Page 14 of The Substitute Fiancée

She leans closer to the display, eyes shining like a child’s in front of a toy.

“The Paris-Brest look amazing,” she murmurs.

“Do you want one?”

“No, no. We came for croissants.”

“And who said we can’t get both?”

She looks at me, surprised.

“Alexander…”

“What? I need sugar to get through today. And so do you.”

When it’s our turn, I place the order.

“Two baguettes, four croissants, and four Paris-Brest, please.”

“You know I adore you,” Sam whispers with an affectionate look that makes me chuckle.

But I’m not mistaken. I know her light tone has only one goal: to distract me. And it works.

Breakfast is strangely calm and pleasant. Sam’s friends don’t ask questions; the conversation stays light, relaxed.

Mara pours freshly squeezed orange juice. Emelyne pours the coffee. Sam nibbles on a Paris-Brest, closing her eyes in pleasure. And I watch them—these three women who welcomed me without judgment—and despite everything, I feel good here.

“Thank you,” I say suddenly.

All three look up at me.

“For last night. For this morning. For… everything.”

They simply smile, and in that quiet acceptance, I feel understood. Accepted.

I leave their apartment around eleven. Not wanting to go home and risk finding Kristel at my door, I head straight to my brother’s place.

As the taxi takes me toward Le Vésinet, where my brother lives in a beautiful villa with his wife and two children, I receive another voicemail from Kristel.

I listen to it—not out of weakness. She and I are over, definitively. But because I don’t trust her reactions. She’s proud, controlling, used to getting what she wants. Except this time. She won’t accept defeat without a fight.

Then I read the other texts she sent during the night. The first ones are predictable. Tearful apologies. Pathetic justifications.

Then the tone changes.

Kristel: You’re not really going to throw away three years of relationship over a small mistake, are you? Be reasonable. Think about your company. Think about the IPO.

She dares.

She continues:

Kristel: Investors like stability. What will you look like if you break up with me now when we’ve already started announcing our engagement? You need me, Alexander. We need each other.

Then the final blow:

Kristel: I’m warning you, Alexander—if you break up with me, I’ll talk to the media and everyone will know that the CEO of MatchMapping can’t even manage his own love life!

Fuck. That bitch.