeded to roll her eyes condescendingly. She looks at her husband Tyler and shook her head.

Willow lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding when the woman lets go of her. She took a step back and her gaze shifts to her temporary husband. He stood by the door, his aura screamed anger it somehow scared Willow. He was certainly ready to leave.

"I'm leaving." He announced then pushed the door open, storming out of the house. Willow watched dumbfounded, perplexed on what to do. Eloise sighed, she looked back at Willow.

"Go after him. You can't be seen separately, not after what happened at the church. The media are still watching us and are ready to chew us out. You sister and parents have put all of us in this situation." Eloise says again.

Willow glanced at her father and mother but they only gesture for her to leave. She sighed internally and walked out the door the same way the man had left.