THE SUBSTITUTE BRIDE

Chapter 4

Alex’s POV

I watched Uriel as he wiped his expensive tuxedo using a tissue to remove the icing from the cake that had fallen in him. Even the back of his head was covered in icing, giving the impression that he has gray hair on the back of his head. I couldn't stop grinning because I imagined him with gray hair on the back while black hair on the front and sides of his head. My smile was quickly disappear when Uriel abruptly stopped what he was doing and looked at me with a grimace expression.

"What's funny?" he growled. Not sure if he's angry or not because his face is serious, as if he's not happy, but he doesn't seem to appear angry either. I felt confused.

"Nothing. You just look like a young old man," I replied. "I mean young, but with gray hair," I retorted when I realized what I said was wrong.

"And whose fault is it that I got caked all over my head?" he asked, his voice tinged with irritation.

"Of course, the one who arranged that cake. Because that person didn't arranged it properly? Just a little movement of the table, and it immediately collapsed," I replied innocently. He didn't say anything else after his nose wrinkled. He just kept wiping the tissue off his head.

"Are you just going to stand there and watch? Aren't you going to help me wipe these icings so it can be removed immediately? Our guests are waiting for us," his voice was serious again.

"Oh, sorry. I'll help you." I took a tissue from the small table and wiped his face because I noticed he was already sweating. But I suddenly stopped what I was doing when I saw Uriel's face turned white. "Oops, sorry." I frowned apologetically when I looked at the tissue that I used to wipe his face and realized that it had icing on it. I didn't notice that instead of the newly folded tissue, I grabbed Uriel's used tissue from the table and wiped it on his face again.

"Why are you so clumsy?" he grumbled. He snatched the tissue from my hand and tossed it into the trash can next to us. Then he pulled my hand and bring me inside his room. His face couldn't be paint even a good painter. He looks very annoyed at me.

"I just accidentally put icing on your face, and I'm already clumsy? It's not like I meant for it to happen, and besides, if you're just complaining like that, you shouldn't have caught the cake and let it fell on me," I sneered at him. Uriel was about to say something to counter what I said when an elderly woman entered the open door of his room and spoke to Uriel.

"Have you finished cleaning yet? The guests are waiting outside for you to divide the cake, and your mom is also there, disappointed by what happened earlier," she said softly to Uriel. She simply smiled as she looked at me but I think that smile is not sincere at all. I'm not sure if she dislikes me or not, but she has never shown me anything negative. I wonder who she is in Uriel's life.

"She is Nana Lorena. She is the head servant here in my house. If you need anything, just tell her," Uriel said instead of responding to what Nana Lorena said. I don't know if I was just imagining things, but it was as if I saw the old lady's face suddenly darken. I shook my head and turned back to face her. She was smiling at me, so I must have overlooked it.

"Good morning, Nana Lorena. Do we have any more cake to cut? Ah, I think our wedding cake is already crushed," I asked her with an awkward smile.

"It's a pity you didn't cut the cake just like what the newlyweds do," she said, her face filled with regret so I quickly withdrawn what I think of her earlier.

"That's fine. It's just a cake. Whether we cut the cake or not, we're still married, right?"

"You talk a lot," Uriel suddenly said, then he turned to face Nana Lorena. "Get my other tuxedo from my closet, Nana Lorena. I will just wear it."

"Alright, just a moment, and I'll get it," Nana Lorena replied quickly, then she quickly gets the tuxedo he was talking about.

When I heard what he said, I couldn't help but cast a sly glance at him. His razor-sharp tongue is better to cut and feed to the dogs. Oh, my goodness! Why would I stress over with this guy? I should go out first because I'm very hungry. I haven’t gotten any food yet because of that damn Marie.

"Where are you going?" Uriel asked when he saw me turn around and walk away. I looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"To the party. I'm going to eat. I've been hungry since earlier. Don't tell me you're going to ask me to help you put on your tuxedo? What are you, a kid?"

Uriel's eyes narrowed as he approached me and held both of my arms tightly. "This isn't the Alexa I met. She's modest and shy. Unlike you, who seem to be possessed by Gabriela Silang. Don't tell me you're just pretending?"

I suddenly turned pale when I heard what he said. I thought Alexa was too nice and just let her friends bully her, but I didn't expect her to be so modest and shy. Contrary to my habit of being overly talkative and not shy no matter who I talk to, it looks like this guy is going to blow my cover easily.

"W-what do you mean I'm just pretending?" I stammered, my chest heaving with anxiety. Say goodbye to Alexa's treatment of my mom once Uriel discover that I am not the real Alexa. And it's all my fault if mom doesn't recover. It's all my fault because I'm terrible at acting.

"You're just pretending to be shy and modest in order to gain my mother's trust, and now that you've succeeded because you're my wife now, your true nature has finally revealed," he said with a serious tone.

Even though he didn't think well of me or my sister, I still breathed a sigh of relief. At least he didn't think I wasn't the real Alexa, that I was just pretending to be her.

I gently removed his hands from my arms and bravely met his gaze. "I was in front of the mother of the man my dad wanted to marry me, so it was natural for me to be shy and be modest. Now that you've seen my true nature, it's up to you if you want to continue our relationship or we should stop now. But for now, I'll go outside to eat and maybe my intestines will come out of my mouth because of extreme hunger."

I secretly smiled when I walked out of his room but didn't hear Uriel's voice. It's a good thing I told him about my attitude so he wouldn't be surprised if he noticed a difference between the Alexa he used to know and the Alexa he married now. I won't have any trouble adjusting my behavior.

When I went down at the venue, I immediately took food and sat in the corner to eat properly. I was halfway through my meal when someone sat in front of me. I raised my head and see a woman at my age sitting in front of me.

"Yes?" I asked, concerned.

"I like how you embarrassed our classmates earlier, especially Marie. I had a little doubt that you weren't Alexa, but now that you've talked to me, I'm certain you're not Alexa, because you didn't recognize your own best friend," she told me directly.

I turned pale and almost vomited the food I was chewing. Oh, I'm doom! It seems I have no way out now because this woman knew my twin sister better than Uriel.