The Substitute Bride: Idiot Or Not?

"It's me, Granny; It's Winnie. Something happened to me recently, and I lost my phone too. I've only found the chance to call you and tell you that I'm safe now."

Upon finding out that her granddaughter was still alive, Jacinta began crying tears of joy instead.

"This is the best news I've heard the whole week, Winnie! I'm so glad that you're alive. I was nearly frightened to death earlier. The police have found a decomposed corpse, and your phone was with it, so all of us thought that was you."

"What? A body? Are you in the police station now?"

"Yes!" When Jacinta saw a police officer coming toward her, she quickly asked, "Is it inconvenient for me to be at the police? Why don't I change a place to better talk about this with you?"

Jacinta soon found a way to excuse herself to the restroom before calling Winnie.

The latter then selectively told her grandmother what happened that night, and she also learned what happened during her period of disappearance from Jacinta.

After a while of mulling things over, Winnie decided to keep her current status a secret.

However, that body was not hers, and Winnie did not want to impede the solving of another case, so she told Jacinta her idea.

Then, according to Winnie's instructions, Jacinta began kicking up a fuss and demanding a DNA test for the dead woman after exiting the restroom.

Thus, the police soon invited Hamish over. Hamish provided the saliva sample, and they soon found out that his DNA was not a match for the dead woman's DNA.

In other words, the dead woman was not his daughter, Winnie.

Nevertheless, no one could find where the real Winnie was, and in the end, her case was classified as a missing person's case.

In the meantime, Winnie was on the hospital bed of a small hospital.

Her entire face was swaddled in bandages; only her nostrils, eyes, and mouth were exposed to the air. No one could see what she looked like at all. Sitting opposite her was Nathaniel.

When Kylie pushed her down the mountain that night, Winnie frankly could not have saved herself.

Fortunately, she had not been grievously injured from her fall. Instead, she fell into a river.

When she groggily woke up the next day, she had already been washed downstream and was taken to the hospital by two men who were there collecting their fishing nets. Her head had been injured during her roll down the mountain, and she ended up sleeping in the hospital for a while longer.

Once she fully woke up, she contacted Nathaniel immediately.

Nathaniel was a good partner, for he soon came to her side.

That was why she had insisted that the nurse cover up her face despite not having been disfigured by the incident.

Nevertheless, Nathaniel was worried sick.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

At that moment, he was sitting opposite Winnie and staring intently at her. "My dear Gator, is your face really fine? Do you really not want me to contact a plastic surgeon?" Winnie waved the new phone in her hands and said, "Thank you for the new phone."

Then, she rebuked, "But are you genuinely hoping that I was disfigured?"

"Of course not, my dear. I just feel a little regretful. We've known each other for so long, and you've even accompanied me to dinner before, but I've never seen your real face. During the dinner, you said your name is Vivian. Is that real? Is that really your name?"

Winnie was amused by his question. "That name is just like a codename. You can call me Gator like before, or you can call me Vivian. You can even give me a brand new codename, and I'll answer to it." "Oh, is that so? I'd like to call you Vinnie. You're a girl from Aploth, and I think the name Vinnie fits you more than Vivian. Don't you think it sounds beautiful?"

"Vinnie? Yes, it does." Winnie could not help but laugh. Somehow, Nathaniel had managed to give her a name that was close to her real name.

When Nathaniel saw the mirth in Winnie's eyes, he could not help but laugh as well. Winnie had to admit that he had beautiful blue eyes, as if he had oceans stored in them.

"Promise me not to look at me in this way anymore, Nathaniel. Please exude your charm elsewhere. You've been catching the attention of countless female patients and nurses for the few hours you've been here."

"Oh, my dear Vinnie, when will I be able to attract your attention, then?"

Winnie shrugged. "Sorry, Nathaniel, like you, I'm a lover of Aploth too. Unlike you, I have a strong preference for Aplothian men."

A trace of disappointment flickered past Nathaniel's eyes, but he was filled with determination soon after.

He then asked Winnie, "Since you've been in Avenport for so long, have you encountered a man who has caught your eye?"

A man who has caught my eye? Xavier's face flashed past Winnie's mind when she heard his question.

With that image in her mind, she knitted her brows and responded without hesitation, "No."

Even though I had once wanted him all to myself, everything that followed proved to me that he wasn't worth it!

"Please settle the papers for the discharge, Nathaniel. I've hurt my leg, and it isn't convenient for me to do so myself."

"Of course. I should be the one doing that. What about after you leave the hospital? Can I send you home?"

Winnie was injured, and it would not be convenient for her to live in the condominium in the city center, Aqua Moana, so she did not plan to return there.

"Do you have someone to prep the meals at your place? If you do, I'd like to trouble you for a few days."

"Of course, you can come!" Nathaniel was thrilled. "I'll provide you with the best service in your life. But what about your granny? Don't you want to reunite with her?" Winnie frowned. "Were you eavesdropping on my call earlier?"

"No, no. Please don't misunderstand me, Vinnie. I wasn't eavesdropping. You were done with your call when I came in, so I only caught the form of address."

"Okay." Winnie nodded. "Sorry, I misunderstood you. My granny has her own things to do, and it isn't convenient for me to see her yet."

She was currently a missing person, and with the plan she told Jacinta earlier, Jacinta should be insisting on getting her granddaughter back from the Fairchilds. Therefore, Jacinta would take the opportunity to stay at the Fairchild residence and continue to find out more details about the youth with a birthmark on his chest.

Two days later, most of Winnie's minor injuries were healed, and she could begin walking on her twisted ankle.

While Nathaniel had gone to work, she left his mansion and went back to her house at Aqua Moana.

The moment she entered the room, she called Jacinta, "Hey, Granny, can you find a way to go to Xavier's Lagune Mansion to pick me up? I've left some things there, and I need to get them back." "Sure. I'll call Xavier in a bit to tell him that I want to get your things from the mansion. Still, I heard that he's been staying there recently. Will you be okay showing your face around there?" "It's fine. I'll make preparations for that."

"By the way, Winnie, you've been 'missing' for the entire week. I heard that Xavier's been looking for you non-stop without eating or drinking. It seems like he's very worried about you."

She heard about that? Looking for me non-stop without eating or drinking? Winnie fell silent for a moment. Is that possible? Now that he has finally gotten rid of the dumbo and the old lady, he should be getting together with his beloved happily, shouldn't he?