The substitute bride

Chapter 3

Petra was terrified. She was inside the hospital room, dressed in white, ready to marry a complete stranger.

A man she had never seen before. It was her father who arranged everything, without giving her any choice or opportunity to refuse. She felt trapped in a situation that wasn’t her choice, but she couldn’t do anything to change it.

The man she was about to marry was in a coma, after suffering a car accident. She felt somewhat relieved that she didn’t have to face the physical act of marrying a complete stranger, but still, she was anxious about the situation.

The priest began the ceremony, and Petra stood beside her unconscious groom, staring at his pale, still face. She wondered who he was, what he did for a living when he wasn’t working, what his interests and dreams were. Would he have liked her if he had been conscious?

Petra’s thoughts were interrupted when the priest called her for the vows. She hesitated for a moment but ended up reciting her vows of love and fidelity. She didn’t know why she was doing this; she wasn’t in love with him, but she knew she had to move forward.

At the end of the ceremony, Petra kissed the forehead of her unconscious groom, imagining what life would be like from that moment on. A life without love, without choices, but with the weight of a wedding ceremony like a chain tied to her wrist.

And so, Petra left the hospital as a wife, but not as a happy bride. She wondered if she would ever be able to fall in love, if she would ever have the chance to choose the right man for her. But for now, she needed to deal with her new reality and take care of a husband in a coma and possibly paraplegic.

. . .

— You will stay in this room. — says Rebekah, Bryan’s mother. — But only until tomorrow; your house needs some maintenance before you move in permanently.

— Alright. — said Petra, pulling her suitcase into the room. — Is the house far from here?

Petra was very curious but also relieved to know she wouldn’t be staying in that house with those people she didn’t know.

— Your house is five kilometers from here. — says Rebekah. — Now go take a shower and improve that appearance. I don’t want people saying my daughter-in-law looks like a beggar.

With that, she left Petra alone in the room, stunned.

What does she mean, a beggar?

Petra moved in front of the large mirror that was there and looked at herself carefully; her casual clothes were normal, sure her hair needed a cut and some good hydration, but it wasn’t that bad.

But one thing the witch, I mean, her mother-in-law was right about: she really needed a shower and some good rest.

So, Petra walked to the bathroom where she took a relaxing shower, did a quick hydration treatment on her hair, and made a mental note to cut it later.

After finishing her shower, Petra opened her suitcase and pulled out a lace nightgown; she wanted to be comfortable to sleep a little.

When she finished getting dressed and put her hair in a bun, she heard someone knock on the door. Petra, thinking it was her mother-in-law, walked to the door and opened it.

But standing at the door was not Rebekah; it was a man she did not know at all. The man in front of her was about 1.90 meters tall, with brown hair the color of honey and blue eyes. He was wearing formal attire, and his gaze made Petra uncomfortable.

— Who are you? — asked Petra, trying to hide behind the door so the man would stop looking at her body.

— Sorry, I’m Adrian, Bryan’s brother — he said, extending his hand, but quickly lowered it when Petra did not move to take it.

— I’m Petra. Hey! What are you doing? — Petra said when Adrian started to enter her room uninvited.

— I just want to meet my sister-in-law. — he said, looking at Petra’s body; at that moment, she felt as if she were naked and tried to cover herself with her arms.

— Can you please leave my room? — Petra said, pointing to the door. — I didn’t invite you in.

— I was quite curious when my dad told me that Bryan was marrying the youngest daughter of the Martínez family. — said the man, evaluating Petra and practically devouring her with his gaze. — I had never seen you before, but now I see that you are even better than that skank of your sister, and even hotter.

— Get out of my room! — Petra exclaimed, getting very angry.

— Lower your tone, my mom told me you would be a good wife, calm and obedient. — he said with a smirk. — I’m not seeing any of that; I see you’re quite angry; you know, I love angry women.

Adrian started walking towards Petra, while she stepped back. The space between them shrank until Petra found her back against the wall, with no way out. Adrian smiled, bringing his hand to Petra’s chin; however, a voice was heard by them, causing Adrian to step away from her.

— Adrian? — it was a male voice calling him from the hallway.

— It was nice to meet you, Petra. — the man said, moving even further away from her with a smile on his face. — I hope to see you again.

With that, he left, leaving Petra still pressed against the wall, her breathing irregular. She knew she had to be careful with Adrian; although she didn’t know him, she already sensed he could bring her trouble, and trouble was the last thing she wanted right now since her life was already full of it.

She took a deep breath and walked to the door, locking it with the key. After that, Petra walked to her bed and threw herself onto it, feeling all her muscles relax upon coming into contact with the softness of the mattress.

Tomorrow she would move out of that house, and she was quite relieved, but she knew that problems would continue to follow her, and she was afraid of it all, knowing that perhaps even bigger problems could lie ahead.