The substitute bride

Chapter 5

Petra was sitting on a bench in the garden, looking at the flowers she had planted, which were growing beautifully. She was feeling such an unbearable pain in her heart that it seemed there was nothing in the world that could relieve it.

She thought about her fate; she was still shaken by everything that had happened, even though two months had passed, everything that had happened to her still affected her.

Her sister had called her a few weeks ago, saying she was traveling through Turkey, seeing the wonders that the country had to offer. Emma knew that this affected Petra since she was stuck in that house doing nothing; she couldn't even go out on the street.

Emma's call left Petra feeling worse than she already was; she just wanted to be able to live a little, to be free. Petra had dreams; she wanted to study architecture in Italy, travel to various countries, collecting unforgettable memories. But she couldn’t; she would remain forever in a house where she couldn't even step outside.

— What a horrible life I have. — she said with a bitter smile.

Checking her phone for the time, Petra saw that she had a new message. It was from the hospital, informing her that her husband had awakened from the coma.

She felt a mix of surprise and fear. What would it be like to meet a man she had married without ever having known him before, and who perhaps didn’t even know of her existence?

Was her life about to change completely?

Sighing wearily, Petra got up from the bench and went into her house; she needed to get ready to go to the hospital.

. . .

Petra sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a skirt and blouse set that her mother-in-law had bought for her. The skirt was tight and short, and the blouse was snug on her shoulders, almost like a straitjacket.

She was irritated; it was no longer enough that her father had controlled her life for so long; now she had her mother-in-law, who wanted to turn her into a person she was not. Of course, the clothes and shoes Rebekah had bought were beautiful, but they didn’t fit Petra's style. She was a simple girl; it wasn’t part of her style to wear expensive clothes.

— I will never be able to wear this kind of outfit. — Petra said to herself in the mirror. The clothes were lovely, made of fine fabrics with impeccable finishes, but Petra did not feel comfortable in them. She felt as if she were wearing a costume.

— You look like a princess — said her mother-in-law, Rebekah, as she entered the room. — I’m sure your husband will love it when he sees you in these clothes.

Petra forced a smile and looked at her mother-in-law in the mirror. Rebekah was very beautiful, with perfectly styled blonde hair and impeccable red nails, but she was also authoritarian and critical.

— I don’t know, Rebekah... These clothes are beautiful, but I feel a bit over the top in them. — Petra replied, turning to face her.

— You need to get used to wearing more elegant clothes, Petra. You’re my daughter-in-law, and I want you to live up to our family. Wearing simple and cheap clothes is unacceptable.

Petra lowered her head. She knew she wouldn’t be able to convince Rebekah otherwise. She was just a simple girl; even though she had a lot of money, Petra had never been a girl who liked to splurge on expensive clothes and accessories. And Rebekah wanted to change who she was.

— I just want you to feel beautiful and to live up to our family, to show that now you are a Miller, married to the great and wealthy businessman Bryan Miller; I want you to act accordingly. — said Rebekah, gently touching Petra’s face. — And if you wear these clothes with confidence, you will look wonderful.

Petra tried to smile again, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to. She didn’t feel confident in those clothes; she felt like an impostor. But she didn’t want to argue with Rebekah again. She knew that would only make things worse between them. So she simply sighed and continued getting ready.

After getting dressed, they left the house and headed to the hospital.

. . .

Petra's heart raced as she walked through the hospital corridors. She couldn’t believe she was about to meet her husband for the first time. Everything felt so surreal.

After a few minutes, she found herself standing in front of the door to the room that separated her from her husband, her mother-in-law right behind her, urging her to open the door and go in.

So Petra did exactly as she was told.

With her hand outstretched, she slowly opened the door. Her eyes met those of the man, who was looking at her without knowing who she was or why she was there.

Petra could feel her heart beating faster. She didn’t know what to say, how to start a conversation with a stranger who was now her husband.

She simply walked toward the bed, where he was lying, looking at her with confusion; he truly had no idea who she was.

Petra tried to speak, but she didn’t know how to begin. However, the man spoke.

— Who are you? — he asked, in a weak voice, due to the time spent in a coma.

Petra responded, simply and with a sigh of relief.

— I’m your wife. My name is Petra.

Petra’s heart was racing; she had no idea what to say, she simply stated the obvious, and the man in front of her looked at her in complete confusion. She gazed into his eyes, while he stared back at her, as if their gazes were forbidden to stray from one another; she didn’t feel afraid now that she was looking into those beautiful blue eyes; on the contrary, they seemed to make her feel comfortable and secure.

This was all madness; Petra must be going crazy; the time spent alone in her house tending to the plants must have affected her psychologically or perhaps the loneliness she felt.

She found herself attracted to him, but how could she feel attracted to someone she didn’t know?

This was all madness.