The CEO'S Fake Bride: Loving My Best Friend's Husband

"Be my replacement Angelica."

"What?"

"I want you to replace me Angelica. I'm about to get married to the man of my dreams whom I've loved for so many years now, but his family want an heir and I'm unable to conceive but I don't want to lose this marriage if they're to find out that I can't provide the heir they want, so please replace me Angelica. Bear a child for my husband in my place, and in return I'll give you all the money you could ever ask for, but after that, you'll leave our lives for good as if you've never existed."

A cold wind howled into the hotel room from the open windows making Angelica come back to her senses with a shocked start. She looked up to catch sight of the streaks of lightening that flashed in the sky outside, it felt as if a storm was on its way.

Yes, a storm was indeed on it's way into her life. She looked down at the white wedding dress she was wearing and scoffed in a self derisive tone. Anyone who saw her would think today was her wedding day as she was donning a full bridal attire, however the truth was far from it, instead today was the day she would be replacing her old friend from her teenage years who was also her look alike as the bride of the country's famous CEO of the Stoll enterprises, Nicholas Stoll, a man she had never once seen before.

They said people were usually born with a double in this world, somewhere out there, is always someone who looks just like you with your every feature being the exact same, and for Angelica, that double was Diana Wilbert, a girl she had met years ago and had been astonished at their twin like resemblance. Back then Angelica and Diana had been friends for a while but inevitably, the difference in status kicked in as Diana was the daughter of a very wealthy family, while Angelica was just an ordinary girl whose mother left her and her father just a mechanic who owned a small repair shop in downtown Sylvannia. Slowly, Diana began to distance herself from Angelica and they eventually grew apart, before they both graduated and never saw each other again after that, well...until a few weeks ago.

Angelica's father had been laying sick in a hospital bed suffering from a critical heart attack, in her desperate moment where Angelica had nowhere to turn to, her boss refusing to give her a loan to pay for her father's surgery, Diana suddenly appeared at almost the right moment like an angel sent to help Angelica out of her trying times, however the price for saving her father proved to be something she couldn't believe when she'd heard it.

"Be my replacement Angelica."

Angelica could still remember Diana's request vividly in her mind, actually, it had been playing repetitively in her head right from the moment she had said yes to Diana just in order to save her father's life. Angelica was someone who was more than willing to do anything for the sake of her family, which was why she used to run two jobs just to pay the bills and her brother's college tuition until her father had a heart attack and things began to go terribly wrong.

The wind once again blew into the hotel room Angelica was sitting in waking her from her thoughts, she stood up and walked towards the windows about to pull them close to reduce the cold blowing in when her eyes sighted the beautiful celebration taking place in the distance.

Far in the hotel's exquisite garden, a wedding was currently taking place, all the guests were seated in their seats in a perfect order, looking towards the altar, Angelica could not spot the groom's face, all she could see was a tall and broad back from her point of view, however the bride's face was right in her sight, and it was a face completely identical to her own. Large doe like eyes with lovely glimmering hazel orbs, a small pin nose and heart shaped lips, which in Diana's case was curled up in a wide smile as she was beaming from ear to ear, and as for Angelica, her face only held an uncertainty and internal sadness.

Right now Diana was the bride, but just a few hours later they would switch places and to the world Angelica would now be known as Diana Stoll, the official wife of Nicholas Stoll for a duration of nine months which she would bear a child, a child that would officially belong to the real Diana and Nicholas Stoll. And as for her, she would exit their lives as if she had never been there, it would be as if she never existed.

Angelica stared for some time at the couple who officiated their marriage by sharing a kiss before she went back into the room again and shut the windows. She sat on the bed again, her hands curling nervously together, time slowly passed without her realizing until all of a sudden, the locks on the door twisted and it was pushed open, Angelica quickly swung her head up with a start, her heart beating faster.

It was an attractive looking woman with a thick and curvy body who'd walked in, Angelica recognized her as Shandra, Diana's personal assistant who seemed quite close with Diana, and was also the only one who knew about this secret exchange between them.

