Love Replacement - 1st Chapter

Genre: Angst / Romance

Summary: A different kind of River and Megan.

“Don’t ever disrespect me again” He shouts at her.

“Yes sir” she answered with slow sob.

Taking his coat with him, River walks out of the room and slammed the door.

Megan is crying on the floor and hugging her leg together. Putting her head on her knee, she said to herself.

“Why must we meet? Why must you marry me?”

Sitting in his office, River stares out of the window. He’s mad at himself and towards Megan. The entire thing he did to her is only for her to be respectable in his society. He’s slammed the table and continues with his work.

Megan takes her clothes from the floor and compose herself. Bringing a book with her, she walks out of her room and go to the library. Standing in front of the book shelf, she’s scanning the book title and grab a new one after replacing the old. She tried to focus on her reading but her mind is not there. She closes her book, stares to the sky and start crying again.

“If you don’t love me, why don’t you divorce me?” she keeps asking to herself as she remembered how she and River meet.

 

*Flashback* 

Megan was walking on the roadside when suddenly she heard a crash sound at the corner of the road. Her instinct comes alive and she immediately walks to the car. As she pecking into the car, she saw a man lying unconscious at the driver seat. She taps the man shoulder to wake him up.

“Sir…Hello sir… Wake up” Shaking up the man and she took out her phone to call the ambulance. After 10 minutes of waiting, the ambulance arrives and she have been ask to follow them since she is the one who give the call.

“May I know what are your relationship with the victim?” ask the police officer.

“I passed by him and suddenly saw his car crash to the lamp post, I don’t even know him”

“Owh, thank you miss, we will give you a call if we need more information from you. Thank you once again”

The officer walk away and Megan sit on the waiting couch. After a while, she saw a doctor walks towards her and she stands up immediately. 

“How was him, doctor?” Megan asks when the doctor stop in front of her.

“He didn’t have any major injure, only a few brushes and there was a slight head injuries. We need to detain him in the ward for precaution “.

Megan nod and thanking the doctor as she walks towards his room. She saw him sleeping with an i.v drop attach to his wrist. She sit on the chair, took the man wallet and pull out his id card. Chen Chu He, 33 years old.

“What! Is he the River Chen, the triad leader? Oh God” Megan put back his card and waits for him until she fell asleep. Feeling a warm heat, Megan open her eyes and sit up straight. Turning her head to the window, her eyes become big immediately. 

“Oh no. It's morning already. When did I fall asleep?" 

As she turns her head towards River bed, she jumps up on her chair. River was staring at her with his sharp eyes. 

"Hello. Good morning. How do you feel today?" Megan asks with a friendly voice.

"What happened and who are you?" He asks her with an annoyed voice.

"Actually, you got into an accident and crashed on a lamp post" and Megan told him everything that happened yesterday.

"Ok. You may go now and leave your phone number. I’ll ask my secretary to call you and she’ll give you a compensation check" command river arrogantly.

“Check? For what?” Megan answered angrily. “I don’t need your money. I help you because I’m concern” she stood up and turns to walk out from the room. As she about to open the door, River call her.

“Leave your number”.

“Never”.

“I said leave your number” he raised his voice.

“And I said N.E.V.E.R” and Megan walks away.

*End of flashback*

Suddenly Megan heard voices in the hallway, she immediately look at the clock. It’s already past 9 o’clock.

“Oh god, it’s already late. I’m so dead” She said as she put the book back immediately and run towards her room. 

When Megan about to open the room door, she hear someone calling her from behind.

“Megan, where are you from? The library?” River ask her and she nod her head.

Megan walks inside the room with River following her. She instantly help River taking off his coat and hang it inside the wardrobe room. Suddenly she felt an arm hugging her from behind. At first, her muscle tense up, but she eventually relaxed at his touch. Their position was the most comfortable for her, like their bodies belonged like that.

Kissing Megan head “I’m sorry if I scared you. Everything that I do is for your own good”. River keeps on explaining to her.

Hearing River words, Megan hold his hand. “I’m sorry too for not being the wife that you always wanted”

River turn her around and he saw her glitter eyes. Tear drops already form in her eyes, using thumb he wipe her tears away. He hug her again more tightly this time. 

“Already had dinner?” River ask her, Megan shake her head.

Holding her hand, River drags her with him to the dining hall. Assist to her seat, he ask the maid to prepare dinner for them and they eat in silence but in comfort atmosphere. 

After dinner they both spend some time in the library. River was at his working desk while Megan sits at the couch across him with a book. After a while, River ask her.

“Tell me again why did we get married?”

“Isn’t it because of you, your stubborn side” Megan giggle when she answer River question.

*Flashback*

It was late at night and River just finishes his work. While walking to his car in the basement, he heard a running footsteps and lady voice. As he turn his head around. He saw a lady being grab at the wrist and she struggle to let her arm go.

