Chapter 37

Paul slammed his hand on the table immediately. He was really angry. He knew it! He knew that something like this isn't what Joanna would do! Why will she want to get married to that man? She already has a wonderful career! This career is the most Important thing to her! When other people were enjoying thier teenage years she did not enjoy her teenage years at all! Because of her family she entered the entertainment industry at a really young age and she has struggled to get to the trip since then! She already put so much into her career. Will she want to give it up for a marriage? That is so unlike Joanna at all! When will these people stop forcing her to do such things? What do they really want from her.
So they were really threatening her with her career? Isn't this too much? Now Paul was even more convinced that Raymond had bad intentions for Joanna! He really wanted to meet that man and give him a piece of his mind but he did not think that he would be able to meet him. "No Joanna , I don't think that you should run away. If you run away then you will lose everything. Your career that you worked so hard to bring to this level! I really don't want you to lose it because of those people. I really want to help you out but what can I do?" Paul asked. For the first time, Paul felt really useless. He had promised himself to help Joanna our no matter what is this how to help someone?.
Joanna sighed. She finally got what she wanted. It seems like Paul had already given up and accepted the fact that she did not have a choice but to get married to Raymond Walker. That is what she wanted. To get him to accept her marriage while still pretending to be a pitiful woman in front of him. She did not know what she wanted to get out of this but at least she enjoyed playing this game with Paul. If Paul knew what was going on in her mind, he would probably be hurt beyond repair. After all, this has been going on for eleven years. But Joanna was not one to care about the feelings of other people was she?
"No, Paul. You don't understand. You are not the one who is being forced to get married to someone against your wish! You don't know him weak and helpless I feel right now. I just want to run away but there is nothing that I can do. I have to put up with it no matter what" Joanna said. Her face was so pitiful, she looked like someone that was going to fall down and collapse any second from now. But inside, she was already jumping up and down. Joanna is really amazing. Not everyone will be able to turn thier daily live into a drama!
"I'll be right back. I need to visit the restroom" Joanna said. She was really happy right now. She had to compose herself. Otherwise she might just burst out laughing!
Paul sighed. He watched as Joanna walked away to the restroom. He does understand. He understands how it feels to be helpless and weak. Right now, he really wants to help out Joanna but there is no way that he can do that. He can't go up against the CEO of Helian Group. He won't be able to deal with that at all. He could only continue to protect her like this from the side. This marriage it isn't something that he can stop at all. Just as he was still thinking about these things, he saw someone that completely shocked him. What is she doing here?
It was Allen! If not for the clothes that she was wearing, Paul would have thought for sure that it was Joanna! Joanna would never wear such cheap clothes. She only wore designer clothes! What is she doing here? Why is it that he is always running into this woman? He really wanted to have nothing to do with this woman! More importantly he did not want Joanna to have to meet her one day. But right now, she is here, in the same restaurant, what is he going to do?
Allen had come out to have dinner. She had been working all day. Ever since her boss told her that he won't be helping her, she was sliding deeper and deeper into depression. Will her grandmother really die? Is there really no way to save her? Her grandmother kept complaining that she was going to pass out because she kept working so hard, so she made her leave to go have dinner. Allen did not want to spend her money but she knew about this restaurant. It was quite cheap so she came here to eat dinner.
Allen felt like there was someone constantly staring at her so she looked back. She saw that man! It was him again! What is he doing here? She had been really confused when he asked her if she had had plastic surgery. In fact she was quite offended. But there were a lot of things that she had to think about so she did not think much of him after that day. But he is here again! They met at the same place again! Is this really a concidence? Or is this person following her now? Even if he is following her he won't be able to get anything out of her anyway so why follow her around? What will he get from it?
Allen was starting to feel really uncomfortable. She did not want to deal with this anymore. So she decided to just leave the restaurant. If this person is really following her then it's going to be really scary. She is already at the worst point in her life. He won't be able to get anything out of her anyway. She paid for her food and then walked out of the restaurant in a hurry. She did not even turn to take a second look at him again. Allen was walking away when someone grabbed her hand from behind. She turned sharply.
Allen saw that it was that man! Now she was convinced that he is following her! But if he is following her then is he going to kidnap her? Why would someone in her right senses want to kidnap her? She has next to nothing. Will he sell her then? She had heard stories of women being sold, she did not want that to happen to her! If she suddenly does missing like this, what will her grandmother do? In less than a minute, all kinds of scenarios flew past her mind. "What are you trying to do to me? Are you following me?!" Allen asked.
