You have to pretend to be me!

"It is a deal then." She replies, already thinking of a million ways to come out victorious.

"Hallelujah!" Aubrey exclaims, clearly relieved.

"Alright honey, get the staff to pack your things, we can't keep the driver or the wedding guests waiting for much longer." Aubrey says to Crystal while getting up from her chair.

"Wait! There's one more thing, I can't get married today." Crystal says to the disappointment of both her parents.

"We've been through this, Crystal, what is the matter this time?" Ryan questions, in a dangerously low voice.

"You didn't let me finish." She states reassuringly, "I can't get married today because I am very sure I won't fall in love in a month's time, so rather than complicating things with a divorce and a bunch of lawyers, can't I just get engaged instead?" She pleads.

Crystal's plan would have made perfect sense to Ryan if she actually had the choice of leaving, should she fail to fall in love.

After all, divorces can be messy and involve a swamp of lawyers and various property division problems. However, in Crystal's case, it seemed like a waste of time because he was certain there wouldn't be any grounds for her to file for divorce.

Nevertheless, he decides to humor her just so she'd finally be on her way and not have a change of heart.

"I'll give them a call, in the meantime, please go pack your things." He tells Crystal who has a satisfied look plastered on her face.

"Already on it." She replies while texting Karen, who she was sure had been eavesdropping again.

**************************************************

Ryan curses under his breath when Richard Kellington picks up the phone. He had called to persuade Richard to convert the wedding into an engagement ceremony, just like he had promised Crystal that he would, but deep down, he hoped he wouldn't pick up.

He knew that Richard wouldn't pass an opportunity to mess with him in his helpless state. Ryan being defenseless was a very rare occasion.

"If it isn't my soon to be in-law! What do I owe this pleasure?" Richard speaks through the phone, clearly enjoying the situation.

"I need you to switch the wedding to an engagement ceremony." Ryan states plainly.

"And why would I do that? Do you know how long it took for Eunice to plan this wedding?" He fires rhetorically, although he wasn't exactly sure how long it took for his wife, Eunice to plan it but if Ryan needed it to be switched, then he wasn't going to let him have it.

"I'm asking you to consider Crystal, Richard. She just found out about her betrothal today, it's unfair to expect her to get married on the same day as well." Ryan deliberately uses the word 'asking' rather than 'begging', which he was sure Richard wanted to hear.

"How's it my problem that you waited until the last moment to inform her about it? Still, it's a hard world we live in. This will give her a chance to toughen up." Richard mocks, trying desperately to offend Ryan.

"Look, all I'm asking is that you give her more time to fully sink into the idea, she has no fault in any of this." Ryan says through gritted teeth, his patience already thinning.

"You're right, it's not Crystal's' fault, it's yours. You are the one who signed the contract so foolishly back then, let your first daughter be kidnapped right under your roof, and have now resulted to forcing the only one you have left into an arranged marriage to clean up your shit." Richard spits bitterly.

It was clear, even to Ryan himself that Richard was only trying to get him riled up, so he'd make a mistake that could lead to something worse, but he fell for it all the same.

"Say that again Kellington, I dare you!" Ryan warns, it was a good thing both men weren't having a physical confrontation because Ryan was close to choking all the life out of him.

"You're too edgy for a business man Pembroke, you should learn from your mistakes not lengthen them." Richard replies to Ryan in an unbothered tone.

"I'll see what I can do about your little dilemma, after all, we're about to be family." Richard mockingly adds and then hangs up the phone, causing Ryan to burst into streams of profanities.

"That Bloody Kellington!!!!"

**************************************************

Now, packed and ready to go, Crystal says her goodbyes to her parents and gets into the car with Karen, whom she had refused to leave behind, despite her mother's disapproval, claiming that Karen would somehow land into one trouble or the other, in the Kellington's mansion.

Aside from needing moral support from her best friend, she especially needed Karen for the plan she just recently thought of.

It didn't take more than thirty minutes to arrive at the private hanger, where they'd be flying to their destination. Crystal wasn't exactly sure how long it would take to arrive but she knew there would be enough time to set her plan into motion.

She spots a black jet with the letter 'K' engraved boldly in gold, at the top right side of the aircraft, signifying that it was the property of The Kellington family.

Karen was immediately blown away, although having seen several jets owned by the Pembrokes, there was something excellent about this one that left her in awe.

In Contrast to Crystal, who couldn't seem to have any other expression than the one of boredom, she had been wearing since they arrived.

"So, my girl is getting married after all." Karen states while holding a glass of champagne, with both girls now relaxing in the jet.

Instead of getting a reply from Crystal, she gets a glare. Making her throw her head back in laughter. She was surprised Crystal gave in so easily, the best friend she knew would be cooking up something to make sure everything went in her favour.

"From what your mom said, he must be one of the handsome ones, obviously has a lot of money to spare and most importantly, seems to loves you." She points out, pausing to take a sip of her champagne before continuing.

"The fact that he hasn't even kissed a girl, common!" Karen praises him, despite her friend, sending her a more intense glare.

"He might be a prude, for all we know." Crystal voices the thought that had popped up when her mom said it earlier.

"You're one to talk." Karen retorts once more. Referring to the fact that Crystal herself hadn't even gotten to first base with anyone.

"You are the actual prude, my dear friend." She informs her.

"If you think he's so amazing, then you have him then." Crystal, offers tauntingly.

"I'm just saying." Karen raises her hands in surrender. "Honestly, I'm surprised you're going along with it, I half expected you to have come up with some elaborate plan or something." Karen confesses, eying her friend suspiciously.

"Eloborate plan? Phfttt" Crystal says, waving all of Karen's worry away.

"It's not elaborate at all; it's quite simple actually, you have to pretend to be me."

She says to Karen, who spits out her drink, coughing uncontrollably.