CHAPTER TWO

Aria's POV

"She's not coming back, is she?" bulong ko, pero walang sumagot.

Nakatulala si Mama, hawak pa rin ang gilid ng champagne glass sa harap niya. Si Daddy naman, mahigpit ang pagkakakuyom ng kamao habang nakaupo sa trono-like chair.

Lucian went on a meeting.

"Sienna made her choice," ani Aunt Elise sa kabilang linya, her voice was calm but sharp.

"Now we'll make ours."

"No," agad kong putol and shook my head to my parents. My breath unsteady. Alam ko na ang susunod bago pa niya banggitin.

"We can't afford to cancel the wedding," dire-diretso niyang sinabi. "Alam mo naman, the Valtors are not forgiving people. Hindi natin pwedeng hayaan na gumuho ang empire natin dahil sa isang makasariling babae. We need peace, not war." She said feisty.

"It has to be Aria."She dropped the missile.

"What?" Nanikip ang dibdib ko, para bang may mabigat na bumagsak sa balikat ko.

"You’ll wear her dress, her name and no one will question it, remember, you're doing this for the family's honour, just keep your head down and smile.” father confirmed. 

"Just keep your head down and smile."

"No!" sigaw ko. "This has to be a joke—please sabihin niyong joke lang 'to," nanginginig ang boses ko, pero walang kumibo.

"No one is joking," singhal ni Daddy. "Do you think we built all this for it to fall over a tantrum?” his eyes burned.

"But... I'm not her," bulong ko, nangingilid na ang luha ko sa aking mga mata.

"You're a Lancaster, are you not?" He barked. Hindi ko na magawang sumagot.

"That's all that matters now. Consider it your price—for keeping her secret and letting her run."

I wanted to scream. I wanted to grab the ancient vase off the table and smash it into pieces. Pero nanatili lang akong nakatayo roon. A moment of nothingness. stomach twisting, throat dry, it all happened so fast.

At that moment. I envied her, Sienna, brave, reckless, courageous, she was everything I was not. As a result of that, she was free, she broke the shackles, removed the chains that restricted her. She was probably out there somewhere dancing the moment away with her love while I, the quiet one, the after though was made a made a shadow to be thrown into a billionaire’s lap like a decoy bomb.

"I can't," pakiusap ko, lumapit kay Mama. Hinawakan ko ang kamay niya, hoping na makikita niya 'ko—but she let me go.

"It's just one year," malamig niyang sabi. Hindi man lang niya ako tiningnan.

"Do your duty, and it'll be over."

"Why me?" sigaw ko, namamalat na. "Bakit palagi na lang ako kapag may nasisira? Bakit ako ang pumupuno ng mga butas ng pamilya natin?"

"Because no one will miss you," sabat ni Aunt Elise, her words hit harder. Diretso. Walang awa.

"Fine," I agreed.

⸻

Her dress didn’t fit, it was too tight across the chest, too long in the hem. The seamstress pinned it in frantic silence, eyes flicking to my face as if she expected me to adjust my body to fit in but I didn't.

Amoy ko pa rin si Sienna sa tela—yung signature scent niyang mahal na vanilla. Her favorite.

"You look beautiful," sabi ni Mama habang inaayos ang veil. I didn't care.

"Perfect! You look like a bride," bungad ni Aunt Elise habang papasok.

"Come sit," utos niya. Para akong manika na pinipinturahan. Porcelain. My eyes grew red. Mapulang labi. Hindi nila tinanong kung ayos lang ako. Walang nagtangkang alalahanin kung makahinga ba ako. What mattered was honor. I was discarded to save their faces.

By the time the ceremony started. Wala na akong naramdaman. Wala na akong takot. Kahit gali. I felt numb.

I walked past the gilded mirror in the corridor and paused. My reflection startled me. It wasn't me I saw in the mirror…it was a stranger in a white dress.

Bumukas ang chapel doors. Nagsimula ang music.

Tumayo ang lahat.

Bawat hakbang ko, mabigat. Step by step like a soldier, a girl with a knife pressed to her back.

Ramdam kong may mga matang nanonood. Some of them knew. Sienna was never subtle. She was loud, radiant. Pero walang nagsalita. Walang nagtanong. The power of money.

Masyadong malamig ang hangin kahit nakabalot naman ako. Nang makita ko si Damian—tumindig ang balahibo ko. Nanigas ang katawan ko. I clenched the bouquet tighter than before, halos madurog. He looked right at me. Hindi kumurap. He was flawless, terrifying. Eyes like sharpened steel.

Nagtagpo ang mata namin. Nanlamig ako. I looked away. I could tell he knew something was amiss but he stood calm as though in control of the universe, his silence was scary, behind me was unstoppable whispers.

"She looks like her..."

"No, she doesn't." A voice spoke faintly but I heard.

"That's not the same girl."

“What the hell is going on?” my legs grew weaker, I kept walking, praying I didn't miss a step, deep down I hoped I would took a step that alone could call off the wedding, my spine was splintering.

Sa harapan, nakita ko ang pamilya ko. Mother dabbing her eyes with a lace cloth like this was some tragic love story. Si Daddy, walang emosyon. While Aunt Elise smile, like she’d won something.

I burned quietly in the fire they put me in, my chest tightened each time mother wore a pretentious smile at me. This was never supposed to be my life. I wasn’t built for diamonds and deception. I liked books and quiet mornings and soft things. I was never meant to be someone’s trophy.

The aisle stretched endlessly, but my steps didn’t falter.

Pagkarating ko sa kinaroroonan ni Damian, hindi ko na halos marinig ang boses ng pari. Puro tibok na lang ng puso ko.

Hindi niya iniabot ang kamay niya. Tinitigan lang niya ako. Straight. Walang emotion.

"You're not her," bulong niya. Diretso sa mata ko.

"No. I'm worse," bulong ko rin, and he snarled like a tiger out for its prey.