Due to the strained relationship between our families, our interaction had been limited to what was absolutely necessary to pass as polite pleasantries. Although she had answered with an affirmative ‘yes’, I wasn’t sure just how much Diana actually remembered of him.“Perfect. He really is a charming little gentleman even at his age. Also, he’s the only heir to the Vulkan family and we think that he is the perfect person for you to marry,” father explained with a satisfied smile.My eyes widened before I turned to stare at my sister to see her reaction to the news that father had just broken to us. I’ve heard of arranged marriages before and some of our friends already had fiancés of their own which their parents have told them about; however, I never thought that a day would come when my sister would have one too.“I have to marry him?” Diana asked.“Yes. I am sure that he is the perfect one for you. You will see for yourself when you meet him tomorrow,” mother chimed in followed by
It felt like our parents only ever saw her and her achievements. She would always receive praise while I would be blamed for not being good enough. That was why when it happened, I was so confused and didn’t quite know how to take it. It was a normal evening after we had both returned home from school. Just as scheduled, our art instructor was there to give us supplementary water painting classes.“Wow! This is coming along very nicely. The way the color blends here makes these flowers look so serene,” our teacher complimented.“Thank you…very much…” I replied softly.It was extremely rare for me to be complimented and so her comment took me by surprise. I glanced over at Diana who also had just finished her painting for the day and found her smiling quite proudly at me. It was even rarer for me to be complimented when my sister was also there.“You’re such a fast learner, Diana. I truly believe you have a gift,” the teacher said to me before showing me a bright smile.It took all my
“Right, I guess I don’t have to come too,” I mumbled.“Don’t sound so sad. I’ll choose to stay in bed any day than go out to meet all the random people that mum and dad want me to meet,” she said before she giggled.Her giggling ended up in rough coughs that made me believe that she may not need to pretend to be sick in order to stay in bed.“You should get in bed. You’ll sleep in my room tonight, right?” I asked while still feeing uneasy.“Yup, and you’ll sleep in mine. When morning comes, you’ll be Diana and I’ll be Dahlia,” she said before winking at me.…“You look exactly like a princess in this dress. I knew that it would look perfect on you, but this just exceeded my expectations!” my mother exclaimed.Life as Diana meant waking up extra early and getting dolled up. The day of her engagement was undoubtedly a big day for her and also the two families. Our parents did not spare any expense in making sure that she was dressed up for the occasion.“Thank you, mother,” I replied wi
My eyes narrowed slightly as my mind raced to come up with the right answer to his question. Was he trying to test me with his seemingly random question?If I told him that the dress was comfortable, would he think that I like to overdress or that I was lying to him given that there was no way the dress that I was wearing could look comfortable to anyone. However, if I told him that it was uncomfortable, would he think that I didn’t have any endurance and perseverance to bear with something so insignificant?What would Diana say in such a situation?“My suit is so tight. It feels hard to move in and some parts here are making me itch. I don’t know why we have to overdress like this…” Anthony openly complained as he moved his arms up and down as if to show me how difficult it was to move in his outfit.I wasn’t sure what was more surprising, his words or the fact t
The teapot that came with its matching teacups had intricate flowery patterns on them in various pastel colors and curvy lines of gold that sparkled as the lighting in the room shone against it. The design felt romantic and extremely artistic at the same time. It was probably the most beautiful tea set that I had ever seen, and I knew instantly that it must be quite expensive as well.“This tea set is extremely beautiful…” I complimented the tea set as I reached my hand to grab the handle of a teacup.“Don’t touch it!” Anthony yelled loudly.His sudden outburst and warning did not make any sense to me. My eyes widened as I turned to face him in absolute surprise. The handle of the teacup against the tips of my fingers felt smooth.“Diana!” Anthony cried out in clear panic as he reached for my hand.I was too shocked and confused at
My eyes widened at his words and my mouth hung open as I turned to face him. Anthony paid me no attention at all and didn’t look at me. Instead, his eyes were glued on our parents who were now staring intensely at him.“What did you say?” his mother asked in a low whisper as she pressed her hand against her chest.“I said, I broke the teacup,” Anthony repeated clearer this time.Why is he…lying?“Anthony, are you sure? Are you sure that you were the one who broke the teacup?” his mother asked again.“Yes. I broke it. My fingertips grazed its handle, and for some strange reason, the teacup just cracked and broke,” Anthony explained quite emotionlessly.“That’s not…” his mother said before her gaze shifted to land on me.At that moment, I wondered if she had somehow caught on to the fact that it was actually me who had broken the teapot and not her son. The way she was staring so accusingly at me made me want to hide away. I still had no idea why Anthony was going to such lengths to pro
