Chapter 2. Caught In A Bind

Damian Marcus Olson

I parked my car outside my apartment building and turned off the ignition.

Not long after, I heard impatient raps on my side window.

I sighed when I saw my grandfather, Ryan Olson, outside, and raked my fingers through my hair several times, anticipating a confrontation before finally deciding to leave the car.

The minute I stepped out, my grandfather began nagging.

“What took you so long? I told you we are going to attend your brother’s wedding. Hurry, I already asked the maid to prepare your suit.”

I looked at my grandfather with conflicting feelings.

“Do you think that is wise?”

We were walking toward the house. I kept my gait slow to match my grandfather's. He was not as sprite as he used to be and is now walking with the aid of a cane. Still, he  was a proud man, as evidenced by his ramrod back.

Grandfather frowned, and I went on to clarify.

“I had been estranged from my family for years. They did not want me around. Do you think they would want me to attend Damon’s wedding?”

It was true. My parents kind of threw me out. It was my grandfather who took care of me.

I was born as a twin, but because my birth caused our mother to almost lose her life, my parents hated me. They lavished their attention on Damon while ignoring me all the time.

“My boy, it’s been years. I think it’s about time you make peace with your family. Damon was already extending an olive branch.”

I shook my head. Hesitation filled me.

I had been on a very dangerous mission these past months, and when your life hangs by a thread. It makes you sentimental and want to see people who matter. I wanted to see my family.

But would they want to see me?

After a quick shower, I donned my suit and watched myself in the bathroom mirror. I haven’t seen Damon for several years. I wondered if we still looked so identical that it made it difficult for people to point out who was who.

We used to trick several people back in College. Well, it was mostly Damon’s idea. We sometimes switch places, and nobody was the wiser, even our parents.

My grandfather dropped me off at my brother’s apartment and gave me the key.

“Go see your twin and talk to him.” Was Grandfather’s instruction before he drove off. He told me that he will meet me at the Church.

I stared at the key in my hand for a while before I decided to open the house, and was greeted by silence.

“Damon?” I stepped inside. My instinct went into overdrive.

I just received a report on gun smuggling activities that involved Olson Hotels, and could not help thinking about how dangerous my brother’s life had become.

I pulled my gun and very slowly traced my steps toward every room in the house until I stopped in what looked like Damon’s room. It was empty.

Then, I heard excited voices.

Immediately, I placed my gun back in its holster and covered it with my vest.

The door opened, and I was surprised to see a man walking in. He had this air of authority, and his gaze was fixed on me.

“Why are you wearing the wrong suit?” He asked, frowning, before turning around the filming crew that was following him to ask them to stop filming.

Then, he turned around to face me.  He walked to the dresser, and there I saw Damon’s suit hanging.

He handed it to me and asked me to change.

I was already shaking my head, wanting to correct the mistake, but the man was so persuasive, and I realized that I should play along, so when Damon comes back, he will realize what happened, and we will have a good laugh about it. Just like old times.

I was anticipating Damon’s return, so we could stop this charade, but Damon never showed up until we had to leave for the Church.

“Let’s go. Your bride is already on her way. Don’t make her wait.”

We walked outside the house and boarded a gleaming Cadillac.

While a camera was focused on me, I snuck out my phone to send my location to Mason Granger, my best friend from the service, and instructed him to track my brother's whereabouts.

He was certainly missing, and no one had any clue because I showed up and they had mistaken me for him.

I wanted to correct the mistake, but I figured I needed to know what really happened. It was not just a simple case of a  groom running away from his wedding. I think I needed to know what really happened.

The car stopped at the Church’s ground, and I got out. The filming crew was still following my every move. It felt stifling, so I told them to back off.

Then, I went into a secluded corner to call Mason.

“I found CCTV footage that showed your brother.  I don’t know where Mason got his details, but he was a great tracker, and I relied on him most of the time. He never failed me.

“And did you trace his destination? Was anyone with him?”

I frowned at what Mason told me next.

“We found his car, near a ravine, and it was abandoned.”

My chest tightened. “I think he was forced to leave.” He added.

The situation becomes murkier.

Too many questions swirled in my head that needed answers. I was about to leave to start a search for my twin brother, but the man from earlier stopped me.

“Where are you going, Damon? The wedding is about to start.” Then, he pulled me toward the back entrance of the Church. I could not help overhearing some of the groom’s groomsmen talking, and my eyes widened when I realized that they were talking about my brother’s bride, and it was a very bad picture they painted.

They said Damon was a fool for choosing someone like her.

“He could have kept her as a mistress if he really wanted Gwen. Nobody would mind. And then, he can choose to marry someone from our circle.”

Then they all broke down into snickers.

The man beside me cleared his throat, and the men automatically stopped laughing when they saw me.

I don’t know this Gwen, but to judge my brother based on his choice of wife was something I couldn’t comprehend. It was sickening.

I took a deep breath and composed myself while each of the groom’s men walked in my direction to offer their hands as if they did not say those lurid things about my brother and his bride a while ago.

“Damon, congratulations!”

Their stinking fake smile made me want to punch each of their faces, but I held back.

“Gentlemen, get ready. We are starting.” The coordinator informed us, and we all walked to the back of the Church to begin the procession march.

While walking down the aisle, I could feel that too many people do not like this Gwen. I wondered why. But who am I kidding? These people were hypocritical.

My mother took my hand. I saw her sigh and whisper. “Are you really going through with this?”

So, our mother does not like her, too? All the more reason I had to keep an eye on her.

I nodded in response to our mother’s question and felt her stiffness. She did not say anything more, but I could feel her distaste in what was about to happen.

Then, I saw Damon’s bride from a distance and felt suckerpunched. She was beautiful. But so much younger and innocent.

The ceremony began, but my attention was all on my missing twin.

Then, the priest gave us his blessing.

Very gently, I lifted her veil and kissed her. My lips moved expertly and thoroughly, with all the intent of enjoying the kiss, but I stopped short when I noticed her wide eyes on me.

And that’s when I knew that she knew I was not the same man.

I was not Damon Mark Olson.

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