Chapter five

The plan she had thought of for days continued to hunt her, replaying in her mind the pros and cons of what the consequences would be if she decided to push for it. 

“But what about Ruby's family?” she asked herself, a deep sense of remorse hit her chest, the nagging thought kept her awake for days now. Chloe knew that what she was doing was wrong, immoral, and dishonest, a part of her was conflicted and ashamed for even entertaining it, however, she has a family to protect too.

“Someday Ruby, I will ask for forgiveness, and I will make amends for what I did to you for the rest of my life. I promise you that” she whispered.

After she confronts her wicked thoughts and tries to reconcile with them, her mind prompts the image of Ruby’s alluring husband. If she would assume her life, she would have to deal with him no matter what. In hindsight, the married couple has issues. No wonder the handsome husband looked at her with contempt and a sneer of disapproval; his words were harsh and cold, indicating a lack of love and respect towards each other. What did you do Ruby to mess up your marriage like this?

Kaya ba niyang panindigan ang kasinungalingang tatahakin niya just to get what she wants? Or would there be a consequence she must anticipate ahead of time? She does not know this family, no idea at all, do they have kids? What's their setup? She can't possibly fool Lucille unless she can fool the people closer to Ruby. Baka sila pa nga ang mag buking sa kanyang plano and ruin her trump card.

“What should I do?” she asked herself repeatedly. She can come out clean right now and tell the husband that she's not Ruby. She could reveal the truth, resolve this conflict, and free herself from dishonesty and deception. It was not her fault that the rescuers made a mistake in identifying the body. She can do that right now and be done with all lies. Or she can try to live Ruby's life temporarily and learn her ways while protecting her real identity.

“I am never good at lying. Can I pull it off? What if I can't?” Paulit ulit niyang tanong. 

She wanted to scream!  The feeling of frustration is consuming her, like hitting a wall repeatedly, unable to break through.

After a while, Chloe felt she had used a lot of her energy; she wanted time to think, but the hollow in her stomach made her feel nauseated. She traces her way back to her hospital bed and wants to be alone for the rest of the afternoon.

"Dad what should I do?" she whispered once again.  After she crawled to the bed and hugged herself, she then closed her eyes tightly and for a moment she hoped that maybe it could have been a good thing if she died that night. Bigla niyang binatukan ang sarili and tried to console herself. She's alive and that means something. She needs to make this count and do what is necessary to protect the people that she cares about. 

She will give herself time to play this off, she should not be making lifelong decisions when she's overly emotional. She will have to see how this would turn out. In her heart, she does not want to fool this family that Ruby belongs to, but maybe, just maybe she can borrow it for the time being.

“Even just for a little while.” She whispered. “Will I be forgiven if I do so?” 

She closed her eyes, succumbing to sleep's embrace, eventually drifting away. In her dreams, memories, and fantasy intertwined, her father reached out as he tried to avoid Lucille’s touch laced with poison, and then the images got mingled with the enigmatic eyes of Ruby’s dark-haired husband, and she found herself drawn to his handsome face. What is your name? She wanted to ask. The images continued to flicker in her subconscious, eliciting a soft groan deep in her sleep.

After months of recovery and finally accepting her fate, Chloe and Luke boarded their private jet pabalik ng bansa, her treatment had been successful, and quoting the doctor, she was "good as new." They dedicated a good few minutes to noting down Chloe's discharge instructions, and she vowed to adhere to them diligently. While her voice slowly returned, a dreadful fear accompanied it—that Mr. Ramirez might discern she wasn't his wife. Chloe remained cautious around him, fearing he would expose her deception.

She dedicated night and day to unraveling every detail of Ruby's life, driven by a determination to understand her better. Chloe discovered Ruby had been a successful model in the past, but her career ended when she married the business tycoon Luke Ramirez. Gazing at their wedding photos on the internet, it was undeniable that they radiated happiness, their love evident in the pages of numerous magazines and articles from five years ago. Yet, what could have transpired to transform this once warm and affectionate relationship into one characterized by coldness, detachment, and possibly even animosity between husband and wife?

"Marriage has always been a complicated institution," Chloe thought to herself. She turned her head to glance at Luke, who sat a few seats away from her, and realized he didn't even want to sit beside her.

She smirked, thinking, "Works for me." As she was about to drop her gaze, she found her eyes lingering longer than she had originally intended.

"There is something wrong sa utak ko," she mused inwardly, as she tried not to acknowledge the unsettling attraction she felt towards someone else's husband. "That's just purely wrong," she scolded herself internally. "You killed his wife!" Her thoughts brutally reminded her, intensifying her inner turmoil.

