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I Married The CEO As My Sister's Stand-In Bride
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After my sister gave birth to the child of the Sanchez Family’s heir, she refused the planned marriage and ran away overseas with her true love. Since Nielson Sanchez once treated me kindly years ag...
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第1章
After my sister gave birth to the child of the Sanchez Family’s heir, she refused the planned marriage and ran away overseas with her true love.
Since Nielson Sanchez once treated me kindly years ago, I agreed to admit the child and because of that, I became Mrs. Sanchez in place of the Powell Family, just as planned.
On the day of my wedding, holding my baby who was not even three months old, I watched the man meant to be my brother-in-law throw a marriage contract at me with a cold face.
“Heather Powell, you are only a stand-in for Katniss Powell. Know your position.”
I quietly read through the rules written on the pages.
“Term one: The woman must not reach out to the man. How often they sleep together is decided by the man. She is not allowed to have children.”
“Term two: If the child gets sick or feels unwell, the woman must be punished.”
“Term three: The man holds full control at all times…”
After reading more than ten pages of rules, I held back my anger and the urge to slam the door, then raised my head and looked straight at Nielson.
“Mr. Sanchez, can you explain what this line means, ‘No matter how many children I have that are not mine, I must raise them as my own’?”
Nielson laughed coldly and lifted my chin.
“I don’t need to explain anything to you. Katniss left because she didn’t want to marry. You just need to act as Mrs. Sanchez. That’s it.”
I took a slow breath, my fingers shaking a little and signed the marriage agreement with care.
For the harmless child and for that weak hope still living in my heart.
Before the ink had even dried, Nielson impatiently told his assistant in a cold voice, “Cancel the ceremony, go back to the company.”
Quiet talk rose around him.
“See? A replacement is still a replacement, used once and thrown away.”
“President Sanchez only cares about Katniss; this one just took her sister’s spot.”
“She thought too highly of herself, dumped right at the wedding. Being Mrs. Sanchez is not easy to keep.”
A loud slam rang out as the banquet hall doors were kicked open and several men holding knives rushed in, closing in on my baby and me.
“Don’t move, or I'll kill them right now.” The kidnapper pressed the knife against my neck and blood quickly ran out.
The baby in my arms was scared and started to cry loudly.
Nielson’s face turned dark in an instant. “Let them go, name what you want.”
The kidnapper smiled badly, his eyes moving over my wedding dress.
“What do I want? Then let Mrs. Sanchez take off this wedding dress, so everyone sees what kind of woman she really is.”
I felt cold all over, holding my crying baby tight, looking at Nielson with begging eyes.
But Nielson’s eyes landed only on the baby, his voice cold. “Heather, for the child’s safety, take it off.”
I stared at Nielson in shock, my heart dropping fast.
Yes, what did pride matter to a stand-in who had signed a deal to sell herself?
Under many looks full of pity and hate, my hands shook as I slowly untied the wedding dress. The dress fell to the floor, leaving me standing there in only my underwear.
I bit my lip hard and refused to cry.
“Give me the baby first,” Nielson urged the kidnapper.
The kidnapper, smiling badly, passed the child to Nielson. At that moment, Nielson rushed forward, aiming for the kidnapper’s knife arm. After a few blocks, he knocked the knife away.
The kidnapper reacted fast, swinging the knife he lost and cutting me hard.
“Ah!” I cried out as a long, deep cut burst open on my arm, blood soaking the wedding dress spread at my feet.
The strong pain, the deep shame and the messy scene in front of me made my head spin badly.
My sight went dark. The last thing I saw was Nielson’s worried look as he looked at me after taking back the child.
When I woke up in the hospital, Nielson was beside me. He seemed asleep, but his hand held mine tightly.
This scene shocked me.
I was the unwanted second daughter of the Powell Family. It was Nielson who spoke up for me again and again when I was surrounded and laughed at by wild heirs from rich families.
He may have only helped me a little, but that small warmth was carefully kept in my heart.
Later, I gathered my courage and went to him using the excuse of “making things right for my sister.”
During that time, as I awkwardly fed the baby and sang badly off-tune songs, a soft warmth would briefly show in his eyes. He would even drive back late at night just to mark my birthday.
