Chapter 1
Mira.
I was supposed to accompany my sister, walk her down the aisle, and be her bridesmaid.
What I was not supposed to be doing was wearing her dress and walking down the aisle perched on my father's arm to be wedded to the same man my sister was supposed to marry.
“Keep smiling Mirabella.” My father hissed.
I saw no point in smiling or crying, the veil covered my face.
My stomach knotted in a nauseating twist, whatever it was that hung so heavy in the air. Whether it was the overbearing smell of peonies and daisies, Selena didn't even like daisies, I did, while she preferred peonies. The flowers were just too much and too fucking expensive.
The number of eyes watching my every move seemed to be the cause of the nausea I was feeling.
I hoped no one else but my father could see my jittering. My sweaty palm gave it away and father had scolded me to stay still.
It was the least I could do for my family.
Selena absconded an hour to her wedding, her dressing room empty, her dress, heels and bouquet laid on the bed but the bride was nowhere to be found.
A merger of two powerful families that have stayed friends since I could remember how to say my name. It was to be aired, the wedding of the century, luxurious, the talk of the town and my fraternal twin sister threw all that to the wind once again leaving me to clean up her mess.
This time it wasn't just an unfinished assignment, or being forced to be her accomplice in all the trouble she caused. I was always caught in the middle and caught in her mess while she kept her reputation as the golden child who never did anything wrong.
I caught my mother's stiff smile from the corner. Her gaze is warm and considerate. Her arm squeezing into dad’s own, her color, pale.
It steadied me, if my strong mother could have nerves, I wasn't broken.
I focused on my steps and the man at the end of the aisle waiting at the altar.
I finally took in the exquisite details of the venue. A converted cathedral with 40-foot ceilings and $100,000 worth of white peonies and daisies. I snuck a peek at the budget days before the wedding and nearly ran mad.
How wasteful.
The only delight was the stained glasses that bounced off deep hues of reds and blues. The sculptures of course were delightful, especially the pieta. I mirrored the sadness in the eyes of the woman carrying her son.
The entrance song was Selena’s choice, the dress, greatly over priced, we had the money for it, the flower arrangements, the groom, Theo Hartley, all of it were hers. In all the lavishness of this wedding.
As selfish as always she threw all of it into the wind.
Theo knew my sister and I. We were childhood friends but he had always been fond of Selena.
They were the golden couple of the elites.
I knew we could fool the congregation but what would happen when I got to that altar?
What would happen when he lifts my veil and sees me?
The netting of the lace on the sweetheart neck suffocated me and I fought the urge to tug at it.
Father was so composed as he walked me down the aisle. No matter how my mother smiled, she wasn't okay and neither was I?
Where did Selena run off to?
What did she give up her dream wedding for?
Father was furious when I quietly informed him and Mom that Selena was not in the estate, I handed him the shabby hurried note she scribbled.
I couldn't unsee the trembling in his chubby hairy hands. I was scared he would clutch his chest and have a heart attack.
How could she be so selfish despite knowing our father's ailment.
He groaned. “We must repair this quietly.” He said, looking away from me.
Mother traced his gaze and her worried look unnerved me.
I scrunched my brows. “What is there to repair but to call it off. The bride is gone.”
Father brushed his jaw, looking away to the window leaving me and my mom.
She slithered to my side. “Dear, we can't allow your sister's actions to ridicule our family. We can't possibly announce that your sister jilted her groom. It will ruin the acquisition.”
I glanced at my father, he didn't even spare me a look.
I was having a hard time understanding what this meant.
“You have to walk down that aisle.” She said quietly.
“And there's no contesting that.” Father added.
“Holden!” Mom scolded him.
“You're sacrificing her happiness, at least be gentle.”
Selena’s mischievousness being revealed to my parents didn't feel entirely bad. Of course I felt bad that she would do such a thing but then maybe they needed to see her for who she was when I wasn't caught up in it but to marry my sister's groom? That was absurd.
Theo and Selena's relationship had been the end of our childhood friendship. After middle school Selena became the center, he looked at her, cared for her and I was always the third wheeler despite a silly promise we made to ourselves in mid school to not fall in love and ruin our friendship.
Theo and Selena had gone ahead to do it leaving me and Harper to ourselves. And then he'd gone away for a long time only to return to propose to my sister.
For goodness sake, Harper was at this wedding. How was I going to fix anything?
For context, I was the one who befriended Theo first. I had a crush on him but he'd chosen my golden sister. The star of the show.
Look where that star has got us.
“Please Mira. Please.” Mom begged.
Father drew closer. “Just get through today and I'll speak to Theo to call the marriage off and free you.”
I snatched my hand from my mom and ran my fingers across my temple.
“What makes you think he won't call it off at the altar. I'm not the one he wants mom.”
She grabbed my hand again.
“I know but this is the best we can do. He's close to our family so maybe he won't cause a scene but a bride must walk down that aisle today.”
Father had been over the moon about the wedding, he could finally retire knowing that capable hands could run the acquisition.
Talks of the wedding were on the news. Theo mostly, given his ruthless reputation, a far cry from the boy I had grown up as friends with and had a crush on. The most eligible bachelor to wed the starstruck daughter of the Holden Director.
Worst case scenario, I would live through the disgust and rejection on Theo’s face, it would kill me to see the disappointment on his face but Mom was right, he won't outrightly call it off and embarrass our family, just a wedding and when things have died down, we can all go our separate ways.
We were fraternal but there was still a stark resemblance so the guests wouldn't catch on quickly, not like I cared about them because very few of them were truly close with our family.
I so wanted to cuss Selena out.
We are twins but I had never for once lived for myself and even now I must live through her marriage.
I could almost feel the shock that will come from Theo and the embarrassment that will come from always falling short in front of him as I had always done since childhood.
I wondered if he even remembered me, if he still knew who I was.
My family's reputation was at stake and subsequently mine as well. I had to be my sister's replacement and clean up her mess.
I drew back, taking a deep breath. “I'll do it.”
And I did.
