Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

     Rella's world hadn't stopped spinning for a second since her mom broke the news about Cindy. She stood rigid in the living room with her parents unable to process what just happened.

       Evie Cortés was hysterical and Robert Cortés was irreparably trying to calm her down.

      "What was she thinking? What about Stefan, and the society? She just threw away a good life! What would happen to us now?"

Rella was stewing away in her guilt and confusion. How could she have overlooked something so crucial? 

      "How can you not know anything Rella she tells you everything?"

     "Mom I swear I don't know anything." The only thing she knew was that Cindy had lied to her because Rose was never in labour. So where could she be?

     "Instead of passing the blame on each other what we should be doing is finding a solution to this mess." Her dad put in. 

      The silence that ensued after that was a deafening one and every angle Rella seemed to have delved in from her memory proved to be futile, not once did Cindy give her the impression that she wasn't happy with Stefan but her letter said other wise and Rella had been shocked that moment as she was now. Cindy should've told her about it, Rella thought, how could her twin have hidden something so important didn't she trust her enough to tell her what was going on?

The signs were there, but Rella hadn't seen it. In a way it's better this way, she thought, Stefan Diamond was so not the man she would want her sister to end up with. Good riddance! 

      The silence dragged on and was starting to wear on Rella's nerves. It didn't help that her mom was pacing back and forth wringing her hands in agitation and her six inch stiletto kept making such annoying clacking sounds it made Rella want to go crazy. Only Evie Cortés would still be wearing party attire hours after the party. 

      "If anyone finds out we'd be the talk of town and on the front page of every gossip rag in the city."

      "Stop it Evie this isn't about you okay."

      "Of course it's not it's about this family and the reputation we've painstakingly built in the past decade and all of that will be going down the drain because of that rebellious daughter of ours." 

         Rella realised it was true to some extent, Gourmet Cortés was a well-known restaurant in the city and of course their family name was one of the most prominent thanks to the forefathers Rella’s never met, then throw in Stefan Diamond of the prominent Diamond houses scattered all over Europe and America; this would be big news for sure and she could understand her mom's worries but at the same time she wanted her sister to be happy who cares about some gossip rags? Give it a day or two and the heat will die down and they'll all move on to another juicy gossip. 

     Her mom suddenly stopped pacing the room and snapped her fingers. "I have found a solution to this problem and I can assure you that I have thought carefully about it."     

       Rella blinked up at her mom and Robert was in rapt attention to what she had to say and out of all the most absurd things, Rella would never have expected her to say, "Rella has to marry Stefan."

       "What!"

       "This is absurd Evie!" Rella and Robert both said simultaneously. 

       "Just think about it," she continued unfazed. "The both of you are identical no one would be able to tell the difference, even I can't seem to tell you two apart on many occasions."

       "Mom this is ridiculous," Rella said.

       "It'll only be for a while darling at least until we're able to track down your sister."

      "Are you going to track my sister down in other to force her to marry someone she doesn't love? You're too much mother."

      " But… "

      " Cindy doesn't love Mr. Diamond and neither does she want to marry him, I don't like him either so I say good riddance and if you're afraid of hurting his feelings then let me be the one to tell him."

       "Oh hell no! Do you have any idea of how precarious this situation is? "

Her mom was on the verge of tears and her dad looked uncomfortable.

      " Okay will someone tell me what is going on here?"

Her parents both exchanged weird looks. 

       "A while back We drew a loan from Mr Diamond and there was a sort of agreement. We could potentially lose everything we worked so hard for." 

       " Are you being blackmailed right now?"

Her mom nodded solemnly.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"We didn't tell you about it because you were away and Cindy agreed to everything she was starstruck by Stefan and we thought that was a good thing."

clearly her twin wasn't starstruck with him enough Rella's jaw clenched in anger as she balled her fists at her side in frustration. Anger at the fact that the jerk had the nerve to smile at her the entire evening, even going to the length of acting sweet like he didn't have her and her family in the palm of his hand, frustration at the fact she couldn't do anything if she wanted to and there was no way she'd let her sister suffer. 

        "Robert please help me out here." Her mom made sure to put on her best puppy dog expression. Rella watched the flickering emotions on her dad's face and she could only imagine the internal riot going on inside his mind, then just a touch on his hand was enough to make him give in to her mom. Rella always wondered how she was able to do that.

      ‘It's the power every woman has, darling you just need to know how and when to use it unfortunately only a number of us can.’ She would tell Rella.

      "Honey, please help us out here our dignity and reputation  is on the line. I think we should just go with your mother's idea, Stefan doesn't have to know you're not Cindy."

      

        Rella put a hand to her forehead, her head was spinning, overwhelmed with everything that's happening. She'd always thought that if and when she gets married it was going to be to someone she loves and who loves her back equally and not to some egotistical ice man who wouldn't know who she was. Rella couldn't believe that she'd have to live her life as Cindy.

Fate had to be playing some kind of cruel joke on her