At that moment, Nielson woke up and put his hand on my forehead. “Do you still feel sick?”
I was about to reply when his phone rang. “Katniss? Are you at the airport? Don’t walk around, I’m coming to get you right now.”
Katniss really came back, only three months after she left!
After hanging up, Nielson walked fast toward the ward door.
“Nielson, you…” I called out without thinking.
He paused at the door but didn’t turn back, his voice turning cold. “The doctor said you’re fine. Rest well.”
Watching him leave, I quietly found a familiar number and called it. “Helios Gutierrez, help me one last time. In seven days, collect all the evidence and use special ways to get me the divorce papers. After seven days, I will leave right away, anywhere, the farther the better.”
第2章
I went home alone after being discharged from the hospital and stopped in place. I saw Nielson and Katniss kissing deeply in our wedding room; She even let out a soft, tempting moan.
Nielson seemed to notice something, slowly turning his head, a bit of worry passing through his eyes.
“Heather is back. How is your arm? You need to rest well, after all,” Katniss looked up toward the nursery upstairs, “you still need to take good care of my son.”
I looked at Katniss’s winning smile and answered with a cold laugh, “A woman who can heartlessly leave her newborn baby and now she talks about needing others to care for him. Sister, your motherly love is really something special.”
“Heather!” Nielson suddenly stood up, his face very dark. “Who allowed you to speak to Katniss like that? Say sorry to her.”
“Nielson, don’t blame Heather. She’s probably just upset. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have come back.”
Katniss’s words made Nielson even angrier. “Heather, get out and think about what you did in the wine cellar. Don’t come out without my permission.”
When the heavy wooden door slammed shut behind me, darkness and cold quickly closed around me.
I was only wearing light clothes; the cold sank into my skin, making the wound on my arm ache again.
I held my knees, curled up in the corner, my body shaking without control. It was cold, so very cold.
I did not know how long I was locked inside, until my arms and legs were almost numb from the cold and my mind was fading, before the heavy door finally opened again.
Nielson slowly went down the stairs, looked at me curled on the floor, frowned and lifted me up sideways. “Heather, behave, okay?”
I firmly shut my eyes, refusing to reply.
Nielson softly carried me into the main bathroom, personally filled a bath for me, picked up a bath sponge and gently cleaned me, slowly warming my body bit by bit.
“So cold, why be so stubborn?” His breath brushed my ear, as if we were just a couple having a small fight.
“Come with me to Katniss’s art exhibition opening later,” Nielson’s voice was gentle, but his hand movements carried a warning. “You know what to do, don’t let me down again, okay?”
I looked at Nielson’s big hand, moving over my neck with a clear threat and thinking about the plan that was slowly moving forward, I finally nodded quietly.
At the art exhibition, celebrities gathered. Katniss stood in the middle of the crowd, smiling brightly, while Nielson stood next to her, guarding her. I only wanted to stay unnoticed and endure this sick show.
But Katniss clearly did not plan to let me go.
She walked over holding a cup of coffee.
“Ouch!”
With her raised cry, most of the hot coffee spilled onto a clear painting nearby, the dark brown mark quickly spreading over the canvas.
“My painting.” Katniss’s eyes quickly turned red. “Heather, how could you ruin my hard work? This is a piece I prepared for a whole year!”
Nielson rushed over at once, standing up for Katniss, “Heather, what is wrong with you now? Say sorry to Katniss right now!”
Voices rose around us. “How cruel! Being jealous of your own sister doesn’t mean you should ruin a painting.”
“So this is how a dirty stand-in acts, small and mean.”
Seeing Nielson’s clear favoritism, the anger and shame that had built up for days finally broke my guard.
“I did nothing wrong.” I straightened my back. “She spilled the coffee herself. I will not say sorry.”
A hard slap hit my face, so strong it made my sight go dark and my ears buzz.
“I told you to say sorry, do you hear me?” Nielson’s voice was cold, full of force that could not be argued with.
I covered my face, stubbornly lifting my head, staring at him.
Nielson’s last bit of patience disappeared. He grabbed the cold champagne from the waiter’s tray.
