The Substitute Bride: Making Memories Of Us (Lois Stone)

Chapter 25: Don't Cry Again 

Maria found Ayla in the parking lot and brought her back to her room.She held Ayla by her shoulder and comforted her.

"Mrs.Clark, please lie down for a while.I'll get you some food." Ayla nodded.

"Thank you." Her voice sounded so weak, and it was not only from the drink she'd had.It was because she was too depressed and grieved and had lost all her enthusiasm.

After that party, things never got better.Ayla fell seriously ill.

Over half a month passed until her condition was better.

All the while she stayed locked in the villa.

Besides, Brian disappeared soon after that night and hadn't returned home yet.

However, it was better for her to live here alone than to face him.

The doctor who was treating her, had advised her to get rid of the depression she was suffering from.

Otherwise she would end up with incurable depression.

But how could she stop her depression? She had lost her everything.Even her enthusiasm to live.She was now just waiting for death.

Was she so desperate to die? She glanced at her phone on the bedside table and pressed the power on button.

As soon as she did so, dozens of messages kept coming in and all of them were from Toby.

She didn't want to read them.

If she could, she would have deleted them all.But she could not.She still had feelings for Toby.

Even though they were separated from each other for several years, they grew up together and were close to each other.

She had been waiting for him all these years when they were apart, because he was her only hope.He was her future.But now everything was meaningless.

She reluctantly opened the messages and read them.

It turned out he had found out how she had become Brian's substitute bride.

She had no choice but to take Arlene's place.

Her phone suddenly buzzed.

She read the number but couldn't recognize it.

"Hello?" Ayla softly said.

"Lala, finally! I have been trying to catch you on the phone for so long.You got me so worried.How are you doing? Where are you now? How's everything? I want to see you!" Toby bombarded her with a long chain of questions.

"Toby, I'm fine." Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

She was really fine.

As long as Toby was happy, she would be fine.

"Nonsense! I don't believe you.I absolutely know what kind of person Brian is! He can make your life worse than death, Lala! I'm worried."

Toby couldn't even imagine the various ways Brian would torture her.

He couldn't endure seeing her suffer like this.

Brian would see her as Arlene, who was the real daughter of the Woodsen family and hate her.

"Toby, he is not that bad."

Ayla didn't know why she said that.

Brian had never treated her well.

He had tortured her by having sex without her consent and restricting her freedom.

Then why did she say he wasn't a bad person? Toby could tell from her voice that she was trying to be strong.

She had always been like this.

She always endured pain without complaining once.

"Lala, tell me, where are you now? Let's meet and talk."

He needed to see her.

Without seeing her personally, he wouldn't believe what she said.

"But..." Ayla hesitated.

Brian made her promise that she wouldn't leave the villa again.

"Lala, you must come and meet me.I have something important to tell you.Tell me, where do you live? I'll go and pick you up."

Toby had investigated that Brian had many villas and apartments, but he didn't know which one Brian had arranged for Lala.

Ayla hesitated for a while, but then agreed.

The two of them agreed to meet at a cafe in the city.

To her fortune, she realized Maria had gone to shop downtown with the driver, Lyle.

There were only the housekeeper and other servants in the villa.

After changing into a set of clothes, Ayla went out quietly.

At the pre-selected coffee shop, Toby didn't go inside.

He stood by the entry, waiting for Ayla.

An hour later, a taxi stopped before the cafe and Ayla got out of it.

"Lala."

Toby stepped forward and took her hand in his.

Ayla got confused when he didn't lead her inside the cafe, instead he walked her towards his car.

"Get in my car.Let's talk somewhere else."

Before Ayla could object, Toby pulled her hastily inside his car.

"Toby!"

Ayla looked at him in confusion.

Why was he behaving so strange? What did he want? But Toby turned to her and smiled, then stepped on the accelerator and the car rolled by.

After an almost quiet ride, they stopped in front of a building.

"Let's go upstairs."

Looking at the new building in front of her, Ayla asked, "Toby, why have you taken me here?"

"From now on, you can live here, Lala.I won't let you go back to Brian.No one can torture you here."

Toby had taken her to his new apartment.He led her upstairs.

"Toby, I can't stay here."

Sitting on the sofa, Ayla eyed around the place.

She didn't expect that Toby would take such an unexpected decision.She couldn't stay here.

If Brian learned about it, he would turn Toby's life in a living hell.

Toby suddenly pulled her into his arms.

"Of course you can, Lala.why not? I promised you that when I came back, I would give you the best life.You deserve happiness, Lala.Now, I can give you the best and comfortable life."

Toby's generosity made Ayla emotional.She leaned against Toby's chest and put her arms around his waist.

Their close proximity was so familiar and warm to her, that she didn't want to let go.But she knew she couldn't enjoy it forever.She'd have to let go.

Brian was her foremost obstacle.If she made him angry again, not only she but also Toby and the whole Woodsen family would suffer his wrath.

"I'm sorry, Toby.I'm not the same person as you used to know."

Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face which soaked his shirt.Toby patted her on the back and comforted her.

"Don't cry, Lala.It'll be alright.You should only smile in front of me.You should be happy."

Ayla shook her head.

She couldn't anymore smile as cheerfully as she used to when she was a child.Happiness was such a simple thing when they were young.She could smile brightly just because of a candy or a chocolate, but now things had changed.

"Lala, no matter what happened to you, you are still the one I love most in my life," Toby said firmly.

He loved her.

No matter what Brian had done to her, he didn't care.He would love her for the rest of his life.

"I, I have had sex with him."

Ayla choked out the words while a bitter sob erupted out of her.

Even though she was reluctant, she lost her virginity to Brian.

Her words stunned Toby.

Ayla pushed him away.

"I think I'd better go back!"

She could feel that he wasn't expecting that.

"No! You can't go!"

But Toby stopped her immediately and said, "I don't mind that.I really don't.From now on, you will be mine, only mine.I will still love you."

He loved her, and this fact would never change.Did she not love him anymore? Ayla looked at him questioningly.

"Toby?"

Toby pulled her in his arms again and gently pressed his lips on hers.

"You're mine, Lala.You can only be mine."

Even if he was late, he would keep her in his life forever.

He kissed her again, this time it was more passionate.

His kiss aroused the love and helplessness in Ayla's heart.

Brian had never kissed her like this.

He had only forced himself on her.