“Oh, you’re back…” Diana greeted me with a bright smile. “You look better already,” I replied before returning her smile.“Staying in bed is the best,” she said, and then her smile widened.“I feel so tired…” I complained softly.“Thanks for taking this on for me. I’m sure it must have been a boring day for you,” she said as she patted my back comfortingly.“Let’s sit. I need to tell you all about it,” I said.I took her hand and led her to the bed. Diana seemed much more energetic than before as she jumped up on the bed and patted the empty spot close to her for me to join her.“So, tell me all about it,” she demanded with widened eyes.I told Diana about what happened since the start of the day when I started acting in her place. In as much detail as possible, I described the dress that I had on and what happened before focusing on the conversation that I had with Anthony. I tried my best based on my memories to tell her what he had said word for word as we spoke. Then I told her a
I scrolled through his social media account again. The account was an official one run by his team posting everything notable about his day which was jammed pack with public events. Scrolling through the various posts, I could tell that he was living his productive life like normal. He attended public events related to his work and opening ceremonies of a couple of luxury brands as well.Since deciding to leave the past behind me, I never checked or followed his social media accounts again. In addition, I also stopped using my personal social media accounts because I planned to start a fresh new life. Just because I could find Anthony on social media didn’t mean that I could directly contact him. If only I could meet Anthony, then he might help solve all of my problems.“Oh…why is this so hard?” I muttered as I felt a frown forming in between my brows.I got up from the bed and approached the large window in my bedroom. After pulling the curtain to the side, I could tell from the oran
I needed to leave him and as soon as possible, but I didn't know how I could achieve that. My past experiences have taught me quite directly that I couldn't truly run away from Bradon. Escaping from the mansion was unquestionably impossible. I could not run away, so that meant that I needed to get Bradon to agree to let me leave. My legs already felt weak, and I wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and shut my eyes to escape reality. I knew that I needed to talk to Bradon about ending our fake marriage as soon as possible, although I had no idea how to bring up the topic. Something told me that it might prove to be difficult to get Bradon to agree, and there was always a risk that he might react unpredictably.However, if everything he did was simply him just acting out his role and his feelings for me didn't truly exist, then that might be the solution to all of my problems. If he felt no attachment to me, then he should have no problem letting me go just as planned. After all
The party ended early, yet it was quite eventful, at least for Bradon and myself. I felt like there was a storm raging inside of me all the while that we rode back to his mansion. It felt like there was something right at the tip of my tongue that I wanted to say, but yet I couldn't bring myself to say it. There were times when I thought that I fully understood myself and what I wanted, and yet at the very same time, I felt so confused and lost. The feelings that were struggling to take dominance inside of me did not make sense, and it made me feel as if my thoughts and my feelings were heading in the direct opposite direction of one another.Bradon's words of defiance as he confronted my father came back to me loud and clear:"Dahlia is not your daughter anymore, and neither am I one of the Vulkans. I will never let you take my wife..."I should have known that entering into this contract marriage with Bradon, while taking my sister's place, would somehow lead to blurring the line be
"But..." I mumbled, but I could not bring myself to say anything else when my eyes met his. His beautiful lips curved into a teasing smile, and there was a certain sparkle in the depths of his eyes that captivated my attention. That was when I knew that although he probably disapproved of what I had just done, there was a part of him that was actually quite pleased. I found myself smiling sweetly back at him like I was some fool."You hit me? You vile bitch! I'm your father. I raised you!" my father screamed at me at the top of his lungs. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who had forgotten where we were and the fact that we were surrounded by other high-profile guests who were attending the party."Dahlia, how could you do something like that? How could you hurt your father? We never raised you to become like this," my mother said, with clear disappointment and shock on her facial features."Really? Because here I honestly thought that I was already disowned. Well, to be more accurate