Despite her conflicted thoughts, Chloe continued her observation, she noticed him resting, his head leaning against the seat's headboard. She wondered if he was asleep, but his dark sunglasses prevented her from confirming. On the few occasions when Chloe interacted with Luke, she noticed his eyes were a captivating shade of brown and black, deep-set and expressive. Despite her awareness of their intensity, she couldn't help but be drawn to him, even though she knew it was wrong. 

She almost choked when Luke suddenly raised his head, removing his dark glasses, and stared intently in her direction. Did he notice her then?

Luke was caught off guard by Ruby's shocked expression. Was she embarrassed by being caught looking at him? Why would she feel that way? A subtle blush on her cheek piqued his curiosity even more.

“What are you thinking?” he wanted to ask.  She seemed to be acting differently, he observed, but he couldn't quite put words to it yet. She was still Ruby, but somehow different. Then it dawned on him—she had fewer complaints now; she barely spoke, which was so unlike Ruby. In the past, she always found things to protest, even the most insignificant details.

Could it be that her voice hasn't fully recovered yet? Or perhaps the near-death experience prompted her to reevaluate her life? Luke thought bitterly to himself. Don't get fooled, Luke! How many times has she manipulated you just to get what she wants? She's already done terrible things and pretended innocence to keep her other life untarnished. She should be awarded for the best liar of the decade!

Luke remembered just how good Ruby was at manipulation. She would never change; she was still the same narcissistic and selfish person as ever. He had had enough of it; she couldn't fool him anymore. The corners of his lips quivered, and his gaze dropped as another wave of agitation surged within him.

The more she looked, Chloe noticed his change in demeanor and sensed that he might be contemplating ways to eliminate her. That's what his looks suggested. This marriage is probably beyond repair, she thought grimly.

“Do you want to fix it though?”

A voice in her head was trying to make a point. 

Hindi niya problema kung ano ang masalimuot na nangyari kina Luke at ng mukhang bitbit niya ngayon, she needed to draw the line with her emotions. Of course, Luke's anger wasn't directed at her, and she shouldn't take it personally.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the pilot announced their arrival, Chloe immediately felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of finally getting off the plane and putting a significant distance between herself and Luke, she needed to clear her mind.

Chloe headed to the exit first when a warm strong hand captured her waist that made her almost lose her balance. She gulped stunned to feel his touch.

"Why are you so jumpy?" Luke asked aloud, his eyes filled with questioning. This naive act had gone too far, he thought to himself.

"I was... I was just surprised" she responded, trying to hide her nervousness from her excuse.

His brow raised, showing his skepticism, Chloe breathed when Luke didn't say anything further. Instead, he moved closer to her and whispered, his voice firm, "Do your part correctly, remember our deal, Ruby. I won't forgive you this time around if you mess up."

Chloe raised her face towards Luke, her expression was unreadable as she contemplated what exactly he and Ruby had agreed upon, “how could I possibly know about it?”

Heading towards the airport exit, Luke pulled out his phone and began talking to someone on the other end. A few moments later biglang may malaking van ang huminto sa harapan nila and Chloe was quick to realize it was Luke’s vehicle. She waited for any action she needed to take when the door opened, and a little girl greeted her. 

"Mommy, mommy!" she enthusiastically exclaimed. 

By instinct, Chloe suddenly knelt to accept the embrace of Ruby's daughter. The little girl wrapped her tiny arms around her neck while they smiled warmly at each other. There was a split second Chloe's guilt suddenly resurfaced as she stared at her pretty face. She had read in an article that Luke and Ruby had a daughter, she breathed her weary away trying to switch gears wearing the mom's hat as she tried to play her part well.

Chloe realized the little girl was stunning; her light black hair cascaded in soft waves, framing her round rosy face. Innocent eyes, the color of dark chocolate, sparkled with happiness and wonder, making her look irresistibly adorable. Well, the father is drop-dead gorgeous too, so it's no wonder this family's genes are just a front-runner in all physical aspects.

"Did you miss me?" Chloe suddenly asked while tapping the girl’s head, her voice breaking the silence and drawing attention from all the other adults surrounding them.

"Did I do something wrong?" Chloe wondered silently to herself. "I acted normally, how a mother should treat her daughter. Right?" She couldn't understand why everyone seemed surprised by her actions.  

"Yes, Mommy! I miss you sooooo much!" She exaggerated her words and Chloe gently touched her cheek, habang pinipigilan niya ang sarili na wag manggigil sa batang babae. 

As she adoringly smiled at her daughter, Chloe felt the weight of piercing eyes on her, wondering what she had done this time. She exhaled.