Chapter 1: Meet My Sister's Boyfriend
Althaea Cassidy's POV
It startled me when I heard someone knocking at the door, so I rose up purposefully.
"Mam Thaea, your mom and dad are waiting for you to eat breakfast!" As the housemaid shouted out of my bedroom.
"Kindly said, I'd be there." I answered her back. I got up from bed and a few minutes later, stood up and put on my slippers. I preferred to wash my face before eating with them.
"Wonderful morning, Thaea." Mom and Dad greeted me, smiling while chewing their own food.
"Good morning, too." I have no desire to deal with them because until now I have not gotten good at what happened.
"You can go to the boutique later where I embroidered a dress to you for our dinner tonight with Greige’s parent." Mom told me with authority, but my forehead was furrowed.
"Why mom? Still more dresses are there which I have not yet worn. Why did you get a new one?" I protested to her.
"Thaea, what is the need for money if we will not spend and just hide it in the bank?" As she argued,
"It’s not agreeable for beautiful like you to wear outmoded clothes. You’ll meet your sister’s partner too. That’s why you have to put on the best outfit and have the manner your twin is. " As my father agreed with my mother, I almost forgot that I supposedly pretended to be my sister. What a troublesome mind.
"Ok Mom and Dad." A sign that I really admitted to what they said.
After we finished the conversation, they further set up to prepare themselves before entering the office. They kissed me on the forehead before bidding me goodbye.
When they had already left, I immediately went to my bedroom. I felt like opening my laptop. A video suddenly popped out on the screen, and I saw my best friend from Manila. Her name is Ginger Penelope Ricafort. She is one of my bandmates. I am the 2nd vocalist and my boyfriend is the main vocalist of our band and the rest are the musicians and composers.
"Cas." Gin mentioned my nickname as she introduced me. My best friend actually called me by that name.
"You looked very serious." She commented then.
"It’s tough to be aside from my boyfriend. You are so annoying, uh!" As I pouted my lips at my best friend, showing her I was genuinely sad about my situation.
"Oh, I am sorry, just kidding. What are your plans, by the way?" She asked but I exhaled.
"Of course I will impersonate my sister, Athena." as evidenced by my rolling eyes.
"It's complicated, bestie, especially since you're both extremely rare from each other, isn't it?"
She is really a sophisticated woman, I know. "I require you to be on it because I have no option at all. I do not want to lose all my parents’ properties for just a selfish decision. "
Actually, these are not my mistakes. I need to hold on and compromise. I will not leave my mother and father, who called me to tell me to save the company. My concerns are here and I will never lose them. I love my twin too. That’s why I'm still worried about her.
I was just smiling at my best friend. "You’re really a kind person, bestie, and I am very lucky to have you as my friend." She complimented me with cheerfulness in her voice.
So I was just a bit amused at her reaction. "Is it your day off today?" I want to divert the conversation because it might lead to a drama session. I was very weak when it came to this talk.
"No bestie. I’m on my duty now. Don’t worry, no one can notice me here. " As my best friend stated with confidence.
"Oh Gin, you must know it is prohibited, tzk. If I were there I would scold you for doing that."
exclaiming with disagreement about her actions.
"You are rigid though. It’s my first time to do this." She still reasoned out how to defend herself.
After several minutes of our conversation, she already had to leave. She felt that our lady boss would soon be entering the office.
"Alright. I have to go back to my work now because Ma’am Crystal is coming here to the office. "
Afterwards, she waved me goodbye and shut down my computer. I have already gotten the dress from the store. After strolling around the mall for awhile, I decided to go home to prepare myself for this evening.
It is already 4:00 PM in the afternoon, but do not get rid of what I am going to say in front of them. Next, I just looked at myself in the mirror and saw Athena’s reflection instead of mine. The figures are exactly like my twin, who is said to be a sophisticated female creature. I hate myself.
After preparations, I went outside my room and saw my Mom and Dad were probably waiting for me. They looked amazed at my aura, down to my outfit that seemed like Athena Zerene's.
"Wow, you appear so beautiful, Thaea, and you look exactly like your sister." Mom commented with a fake smile on her face that concealed her loneliness for Athena same as dad.
