The Substitute Wife: My Poor Husband is a Billionaire

Chapter 1 Cheating On Her "I have given myself to you. Why don't you break up with Janet?" the woman asked in a breathless voice. "Don't mention her name when we are. . ." The man said. The woman seemed dissatisfied as she didn't get the answer she wanted. Janet Lind stood in front of the door, listening to everything in the room. Her tired eyes turned cold as she understood what was going on. She had just returned from the hospital. Hannah, who had raised Janet ever since she was a child, was diagnosed with advanced liver cirrhosis three months ago. The woman needed a liver transplant right away. Janet had to gather the money to pay the medical expenses. To make her situation worse, her younger sister hooked up with her boyfriend. Janet felt her life was falling apart. "Did you hear me? You have to tell me your decision tonight. It's either her or me. The choice is yours." Janet kicked the door open and glared at the couple. "Let me save you the trouble. He is just a man. You can have him if you want." Although Janet sounded nonchalant, her heart broke to watch her boyfriend cheat on her with her sister. Steve was Janet's college classmate. He was a handsome man from a wealthy family. He had chased after Janet for three years. He had confessed his love to her again right before their graduation. It was on the playground of their college. Many people were around, and almost all the students had witnessed the romantic scene. The crowd cheered, and Janet finally agreed to be his girlfriend. The pain of betrayal crushed her. Looking at the two people in front of her, Janet clenched her fists, her nails sinking into her flesh. Steve hurriedly pushed Jocelyn away, put on his pants, and got out of the bed. Jocelyn almost fell down. Janet's words ignited her anger. She had put a lot of effort into hooking up with a wealthy, handsome man like Steve. Janet had won his heart without doing anything, which infuriated Jocelyn. After all, Janet was just an adoptive daughter. "What are you saying? " Jocelyn sneered as she pulled the quilt closer to her body. Then, she looked at Steve and asked, "Steve, what did you say to me just now? Tell that to Janet!" The woman had seduced him, and he lost control of himself. He kneeled and grabbed Janet's wrist. "Janet, please forgive me. I didn't know what I was thinking." Although tears filled her eyes, Janet looked at him with disgust. Once Janet set her mind to something, no one could change it. She withdrew her hand from Steve's hold. "I'm sorry, Steve. I don't want anything that's tainted by Jocelyn. You two are a perfect match. Let's break up." Jocelyn was taken aback. Steve was on the verge of a breakdown, but there was not even a trace of sadness on Janet's face. Anger surged through her veins because she didn't achieve what she had wanted. Janet didn't have the time to talk to them. Jocelyn had always been competing with her ever since they were kids and she enjoyed taking away whatever belonged to Janet. She used to snatch Janet's toys. Now that they had grown up, she snatched her boyfriend as well. Janet was used to it. She was only worried about Hannah's medical expenses now. Just as she was about to leave, she heard the clacking of footsteps from the corridor. "It's late at night. What's with all the noise?" Janet's adopted parents, Bernie Lind and Fiona Duncan, rushed over after hearing the commotion. Bernie walked into the room first. His eyes widened in horror when he saw his daughter sitting on the bed wearing nothing -- except for the quilt wrapped around her. "What are you doing? You are going to get married soon. What are you doing with another man?" he bellowed. Jocelyn hugged herself and looked at Bernie with bloodshot eyes. She gritted her teeth to suppress her rage. The Lester family and the Lind family had an agreement to get their kids married when they grew up. Her fiance was an illegitimate child, and the Lester family had driven him out of the house a long time ago. He was poor and didn't even have a decent job. He was just an idler who wasted his time doing nothing. Jocelyn didn't want to marry him. She felt she deserved someone better than him. "I'm pregnant!" Jocelyn said, pointing at Steve. "I am pregnant with his child. So I can't marry anyone else. You better cancel the wedding." Steve was dumbfounded. How could she get pregnant? "What nonsense! You must marry into the Lester family!" Bernie was fuming with rage. He wanted to slap Jocelyn for acting stupid. After all, the wedding was a matter of his prestige. What could he tell the Lester family if they asked the reason for calling off the wedding? Fiona protectively stood in front