Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
She chanced a glance at him. “Can’t find the photos?”
Caleb sheepishly explained, “I changed my phone, so I lost all the previous photos.”
“You must’ve posted on social media before, right? Don’t you even have a group photo?” He was rendered speechless. She got him right there.
Mia and Timothy tied the knot clandestinely, so they had never been publicly seen together, let alone taken a group photo.
Mia raised an eyebrow. “How about the wedding photos? You gotta at least have those, don’t you?”
Caleb was at a loss for words. “N¨CNo, I don’t.”
“What? They don’t even have a wedding photo? Did they even get married at all?” Mia thought the situation was snowballing fast.
Sweating profusely, Caleb replied, “They were married, but they didn’t take a wedding photo for certain reasons.”
“Was it because the Barretts were upset with Mrs. Barrett’s status? Being a commoner, perhaps they didn’t consider a wedding photo necessary. Rather than embracing her, it’s more like they’re ashamed of her. That’s why there are no records of photos taken in public, right?”
Mia’s brusque manner rendered Caleb speechless. After a moment of hesitation, he warily said, “If you’re still mad because of what happened, actually-“
“Wait!” The way Caleb stared at Mia, as if she were truly Timothy’s ex¨Cwife, was unsettling. She continued disdainfully, “Are you seriously assuming that I’m Mr. Barrett’s ex¨Cwife, and you think I’m just pretending not to recognize all of you?”
Caleb nodded solemnly.
Mia was dumbfounded. “Look, doppelgangers exist, you know! I’m not that poor Mrs. Barrett! My temperament wouldn’t tolerate that kind of treatment for a second! If I were treated as such, I swear to God, he’ll regret it deeply!”
Caleb faltered. When he recalled her fiery temper, he knew she was more than capable of following through on her threat.
Caleb had to admit that apart from their looks, she was very different from Mia.
Their personalities were very different.
Mia’s patience was wearing thin. With a sharp pivot, she made to leave, clearly done with Caleb’s explanation. 1
“Wait, Ms. Langford! I don’t have the photos now, but I can get them. Just give me some time.”
“I’m sorry. I have no interest whatsoever.
The notion of delving further into the life of Mrs. Barrett, who bore an uncanny resemblance to her, repulsed her.
She strode toward Ginger and left the playground with her.
Caleb sighed as he watched them leave. “Goodness gracious.”
It was unfortunate that he couldn’t produce any photos at such a critical juncture.
Caleb found her rather peculiar. He didn’t even know her, yet she said he was the father of her child. She truly had mistaken him for someone else.
Mia returned to the hotel with Ginger, feeling frustrated.
Ginger glanced at her. “Mommy, how’d it go with the bad guy?”
Perplexed, Mia responded, “Ginger, do you think we might’ve gotten the wrong guy?”
“Mommy, didn’t you get the information from Uncle Dominic? Did he lie to you?”
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Mommy, why did you ask?”
Mia ruffled her hair. “It’s just… I found out by chance that Mr. Barrett has an ex¨Cwife.”
Ginger grew anxious. “Is Mister married?”
If Timothy was married, she would lose him as a father. However, hadn’t Mia mentioned that he was single?
Mia continued, “It appears that his ex¨Cwife has passed away, though. But Ginger, guess what? His ex¨C wife looks a lot like me!”
Ginger’s eyes widened. “That sounds like something from a movie!”
Amused, Mia agreed, “Exactly, I didn’t believe it at first, but Caleb said the same thing as well. I doubt both of them are lying.”
She could only speculate that she must resemble Timothy’s ex¨Cwife quite closely. However, was it merely a coincidence?
Caleb insisted she had mistaken him for someone else. If he was telling the truth, it meant. her ex¨C husband was Timothy.
She lowered her gaze and met Ginger’s hopeful eyes. Knowing how much Ginger adored Timothy, Mia kept the suspicions to herself.