"It's time." Shandra informed with a straight face showing professionalism, knowing that Angelica was already aware of what she was talking about. Angelica got on her feet instinctively, her heart which was hammering loudly seemed to plunge into the pits of her stomach quickly picked up a faster pace again.

Nevertheless, Angelica nodded her head silently before slowly following behind Shandra who had turned to lead the way. They walked through a shortcut door in the hotel, Angelica keeping her head down the whole time with the veil on her wedding dress let down to conceal her face, though it wasn't as if there was currently anyone walking along the path they were taking, in fact there wasn't a single soul, Diana must have made sure of that.

Angelica wasn't aware how long it took, but they finally arrived at the VVIP suite in the hotel, where she would be sitting waiting as Nicholas's newly wedded bride in place of Diana, this was where they'd switch places.

Shandra pushed the door open, then made a hand gesture for Angelica to go in. Angelica gulped hardly peering into the dark room she was brought into before looking over at Shandra's stern face, then took a step to go inside when Shandra's sudden voice stopped her in her tracks, "Just remember what you were hired to do, your only job is to bear a child and that's it, don't start to develop any ideas along the way or even grow selfish, because that will only incur dire consequences."

Angelica turned around, her gaze slightly bewildered as she stared at Shandra. The woman offered her a shallow smile, "Just a casual reminder, go on then. From this moment on, your countdown starts, do everything you can to conceive a child as soon as possible, and you'll get all the rewards Diana has promised you."

Angelica seemed distracted by her own thoughts at Shandra's reminder when the woman's voice travelled into her ears again. "For your own sake, I just hope you get the task done without any ulterior motives, otherwise..."

Darkness slowly concealed Angelica's bewildered face as Shandra finally closed the door then left.

"What did she mean by ulterior motives?" Angelica muttered to herself feeling slightly confused.

A thought fleeted into her mind as she slowly realized what Shandra had meant by that final warning she had given. Though Angelica had never seen the man before, she had heard that Nicholas Stoll was an incredibly handsome man. Could it be that what Shandra was trying to say was that she shouldn't end up falling in love with him along the way and just focus on her task of bearing him a child?

If that was the case then there was nothing to worry about, because she had absolutely no plans of developing any personal or emotional feelings, her goal was perfectly clear to her, all she had to do was get pregnant, bear a child, and leave after that.

At this exact moment, the room's door clicked and opened, Angelica whirled around to see a tall figure at the door, the light coming from behind him created a shadow around him where she couldn't make out his face due to the darkness inside the room. Angelica hadn't been able to look for the light switch yet because she had been lost in her own thoughts since she was brought into the room.

As that broad and tall figure wordlessly began to approach her, Angelica's heart which seemed to have taken a break began to beat faster again, she felt like she'd not been given enough time to prepare for the man's arrival until he just suddenly did.

As he got closer, she felt the strong urge to move backwards to avoid him, it was just something about the densely dangerous aura he exuded that made her instinctively want to back away, however recalling her mission, she forced herself to hold her ground, but just at the moment he was a foot's distance away from her, Angelica could no longer hold up her brave front anymore as she made to step back from him but it was already too late, as a strong palm suddenly circled her skinny arm holding her in a firm grasps.

"Aaah!" She let out a pained sound as the man suddenly began pulling her towards the bed in the room navigating through the darkness as if he had no interest in turning on the lights or getting to look at his own bride.

Angelica felt herself being flung harshly onto the bed, she sucked in a pained breath as she could still feel the painful sting of his grip around her arm. Confused she looked up at the tall shadow of the man looming over her by the bed.

"Congratulations Mrs. Stoll." A rich and deep resonating male voice suddenly sounded as the man spoke, though it was only a voice, but the sound of it was enough to seduce the senses out of a woman, but not at this moment as his voice held a frightening anger in them. "You finally got what you wanted, from this day on, you're officially Mrs. Stoll."

