เด็กดื้อคนนี้...วิศวะขอจอง

I opened my mouth to say something, to question them. But Jason and Becca had already made it clear they didn’t care about my existence.

So instead, I watched as Jason pressed warm kisses all over Becca, and how she melted in his arms, her cheeks rosy.

This should have been me!

Hell! It was me yesterday.

I held my tears until my eyes fell on the engagement ring, and that was it. My shield shattered.

“Why…” sobs racked my body.

Jason and I had been together for over five years, engaged for two. Becca and I had been best friends since we were seven. How could the two most trusted people in my life betray me like this?

I had just found out they were cheating on me, and now that I tried to confront them, they shut the door in my face.

How dare they? The ache in my chest burned hotter, until it wasn’t pain anymore, it was fury.

Just then, the private booth’s glass door slid open. Jason walked toward me.

“Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough? Or do I need to call security first?” he asked with a sly smirk.

I bit back the bitterness choking my throat.

“Jason,” I whispered. Tears rushed down my cheeks.

“Alina, babe, please leave.” My so-called best friend, Becca, came with the same dirty smile. “For the sake of our friendship, I’ll let you leave without creating a scene… or embarrassing yourself.”

Anger boiled in my stomach. They were the ones who cheated, they were supposed to be the ones in shame and embarrassment, not me.

I looked around, knowing no one would save me. Becca’s father owned this resort; fighting would only drag me into more disgrace. So with a heavy heart, I forced my feet out of the building.

I got to my parent's house around 7 in the morning. I cleaned my tears and tried to look as presentable as possible.

Today was my sister’s wedding, the last thing I wanted was to bring any bad energy.

But the moment I opened the door and saw my mother’s teary eyes, I knew something bad had already happened.

“What happened?” I gasped. “Why aren’t you guys ready?” They were still in their pajamas, and the wedding was at eight.

“She’s gone!” my mother cried out, while my father wore a stern, disgusted look.

“I’ve searched everywhere! She’s gone!” she repeated, sobbing harder.

I looked around. Aside from Mom and Dad, the only people present were my mom’s sisters.

“Where’s Aria?” I felt chills asking the question. Why would the bride be missing?

“Didn’t you hear your mother? She’s not here!” my dad’s voice echoed so loud the walls could crumble.

“Where is she? You should know!” he added.

My brows furrowed instantly. I knew where this was going. They would find a way to blame me for her absence. Just as they always did.

“Me?” I gasped, but kept quiet, knowing arguing wouldn’t help.

I pulled out my phone and dialed her line.

Switched off.

I let out a deep sigh, sweat beads forming on my forehead. I didn’t even notice my hands trembling until my phone slipped from my grasp and hit the floor.

“I’ll look for her,” I grumbled, half worried, half mad at Aria. This wasn’t the first time she’d gone missing, and it usually ended with her sneaking off to some crazy weekend party.

But today wasn’t just any weekend. It was her wedding, for God’s sake!

“We’ve looked everywhere, called every friend and acquaintance. We’ve been searching for her all night long,” Mom said weakly. She sounded like she was about to collapse.

“I don’t have time for this!” Dad snapped, raising his phone in the air. An incoming call from Mr. Vale, Aria’s soon-to-be father-in-law.

“They’re already at the wedding hall!” he roared, as if any of this was our fault.

“You have to let him know about the situation,” I said calmly. “We need an extra hour, maybe we’ll find Aria before then.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Dad yelled, pacing toward me. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me into the corridor.

“Uhm, Dad…” I tried to break free.

“They’ll cancel this marriage! This is the only hope I have to fix my bankruptcy!” he yelled again, like it was my fault.

He pulled me into a secluded room, and Mom followed, locking the door behind us.

“But what else can we do except tell the truth, Dad?”

“You, my dear, will have to fix it. You’ll have to fix Aria’s mess.” He had a small grin on his face, the kind that told me he was up to no good.

Then he said the next thing that almost broke me to pieces.

“You look exactly like her. The wedding is in thirty minutes, you can make it, and no one will know.”

I staggered and held the wall to stop myself from falling.

“What?” I looked at Mom, but she wore that same pleading look she always had whenever she wanted me to cover up for Aria’s misdeeds.

“No!” I shook my head. This was what they’d always seen me as, the twin who existed only to fix their favorite’s mistakes.

It has always been this way, all our lives. Whenever Aria got in trouble, I took the blame. I even served her detentions in school.

And their excuse? “Aria has always been a sick child.”

Yeah, right, she had a little flu when we were babies, that was it!

What I still don’t understand is why.

We look and sound exactly the same, shouldn’t they love us the same, too?

“I won’t do this. Not today.” I stood firm.

“You have to do it! You’ll just act for the wedding, and once Aria is back, you’ll switch places again,” Dad said.

“What if she refuses? What if she leaves me stuck in the mess she made?”

“Oh, my dear, she wouldn’t leave such a wealthy man for you. I’m sure she’s absent for a reason,” Mom chimed in, her pathetic tears now dried.

“Okay, what if she’s actually in danger? And I’m out there taking her place at the altar? Isn’t that cruel?” I was the one yelling now.

“Look, if you don’t do this, my business is done for. I can’t help you with the startup for your fashion brand. I’ll revoke everything I have ever given you! your car, everything! And I’ll disown you!” Dad spewed every word without a single care.

Mom’s warm arm brushed my shoulder lightly before she cupped my face.

“Darling, you’re not doing this for us, you’re doing it for Aria. Please, save her marriage.” Her voice softened. “Mr. Vale would definitely cancel everything and cut us off. Please, I’m sure you can’t watch your sister live the rest of her life heartbroken. She loves Edrick.”

I took a deep, shaky breath and looked at both my parents. It hit me then that my heartbreak didn’t end with Jason. It lived here too, in this house, disguised as family.

I hate them for this.

But even more… I hate myself for saying yes.