If Mia revealed to Ginger that Timothy was the bastard who had abandoned them, it would crush her. Mia resolved not to disclose the truth until she had thoroughly investigated the matter.
Ginger’s expression turned solemn. “Mommy, in that case, wouldn’t that make you her substitute?”
eves “Ginger, where on earth did you learn that word?” Locking with Ginger, Mia firmly stated, “Do you think I’d settle to become someone’s substitute? Men chase after me, not the other way around.”
The absurdity of her striking resemblance to Timothy’s ex¨Cwife blew her mind.
While Ginger napped in the afternoon, Mia tossed and turned in bed. She scrolled through the album on her phone and stumbled upon a picture of Sage and Ginger.
She instinctively smiled. However, she froze as she studied Sage’s i Suddenly, it clicked why Timothy seemed so familiar. Sage was the spitting image of him.
Mia noticed the striking resemblance between Sage’s features and Timothy’s, particularly their eyes.
It suddenly dawned on her that Caleb was likely telling the truth¨CTimothy was the person she had been searching for.
She found it absurd when Caleb said she resembled Timothy’s wife. But now, realizing her mistake, everything fell into place.
Stupefied, she gazed blankly at the ceiling. She couldn’t believe that she’d gotten the wrong person.
No wonder Timothy had been giving her strange looks.
She had inadvertently taken the reishi mushroom he intended to buy. She offered to return it in exchange for a date, but he flatly refused.
Recalling these events left Mia puzzled. Timothy probably thought that she was flirting with him. However, she truly couldn’t remember anything from the past.
Once Ginger was sound asleep, Mia slipped out of the bedroom and made her way to the living room.
When Wade showed up, she wasted no time. “Did you get them?”
Wade faltered. “Ms. Mia, I’ve yet to obtain Mrs. Barrett’s pictures. I need some time.”
“How much longer?”
“I’m working on it.”
Sinking onto the couch, Mia eyed him. “Let me guess. You’ll only tell me you’ve got the photos once the storm passes, won’t you?”
Seeing Wade’s stunned expression, Mia stopped beating around the bush. “I already know, so there’s no point in keeping it a secret. Timothy’s ex¨Cwife looks exactly like me!”
Wade’s voice quivered as he answered, “Ms. Mia, I had no choice. Mr. Dominic instructed me not to let you get in contact with the Barretts.”
Mia had intended to test him with a question. She hadn’t expected such a blunt confession.
Her heart sank at his admission.
“So Timothy is the one I’m searching for, not Caleb?”
“Y¨CYes.”
She massaged her temples. “Why didn’t you tell me this from the beginning?”
“Dr. Grayson suggested trying desensitization therapy first to see if it triggered any memories from your past.”
Speechless at Ryan’s audacity to experiment on her, Mia seethed with anger. When she got back, he’d have a lot to answer for.
She quickly regained her composure. Wearing a stoic expression, she asked, “Did you inform Dominic that I met my ex¨Chusband here?”
Wade wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Yes. We wouldn’t want to see you hurt, after all.¡®
“What was his response?”
“Mr. Dominic likely will send his men to retrieve all of you once the storm passes since the airport is closed due to it.”
Mia wasn’t surprised at all. Her brothers treated her exceptionally well. They tiptoed around her forgotten marriage in conversations, fearing it might trigger unpleasant memories.
But Mia refused to be bullied any longer.
Still perplexed, she looked at Wade and asked, “Was I mistreated when I married into the Barrett family?”
“The Lane family had yet to find you back then. You were a commoner, and you know how things would turn out in a prestigious family with their litany of rules.”
Massaging her temples, Mia recalled her afternoon’s internet search about Mrs. Barrett. It had been a whirlwind of revelations.
Bewildered, Mia questioned, “Considering my ordinary background, how did I end up marrying into the Barrett family?”
Wade explained, “Mr. Barrett fell into a coma after an accident. It was Mrs. Barrett Senior who arranged your marriage.”