CHAPTER THREE: NATHAN.

Nathan was standing near his window when his mother sauntered into the room and he could feel the scent of another cologne that didn’t belong to anyone he knew.

“Mum” he called out and the lady walked up to him and enveloped him in a bear hug.

Audrey was still standing dumbfounded at the outcome of her reality. That rat faced ugly guy was not Nathan Hernandez but this hot looking guy that had all white hair and the most pretty face she had ever seen.

If Nathan was this hot and breathtaking, why did the other guy take his place at the altar?

A lot was going on in her mind as she watched the mother son duo converse comfortably forgetting about her existence.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming mum” Nathan said as his mother led him to the bed.

“It was a surprise baby, i didn’t want to spoil it”

“Hmmm” he nodded but didn’t say anything again and that was when Mrs Henandez turned her attention to the girl who was still standing by the door looking all flustered.

“Why are you standing there?” She beckoned, “come in”

“Did you come with someone?” Nathan inquired again.

“Of course baby, she is here to take care of you”

“What?”

“Vanessa, come here”

The moment Nathan heard the name, his breath hitched. Did he hear well? Vanessa was here?

“Vanessa is here?”

“Of course baby, I told you I will bring her right?”

“But.. “ he was getting hyper, “I thought she was mad at me and…..”

“Shhh” his mum prodded, “that is all in the past now”

Audrey walked up to the mother-son duo with an awkward smile on her face. From what she heard, Nathan was madly in love with her twin sister.

“Hello” she said awkwardly, she didn’t even know what to do and in the moment of that reality she saw his lips curl into a smile and he stretched out his hand which she readily took.

“You finally came back, Nessa? I thought you left and I was never going to see you again”

“Technically I….”

Mrs Henandez interrupted, “I told you I would bring her back right?

“I didn’t believe she would come back mother?” Nathan could not believe his ears and Audrey was at a loss for words, what the hell was actually happening.

“Thank you for coming back Vanessa ''Nathan pulled her to a hug and Audrey froze, was he also delusional like others? He didn’t even know his Vanessa? What the hell?

“I will have a word with her okay?” His mum announced after a while, “for now you should take some rest”

“Why aren’t you saying anything, Nessa?” Nathan completely ignored his mother, “say something please”

“Nathan, let me have a word with her okay?”

He ruffled his hand through his white disheveled hair, “sure” he was still holding onto Audrey’s hand, “just make sure you come back please”

One thing that intrigued Audrey was the color of his eyes, it was like his eyes held the beauty of the deep blue ocean and she could feel the depth of it.

“Let’s go, Nessa” Mrs Hernandez cut into her train of thought and she nodded before following her out of the room but the thought of Nathan continued to linger in her mind, what exactly was happening?

***

After entering another beautiful looking room, Nathan’s mother closed the door before going to sit near Audrey who had the most confusing look on her face.

“Listen to me carefully Audrey, and you have to do exactly what I say”

“What is actually going on ma’am” the curious girl asked, “why did someone else take his place at the altar?

“Nathan must not know that you are not Vanessa, he thinks you are Vanessa and that should remain like that”

“Wasn’t he aware that she ran away from the wedding?”

“What wedding?” Mrs Hernandez asked and Audrey felt like she was going mad,

“Listen to me Audrey, I will explain everything to you in detail and you have to listen carefully. You are Vanessa and you are Nathan’s love, he doesn’t have to know anything and once Vanessa comes back, you can switch places”

“Doesn’t he know the difference between me and Vanessa? I mean we are different in so many ways”

“Nathan is blind, Audrey” she dropped the bombshell and the girl in front of her froze.

“What?” Audrey wanted to believe she heard wrong.

“Nathan was involved in an accident that claimed his eyesight and since then he has not been able to see since that time. Vanessa didn’t know and when she finally found out she threatened to leave but I told her I was going to pay her any amount she wanted as long as she married Nathan. Quite alright she agreed but bailed on us last minute”

Audrey was finding it hard to believe what she just heard, the almighty Nathan Hernandez was blind and no one knew about it?”

“Look Audrey” this time the woman’s voice sounded so meek and gentle, “I know this is hard to hear but I am willing to pay you any amount you want, just name your price. Nathan doesn’t have to know anything about our deal. Once your sister is back, you will be free again”

Audrey was quiet for a while, this was intense. She was about to spend her life with a blind man and not only that, she was also going to lie to him? This was not how she was raised.

“I am sorry ma’am” she shot out of the bed, “I can't do this. We lied to everyone, what was the wedding about if Nathan didn’t know? Why did you stage a wedding then? What the hell is going on?”

“He was supposed to get married today to Vanessa but after the accident he lost the memory of that. Luckily it was the only memory he lost and when Vanessa left him. We already sent out the invites and the Hernandez family was going to be in serious trouble if the wedding didn’t happen”

This time she also stood up from the bed and walked over to her, “all these details are not something you should get yourself acquainted with. All my business are with Vanessa and you are just her substitute at this point”

Audrey shook her head in the negative, deceiving a poor blind man was totally out of the question.

“I am sorry ma’am, I can’t do this. Maybe you should just tell him the truth”

After talking she made to leave but the next words of the woman halted her.

“Fifty million dollars Audrey, I will pay you fifty million dollars. Just stay here until Vanessa is back. Nathan is comfortable around her and it helps with his recovery”

Audrey was speechless. Fifty million dollars was a lot of money which would change her life for the better but was she willing to risk it?

Nathan was going to believe she was Vanessa and treat her like Vanessa but what would happen when he finds out the truth? Now she knew why her sister left,

She didn’t want to be stuck with a blind man all her life.