Chapter 2
Nothing But A Replacement Chapter 2 SEDONA I don’t remember the drive home. It was all a blur for me. One moment I was standing on that busy Chicago sidewalk, and the next I was pulling into our driveway, the manila folder was seated on the passenger seat, silently reminding me of my death’s countdown p> +25 Points Our house-Logan’s house, really, I’d never felt like it was truly mine-loomed before me, filled with expensive decorations and wall to ceiling windows. A monument to wealth and status that had never brought me any warmth. It hadn’t always been this cold. Once…a long time ago, this was a place that was filled with joy and laughter. I sat in the car for a long moment, remembering when I’d first arrived in Chicago three years ago. I’d been running from my family’s expectations, from the arranged marriage they’d planned with some business partner’s son I’d never even met and they expected me to give my entire life up, just like that. I was supposed to be the obedient daughter, the perfect heiress who would smile and say “I do” to secure another corporate merger. But I’d wanted more than that. I’d wanted love. Real love. The car accident had happened on my second day in the city. I’d been so focused on staying hidden,, that I hadn’t been paying attention to the traffic light. The impact had been shocking but not serious, it was just enough to leave me shaken and slightly injured on the side of the road. And then Logan had appeared, like a knight in shining armour. He’d helped me up, insisted on taking me to the hospital, stayed with me through the examination. When he’d asked about my family, I’d lied and said I was an orphan. It had seemed safer that way, easier than explaining that I was a runaway heiress hiding from one of Seattle’s most prominent families. Logan had been so kind then. So attentive. We’d fallen into a fast romance, and when he’d proposed after just three months, I’d said yes without hesitation. I thought I’d found my fairy tale, my happily ever after. I’d been so stupid and naive. A sharp pain in my abdomen pulled me back to the present, reminding me of what I had. I pressed my hand against my stomach, waiting for it to pass, so I could breathe properly. These pains had been getting worse for months, but I’d dismissed them as stress, as anxiety over the fact that my son and husband were growing distant from me, every passing day. Now I knew better. I grabbed the folder and made my way inside, each step feeling heavier than the last. The house was quiet, eerily so. Usually, I’d hear Nick’s laughter echoing through the halls, or the sound of TV playing his favourite cartoons. But Nick wasn’t here. He was at Disneyland, probably already forgetting I existed. “Sedona? Is that you p> 143 Nothing But A Replacement +froze. That voice-filled with disdain could only belong to one person. Sherry appeared in the hallway, Logan’s mother. +25 Points “Where’s Nick?” she demanded, her eyes scanning the empty space behind me. “Don’t tell me you left him somewhere again p> I clutched the folder tighter against my chest as protection. “You should ask your son that question p> She rose an eyebrow at me. “What’s that supposed to mean? How does a mother not know where her own child is p> The accusation stung, especially coming so soon after Nick’s cruel words. I felt my composure cracking but forced myself to stay calm. “Logan took him. Three days ago p> Sherry pulled out her phone, scrolling through her screen. I watched as her expression shifted from annoyance to something almost… pleased. “Oh, how wonderful!” she exclaimed, looking up at me with a satisfied smile. “He’s at Disneyland with Katherine. They’re having such a lovely time. I told them not to rush back-Nick deserves a proper vacation p> The casual way she said it, as if it were the most normal thing in the world for my husband to take our son on a trip with another woman, made my blood boil. “You don’t find that inappropriate?” I asked, my voice shaking. “Your son is on a romantic getaway with another woman, with my child with them instead of being home, and you think that’s wonderful p> Sherry’s smile didn’t waver. Rather, she smiled even more as she shrugged her shoulders. “Katherine is a tennis star, Sedona. She’s accomplished, elegant, successful. Of course it’s better for Nick to spend time with someone like her rather than…” She gestured vaguely at me, her meaning clear. “Rather than his own mother p> “Rather than someone who has nothing to offer him,” she said bluntly. “Katherine can teach him about excellence, about ambition. What can you teach him? How to be mediocre p> I flinched, but Sherry wasn’t done. “Besides, Katherine is Logan’s ex-girlfriend. They have history, a connection. It’s natural that he’d want to spend time with her now that she’s back in Chicago p> “He’s my husband now,” I said, hating how weak my voice sounded. Sherry laughed as if I was a jester performing for her, as she wiped tears from her eyelids and continued speaking. “Oh, sweetheart. Do you really not know?” She stepped closer, her expensive perfume overwhelming. “Do you honestly not understand why Logan married you in the first place p> “What are you talking about p> 2/3 Nothing But Replacement +25 Points You look like her,” Sherry said simply “Katherine. Well, a poor man’s version of katherine anyway. When Logan was heartbroken after Katherine left to pursue her tennis career, I pressured him to settle down, to marry and produce an heir. And then there you were-stupid and naive in love and a doppelganger of Katherine. Each word was a knife to my heart as I clenched my hands into fists. “If you didn’t have that passing resemblance to Katherine, Logan wouldn’t have looked at you twice. A girl with no family, no background, no money, no prospects? Please. You were just… available. And good enough for the time being p> The folder slipped from my hands, scattering papers across the marble floor. Sherry glanced down at them, her eyes catching on the hospital letterhead, but she didn’t seem to care enough to ask. “Now that Katherine is back, things can return to how they should be. Logan can be with the woman he actually loves, and Nick can have a proper mother figure. Someone worthy of the Hayes name p> She stepped over the scattered papers, heading toward the door, not caring one bit about my feelings. “I’m going to call Logan and tell him to enjoy his time with Katherine and Nick. They’ll come back when they’re ready. Don’t wait up p> The door closed behind her with a soft click that sounded like a prison cell locking. I stood there in the empty foyer, and came to the shocking realization. I’d never been Logan’s choice. I’d been his consolation prize. Our entire marriage, everything I’d thought we’d built together, had been a lie. I sank to the floor, my hands shaking as I gathered the papers. The medical reports seemed almost laughable now, as I choked back a sob, covering my mouth to muffled the pain coursing through my body. 2 Comments Ruby Walker Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.