The whole bottle of freezing liquid, with ice, was poured over my head without mercy.
Right after that, two bodyguards rushed up, one on each side and roughly grabbed me, kicking hard behind my knees. The strong pain made my legs give way and I fell to my knees in front of the coffee-stained painting.
At that moment, a familiar voice broke the dead silence. “Enough! Haven’t you shamed yourself enough?”
第3章
I looked up fast, staring in shock at my father, Evander Powell, the chairman of the Powell Group, who was now pushing through the crowd, his face pale.
He walked straight to Nielson’s side, his eyes passing over me with nothing but deep hate.
“What a shame to our family, Nielson. It is my fault for not teaching my daughter well, letting her do such awful things out of jealousy, vandalism and lies, making you and Katniss suffer.”
I looked at my father in silence. We were all his children, yet I would never get his love.
My mother also forced her way through the crowd, quickly walking to me. She grabbed me, soaked and messy and pulled me to my feet, almost dragging me away from the middle of the show hall.
We walked quietly for a long time. At an empty corner, my mother suddenly stopped and dropped to her knees with a loud thump.
“Heather, I beg you, please stop fighting, stop upsetting your sister and Nielson, okay?”
She looked up, her eyes full of begging.
The memory played again like a bad dream. They had done the same thing before, crying and begging me to marry into the Sanchez Family instead of my sister, to accept that child, for the family’s sake.
Now, my sister was back and they begged me to keep putting up with her.
My mother’s voice begged, “Your sister’s birthday is in three days. Nielson is going to hold the biggest birthday banquet to announce her return and place to the whole city. Are you trying to cause trouble now, to make our Powell Family a joke? I’m begging you, please?”
I looked down quietly at my mother kneeling in front of me, feeling only something ridiculous and sickening.
At that moment, a person walked quickly from the other end of the hallway; it was Helios Gutierrez.
He didn’t even look at my kneeling mother, but went straight to me and wrapped his arm tightly around my shoulders.
“Heather, don’t think about it, let’s go.” Like a rope saving me, I grabbed his sleeve tightly and nodded without a word.
Helios drove calmly, but my body felt worse and worse. I suddenly covered my mouth and retched a few times.
A detail I had ignored burst into my mind: my period was late and that drunk night with Nielson more than a month ago.
My hand moved without thinking to my still flat stomach, my eyes shrinking fast.
No, impossible, how could it be such bad timing…
“Heather? What’s wrong? You look awful. Is something else troubling you?” Helios noticed something was wrong, his voice full of worry.
I snapped back to myself.
“Helios,” my voice was dry and shaking, “Turn back. We’re not going to your place. Take me to the hospital, now, right away!”
He was right. Nielson and I had unexpectedly created a new life.
Helios frowned, looked at me with worry and asked softly, “Heather, what are you planning to do?”
“No.” I cut him off, my voice calm and without any feeling. Since I was ready to leave, this child couldn’t stay.
“Okay, I’ll set it up.”
Lying on the moving hospital bed, just as I was about to be pushed into the surgery room, my phone suddenly shook nonstop.
It was a message from Nielson. [Where are you?]
[What are you doing now?]
[Heather, I’m giving you one last chance.]
I ignored it, but unexpectedly, Nielson called the number directly. The ringtone kept ringing, as if he wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted.
I quietly pressed the power button and the world became silent right away.
I handed the phone to Helios beside me, took a deep breath and said, “Go in.”
第4章
The dull ache from the surgery spread through my body. I leaned closely on Helios and walked toward the hospital door.
Just then, two people came closer, making me stop in place.
It was Nielson and Katniss, whom he was carefully holding.
The world was absurdly small.
Nielson held Katniss tightly with one arm, while his other hand carefully carried her bag, his face full of care.
He lifted his head and saw me. His eyes stayed for a moment on my overly pale face, a brief sign of worry passing through his eyes.
But then he saw Helios beside me and shouted, “Heather, bringing another man to the gynecologist? Is this how you were raised? You’re a shame to the Sanchez Family! Go home now!”
Katniss, meanwhile, pressed even closer to Nielson, her hand softly touching her lower stomach, looking weak and helpless.
