Chapter135

Allen felt weak in her knees. She felt like she was going to fall down any second. Why is he this close to her? What is he trying to do now?
"Hey...what are you trying to do? Stay away from me" She said.
Raymond smirked. How handsome face lit up in playful smile. "What do you think I'm trying to do?"
Allen gulped. She knew that she won't be able to escape if he wants to do something to her here. Any way, who would be stupid enough to stop him?
"You....you..." Allen could only continue to stutter like this. Her face was completely red from embarrassment. But somehow, she seemed to like this feeling. It seemed that what Sonia said was true. She really did like this man....how can this be? When did she even fall for him?
"Allen....stop trying to run from me. I really want to be with you. Why don't you give the both of us a chance?" Raymond asked her.
Allen did not think that he was going to confess again out of the blue here again. She felt that her heart must have slipped more than a beat. It really caught her off guard. She really wanted to say yes right then. She really wanted to be with him.
But they were some things that she still had to consider. Is it really okay for her to be with this person like this?
"You....you really want to be with me?" Allen asked him. He had said it so many times over the past few days but she was still skeptical right now. She did not want to invest her feelings and end up getting hurt instead. She did not think that she would be able to take it.
The smile that was on Raymond's face slowly vanished. He squinted his eyes and looked at her. What is she talking about? Of course he wanted to be with her. Hasn't he done enough to convince her that the feelings that he has for her are real?
"Of course I'm serious about it. Do you think that I'm someone who will play around with someone like this? Allen...my feelings for you are real" Raymond said.
Allen sighed. This man...he really knows how to leave someone completely helpless with his shame. How is she supposed to say no to him right now? Still...she needed to maintain her rationale. They were some things that she still needed to clear up
"You love me? What about the girl that you've been waiting for? You told me yourself that I should not have any hopes and that you were not going to love me because I'm not her" Allen said.
Raymond sighed. It seemed that she still remembered what he told her then. But he did not regret saying those words though. Back then,he was sure that he would never love anyone else besides April. And he thought that she was Joanna. Who knew...that in a few months.. everything was going to change so much?
"You still remember that? Actually Allen. ..I really don't regret saying that to you then. I thought for sure that there was no way that I'll love another person. I think...I thought that what I felt for you was love. It was after I met you that I realized that I really did not know what love is. You don't need to worry about it, even if she shows up right now, the only thing that I feel for her right now is gratitude. I would have died if it wasn't for her...the person that I really do love is you. Why don't we give it a try?" Raymond asked..
Raymond's words were so convincing that she could not bring herself not to believe him. In her heart, she had already agreed with him.
"Alright" was the only thing that Allen said. Her face was already burning hot from embarrassment.
Raymond smiled. Even though she had only said one word, he knew that she had agreed with him. Since she was already feeling so shy, he did not want to make things difficult for her.
He bent his head down and started to kiss her ....
*******
Outside, Sonia was preparing to go home when Julia came to her.
"Sonia..I'm sorry but I really have to leave right now. My mom...she got into an accident" Julia said. Jenna had only her mother as her family so she was especially worried when she heard that something had happened to her.
Sonia was worried too. She did not try to make things difficult for Jenna. "Alright. You can go. Do you need to take the car?" Sonia asked her.
Jenna was especially grateful. "Thanks a lot Sonia" she said.
"You don't need to say thanks. The both of us are friends. Don't worry about it" Sonia said.
Jenna nodded her head and left.
Sonia sighed after Jenna left. She had to find a way to get home now.
She walked out of the film set. Since it was the last day, it was already quite dark when they packed up for the day.
She decided to take a cab back home. It was the only option now.
She stood by the side of the road trying to get a cab but the filming location was quite remote. Cabs usually did not come this way.
She sighed and started walking across the street. It was getting darker and darker and even the Skys started to darken.
Sonia cursed her breath. It really wasn't going to rain right? She did not believe that she was going to be so unlucky.
She said a small prayer to whatever God was listening so it won't rain but obviously prayer went unanswered as it soon started to drizzle.
Sonia really wanted to cry. Why does she have to encounter something like this today of all days?
As if some god was conspiring to make her life unbearable for her today, the rain started getting heavier. There wasn't even a building nearby where she could take shelter until the rain was over.
She was already quite a distance from the set. She could only continue on in the rain.
