Married to My Ex’s Billionaire Twin

Maya’s POV

If someone had told me this morning that my life would come crashing down by sunset, I would have laughed and gone back to balancing spreadsheets. Instead, I was standing outside my boyfriend’s apartment with a bag of takeout in my hands and a smile plastered on my face.

The elevator doors slid open on the tenth floor and I adjusted the strap of my handbag and glanced at my reflection in the polished metal. My dark brown curls were pinned neatly behind my ears and the teal blouse I wore was slightly wrinkled from sitting at my desk all day, otherwise I looked presentable. Not that Jason cared about things like that though. I’d like to think he didn’t, anyway.

We had been together for three years and tonight was really important to us. I felt a smile play at my lips as I reminisced on all the memories we’d created together. Jason was a super green flag and he worked so hard.

He had texted me earlier that afternoon to come over at 8pm as we had something to talk about. This was 5pm, but I had nothing to do, so I just thought to spend the evening with him. Most people would have been nervous after that message, but I had been excited. For the last few months, we’d been discussing about moving in together and maybe tonight was the night he’d ask me officially. Jason spent most of his time in New York as he had a company to run. I might have forgotten to mention that I’m dating a high profile business man. He was one of the big fish in the real estate market.

I shifted the takeout bag to my other hand and unlocked his door with the spare key he had given me months ago. The apartment was quiet when I got in, and I started to wonder if he was out. 

“Jason?” I called.

No response.

I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. The scent of his cologne lingered faintly in the air. Usually, he would be lying on the couch watching sports or working on his laptop, but this evening, it was empty.

Maybe he was showering. I kicked off my heels and headed toward the kitchen. The food in my hand was still warm. It was everything he loved. His favorite pasta,  garlic bread and the chocolate cheesecake he loved pretending he didn’t like. I placed everything carefully on the counter.

“Jason?” 

There was still no response.

Then I heard it. I heard a laugh. It was soft and feminine, ringing through the air. It was coming from upstairs. For a second, I simply stared at the staircase. Maybe the television was on or maybe someone came visiting. The laugh came again and this time recognition made my tummy drop. No. It couldn’t be.

“Mila?”

The name slipped before I could stop it. My twin sister. What could she be doing here?

I swallowed hard. There had to be a reasonable explanation, because Jason and Mila weren’t close. They were always at loggerheads. They barely tolerated each other. At least, that’s what I thought.

I took one step towards the stairs and the house started to feel too warm. Halfway up the stairs, I stopped. I had no idea why. Maybe because deep down, something was telling me to go back, while another party wanted me to keep going. Maybe because part of me knew what could be happening there but I wasn’t ready to admit it.

I stood there for several seconds, staring at the hallway above. Then I heard Mila laugh again. Every ounce of denial within me shattered and slowly, I climbed the remaining steps. Jason’s door was slightly open and my hands began to shake by my side. This is ridiculous. I’m overthinking. Maybe my mother sent her here. Maybe...

As I stood by the door, a voice cut through my thoughts.

“What if Maya finds out?” 

Then came Jason’s response, “she won’t.”

Kill me already. It was as though my lungs suddenly forgot how to work and I couldn’t move. I knew exactly what they were talking about. 

I pushed the door open and everything came into view. The tangled sheets, the half naked bodies and the familiar faces of my boyfriend and sister. For a moment, time seemed to standstill as nobody spoke or moved.

Jason sat upright first, his eyes widened. Mila turned her head, then she saw me. This was betrayal at its peak. My twin. The woman who had shared my womb, the one who was supposed to love me and have my back, was currently sitting in my boyfriend’s bed.

“Maya,” Jason shot to his feet, breaking the silence.

I held out my hand mid air so he wouldn’t come near me. I barely even heard him. My eyes remained fixed on Mila. She stared right back at me, no look of guilt or embarrassment. As if the only problem was that I’d walked in too early. The realization struck harder than anything else. This wasn’t a mistake, it wasn’t some sort of confusion nor was it one drunken night. The look in her eyes was enough to tell me that it had been going on for a long time.

My chest tightened painfully as I looked at Jason. The man I had spent three years of my life loving. The man I had been planning a future with. The man who had promised me forever. His silence right now said more than any apology ever would.

“Mila?” I laughed, a broken sound that I could barely recognize as my own.

Then I asked the question that shattered the remaining part of my heart 

“How long?”

And the worst part?

Neither of them looked surprised that I already knew there was an answer.