Substitute Groom: Married To An Enemy novel Chapter 3

Moriah looked at him with incredulity, she couldn’t believe her ears. Her enemy called her his sunshine.

“I promise to love you as I love myself. I love you forever, my wife,” Ethan continued and kept himself from chuckling at his bride's reaction to his vow. It was apparent that she couldn’t believe her ears

Moriah was stupefied, his tender voice and gaze were telling her that what he said is true. But, this is Ethan Miller. This couldn’t be true, it’s just a ploy she thought.

Cyndy’s jaw dropped hearing Ethan’s vow, she tried to find a hint of disdain and mockery in his voice, but all she could hear was the tenderness of his voice.

After they exchanged vows, they exchanged wedding rings. Moriah’s hands were cold as ice when the officiant said to the groom to kiss the bride.

Ethan lifted her veil, snaked his arm around her waist and tilted his head. His lips descended on hers. He kissed her ever so gently. Moriah was mortified and her body could be likened to that of a wooden block.

After he kissed her, he brushed his thumb on her chin and then he faced the crowd. On the other hand, Moriah was still in a daze staring at her husband. In his peripheral vision, he could see that she hadn't recovered from her shock yet.

He leaned sideways and whispered, "Your relatives are looking at us."

His words brought her back from her trance and she faced the people right away. He took her hand and tucked it in his arm, and together they walked back down the aisle, toward the future and a fate that seemed anything but magnanimous.

As they neared the limousine, Moriah removed her hands that were wrapped on Ethan’s arm. She entered the car while Ethan helped her with the train of her gown.

“Is there a way you can remove this?” Ethan asked, pertaining to the train of her gown.

Moriah snorted and answered curtly, “None.”

Ethan sat beside her, but Moriah moved further to avoid him. A surge of frustration swept over his chest. She avoids him as if he was ill with a contagious disease.

From time to time, the chauffeur glances at the newly wedded couple who utterly ignored each other's presence. He couldn’t understand what’s going on with wealthy people's marriages. Do they really marry even without love? How could they endure a loveless marriage?

“We're here, sir,” the chauffeur said, announcing their arrival at the wedding reception and quickly alighted from the car and opened the door for his master.

Ethan came out first and held out his hand, Moriah held his hand. Her blood is boiling, while holding his hand. She hates to hold his hand, however, she has no choice but to put up with the show so as not to embarrass herself and her parents. Her relatives' sharp eyes are on them and are carefully observing them.

Ethan leaned sideways and whispered to her, “Your relatives from China are watching us.” Ethan smiled at her, she smiled back at him sweetly. Only she knows that deep within, she was giving him a scowl and scolding him.

During the banquet Ethan and Moriah did many sweet things which made Moriah seethe quietly. The supposedly blissful and enjoyable wedding banquet became a torment for her.

Cindy watched her best friend helplessly, the program was arranged by Cindy and couldn’t pull it back. She knew that when she changed it, her relatives from China would begin to doubt Moriah's marriage.

“This will be the last game for the newly wed couple,” the emcee said with a mischievous grin.

“You answer the question I ask,” he gave each one a small board and a pen and went on, “And there will be a corresponding penalty with answers that did not match.”

“First question is, when did you first see each other?” the emcee asked.

Ethan and Moriah scribbled their answers on their respective boards.

“Alright, the couple wrote without hardship on recalling their first meeting, a sign that they are really in love,” the emcee chuckled.

Moriah flinched at what the emcee said. In love? What a joke. They hated each other’s guts. Moriah noticed the twitch on Ethan’s lips. He must be sneering at the ridiculous remark made by the emcee.

“Let’s see the answer,” the emcee said and both Ethan and Moriah lifted their board.

“Year 10 is Mrs Miller’s answer while Year 12 is the answer of Mr Miller,”

Moriah balled her fist when she heard the emcee said Mrs Miller. She felt a pang in her heart, she had imagined many times that she would be called Mrs Stanton. She bowed her head, blinked back her tears and took a deep breath before lifting her head.

Her reaction towards the two words ‘Mrs Miller’ didn’t escape Ethan’s sharp eyes. Many women dreamed of having that title and being called ‘Mrs Miller’ - the wife of business tycoon Ethan Miller. However, for Moriah, being called Mrs Miller wasn’t appealing and it disgusted her. Ethan felt suffocated and loosened his tie a bit.

“We’re both right, I was in year 10 and he was in year 12 back then,” Moriah defended their answer, afraid of the punishment. She knew that her best friend had mischievous punishment.