The Substitute Bride: Doted by My Billionaire Husband by Sumpto Midway

Chapter 14: Small Vinegar Jar

Harry blinked repeatedly, thinking he was hallucinating. A gigolo? Who? Elvis?

Elvis glanced at the check, his deep eyes falling on Gabriella’s beautiful face. He said indifferently, “What do you mean?”

Gabriella, having already met Elvis at the cake shop, felt her heart skip a beat upon seeing him again. She replied authoritatively, “The check is yours. Stay away from Olive. I’ll take care of you.”

Harry was perplexed. He had never seen anyone support a gigolo financially.

Elvis tucked his hands into his pockets, a sneer curling the corner of his mouth. He offered no rejection or humiliation, but Gabriella’s face reddened at his smirk. “What’s funny?”

“Nothing. Just confidence. But I’d better go home and look in the mirror,” Elvis muttered, walking past her.

All of Gabriella’s enthusiasm vanished. She hadn’t expected gigolo’s to be so arrogant.

Elvis stopped when he saw Olive, who had been watching him. He swiftly removed his hands from his pockets. “She was just trying to seduce me!”

The cold and inviolable Elvis of moments before now spoke with feigned innocence.

“Olive, it’s you again!” Gabriella clenched her fists, gritting her teeth in hatred.

Olive approached, her body still partially blocking Elvis’s view. “Gabriella, I always thought you were a cheap imitation of Monica, but your mother should be thrilled—you’ve inherited all her traits, including a penchant for stealing other people’s men!”

“How dare you!…”

Olive didn’t let Gabriella finish, snatching the check from her hand. “Fifty thousand? Gabriella, how did you raise that much? It seems you really want my gigolo, don’t you?”

The fifty thousand dollars represented Gabriella’s entire savings, supplemented by loans from friends. Head over heels for Elvis, she had given everything.

“It’s a pity; no matter how much you give, it’s useless. He doesn’t like you,” Olive said confidently. Turning to Elvis, she demanded, “Tell her whose man you are!”

Elvis gazed at her and smiled. “Olive’s. I’m Olive’s man.”

Olive’s heart skipped a beat. She had controlled the situation, but his magnetic voice froze her. Hastily retracting her gaze, she glared at Gabriella. “Gabriella, I’ll let this pass. Next time, if I catch you trying to seduce my man again, don’t blame me for being rude.”

Taking Elvis’s hand, she said, “Let’s go.”

“What the f*ck! This girl is so domineering!” Harry muttered, covering his mouth.

Gabriella trembled. She knew Olive had a sharp tongue, but not this venomous. Elvis was pulled away by Olive, her small, soft hand in his. He moved his fingers as if to hold her hand, but she shook him off, snorting, “Are you satisfied that two women are fighting over you?”

“Why do I think you’re jealous?” Elvis chuckled.

“I’m not.”

Olive glared at him. “I just saved you. But it seems you haven’t realized it.”

Elvis reached out, pressing her against the wall, his right hand on the wall, his left caging her. “How dare you talk to me like that?”

Trapped in his arms, she knew he could be ruthless. She replied softly, “I didn’t mean to.”

“What do you mean by ‘helping me’? Mrs. Augustine, do you possess the conscience of a wife? Isn’t it your duty to drive away the flies buzzing around your husband?”

Olive conceded his point. “But how do I know if you’re interested in others? Gabriella would have been the one to marry you. I’m just a substitute.”

Elvis furrowed his brows, leaning closer. “Did you really say you aren’t jealous?”

“No… I’m not jealous.”

“I heard that girls need to be coaxed when they’re jealous. Do you want me to coax you?”

“Huh?” He lowered his head and gently kissed her lips. Olive’s eyelashes fluttered.

He swallowed hard. “Are you still jealous?”

Olive quickly shook her head.

Elvis laughed softly. “I got you. So you were jealous?”

Realizing she’d been tricked, Olive bit her lip, slipped from under his arm, and fled.

Elvis licked his lips and chuckled, following her.

Changes Made:

• Grammar and Punctuation: Corrected numerous grammatical errors, improved sentence structure, and standardized punctuation.
• Word Choice: Replaced informal words ("severally," "humiliate") with more appropriate synonyms.
• Clarity: Improved clarity and flow by restructuring sentences and paragraphs.
• Consistency: Ensured consistent tense and person throughout the passage.
• Dialogue: Improved dialogue tags for better readability.
• Formatting: Added a chapter title and improved overall formatting.
• Removed Repetition: Removed unnecessary repetition of actions or descriptions.
• Censorship: Replaced an offensive word with an asterisk.

The revised passage is significantly more polished and readable.