(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

“Karen?” Amber and Ariana looked at their guest with considerable surprise. Meanwhile, Adel, as the messenger, now stared back at the woman behind her in amazement. She had indeed seen the person referred to as Karenina yesterday. But she hadn’t seen her clearly because the woman had already entered the car and left the restaurant just like that. And now, seeing the woman up close, she was undeniably shocked, fascinated, and also envious.

Karenina’s appearance was undoubtedly something every girl desired. Tall and slender, fair skin, perfectly groomed face and hair. And again, the clothes she wore.

Adel really wanted to whistle if she didn’t remember that Amber and Ariana were in the room. How could she not, the girl who looked so much like Ariana looked beautiful in a pricey Zimmermann dress that Adel estimated to cost more than ten million. Not to mention the shoulder bag she wore, a Roger Vivier creation that surely valued in the tens of millions. Her shoes? Although they appeared as ordinary flat shoes to the untrained eye, they were clearly Marc Jacobs, and a pair could be worth three million rupiahs. Not to mention the necklace and bracelet she wore. Just calculating it made Adel’s head spin.

She chose to leave Ariana’s room rather than embarrass herself by having a nosebleed right there.

“Hello, Amber. It’s been a while since we met,” the girl said softly. Ariana raised her eyebrow.

“What brings you here?” Amber asked curtly. “We’ve been running this restaurant for quite some time, but this is the first time you’ve bothered to visit,” she taunted.

Karenina chuckled gracefully. “I apologize, I’ve been busy lately, and only now could I spare some time to visit.”

Ariana snorted, and Amber glanced at her. She saw Ariana rising from her seat. “Making time because she thinks there’s one ‘Important Matter’ she needs to discuss with me, isn’t that right?” Ariana challenged. Karenina looked expressionless.

Ariana moved to one of the single sofas in the room, deliberately avoiding sitting next to Karenina. When Amber attempted to sit, the girl politely said, “Could you leave us alone?”

Such a subtle command, right? It was camouflaged as a request. Amber was obviously taken aback. Nevertheless, she chose to leave the twin pair without many words.

“So? Get straight to the point. I don’t like small talk,” Ariana said coldly, even before the door was fully closed.

“Don’t you want to know why I left Gerald a few days before our wedding?” the girl asked. It wasn’t a question but rather a statement disguised as a question. Because even without Ariana responding, she continued, “I left because I couldn’t accept the reality of what Gerald told me. You know, he said our marriage would last a lifetime because he didn’t like divorce. And in return, he would give me anything I wanted. But he couldn’t give me his loyalty.” Ariana didn’t respond; she chose to remain silent, allowing her twin to say whatever she wanted.

“I couldn’t accept that. Nevertheless, I want to get married for love. Or even if he doesn’t love me, at least he can be faithful to me. But he didn’t want to do that. I was troubled. I was afraid. How could he promise not to be faithful even before the wedding took place? What about me? Plus, the fact that I will have a child. My mental burden increased. It’s natural for me to seek solace by stepping away from all of this.”

Ariana snorted. “You’re as good as your mother when it comes to making excuses, Karen,” Ariana said casually. “You’re telling me that Gerald couldn’t promise you loyalty, is that your reason for leaving? Does that make sense?” she scoffed with a disdainful look.

“I’m sure Gerald isn’t foolish enough to shower you with empty sweet talk. And I’m also sure that your reasons for leaving go beyond just that. Especially since the foundation of your marriage from the start was about money, wasn’t it? Do you expect someone’s loyalty after you’ve sold yourself?” Ariana asked harshly.

“You and your mother are truly amusing,” she continued. “As a commodity that has been purchased, you should just accept the treatment he gives you. Just like how you treated your dolls when we were little.

“Do you remember when you always wanted the doll I had, even though we already had identical ones? Back then, I was too naive to realize it. I suspected that you wanted it because yours was damaged while mine was still in good condition.

“But now I understand. After thinking about how you never touched it once you got it, I know. What you wanted wasn’t the doll. It was me who was hurt, isn’t that right?” Ariana’s question caused the girl’s face to pale instantly.

“I took care of it very well because I liked it. It was a gift from our father to us. But after I gave it to you, you didn’t even want to touch it, let alone make it beautiful. So, what’s the difference now between you and that doll? Isn’t the most important thing for you and your mother money?” Ariana observed Karenina from head to toe.

“To maintain a look like this, you don’t need love and loyalty, right? You just need a large balance, and Gerald can provide all of that for you.

“So what’s the problem now? A child? Axel will eventually be taken care of by a trusted Zeroun family babysitter. You don’t have to do the disgusting job of cleaning up his mess. I’m sure you don’t even have to bother wiping his nose.

“Then what burden are you talking about? Don’t make excuses, Karen. Even though we haven’t lived together for a decade and a half, I know you since forever. You and your mother are a product with different packaging. Am I wrong?” Ariana looked at Karenina, whose face turned red.

“Since the beginning, you both never cared about love, let alone loyalty. And you know, the essence of loyalty itself is love. But you don’t love Gerald either, do you?

“Since the beginning, you always assumed that the world’s attention would be focused solely on you. And you wanted that from Gerald too. But unfortunately, your desires were not fulfilled because Gerald didn’t chase after you the way you hoped.

“You tried to conquer him, but clearly, Gerald isn’t someone easily conquered. Why do you think someone needs to be loyal if they don’t love you? And will you do the same after demanding loyalty from Gerald? Are you loyal behind Gerald’s back?” Ariana asked again.

Once again, Karenina’s face turned red.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

“You don’t need to badmouth Gerald to me. Without you telling me what he’s like, I can find out on my own. Why don’t you just say that the reason you came here is that you want me to step down from my position because you want to reclaim yours.”

Hearing Ariana’s words, Karenina immediately straightened up. She looked at Ariana with hopeful eyes. Ariana even wanted to mock her.

“What can you offer me to make me leave Gerald?” Ariana asked.

“W-what do you mean?” the girl stammered.

“You have to remember that I’m not the same Ariana as before, who was willing to give everything I had for you and your mother. Isn’t it clear that I’m not that foolish anymore?

“Of course, in business, before a demand arises, you have to make your offer first, right? My mother-in-law even dared to offer me billions of rupiah to leave her son. So, how much can you offer me?”

“Have you really stooped this low, Ariana? Have you become this money-minded since our father went bankrupt?” Karenina jeered.