Angelica listened to his words, an anxious trepidation filling her heart at the infuriated tone in them, she couldn't understand why he seemed enraged at her. Could it be that he had figured out the little plan and trickery Diana was playing?

He suddenly leaned in, Angelica anxiously scooting backwards on the bed in fear of his nerve awakening presence, his voice sounded once again, "But don't mistake even for a second that this is your happily ever after. After manipulating my mother in forcing me to marry you, don't even think you have won in your plans. Yes you are my wife now, but for you this won't be a marriage, but your very own mistake of walking into hell on your own accord."

Lost and unable to understand the meaning behind what he was saying Angelica opened her mouth to ask in a small voice. "What do you mean?" She sounded extremely timid.

"I'm officially welcoming you into a lifetime of hell, my beloved wife." His tone sounded eerily sarcastic.

As she was still trying to process his words, a force suddenly pulled her down on the bed, she flinched as he came over her body pressing her down on the bed, his actions were all too sudden that she frantically pushed at his chest, "What are you doing?" She murmured frantically while trying to push him away but he was pressing her down too strongly.

"What you've always wanted. Do you think I'll give you a chance to complain to my mother about not giving you the nuptials?" Without even giving her another chance to think, Nicholas pulled at the white dress on her body, a tearing sound filled the dark room.

"No!" Frightened Angelica frantically resisted pushing him away repeatedly.

Pinning her arms above her head, Nicholas pressed her down further, "You're quite the actress, but I'll not buy your little drama of pretending to resist me." He said roughly pressing her down with a tighter grip she squirmed.

But Angelica suddenly stopped stiff a second later.

'...your countdown starts now, do everything you can to conceive a child...'

'...after that, you'll walk out of our lives as if you never existed.'

Along with the frantic thumping of her heart in her chest, Angelica was suddenly reminded of why she was here at this moment, as the words rang in her head.

'The sooner you get this over with, the sooner you can leave this nightmare Angelica, after this, Dad and Josh would be waiting for you, and you can go back to living your life as if none of it ever happened.' She internally told herself then stopped resisting, she went still under him waiting for whatever was coming to her.

She could hear a derisive snort from him as she stopped resisting him, as if he had expected her to eventually give in, but that still didn't make him go gentle on her as he tore down the wedding dress without another care.

Angelica painfully shut her eyes as if not wanting to witness what was going to happen to her, though she had already resigned herself to her own fate prior to this, she still couldn't help but feel her heart break as she found herself under a strange man, she felt extremely dirty as if she was selling herself.

That night, supposed to be considered as a consummation between a newly wedded couple, he took her in the most excruciatingly painful way possible, he wasn't in the least bit gentle at all, she could feel a painful sting all over her skin from the merciless way he had her. Tears streamed from the corner of her eyes onto the pillow but there was nothing she could do. She was doing this for her father and for her brother, for the sake of her family, she would have to endure whatever came her way from now on until it ends.

Angelica lay motionless on the bed, streaks of sunlight illuminating her face from the corner of the curtains on the window. She hadn't gotten to sleep a wink through the night. The night before was the most painful and torturous of her whole life. She stared listlessly as the sound of the shower from the bathroom travelled into her ears but she didn't seem to be present at the moment until that dark voice sounded again making her feel as if the gong of hell had been sounded, it made her flinch in fright.

"I'm not surprised to find out that you're no longer a virgin, a woman like you who will force yourself onto a man by making calculative plans until he finally marries you can't possible remain pure."

Hearing that voice Angelica looked up slowly, listlessly as if her life had been drained out of her, but immediately her gaze landed on the face of the man standing in the room, her heart suddenly stopped, her breath catching in her throat at the familiar face of the man.

No, not just familiar, but it was the face of the man imprinted in her heart ever since her youth, the man she had loved right from the moment she first learned how to love, the man who had taken her virginity, the man who had always held her heart, the teenage boy she used to know as Nick.

He was Nicholas Stoll?