“Nielson, don’t talk to Heather like that. Helios and she grew up together; it’s normal for them to come to the gynecologist together.”
Nielson’s eyes moved to Katniss’s hand on her stomach, his earlier anger softening right away into care.
“If your stomach hurts or you feel bad, stop worrying about others. This time, we found the best doctor to help you get better. Once you recover,” he paused, looking ahead with hope, “we’ll have another child.”
My body shook without control.
Even though the lasting pain of losing a life still stayed inside me, I was still grieving the life that was gone.
And yet, right in front of me, Nielson, with another woman, calmly and firmly planned for their next child.
I nearly collapsed, only staying upright because of Helios’s strong support.
In the middle of deep pain, I softly laughed.
Nielson frowned, looking at me with dislike. “What are you laughing at? You’re acting like a crazy woman, not at all like Mrs. Sanchez!”
I stopped laughing, stood up straight and said, “Nothing, I wish you a happy marriage.”
After saying that, I stopped looking at Nielson, only leaning even closer to Helios and slowly walked past them.
Behind me, I could almost hear Katniss’s sweet complaints and Nielson’s gentle comforting words.
Anyway, everything from now on had nothing to do with me.
I politely turned down Helios’s offer to stay at his apartment and went back alone to that cold villa.
I took out my suitcase and quietly started packing.
After all, we hadn’t been married long and I didn’t have many things that truly belonged to me. I wouldn’t take anything Nielson gave me. I opened the drawer and stared blankly at the box I once valued the most.
Inside were some old yellow photos: a secret photo of Nielson playing basketball, a picture of him at a press meeting…
And a thick diary, writing down the happiness I felt when I thought I was close to him, the helpless feeling I had when signing the contract, the pain of being locked in the wine cellar, being hit in front of others.
But now, all of that meant nothing.
I went to the backyard, lit a lighter and watched these things slowly burn into ash in the fire.
When the last flame went out, leaving only small red pieces, I knew that the old Heather of the past was gone.
Everything connected to Nielson no longer mattered to me.
After cleaning everything up, I went upstairs like I was in a daze and softly pushed open the nursery door.
The baby slept peacefully. I stood next to the crib, my heart full of mixed and hard-to-name sadness.
This “son” of mine, in name only, wasn’t he innocent too?
Just as I was lost in thought, a strong smell of alcohol suddenly came from behind me and a strong arm wrapped tightly around my waist.
第5章
It was Nielson. He had drunk a little; his voice was rough and low, with a forceful tone. “Heather, be good and listen to me. Isn’t being Mrs. Sanchez good?”
Without thinking, I fought with all my strength. “Let go of me.”
My struggle seemed to make him angry. His arms tightened and his hot lips pressed close to my ear.
“Why are you hiding? Isn’t this what you always wanted?”
“It’s just too bad you don’t have Katniss’s scent. You’re too thin, not like Katniss’s body, soft and warm…”
The deep shame made my body shake. I grabbed a glass of cold water from the table and threw it in his face without thinking.
Nielson froze, the cold water clearing the effects of the alcohol. Anger slowly rose in his eyes.
He looked at me without speaking, then, like he remembered something, he laughed.
Then he pulled a black bank card from his suit pocket and tossed it onto the floor in front of me.
“Heather, I spoke incorrectly earlier. This card has five million. Buy whatever you want.” Nielson stepped closer, his voice softer.
“Heather, I have something else to talk to you about. Katniss’s birthday party is in two days. It’s her first birthday since she came back and she must not be treated badly.”
He looked at me closely. “You are Mrs. Sanchez. You need to be patient. As long as you behave, the place of Mrs. Sanchez will always be yours. From now on, let’s live well together, okay?”
I listened quietly, watching his awkward act, looking at the black card that stood for the so-called payback.
Then I slowly lifted my head, a very soft smile spreading on my face. “Okay.”
Nielson seemed surprised by my “understanding,” stopping for a moment before a look of pleasure showed on his face.
I kept smiling, but my eyes were cold.
“Since it’s such an important day for my sister, why don’t we stream the whole thing live? Let the whole city see this feeling. That’s the best way, right?”