“Let go of me. I won’t give anything to you. Let me go” Megan shout on top of her lung.

“Mister, I suggest you follow what the lady wants. Let her go” River step into the scene. Trying to save the damsel in trouble. 

Both of them, Megan and the thug turn their head towards River. Still clutching Megan wrist, the man throw a sharp stare and angry voice to River.

“Go away. This is not your problem. This woman is mine”. Megan is still struggling to release her hand.

“Release her, I said. If you don’t want to wake up in the hospital” River use his rough voice at the man.

“No… not until this women pay her debt”

“No. That not my debt. That was my dad” Megan tried to explain to the man.

“Since your dad already dead, you have to bear his debt or you can work with me” the man said with teasing voice.

“Never. I won’t work for you. I just don’t have that much money to pay you” Megan keeps on pleading the money lender. 

“Stop…Stop. So this is about money? How much does HER dad loan from you” River ask the man after he hear about it.

She looks at River with her big eyes, Megan told him “NT$20 million”

River soften his gaze towards Megan "Only that much? I'll pay for her and after you get the money. Don't try to get near to her ever again"

River walk to his car n grab a check book. He wrote the amount and gives it to the money lender. "Leave now and you" pointing at Megan. "Come with me".

"Where are we going?" ask Megan as they left the basement parking with her inside River car.

"Dinner, I'm famish" River eyes still on the road. 

River picked the place for them to eat. Of course, the restaurant was really magnificent. That was a high class Italian restaurant. Well, what could you expect from the CEO? He must have a high taste. Yes. A CEO, Megan did a little search about him after the accident. Chen Chu He or mostly know as River Chen. He is a business tycoon and also triad leader.

Megan sat and looked around the restaurant. It surely awed her so much. She didn’t know what the name of this kind of decoration style, but she felt like she lived in Victorian era. Elegant woods furniture, beautiful paintings and crystal chandelier. She smiled at the sight then her eyes dropped to River who looked at her in fascination.

“Sir?” She automatically asked him. Her heart beats so fast because there was something in the way River looked at her, but she couldn’t define.

“Is this place that beautiful?” He smiled warmly at Megan.

“Yes, it is.” Megan nodded shyly.

"Order the food shall we?" asked River then he took the menu.

River took a glance at the blushing Megan as he continue read the menu. He has been thinking about her lately and how to repay her kindness towards him. He stares at her while she shyly keeps her head low to read the menu. She has white pale skin colour, round eyes, sharp nose and cherry colour lips. His heart beat fast when she tugs her hair behind her ear. Her jaw and neck line definitely a killer spot. He can imagine what he can do on her neck. River shakes his head to get rid of his dirty taught about her.

"By the way, I haven't introduced myself. I'm River Chen and you can call me River" he told her once she put down her menu.

Megan smile to him "Yes, I know who you are, sir and I'm Megan Lai. Just call me Megan".

"I want to thank you for saving me and for paying my dad debt. I can't pay you the entire amount at once but I'll promise to pay you little by little".

River nod, he called for a waiter and makes an order for both of them. Actually River already has a plan for Megan on how she could pay the debt to him. He just has to wait for the right time to tell her and she’s definitely a perfect candidate.   

After the encounter, they start to have a friendly outing. Sometimes they go for a walk, watching movie or just spending time together drinking coffee in a cafe. She treats him as a good friend so does him.

"Megan, I have something to ask you" River told her when they were having night out in a cafe. Megan stops reading and direct her gaze towards River. He stares at her solemnly and Megan knows this signal that she need to put her 100% concentration on him so she closes her book and put it on the table.

"Megan, would you marry me?" River asks her spontaneously. 

"Huh?"

"Yes, would you?" River asks her again.

"But why? I thought we were only friend" Megan tried to give a reason to him. It’s not that she didn't like him. She does like him. A lot but to be married to him, it’s beyond imagination.

"Well, my mom keeps pestering me to bring home a girlfriend but since I don't have one and you're the only candidate that crosses my mind".

"Are you crazy? It’s didn’t give you permission to ask me for marriage. No. I won’t accept it" Megan gives her answer.

"Megan, just treat it as debt repayment scheme to me. You didn't have to work anymore and you can have a luxury life".

Megan is surprise to hear about it. Her face become red and she bit her lower lips. She’s definitely furious. She stood up and walks away. Megan didn't believe River would give her that kind of reason. She felt like he wanted to buy her and make her as his mistress. She storm out of the cafe and walk to the taxi stand.

River looks at her as she walks away. He quickly run and grabs her wrist. He turn her around and hold her shoulder. He pushes her chin up to meet his gaze. He saw tears. He wipes her tears away, he said. 

“I’m sorry if I make a stupid request but you are the only one who can help me. Be my wife and I promise you, I’ll treat you good”.

“I’ll think about it. Could you please give me some time? Once I have the answer, I will find you” Megan pushes River hand from her shoulder and walk away.