of her daughter. She was protective of Jocelyn and seldom scolded her. Her husband was seething mad, and she couldn't watch him shout at Jocelyn. "Bernie, why are you mad at Jocelyn?" Fiona cried. "Janet is also a daughter of the Lind family. She can also marry into the Lester family." Bernie and Fiona didn't have any child for the first few years after they got married. Due to the pressure of the elders of the Lind family, they had to adopt Janet. Years later, Fiona finally got pregnant and gave birth to Jocelyn. The whole thing only made her hate Janet even more. Janet's existence was proof of her infertility. The mere sight of her adopted daughter irked Fiona. After giving birth to Jocelyn, Fiona became partial toward her daughter and despised Janet. Later, as time went by, Janet grew up to be a better woman than her daughter in every aspect. That seemed to intensify her hatred for Janet even more. Fiona's words enraged Janet. "You had agreed to get Jocelyn married into the Lester family, not me," she roared. "Why are you planning to get me married just because your sweet daughter has been banging someone?" "We have raised you all these years. It's time for you to repay our kindness, Janet," Fiona said in a low voice, her eyes twinkling with cunningness. "Don't you want that maid to have the surgery? We will pay for the medical expenses as long as you marry into the Lester family in place of Jocelyn." A complacent smile emerged on Jocelyn's face. She felt Janet and the illegitimate son of the Lester family would be perfect for each other. Janet gritted her teeth as Fiona's words infuriated her. However, the doctor's words flashed in her mind. Hannah didn't have much time left. Janet had just graduated and couldn't afford to pay for Hannah's treatment. Although Bernie and Fiona adopted Janet, they never really cared about her. Hannah, the maid of the Lind family, raised Janet. Hannah was like the grandmother Janet never had. She couldn't leave her alone. Noticing her hesitation, Fiona walked up to Janet. "You will have to marry someone in the future. Why don't you help us by marrying the son of the Lester family? I will give you the money as soon as you get married." Janet's feet trembled as everyone in the room stared at her. She needed money to pay Hannah's medical fee. Tears finally streamed down her cheeks. She lowered her head and replied in a low voice. "Okay, I'll marry him." Chapter 2 The Wedding A few days later, Janet arrived at a small church in the suburbs, wearing a simple white slip dress. She was getting married today. She was going to marry a man she had never seen before. She didn't bother renting a wedding dress because she didn't want to pay for it. Janet had to pay the medical fees for Hannah's surgery. She bought some white baby's-breath in a flower shop and asked the seller to give her an extra white silk ribbon to braid her hair. Janet looked pure and innocent. It was time for the wedding, but the groom hadn't arrived yet. The wedding venue was almost empty -- only a few people had arrived. "Don't worry. He's probably stuck in traffic. Let's wait a little longer," Bernie comforted Janet. Janet's breathing faltered. She had heard something about the man she was going to marry. His name was Ethan Lester. The man didn't have a decent job and was an idler who wasted his time hanging out with punks from the streets all the time. The thought of marrying someone like him made Janet stomach churn with anxiety, but she had no choice. "Why hasn't the groom and his family arrived yet?" Fiona frowned and glanced at the handful of people in the church. She was dressed in a gorgeous, soft purple dress. The subtle makeup accentuated her features -- she looked breathtaking It seemed like the Lester family didn't value the marriage. However, Janet wasn't bothered. She only cared about Hannah's medical expenses. Janet leaned closer to Fiona and whispered, "Will you give me the money as soon as the wedding is over?" She had promised her adoptive parents to trade her marriage for money to save Hannah's life. "We are family. Why do you keep talking about money all the time? Don't worry. I will give you the money as promised. Don't keep asking about it." Regardless of how gentle Fiona tried to sound, impatience was evident in her voice. Meanwhile, Jocelyn also arrived. She walked into the church in a splashy outfit and expensive jewelry, holding her boyfriend's arm. She strutted toward Bernie and Fiona with a smug smile. She had stolen Janet's wealthy boyfriend, leaving her to marry the worthless illegitimate child of the Lester family. Steve's brows furrowed when he saw Janet in her wedding dress. A ball of guilt settled in the pit of