Nielson’s eyes brightened and he tapped my shoulder with approval. “Let’s do it this way, Heather. You’ve finally grown up.”
He was in a good mood and couldn’t wait to leave, calling Katniss as he walked.
“Katniss, I want the birthday party streamed live, so everyone can send you their good wishes...”
I stood there, watching Nielson walk away. Let the whole city watch how this carefully planned birthday party finally turned into a full joke.
This would be my last gift to them.
The next day, early in the morning, Nielson and Katniss took me to the city’s most expensive custom dress shop, using the excuse of picking a dress.
Katniss, like a real wife, warmly hooked her arm around Nielson’s. “Nielson, do you think this looks nice?”
“You look nice in anything, but I think the champagne color fits you better. You wore this color on our first date.”
Nielson looked down at Katniss, gently moving a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his action easy and close.
So Nielson remembered so many small things, yet he never seemed to care which color truly fit me.
Katniss laughed softly as she changed into the champagne dress and Nielson personally fixed the edge of her skirt.
“You need to make your waist a bit looser. You’ve gotten thinner lately. I’ll cook you something healthy tonight.”
At that moment, I remembered the doctor’s words when I was lying on the surgery bed.
“Too thin, the womb wall is thin. You need to take good care of your body.”
Both were thin, but the difference was clear.
The shop staff all gathered around them, calling out “Mr. Sanchez, Mrs. Sanchez,” as if I were the extra person who didn’t belong.
I quietly watched everything. There were only a few days left anyway.
第6章
After picking their dresses, Nielson and the others still felt unhappy and went to a nearby high-end children’s clothing shop.
As soon as they walked in, Katniss seemed full of motherly love.
“Nielson, look! This outfit is so cute! Our baby will look so handsome in it!”
“This one is nice too. It feels so soft. The three of us standing together will look perfect.”
I, like someone who didn’t belong, like a babysitter, quietly followed behind.
But Katniss still did not leave me alone.
“Heather, you should touch them too. You should learn how to choose nice things for the child,” her eyes seemed to casually pass over my flat belly, her voice full of ill intent, “But you’re still young, you probably don’t know what it’s like to be a real mother yet. You can’t feel that blood bond.”
My lower stomach seemed to ache again. Every word she said felt like a reminder of what I had just lost.
How laughable.
Nielson didn’t even know the truth.
Maybe my silence made Katniss happy, because she laughed softly and didn’t trouble me again.
After leaving the baby shop, Nielson got a call from the housekeeper, saying the old lady wanted to see the child.
So the plan changed; after picking up the child, we drove to the large old house that stood for the Sanchez Family’s power.
This was my first time going to the Sanchez Family’s old home as Mrs. Sanchez, yet I felt like a stranger.
Hyacinth Sanchez completely ignored my presence.
“Katniss is here! Come over fast so I can look at you. You seem thinner again after only a few days. Has Nielson not been taking good care of you?”
Her voice sounded warm, as if Katniss were her real daughter-in-law.
“Oh, Heather is here too?” Hyacinth looked me up and down, her eyes as if she was judging something she didn’t like.
“Don’t stand at the doorway. Come in and sit. Pour Katniss a cup of tea.”
After all, Katniss was not the officially accepted Mrs. Sanchez. Even though Katniss had betrayed Nielson, the Sanchez Family still treated her as the real lady of the house.
I straightened my back and stepped back. “I won’t interrupt your family gathering anymore. I’ll leave now.”
Hyacinth’s slightly angry voice came from behind me.
“Heather, is this how you behave? So rude. You really should learn some manners.”
I slowly turned around, with sarcasm in my eyes. “Mrs. Sanchez, you seem to have forgotten that I never asked for this role in the first place.”
Hyacinth had no reply, her face turning even darker. “Too rude! Such a sharp mouth! Make her kneel at the door. She can only stand up when she admits her mistake. I want to see how strong she really is.”
Nielson, standing nearby, looked like he wanted to speak, but in the end he stayed silent.
Two servants grabbed me hard and with a heavy thump, I was forced down onto the cold, hard ground.
