I am awoken by the smell of bacon. My eyes crack open, and I'm met with the grey walls of my bedroom… wait a minute, grey walls? My bedroom had white walls. I shot out of bed and immediately regretted it when I felt a throbbing in my head. Ow! Where am I? I wonder before everything comes flooding back: the club, the drinks, Xavier. With a groan, I manage to get out of bed and follow the trail of the scent to the kitchen, where I find Mia by the stove. She turns around just in time to see me entering the kitchen. Her face breaks into a smile.
"Good morning," she chirps, sliding two pieces of bacon into a plate and placing it in front of me. She continues to hum as she proceeds to break some eggs and whisk them together before pouring them into the pan. "How are you not hung over?" I groan, taking a bite from the bacon. The flavor immediately bursts in my mouth, making me let out a satisfied moan as I take another bite. She shrugs, spinning around and adding some eggs to my plate. I mumble a quiet thank you and proceed to take a bite from the eggs. "These are really good," I moan in between bites. Mia grins "I know I did make them after all," she says, causing me to roll my eyes. She was never one to be humble. I guess it was more of a Sinclair thing than a Mia thing. I don't think anyone from that family fully understood humility as a concept, except their mother, of course. Unlike most spouses of the Sinclair household, Avery wasn't born rich. She found a job as a secretary for Xavier's father and fell in love with the brooding CEO of Sinclair's Enterprise. It was a love story as old as time. I ate the rest of my food and helped Mia wash the plates. I thought I'd be able to catch a glimpse of Xavier before I went, but Mia told me that he had already gone to work. I remembered little from last night, but there was one memory that was more vivid than the rest. "If I had kissed you that night on the balcony all those years ago, would you have picked me instead of her?" I cringed at my words. How could I be so stupid bringing up that night? It was a night I had forced myself to forget over the years. It was a secret I promised myself to never bring up, but alas, a few drinks and I'm buzzing like the bees. I wanted to see him so that I could apologize for what I said, but at the same time, I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. My phone lights up, and my mother's name appears on the screen. "Shit," I blurt, my eyes glued to the screen. Mia raises a brow at me, obviously perplexed by my sudden outburst. "My parents are having dinner with your parents tonight. Your brother's going to be there, and my mum wants me there." "Don't go," Mia says almost instantly. "I don't have much of a choice. It's my mother; it's not like I could just say I won't be attending and go scot-free." I make my way around the kitchen to the living room, where I sit on the sofa. Mia joins me moments later with two cups of coffee. She hands me a mug, and I mutter a quick thank you before I take a sip. "I love you, Liv; my brother might be dumb, but I'm not. I know the only reason you wanted to go out last night was to get your mind off the wedding preparations. I also know the only reason you've hardly been involved in any wedding preparations is because you can't bear the sight of them being so happy." "I am happy for them, Mia; it's just hard, you know." As much as I wished it was me, Xavier looked at me. I was happy he cared for my sister the way he did. I see the way he looks at her when he thinks no one is looking; it makes me happy to know that he loves her just as much as she loves him. "I'm just worried about you." She says, offering me a small smile. I give her a tight smile before responding with, "Don't be. I'm fine. Besides, you'll be there too." Mia gives me a faint smile before taking a sip from her coffee. Mia dropped me off at my penthouse later that evening. When I opened the doors to my penthouse, I was immediately overtaken by a sense of warmth. I take off my shoes and make my way to my room. I pick up the remote and turn on the speaker. Bach's prelude in c major fills the air; I sway to the rhythm, letting myself fall prey to the tune. I strip out of my dress from last night and toss it into the hamper. I take a shower, get dressed into a baby blue dress, and curl my hair. My screen lights up as my agent's name flashes as the caller ID. "What's up?" Carl had been my agent for the last four years. With his help, I managed to land roles I could only dream about as a girl. "Hey, do you have a sec?" he says, shuffling in the background. "Sure, I do. Is there a problem?" "Just one," he says, and my heart sinks. "You got the part." I can barely contain the excited scream that barrels past my lips. A few months ago, I heard there was a casting call for a movie called A Sunset in Paris. I had to be part of the movie, especially since Julia Robinson was directing. I begged Carl to get me an audition for the role of Petra, a single mom who isn't ready to get into a relationship after a messy divorce with her ex, but all that changes when her childhood best friend returns to town. Although the casting director was very open about their team's decision to go with an already famous actress, Carl begged them to give me a chance. "No freaking way! Are you being serious right now?" "As a heart attack, you're going to Hollywood Liv." He says, causing my smile to stretch further. "I can't wait to tell Mia; she's going to flip." my mind is already racing with possible possibilities of what her reaction would be. "Your plane ticket has already been booked. You leave on the 21st." I stop in my tracks. "The 21st? But that's so soon" two days after the wedding precisely. "I'm sorry, kid, but the director needs you onset as soon as possible," he explains. I take a deep breath; this was the moment I had been waiting for my entire career. Working with Julia Robinson would be life-changing for my career. Then it clicked. What was I going to tell my parents? My father would support me, but my mother was a different ball game. "I need some time to think about