I was certain that just as many people hated her and blamed her for going against societal norms, there were probably just as many people who admired her, either openly or secretly as her fans. Perhaps to them, our sisterly duo act was the spice they needed in their endlessly boring lives."Don't you feel better from just seeing how everyone is welcoming us with open arms?" Diana continued before she raised her hand to wave at someone that she knew."Fine. I admit that you got your point across," I said as my eyes scanned the crowd that had gathered for the party. I could feel Bradon tensing at my side, and I knew that he had just spotted the two people that I least wanted to see at that moment. "Did you know about this?" I turned to ask Diana without hiding my shock."That they'll be here? I guess not, but why does it matter? You'd have run into them sooner or later. If you ask me, the sooner the better," Diana said with a careless shrug of her shoulders.I narrowed my eyes as I gla
"You should go to bed," Bradon told me the moment that we stepped into the mansion. I knew that his suggestion was spot on because sleep was exactly what I needed to deal with what was to come. The media and everyone had undoubtedly gone wild as they both communicated and speculated on what was the truth and what were twisted lies from all the events that happened in the past that I shared with my sister.I switched off my phone when it wouldn't stop vibrating, without bothering to read the caller ID on the screen. I could already guess who would be calling me and also exactly what they had to say."It feels like my head is ready to explode," I confessed before smiling weakly at Bradon."Which is precisely why you should stop thinking or caring about anyone else and just get some shut-eye," Bradon said as he peeled away the mobile phone that I held in my hand. I let him do so without putting up any resistance because all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and hide under the sheets wit
"My name is Diana, which can only mean that the Diana standing over there is, in fact, my twin sister, Dahlia. In fact, for the past months, I wasn't present, and the Diana that you knew had always been my sister acting out in my place," Diana explained as if it was something to be proud of.The crowd went wild, but I decided to focus my attention on the two figures that seemed so intent on ruining my life along with my sister’s. Our father had officially become our enemy, and at that moment, he looked like he might have started to regret pushing both of us over the edge. Mr. Malton, who, after all this time, clearly never regretted his actions and never realized that he should have been man enough to take responsibility. I was certain that even now, he was willing to destroy our reputation and our future—all for the sake of the money undoubtedly promised to him by our father. Desperate times truly call for desperate measures; that applied to our father but also to us as well.I could
I found myself praying silently that Desmond could bring everything under control, but my prayers probably fell on deafened ears. Instead of Desmond stepping up to the podium, it was my sister who approached it instead."What is she doing?" I asked in a shaky whisper as I felt myself breaking into a cold sweat. It felt like my eyes were about to pop out of their sockets as I continued staring in bewilderment and disbelief at my sister, who stood with a beautiful smile behind the podium, the microphone very close to her lips. I turned to stare at Desmond and managed to lock gazes with him. I could tell that he was staring right back at me, and the way he nodded his head reassuringly was supposed to bring me some relief and keep me at ease, but it only made me even more nervous.I could tell that everyone in the crowd was staring daggers at my sister, even from where I was standing. It wasn't surprising, considering that everyone thought Diana was me. It felt like tight knots had formed
Back to the present"Homewrecker! Homewrecker! Homewrecker!"The violent chanting continued and began seeping into my consciousness, dragging me back to the present. Disaster seemed to be staring me right in the face."Leya..." Bradon whispered my name right beside my ear.His presence close to me reminded me that, unlike that day back then, I wasn't alone. I had Bradon by my side, and, on top of that, everyone was here with me: Desmond and my sister. I suddenly felt a surge of confidence that made me believe that there could be a way out, one that would save us all from this dire situation my father had plotted against us.I had to admit that after leaving the country, I hadn't spared much thought for what would unfold after my departure. I never took care to follow up on any news-not that they would be made public-related to Mr. Malton's wife and child. I had no idea what happened to him or his family after that incident. My parents completely cut me off, and there was frankly no on
"What have you done? Have you completely lost your mind?" my father yelled at me immediately when our family was gathered in private. His face was completely red with anger as his voice echoed in the room. My mother looked like she was on the verge of tears, and I could tell that she was more worried about our family rather than her own daughter. "News of your ridiculous and scandalous behavior is now all over the place!" my father continued yelling. As if to drive his message home, his mobile phone began ringing non-stop. One glance at the name displayed on the screen drove my father to the brink before he switched off the phone and threw it onto the floor. My mother let out a scream at my father's sudden violent outburst before sinking down onto the sofa as if she had lost all strength in her body.I took the opportunity to slowly take a seat, and Diana was by my side in an instant. I knew that the best way to brave out this storm was to keep quiet and not let his words get to me.