Stand-In Bride

Thirteen: Tell me about your wife

"Mina..." Carter said walking beside a woman who just finished busking on the street. "I know you're Mina Araneta."

"I don't know what you're talking about." The woman replied, picking up her pace.

Carter keep up with her, "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

The woman abruptly stopped, facing Carter, surprised as he studied Carter's face closely. "Y-You're—" she stammered

"Can we talk somewhere private?"

The woman looked left and right before tilting her head, signaling Carter to follow her. He followed her to a small villa nearby.

"Who are you?" The woman asked sitting opposite of him

Carter smiled "I'm your husband." He simply answered

"What do you mean?"

"I'm the one you're supposed to marry before you disappeared." He said "Also, we're kind of 'friends' in high school."

The woman almost gasped and covered her mouth in surprise. "I knew you were familiar." She said smiling before pausing pointing a look towards him "How...How did you recognize me?"

"A wild guess." He answered "A very wild guess."

The woman looked at him, not knowing what to say. Her eyes started to moist until tear started falling her eyes. "Are you going to take me back?" She cried covering her face with her hands "I am not Mina. I don't want to be Mina. I hate being Mina."

Carter walked to her and tried to calm her down, kneeling in front of her. He tried to understand what upset her and waited for her to calm down.

"Is this your house?" Carter looked around the small cabin. It looks cozy with a huge fan hanging from the ceiling and wooden furniture inside. "It's beautiful."

"My father wanted me to marry someone I don't love." Mina said "I don't want to do that so I ran away, became someone else." She looked at Carter "I guess that's the price of the career and fame he gave me."

Carter reassured her with a smile.

"Few people know that he has a daughter." Carter nodded "He gave me everything I've dreamed of. You see, I didn't know he was my father until I turned eighteen and before that, my life was hard. I had to work and provide for my mother who's sick, I had to quit high school, I had to give up my dreams." Sadness filed Mina's eyes. "When my mother died, my father took me in. He gave me everything. I finished school and pursued my dream on becoming an actress. The first few years was bliss, until he started meddling with my relationships. At first I thought he was just protecting me, as a father. Until he started threatening them— and me. He even hurt me for dating secretly." A tear run down her face from the memory. She sighed and looked back at Carter. "When the man I was dating died, I knew my father had something to do with that. I gathered evidences. Did some investigation by myself and I was right. He has something to do with Michael's death."

Carter couldn't believe what Mina said.

"I don't want to go back." Mina said, pleading "Please, stop. He wanted me to marry you since he has a huge debt to your family, but I can't do it. I hope you understand."

Carter nodded, "I do." He said "Although, unlike you, I guess I'm lucky. I met someone that made me thankful I agreed to the marriage."

"Marriage?" Mina asked in confusion

"While you're gone, someone's filling your shoes."

Mina started at him, "So the wedding happened..." she sighed, "I feel so bad for her. I mean— not because of marrying you. But because she has to live that life. I hope she didn't have a hard time."

Carter smiled, remembering Gian. "She's great, don't worry." He said "She's strong and brave and beautiful."

Mina stares at her for a moment, Carter wondered why. Her smile grew wider, "You like her?"

Carter opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Sighing and scratching the back of his head, blushing.

"You don't have to answer that," Mina said, chuckling. "You're clearly into her."

He didn't answer.

"Can I ask a favor?" Mina said, Carter looked at her with questioning look. "Can you forget that you met me here?"

"Why?"

"If I tell you I want to send my father to jail, will you stop me?"

Carter shook his head, "No."

"If I tell you I'd go back and file a divorce, will you stop me."

Carter froze. "Why?"

"Because I have to. Mina don't exist, Carter. She was a made up person my father made, and I don't want someone to bare that name and live to people's expectations because I know how that felt. It ruined me, and it would probably ruin anyone." She sighed reaching for Carter's hand "I have to make everything right, I know I have to. If I wanted to live freely, I need to break every chain that holds me to that name. You just have to trust me."

Carter nodded. Looked at her and held her hand, sighing. "I trust you." He said "but can I ask something too?"

Mina nodded.

"How long?" Carter asked looking at her hand placed protectively on her belly.

Mina was surprised as soon as she understood what he meant. "H-How do you know?" Carter shrugged. Mina sighed, flashing a smile. "Three months."

"I guess you're happy." Carter said

Mina nodded, "More than ever." She said proudly. "So, tell me about her— your wife."