"You look so gorgeous to your dress, Althaea." My father commented and it fake me to smile.
"Now let’s go. We might catch the dinner meeting and they will probably wait for us. " Mom ordered.
The trip to a restaurant lasted fifteen minutes, where Athena’s boyfriend reserved the place for this afternoon since he arrived from the U.S. I have no idea that her boyfriend showed up if Dad did not mention his arrival.
What a typical boyfriend is he? He would not send any messages that he was already here in the Philippines.
"Here we are!" I just stopped thinking when Dad suddenly spoke. I was busy touring my sights around until we got to the place that had been reserved for tonight. Dad was the first one to take a seat, followed by Mom and I.
"They’re here." Mom suddenly breaks the silence when she reads a text message on her cellphone. I stared at her for a moment and then bowed my head while playing with my fingers because of nervousness.
The waiter came and asked for our orders. Dad only chose to get drinks first.
A few minutes had passed, and they had already arrived. First, Dad greeted them pleasantly.
"Good evening, Marcela and Enrico." It surprised me more. They had just kissed and hugged each other next to mine.
A few seconds later, my stare turned to this guy. "Good evening, Ijo." Dad greeted him with a smile.
"You may now take a seat." As my father said in formality. Twenty minutes later, the food was already served, and I suddenly looked at my dish, which I preferred, the pasta.
"It seems that you have changed your skin complexion." Greige’s mother commented. Gazing at my parents is a sign that I need their help.
"I always go out to feel something new outside. "My alibi though, Athena has brighter skin than mine.
"Ah, I see, but it's good to say that you have already changed your routines. All I know is that you often stay at home and go to the mall. " She added.
"Yes, it is true." I nodded my head, showing that I felt shy.
"Athena is even better now. She really prepared for our son’s return." The woman giggled as she teasingly teased this guy.
"Mama." Greige spoke as if he had refused his mother.
"Why don't you try to look at her to prove I am right?" She repeated what she had said earlier.
"It’s been a long time that you didn’t see my daughter for the reason why she looks new to you." Mom explained because I don’t know well how to justify myself.
I am just observing now while they are talking about business while chewing their food.
"You seem quiet at this time." Greige whispered. It startled me.
"Really?" I said it in confusion.
Why are you so astonished, Thaea? Don’t be silly with your words and reactions. As trying to calm myself.
"Nope, I am not quite interested." I spoke, and his smile faded.
"What?" He wondered. "You’re not like that very silent when you're with Mama and Papa together." He said it in a serious tone now.
"My mood is not good, perhaps." It is just my boring reply.
Later, I got their attention, my parents and his, have their permission to leave for the necessities. I had stopped when Greige touched me on my arm.
"I’ll be with you." He insisted but I declined.
When I see my reflection in a mirror, I can’t help but examine my whole self. After ten minutes, I went inside when I saw Greige standing next to me.
"Why did it take so long?" He seriously asked with his face frowning until he came closer to me.
"It is just fixing myself." I tried to explain with a fake smile.
"You do not need to do that. You’re already beautiful in my eyes, Thena." He intensively looked at me while touching my hair beside my ear. I hesitate to stare because he would probably know about my intention.
"I am sorry if I didn’t tell you I was home after my arrival from the U.S. I am tired enough to say that’s why I had forgotten to send a message."
So is that his only reason that he might be busy or tired? So it might be his fault too, why my sister was in an accident.
"We better go back." I just distracted the conversation between us and left him there, but he followed me.
"Oh, why did the two of you take so long?" Dad asked us.
"We have just talked about something." Greige defended that as the reason that Dad stared at me.
"Yeah we just talked." I agreed with what he said.
It was already 9:00 PM when we decided to go home. I felt relieved.
I know you’re mad at me, but this time I’ll try my best to get back. I promise that. "
"Ok." It was my short answer to him because I didn’t know what to say. In a few minutes, Dad suddenly spoke from the car, so I turned into it.
"Athena, let's go. Please hurry." As my father declared.
"May I go now? Dad is looking for me." I showed him my fake smile before I left him there without answering to his.