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

Ayla went downstairs and got into Lucas’ car, hurriedly leaving the company.He drove her back to her original apartment.
"Lala."
Lucas had prepared two cups of tea, placing them on the table.
They had been sitting on the sofa for over ten minutes but neither of them had uttered a word. Ayla had no clue what he wanted
to talk to her about.
Was it about their past or their future together? She just couldn't wrap her head around it.
Lucas put down his teacup and sat next to her.
"What happened today was nothing but an unfortunate misunderstanding," he remarked and put his hand on hers.
She looked up at him.
He said that she had misunderstood the incident earlier today.
But who on earth would've been mistaken? Haley was certainly pregnant, and Lucas was definitely the father.
And he still insisted that it was a mistake? Was it just her imagination or was she really wrong?
‘No, that's impossible"
Ayla could tell from Haley's eyes just how much she loved Lucas.
That woman probably loved him so much that she was willing to do anything for him, including giving birth to their child, even if
they didn't end up together.
"Lucas, you've been with her for a long time, haven't you?"
Ayla withdrew her hand and placed it on her lap.
She might've slept with Lucas for once after she was drunk, but that didn't necessarily mean they'd be together forever, but
Haley's case was different. For a moment, he was reluctant to speak.
'Maybe I have known her for a long time?’ Lucas nodded.

"I've known her for more than ten years." He and Haley grew up together.
Back when he was under Tatum's wing, he had an inhuman life.
At that time, he barely had anything to eat, he didn't have enough clothes to wear, and he couldn't have enough sleep.
The only person that stuck by him through it all was Haley. Lucas had lost his parents and his family.
From the heir of the Collins family, he turned into an orphan living under someone else's roof.
Every misfortune he endured was caused by Brian, so he wanted to take vengeance upon him.He wanted him to give back
everything that belonged to him.
"You never even mentioned Haley's name to me once." Ayla had never asked him about his past.
From time to time, he would tell her about his childhood and youth, but he never mentioned anything about Haley.
"That's because I don't want you to misunderstand me.I've always known that Haley liked me, but I never liked her back.I've
always thought of her as my sister,"
Lucas explained in a hurry.
He knew that Ayla must've misunderstood him.
Besides, it was obvious that Haley wanted to make her think that she had a relationship with Lucas.
On top of that, he knew that Haley had sent spies to keep an eye on him.
But he couldn't do anything to stop her.
Tatum was the man who raised him, and Haley was his closest confidante.
However, that didn't mean she was the one he loved the most.
Lucas had thought that he would live in hatred for the rest of his life.
When he heard that Brian had gotten married, he sent people to investigate it.
He paid special attention to what had happened in Molly and Toby's wedding.

Ayla happened to be there, and their later frequent interactions made Lucas fall in love with her.
Because of her, he had a change of heart.
He decided that after he had gotten his revenge, he would leave everything behind for Ayla.
But before he could succeed with his plans for revenge, she almost lost her life because of Tatum.
It was also because of this very reason that Lucas decided to cast aside his hatred and take her far away from everyone that
could hurt her. Ayla stared at him intently.
"Have you ever considered that you lied to me, not because you were afraid that I would misunderstand you, but because you
couldn't understand yourself?" She told Lucas the naked truth.
How much love was there actually between them? During the first year in Italy, she had a miserable life, fighting against the drug
addiction, and then when she recovered, all of her attention was focused on designing.
Their bond wasn't that strong.
And they got engaged just because they had slept with each other after she got so drunk that night.
Was it fair for her to make him take responsibility for her own blunder? She wasn't that kind of person. And so, ending it now
would be the better course of action.
"No! I don't love her! I just think of her as my sister," Lucas blurted out.
Ayla took out the ring from her bag, putting it on the tea table.
"Do you remember what I said when we bought this ring together? If one day, you find a more suitable lover, you can tell me, and
I would set you free."
"Lala, I'm telling you, it's impossible for me to fall in love with Haley!"
Lucas knew that she wanted to get out of their relationship, but he hadn't given up yet.Why would she do that? Did she really not
love him? Or had she decided to get back together with Brian?
"Miss Green is pregnant," Ayla remarked.

It was a fact, and they all knew that.
"But I won't take responsibility for it.She was the one who set me up that night.And then I mistook her as you, so I had sex with
her.I never imagined she'd get pregnant."
It was something that was beyond Lucas’ wildest imagination.
Ayla let out a sigh.
"Even if it was just a mistake or an accident, she's still pregnant with your child.Will you really just let her do this alone? Do you
know how much a woman needs someone by her side when she's pregnant?"
She had gone through the same kind of loneliness.
Back then, in order to protect her child, she chose to run away, but in the end, more people got involved and ended up getting
hurt.
And at the end of all that misery, she lost her child.She lost it.
Tears streamed down Ayla's cheeks.
Lucas didn't think it all through.He never saw it from Haley's point of view.
All he wanted was to make Ayla happy, and she was the only one he wanted to marry.
But when she said those words as tears fell from her eyes, Lucas felt less of a man.
It was terrible of him to consider not taking responsibility.
‘ls a mistake supposed to make me suffer for a lifetime? I don't want that to happen!’
"But I don't love her.You're the only one I love."
Lucas pulled Ayla into his arms, holding her so tight that it almost looked like he wanted to shackle her to his body.He truly hoped
that they could never be separated again.
Sadly, it was a misguided hope.

Ayla picked up the ring, placing it onto his palm.
"Don’t hurt Miss Green anymore."
With that, she stood up.Now that she had made herself clear, it was time for her to leave.
Lucas embraced her again.
"Please give me some time.I'll solve this problem."
"You're going to solve it, you say? What are you planning to do? Are you going to ask her to get an abortion? Are you really
willing to let an innocent life suffer because of your mistake? Don't be heartless! Besides, I don't deserve your love anymore
because I've decided to be with Brian."
In the end, she was left with no other choice but to mention Brian as an excuse.
She thought that it was the right thing to do.