The Substitute

Alice

"Are you okay Alice?" her mother asked as she walked briskly from her room to their living room.

"I am fine, I am very fine. I am almost late for work" she said as she grabbed two slices of bread and left the house hurriedly leaving her mother worried.

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. "Hey Anna, good morning, have a wonderful day ahead" she said waving at her neighbor who was watering her garden, the lady waved back smiling grinning from ear to ear.

As Alice ran, all that went through her mind and brain was a quote she had always lived by right from the age of 12, "The definition of life is not only about you being able to live but also about being able to survive."

Alice is the definition of beauty without scars. She is a twenty year old girl, who is light skinned, tall and has the right body shape, the only deficit was the burns on her face. The burns on her face were visible but that did not define who she truly was. She believed that her scars tells a lot of stories of how she was able to get through middle school and high school. She had a beautiful smile that did not bear her scars but warmth and kindness. Whenever she headed to work, she carried herself with confidence not minding what people thought.

"Hey, I am sorry, I am so late" she said as she ran into the coffee shop where she worked. It was a bit far from her house. Since her father lost his job at the mining company and her mother only received stipends, she had to work to meet her needs.

"Alice, you are late again" Betty, her co-worker said as she pointed to the wall clock with a weird look on her face that said, another minute would have not spared you.

Betty is a tall and plump Canadian lady in her late twenties, she is Alice's friend and Coworker. She became pregnant for a married man who rejected her and the child. Left alone to fend for herself and her child she decided to be a single mother. She is a lady Alice admires so much. Alice admired her perseverance, strength and resilience.

"I am sorry, I know, I just got delayed a bit" she said with a sweet smile as she hurriedly went back to the changing room while customers trooped in

"Let today be better than yesterday" she said in a whisper as she changed into her work dress, a lemon chiffon top and a black skirt which ended just a little above her knees.

"One cup of green tea and two sausages" Betty shouted

"Coming right up" She said as she started the day's work.

Baxton.

"Sir, may I come in?" the person at the door asked disrupting his sleep

"You can if you feel like and don't disturb me" he said as he groaned with both tiredness and anger.

The young man entered inside the massive bedroom furnished with gold. He bowed as he spoke clearly with his voice shaking.

"Sir, your grandfather seeks to see you urgently sir" he said

"I will be down in a minute, and don't you ever come knocking like a mad dog on my door" he said with his voice a bit raised and hard.

"Yes, yes, and y-y-yes sir." he said and left hurriedly as fast as his legs could take him.

"Horrible dream, horrible reality" he said as he stood from his bed sluggishly.

Baxton Evans, the grandson of Sir Mario, a handsome, well-built young man in his early thirties, the richest bachelor and the most sought after young man.

His phone rang, taking away his attention from his mirror, "Hey, who am I speaking with?" he said as he kept on with his dress.

"Okay, this is Maya, I came together with my parents a few weeks ago to your place, and I just wanted to ask if you will be available. I loved the night we spent together. It was a steamy one. I can come again if you don't mind" she finally said in one breath.

"Maya or whatever your name is, lose my number. I don't deal with girls like you. And you know what, you aren't my type. So, I don't want to see you ever again, you are just a one-time thing." He said as he cut off the call and went downstairs with his regular blank face.

"Wow, so you decided to join us gluttons after an hour of waiting at the table for you, we are honored" Brent said sarcastically immediately he sighted him on the stairs as he smirked

"Thank God, you have realized your position in the family, a glutton, who wants everything he doesn't deserve" Baxton said with his eyes drilling a hole into Brent.

"Not this morning, both of you better behave yourself." Grandpa Mario warned sternly.

"Baxton, you need to learn how to respect your elders, a good morning would not kill you and you could have apologized for delaying us at the table" Aunty Maria said.

His Aunt was regarded as the pest and leech of the family. She had been married about four times, and it was all for the alimony and Grandpa Mario had already threatened her that one more divorce, he was going to disown her, this made her stay put in her present marriage.

"Good morning, young master." A maid rushed to pull out a chair as he sat down. While picking up his napkins, he noticed different faces right in his presence and the girl staring at him, like someone who was ready to draw a dagger to his throat.

"We've got guests this morning" he said with a face that defined that they were not welcome.

"Yes, these are the Sanders family. Director Sandals is one of our longtime partners and that's his wife and beautiful daughte-"

"Beautiful, my foot!" he exclaimed sharply, his words cutting through the air like a blade, causing everyone to abruptly lift their eyes from their meals.

Not minding, Grandpa Mario continued, "Ruth Sanders, the CEO of Sanders Styles and Luxuries, she graduated from Harvard as the best graduating student of her set. She is a good girl, and you should know her better" He said and went back to his meal.

"Why do I need to know her?" Baxton said with a mean chuckle.

"Because, she is going to be your bride, I mean your wife," Grandpa Mario said, not minding the lost look on his face.

"I am not getting married." Baxton said as he stood up from his chair and threw his handkerchief on the table with disgust and anger.

"If you aim to retain your position as the Empire's CEO, you must tie the knot within the next six months," he declared, nonchalantly continuing to devour his meal. Meanwhile, Baxton seethed with anger, a boiling turmoil simmering beneath his calm exterior.

"The first to get married and stay in that marriage for one year and eight months, will own my Empire" He continued and looked at his four grandsons.

"I am not getting married, and no one can bully me either in getting married to any lady. I hate all of them. They are all toys. They are nothing." He said and stormed upstairs leaving everyone surprised and not really surprised.

Baxton got to his room and smashed the cup on the floor with anger and rage. He never wanted to be like his father. His father trusted too much and he was betrayed not by his mother but by his mother's family. His father was just too nice and naïve. He was a fool for love and he had determined to never give in.

"Young master, Master asked me to bring your medications sir" a maid said from the door.

"Get lost." He shouted and she scurried off.

Running his hand through his hair in frustration, he collapsed onto the expansive king-sized bed, overwhelmed by the tumult of emotions.

Ruth.

"Dad, I have a boyfriend and we are serious with our relationship, I love him and we are planning on getting married in the next six months" Ruth said as she trailed after her father who was not ready to listen to whatever she was about to say.

"It has been decided Ruth, there is no going back" her father said as he signaled to his personal assistant.

"Dad, he looks scary..." she whimpered.

"They have a lot to offer. Once you get married into that family, there is a hundred percent assurance that we are going to move from one level to another. Our net worth will increase and we will be a family to be reckoned with." Her father tried to explain things to her but she was adamant.

Her phone rang and she picked it and left her parents confused.

"Hey babe, how are you?" she said as she opened the door to her room

"Hey, how are you? I tried your number but it was not going through, are you okay?" a voice said over the phone.