She was wet, soaked to the skin. A car drove past her with full speed. Sonia sighed. She could not even bring herself to be angry at the driver. After all, everyone probably wanted to get home as soon as possible.
Suprisingly though, the car stopped. Sonia was surprised. Why did the driver stopped? He was even driving backwards towards her!
Sonia thought, "was it perhaps someone who knows her?"
The car came to a stop in front of her and the driver opened the window.
He brought his face of of the car..
Sonia was shocked when she saw who it was. Paul? What is he doing here right now?
"You....what are you doing here?" Sonia asked. When she saw his face, Sonia could not deny the fact that her heart skipped a beat. It was just like before, when her heart did a humble turn whenever she rain into him. However, unlike before, she no longer had any unrealistic expectations. She knew that it won't be possible for anything to happen between the both of them .
She could not have any wishful thinking now.
Paul was on his way home after an event when it started to rain. He wanted to get home as soon as possible so he was driving quite fast.
He already drove past someone when he thought that she looked familiar.
He came back to take a second look, as he thought, it was Sonia.
Even though he did not like her Because of what she did to Joanna back then, he could not ignore her like this.
She was not with her car and it looked like she was been waking in the rain for quite some time. She was soaked to the skin. What happened to her car?
"Sonia...what happened to you? Why are you....like this?" He asked her.
Sonia swore under her breath. It really was her unlucky day today. Of all the people that could see her like this, it just had to be Paul! As if the image of her in mind wasn't already bad enough!
Still, she could not afford to be arrogant. She knew that she needed help right now. Or else, she would continue to walk in the rain like this. She did not want to do that.
"My manager took my car ..and then it stated to rain" Sonia said.
He looked at for her a full minute.
For that one minute, Sonia thought that she was going to pass out from the pressure. What is he doing? If he wants to help her, he should. Why is he looking at her as if he is trying to conduct some type of experiment?
She she was freezing standing in the rain like this.
"Okay. Come in. I'll give you a ride" Paul said. No matter how much he did not like her, he could not ignore her like this. In fact, he knew from when he first saw her, that he was probably going to help her anyway.
*****
Sonia got into the car and Paul drove off. She gave him her address.
Thankfully, he said that it was on the way.
There was a suffocating silence in the car. What did the both of them have to talk about? He is Joanna's best friend and she is the woman who bullied Joanna and tried to end her career five years ago. At least, that was how Paul saw it.
Still, Paul felt that he should say something to her.
"How...how have you been these years?" He asked. Immediately he asked that question, he felt that it was really stupid. It wasn't as if she was away, she had been around. It was just that, they had tried to ignore each other because of Joanna.
Sonia scoffed. How has she been? Is she supposed to tell him that she has been fine?
"I don't believe that I'm so unpopular that you don't know about me at all. Even I'm not as Popular as Joanna...I'm sure that I'm at least popular enough to make headlines from time to time right?" Sonia asked.
Her words were laced with sarcasm and Paul did not miss the sarcasm. He frowned when he heard her words. Does she have to be so salty?
"You don't have to be so rude. That year, you were the one who tried to destroy Joanna's career. She just got lucky" Paul said. Even though he felt that Joanna had changed and that she was no longer the person that he thought she was, at least he was going to take her side in front of someone like Sonia.
Sonia laughed. She really could not help it. She thought that she was immune to it after all these years. She thought that was used to people telling her that she got what she deserved... but she really could not remain calm when she was hearing from Paul.
It seemed that what Allen said was right. Even though she no longer any expectations, she really wasn't over him yet. She still loved him. And so the fact that he thought of her as a horrible woman was enough to make her feel terrible.
"I tried to destroy Joanna? That is what she told you right? You know you should not believe everything that Joanna tells too so blindly. She really is not who you think she is" Sonia said.
Paul pursed his lips. If it was in the past, he would not pay any attention to what Sonia said about Joanna but since he was already starting to doubt her like this, he could not help but think about what she said.
"What? Are you saying that you did not do that to Joanna? Or what happened isn't that simple?" He asked her.
"If I tell you that she framed me you won't believe it anyway. Anyways to you, Joanna is always right" Sonia said. She really could not bothered to explain to him.
Paul did not say anything else. But the image of Joanna in his mind had already collapsed.
[3/24, 6:35 PM] Sonia: His Substitute Bride