Then they went into the old house together like a family, as if I were someone who didn’t matter.
The night grew darker, the air colder and my body started to shake without control.
I bit my lip.
Then a coat was placed over my shoulders.
第7章
I turned around fast and there was Katniss with fake worry. “Heather, it’s windy tonight, be careful not to catch a cold.”
I stayed quiet, but my eyes were pulled right away to the warm, clear sapphire bracelet on her wrist.
It was the family sapphire bracelet of the Sanchez Family, passed down only to the eldest daughter-in-law. Hyacinth had given it to Katniss, while I, the so-called “Mrs. Sanchez,” was still kneeling at the door.
Katniss slowly moved her wrist on purpose, her voice full of pride, “Auntie said it looked nice on me, so she insisted on giving it to me, saying it would belong to me sooner or later.”
I laughed quietly. In the end, all my effort and patience were nothing but a joke.
At that moment, Nielson also came out. His brows were pulled tight. He stepped closer and, without speaking, dragged me up.
His voice sounded annoyed. “Alright, stop kneeling. What kind of behavior is this?”
He also saw the bracelet on Katniss’s wrist and spoke to her lightly, “It’s just a bracelet. I’ll buy you one later. Take her home; there’s a banquet tomorrow. Don’t let this affect important things.”
I looked at Nielson and pushed his hand away hard, the strength making him pause.
“No need,” my voice sounded cold. “I can’t accept the Sanchez Family’s heirloom bracelet.”
I even pulled off my coat and threw it on the ground, refusing to look at either of them again.
I turned and walked toward the old house gate. Like I was not in control, I paused right before the corner.
Far away, at the bright front of the Sanchez Family’s old mansion, Nielson was holding Katniss’s hand, the two of them walking side by side toward the main house.
This picture was deeply painful. I lifted my phone with no expression, took a picture of their backs and kept that moment.
The next day was Katniss’s birthday and I packed my bags early, ready to go.
The moment I opened the door, the whole villa was covered with flowers, full of a party mood.
Katniss, like the real lady of the house, stood in the middle of the living room, giving orders. “Put that balloon a bit higher, yes, right there.”
But the most uncomfortable sight was Nielson, standing next to the ladder, sleeves pushed up, hanging a string of crystal decorations on the window himself.
He was not like his usual self, who ignored small things. His face looked focused, showing patience I had never seen before.
Nielson noticed me and my suitcase first, his brows pulling together again like always.
“Why are you carrying bags so early? Don’t forget there’s a banquet tonight.” His voice was still cold and unquestionable.
Katniss noticed me too. She gently held Nielson’s arm. “Nielson, don’t be so serious. My sister probably needs to go out for a while. She’ll likely come back later.”
Katniss’s eyes passed over my suitcase, showing clear satisfaction and a faint look of dismissal.
“Honestly, it’s better if my sister isn’t here. It saves her from feeling jealous of her older sister, right?”
Nielson seemed to get it. His judging look landed on my face, carrying a bit of annoyance.
Just then, Helios, who had been waiting, walked in from outside and naturally took my suitcase. “Heather, we should leave.”
Nielson’s face darkened the moment he saw Helios. “Heather, are you going out with him?”
Seeing this, Katniss quickly stepped forward.
“Nielson, forget it. Let her go do her work. I, as her older sister, am not lucky enough to have a man come pick me up this early in the morning.”
But Helios didn’t give them any more time. He pulled me along right away and turned to leave.
“Stop,” Nielson called out to me.
This time, I didn’t look away. I met his eyes straight on. “Don’t block my path, I need to leave.”
Nielson looked surprised by how direct I was and fell silent for a moment.
He just stared at me quietly, the silence carrying a restless feeling he didn’t even notice.
In the end, he sighed, stepped aside and silently allowed us to go. “Remember to come back tonight.”
At last, the car slowly moved away from the house.
I took out my phone, opened my Instagram Story, picked the photo I strangely took last night of Nielson and Katniss walking back to the old house holding hands and wrote, “No more time for you.”
Then I tapped send.
I fully turned off my phone, leaned back in the seat and shut my eyes.
The choking mess behind me was finally left behind.