it," I tell Carl honestly. He lets out a breath. "I understand," he says. I end the call and toss my phone into my purse before taking one last look at myself in the mirror. It's show time.The sound of guests cheering filled the room, what did they ever know, blinded by the surface, never understanding what lingered beneath.I looked up to see her, faking her smile like her life depended on it.She was too timid to be true, a victim that was forged out of obligations. Our obligations.I didn’t plan to marry her, I wanted her sister.But fate had a way of intervening and the story checks out.Her bouquet was wrapped back after the wedding play.And we waved goodbye as we entered the black decorated SUV, made especially for our newly wedded affairs.The cameras clicked,paparazzi lashed their lights, waiting for a mistake.But that won’t happen, so I quickly opened the door for her in the backseat, entertaining their lovely wedded act.She entered, traces of her lace sweeping gently into the car.And at that I took a bow at them, and they all took their final sight at us.We were fast driven in the car, silence reigned and none of us could break the air between us.I could
I stood there, the heaviness of my veil weighed down on me, like it was reminding me, clarifying that I was indeed the substituteThe lace scratched over my skin, suffocating as though it knew it didn’t belong to me. That I wasn’t supposed to wear it.The gown wasn’t mine, and this day, thus cursed day was never meant for me.Mother’s sharp voice rang in my ears, reminding me of the title I held and not to screw it up.Not to screw my family’s business in the mud, because my behavior at this weapon would determine my fathers business future.“Smile.. you’ve always kept a borny face; not today”she said, but how could I smile ?How could I laugh and let my cheekbones betray me?when I know the void that is feeling inside of me.Sure they would be happy, but me… no one really knew what I wanted.“Stop fidgeting, when the doors open, you smile, do you hear me?” She ordered again.The repetition of laughter I had to carry.Smile?, when my sister had run off and left me to pick pieces of h
I stood there feeling empty,I knew he felt nothing for me but how it hurt badly was on another volume.It was all because I wasn’t good enough,my sister “Katherine”had all the beauty,all the brains,all the curves,I was only her shadow… only her unexpected creation.No wonder boys I’ve ever liked only seemed interest in me to get to her.SighI let out a deep heavy breath as I counted my chest to make the pain subside. My throat felt sore from screaming silently and before I could ache some more.Mia saw me devastated in the hall corridor.“What happened Olivia?”She asked with a look or worry and disbelief.“He.. he doesn’t like… me”I said, pouncing on every word,split like a fire setting rain.“Then how on earth did he agree to wed you already?”My heart sank into an epilepsy.What?.. How?… Wasn't he like the one who just gave me the worst rejection of my life ?Thoughts spiraled in my mind. It didn’t make sense,none of it did.“Are you sure of what you’re saying Mia?”I asked and she
Something was odd but I couldn’t pinpoint it ,the air was filled with a spring of disappointment and I could sense the coming trail that would await.“Where is Katherine”I asked one of the event manager.Ofcourse they wouldn’t know,how would they,their job was just to decorate and get paid ... .well with free food.I had kept walking through the halls till I stumbled on my family doors,I heard arguments chirping in,from Olivia back to her mother before I finally heard my fathers ruthless voice.I had heard it all,and I refuse to let that happen,never to her.“Whatever plans you have in mind Father,call it till zero”I barged in…speaking without fear to my dad.To him he was the emperor,filled with wrath,I was nothing like him…but I could borrow some characters when needed.To me,he was just a spoiled parent ... .Yes, that was the right word to use for someone who would use their children just to gain a business collaboration.Like we were some scale that marked his profit and loss.“You
Today was the wedding, and Kathrine was nowhere to be seen."Your sister isn't answering any of her calls," my father says, eyes filled with worry as he dialed Kathrine's number for what seemed the hundredth time."The wedding is about to start. Where could she possibly be?" my mother asks, her voice filled with concern. She paces from one end of the room to the other while my father dials my sister's number again. Just like the others, it goes straight to voice mail. This was bad, this was really bad. Hundreds of people were already out there waiting for the bride to show up; how were my parents supposed to go out there and tell them the bride was a no-show?"Maybe she's stuck in traffic," I offer, but even I don't believe my words. The door of the dressing room swings open, and in walked Xavier's father, shit, he did not look happy. Standing at a height of 6'1, Adrian Sinclair stood in the middle of the dressing room, his gaze intimidating as they fixated on my parents. "Where is y
My parents' home looked like something that crawled out of an Elle Décor Magazine. The living room had several pieces of furniture, including a large white sofa which sat at the center of it all and in front of it a large marble coffee table. On the other side of the room was a glass case showcasing my father's priced book collections, and next to it was my father's favorite painting of a majestic horse."Your skin looks dry," my mother examined with critical eyes. She stood across from me, her own skin glowing with a milky opalescent that almost seemed too fake. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a bun, and her eyes did little to hide the disapproval she felt."Have you been attending your monthly facial?" she asks, her eyes lingering on my neck."Yes, Mother," I reply, forcing a smile."Good. You're not getting any younger, you know; it's good that you make an effort to maintain your youth." Ever since Kathrine's engagement to Xavier, my mother has made it a habit to constantly remi