Paul was taken aback. Following her? Really is he following her? He did not know why he came outside, he did not even know why he held on to her hand right now. He had just been watching her since she was having her dinner in the restaurant. Immediately she realized that he was watching her she started to get uncomfortable and then she just left like that. He did not want her to leave. For some reason he was starting to get more and more curious about this woman. And so he followed her out and stop her from leaving. He was still thinking about what to tell her when her voice broke into his thoughts.
"You've been following me for quite some time right? I should have known that something was up when you came to me like that! Saying that I look like someone that that I had plastic surgery! Are you trying to kidnap me? If you want to kidnap me then you better stop thinking about it! I have nothing and you won't be able to get anything out of me! Actually, you will be running at a loss if you Kidnap me! And even if you want to sell me, well I can only tell you that I am not worth much!" Allen said. Maybe because she was so scared, she was blabbing a whole lot of nonsense.
Paul was shocked. What is this woman thinking about right now? Kidnapping? Selling? What does she take him for? He immediately thought of that man that she works for at the bar! That is the man that she should be weary of! That is the man that will try to kidnap and sell her off! How did he become a kidnapper and human trafficker in her eyes? The both of them have only met each other once. How did she come to the conclusion that he is a kidnapper and human trafficker? And she is not worth much? What does she mean by that? This woman, what is her situation like?
"What nonsense are you talking about? How did I become a kidnapper and trafficker in your eyes? You've only met me twice. How did you come to such a crazy conclusion? I don't have any bad intentions! It's just that you look really familiar to someone that I know! That is why!" Paul said. He was starting to get frustrated. He was already in a bad mood because of what was happening to Joanna and now he just happened to run into this woman who thinks that he is a kidnapper and human trafficker! What is she thinking in her head.
Allen looked at him. The more she saw this person the more she was convinced that something is definitely going on with him. He does not look like a good person to her at all! He came to her that day telling her that she looks like someone and then all of a sudden he said that it was a mistake and that person is abroad. Now he was in the same restaurant at her. She would have just let it go thinking that it was a coincidence, she really does not have the time to deal with him now but he just had to follow her out and he even stopped he from leaving. What is she supposed to think?
"I really don't know anything about you! I'm not sure if I should believe you or not! The first time we met you kept saying that I look like someone that I have had plastic surgery. Then you said that it was a mistake and that person is abroad. Today, I see you here in this restaurant. Are you telling me that you being here is a concidence? Even if you say that it's a coincidence, then why did you follow me out? And why did you try to stop me from leaving? What do you really want from me? There isn't anything that you will be able to get from me anyway so leave me alone!" Allen said. She was starting to get impatient. She really did not have the time to stand here chatting with this person.
Paul was at a loss for words. How is he gonna to convince this woman that he isn't what she thinks that he is? He does not have any bad intentions it's just that, she looks so much like Joanna! It was just so fascinating! Like how right now he was staring at her face! He just could not look away. If not the fact that he had seen her and Joanna that day he would have thought that Joanna was playing some kind of trick on him. How can two people who probably have never met each other before look so alike? What is this supposed to mean?
But he could not just explain to her that the person that she looks like is Joanna right? A lot of things have been going on in Joanna's life lately, he really did not want her to have to deal with this. "I don't know how you came to the conclusion that I am the bad person but I am not! I won't try to kidnap someone and sell her! That I'm here today, it's really a concidence. I really like the food here! And me stopping you from leaving, well, that is..." Paul could not continue because deep down, he too did not know the reason. He did not know why he was here. And he did not know why he was trying to stop her. What is he even doing right now?
Just then, Allen's phone rang. She picked it up. "what?! What did you say Happened? Hold on Rita, I'll be there soon!" Allen said. Rita had just called her and said that her grandmother's condition was getting worse. Allen felt her heart sink. She also said that her grandmother wants to see her. Allen was afraid. Is her grandmother really going to die like this? After hearing about her grandmother's condition, she forgot about this weird man who might be a kidnapper. She could not be bothered to talk to him any more. Her grandmother was much more important!
Paul saw immediately that there was something wrong with her. Immediately she received that phone call she looked pale. "What is going on? Did something bad happen?" He asked. But he did not get a reply. Allen was already leaving. He went after her and held her back again. "What is going on?" He asked her again..
Allen yanked her away. "Can't you just leave me alone? My grandmother, my grandmother, I really don't know what will happen to her. I have to be there. I have to go see her!" Allen said. She tried to walk away again but Paul stood in front of her.
"Let me take you there then" he offered.
His substitute bride
Written by authoress Mira