his stomach. It was all his fault. A moment's passion had ended his relationship with the love of his life. Janet was going to marry someone else. He didn't intend to attend the wedding. Jocelyn had practically dragged him to the church. However, he couldn't refuse after learning that Jocelyn was pregnant with his child. Steve's eyes had been fixed on Janet ever since he arrived at the church. Jocelyn couldn't bear to watch him gape at the woman she despised. Nothing had changed even after all these years. Janet managed to captivate everyone with her charm. People always paid attention to her instead of Jocelyn. Jealousy reared its ugly head. Jocelyn grew furious and began yelling at Steve, irrespective of the occasion. "Excuse me? What is so good about that woman? Why are you staring at her like that?" Then, she turned and sneered. "Why hasn't the bridegroom arrived yet? The man is late for his own wedding. How could he be reliable? His family hasn't bothered to come either. It looks like they don't care about him." Jocelyn was a princess at home. No one would blame her for making comments. However, they were in a public place, and she was the bride's sister. Her rude, presumptuous behavior had become the topic of everyone's gossip. Janet gently lifted her hemline and stepped forward. Janet had tolerated Jocelyn regardless of how arrogant and heartless she had been in the past. However, she couldn't put up with her nonsense anymore. "Jocelyn, mind your language! Don't you have basic manners?" Jocelyn was taken aback. She had never seen Janet like this -- the woman had always been tolerant. Hearing that, the church fell silent. Just then, the gate creaked open. A tall man stepped inside. The dazzling sunlight seemed to outline his slender frame. As the church gate closed again, the man looked up. His deep eyes swept across the crowd, his lips pursed into a thin line. He buttoned up his suit and smoothed his coat as if he had come here in a hurry. The sunlight cast a soft glow on his handsome face. It looked like God had put all effort into creating him. All eyes were on him as if he had cast a spell on everyone in the church. Chapter 3 A Watch Worth Millions Everyone looked at the man in awe. He seemed to exude an effortless charm. Jocelyn's eyes lit up. She guessed the handsome man would be one of Ethan's two elder brothers. The Lester family was one of the most powerful families in the city. After all, Ethan was an illegitimate son -- Jocelyn felt he would never stand a chance against the noble members of the family. The man before her looked charming and regal, so she thought he must be the legal heir of the family. His good looks and charm both surprised and excited her. She thought Steve was a handsome man, but compared with the man in front of her, Steve undeniably became the bottom-of-the-barrel type. Jocelyn walked forward and greeted the man. "Are you Ethan's brother?" Merely looking him in the eye made her blush. "Well, the groom's family is yet to come. Please take a seat. The wedding won't commence for a while." She even wanted to ask for his phone number, but because of the occasion, she did not dare be so bold. The man didn't bat an eyelid at her. He ignored her and went straight to Janet. Jocelyn's face burned with embarrassment. The shyness and excitement vanished in an instant. She angrily returned to her seat. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw the handsome man take position beside Janet. That was when it dawned on her: he was none other than the bridegroom, Ethan. Jocelyn shook her head in disbelief. 'How could Ethan look this handsome?' She leaned over and whispered in Fiona's ear, "Mom, why didn't you find a photo of Ethan for me? If I had known what he looked like, I wouldn't have asked Janet to marry him in place of me." Fiona closed her eyes and blew out a loud breath, shaking her head in disapproval. Then, she turned and cast a reproachful look at her daughter. "You are still young. When you grow up, you will know that a man's appearance is the least important thing. Ethan is a loser -- he doesn't even have a decent job. He is the perfect match for Janet. The two will remain outcasts forever." Jocelyn didn't bother retorting. However, she hated the fact that Janet was going to marry a handsome man. He looked like a movie star. Ethan walked to Janet and studied her face. "I'm late because I had to deal with personal affairs," he said flatly, scratching his brows. "It doesn't matter." Janet didn't mind. She was glad to know that Ethan was a good-looking man. There was at least something good about him. Just as she turned, her gaze settled on the Patek Philippe watch on his wrist that was dazzling under the sunlight. Although she wasn't rich, she had seen enough of the world to know the value of the watch. She recognized at a glance that the watch was worth at least a million dollars. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Everyone had told her that Ethan was a poor lowly man. That was why they wanted Janet to marry him in the first place. How could he afford such an expensive watch then? Chapter 4 Do You Want To Take A Shower First? Seeing the frown on Janet's face, Ethan followed her gaze and saw his watch. Moments later, he realized what she was thinking. "This is a knock-off that I borrowed from my friend," he whispered into her ear. "I usually wear it to look cool but didn't expect you'd notice it soon." Ethan removed the watch and put it into his pocket. "It looks real." Janet smiled and stepped back, covering her flaming ears. Ethan was leaning closer, and she could feel his breath blowing in her ear as he spoke. As Janet thought about it, she realized it was normal for a man like Ethan to have a street friend who sold fakes. She breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, Janet had freaked out, thinking Ethan had done something illegal to make a fortune. Ethan knitted his brows. He had heard that the daughter of the Lind family had several boyfriends and hung out with different men all the time. the girl's shyness seemed to surprise him. "The bridegroom is here. Why hasn't the wedding started yet?" asked a sweet voice of a woman. Jocelyn grinned and walked forward, holding her boyfriend's arm. "Since the bridegroom is here, let me introduce my boyfriend to you," she said, deliberately raising her voice a decibel higher. "This is Steve Carter, the eldest son of the Carter family. We are family. Steve and I can help you in the future." Steve hurriedly lowered his head. It was almost as though he was too ashamed to meet Janet's gaze. When Janet saw Steve arrive with Jocelyn, she felt nothing. So she pretended that it was their first time to meet and commented lightly, "Nice introduction, Jocelyn. But your current boyfriend is different from the one I saw last week. I wonder if you're going to be with him or not next week." Steve's feigned smile instantly went stiff. Smiling embarrassedly, Jocelyn then shot Janet a murderous glare and quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, if you'd like, I can refer Ethan to the Carter family's company. I'm sure they'd be willing to take him in even if he doesn't know any technical skills. Maybe he can do the chores like mopping the floor and cleaning the toilet, that kind of thing. After all, it's better to have a real job than roaming around idly after getting married." Janet stole a nervous glance at Ethan. Unexpectedly, he didn't seem to mind such insulting words. He simply broke into a warm smile and waved his hand dismissively. "No, thanks. I like roaming around outside." Without getting the reaction she expected, Jocelyn's face fell and she returned to her seat sulkily, dragging Steve along with her. Soon, the priest arrived and hastily finished the wedding. Ethan took Janet back to a small house in the suburb. The place was small, old, and shabby, but at least they had a house to return to. The house looked empty and hoarded only basic necessities. She felt they were recent additions simply for the wedding. Ethan was a tall, muscular man; the narrow space somehow looked smaller after he came in. It seemed obvious that he barely made ends meet. "This is my home. Make do with it." Ethan shrugged casually. He didn't seem embarrassed in the slightest. "Yes, it's a small house, yet it looks tidy. It can accommodate the two of us." Janet was honest. Although the house looked shabby, Ethan had maintained it well. The yard looked neat, and the house looked spotless. However, it didn't feel like a home -- it was too empty; perhaps because Ethan seldom stayed there. Janet looked around. She saw that Ethan had taken off his suit jacket and put it on a wooden chair. He was unbuttoning his white shirt. She trailed her gaze across his body and saw the toned muscles under his shirt. It looked like he had been working out regularly. Sensing her gaze, Ethan turned his head and met Janet's anxious eyes. He stopped and walked toward her. "You've been busy all day. Do you want to shower first?" he asked intently. Chapter 5 You're Not Jocelyn "You better take a shower first. I can wait here." Janet subconsciously stepped back as if guarding herself against an enemy. She looked like a trapped bird, struggling hard to hide her panic. She didn't know how to face her so-called husband. The man stood at the table and looked at Janet. She looked like a deer caught in headlights...