Love Beyond compare

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 NEW JERSEY CITY

Marie stood in front of a mirror, starring at herself in her wedding dress.

Somehow it feels unreal, she didn't know why but it felt unreal to her, like her marriage to Romeo Brooks shouldn't take place today.

Ever since her accident a month ago, her wedding to her fiance had been pushed forward.

She didn't know why but they insisted on it. It must probably be because she is suffering from Amnesia.

Due to the car accident she was involved in, she had come out of it safe but had ended up losing her memory.

She doesn't remember a thing from the past and if it weren't for her parents who told her a little about herself, she will still be totally lost about it.

Just then the door opened and her mother, Hannah Taylor walked into the room.

"You look like a rich man's bride" Hannah said moving towards Marie.

"I am a rich man's bride, after all am getting married to Romeo" Marie replied starring at her mom.

Somehow she wanted her cold mother affection. Today is her wedding and shouldn't all mother be sad to see their child leave but instead she felt the opposite from her mom.

Hannah walked towards her and held her shoulders tightly.

"Make sure you get married to Romeo. You must marry him at all cost" she told her and Marie nodded.

"I will leave you to continue your thing, afterall today is your wedding" Hannah said and with a cold smile sent her way, she left Marie alone in the room.

Now more than ever Marie knew that something is wrong. Why would her mom insist on her getting married to Romeo?

She once asked them if her relationship to Romeo is one of love and they had assured her of it though Romeo himself let her doubt that fact.

When she had woken up in the hospital room and her amnesia had been confirmed. Her fiance was no where to be found.

For a week she only heard about him from her parents and when he did show up, giving an excuse at being at a important meeting, she felt his coldness towards her.

A coldness that continued even when she got out of the hospital and today she will be marrying a man whose attitude towards her is as freezing as an iceberg.

She has to ask her mom what she meant earlier, having that thought in mind, Marie ran out of the room, searching for her mom.

She got to the stairs and saw her mom going into her father's study, immediately she got down stairs, careful with her wedding dress.

She was about knocking when she heard her father disscussion with her mom.

"What are you doing?" Hannah asked her husband.

"Trying to see if I can get a hold of Develene" Jerry Taylor replied.

"You know Develene wouldn't pick up. Have been doing the same for the past three months and still nothing" Hannah said to her husband.

"So? Do you want us to let Marie get married to Romeo?" Jerry asked.

"Why not? After all she came here in place of Develene our real child" Hannah said and on hearing that Marie froze at the door way.

"That's why I feel guilty at marrying her off to Romeo" Jerry said.

"Its better Romeo marries Marie than for him to marry Develene. Am glad that she sent Marie here to pretend to be her, I never wanted my daughter to marry Romeo and am glad that she's not the one doing that today" Hannah said callously.

Marie couldn't take more of it and so she opened the door and barged into the room, shocking the two people she had considered to be her parents.

"Develene" Jerry called but Marie had heard it all and she knew that she is not the real Develene.

"What are you doing here? You should be finishing the last touch for your wedding" Hannah said nervously.

"My wedding? Shouldn't Develene your real daughter be here getting married to Romeo?" Marie asked.

"You heard it?" Hannah asked and Marie nodded.

"Tell me what is going on? Who am I and why did you lie to me? Why did you make me believe that am your daughter when am not!" Marie yelled at them demanding for an answer.

"You are our daughter Dev..."

"Don't call me that! I heard what you said and I know that am not your daughter. The accident....the accident robbed me of my memory and so you decide to use me. You decide to make me Romeo's wife while your daughter is free of that burden!" Marie said and they both looked away in guilt.

"I demand to know. Tell me what's going on?" Marie added wanting an answer from them.

"I will tell you what you want to know" someone said behind them and Marie turned to see Romeo, the man she's meant to marry in a few minutes time.

"Romeo you shouldn't..."

"If am to marry her then it's only right that she knows the truth" The man she had always thought as a handsome devil said as he walked towards her.

"The truth is that you are not the real Develene Taylor, you are a fake she asked to pretend to be her. Your real name is Marie Raymond" Romeo told her bluntly and for a while Marie tried to assimilate his words.

So everything she had believed in is all a lie. She is not Develene but a replica of her, Marie thought as she went to seat on the sofa before she embarrass herself by fainting in front of everyone.

"Are you still interested in knowing more?"Romeo asked and she nodded.

"I would like to know everything, every little detail" She replied starring at him.

"I will tell you afterall you confessed everything on the day you had the accident" Romeo told her.

"You mean I told the whole truth?" Marie asked.

"The lie you and Develene began was starting to be come real and you felt guilty and wanted it to end and so you confessed the whole thing and due to that confession, I can help refresh your memory" Romeo replied.

"But before I do that, I would like it if you two can leave the room " Romeo said to Hannah and Jerry.

"Can't they just stay?" Marie asked. Now that she knows that he is not really her fiance, she doesn't want to be alone with him.

"They can't. This is just between you and me " he replied and immediately Develene parents left the room while he took a chair to have a seat.

"It all began like this.........

* 3 MONTHS AGO * 

 TEXAS CITY

Marie stood at the counter filling up a cup of coffee for a customer when Develene walked into the restaurant.

Every time Marie sees Develene she sees herself in her, though their different in personality, their face is the same,, like they are both twins which they know they are not.

Marie had met Develene at a party she attended a few weeks ago. She had thought it crazy to have the same face as her. She had even been crazy to think that they might be twins but after getting to know her, she realised that it's just God's hand work.

Develene had also been surprised by the resemblance but they had both set that aside becoming close friends.

"A glass of milk shake please?" Develene said as soon as she got to the counter.

Develene is someone bright, full of life and tends to be direct with her words but one thing stopped her from being perfect. Due to her being the daughter of a rich business man, she became a spoilt child who only depends on her father for every little thing she wants.

"Is something bothering you?" Marie finds herself asking.

"Yes. Once you are on break, come join me at the table over there" she said as she took her glass of milk shake with her to an empty table by window.

"You two look alike, your mom must be proud of having given birth to twins" A middle age customer said to her having seen Marie and Develene together.

"You got it wrong Ma'am. We aren't twins but friends" Marie replied having been told this severally by customers.

"Are you sure? You both look so much....."

"Alike? I know that and have often heard about it but we aren't twins, we aren't even related" Marie said truthfully but the last look the lady gave her was a look of doubt.

Her break finally came and she went to join Develene.

"What's going on?" Marie asked.

"I just got a call from dad" Develene began slowly.

"And?"

"He wants me to return to New Jersey" she replied looking worried.

"All of a sudden? Did he tell you his reasons?" Marie asked.

"Yes" 

"And?"

"He wants me to return home so he can introduce me to my fiance" Develene said worriedly.

"Really?" Marie asked stunned by Develene reply.

"Yes. While have been here, he got into business with this supposed fiance of mine and they've both concluded to marry me off to him" she said.

"This is crazy! Are we in the old era where arrange marriage still exist?" Marie asked.

"We aren't but arrange marriage still exist" Develene replied.

"So what are you going to do about it now?" Marie asked.

"I don't know. I know that once am there both my parents will try to convince me to marry him but I don't see myself doing that. I love James and I can't live without him" Develene replied.

She had met James at a party a week ago and the romance between them had bud into life. She knew Develene is serious with James but what she didn't expect is for her to be madly in love with him just a week after meeting him.

"That's why I came to this conclusion" Develene said suddenly bringing Marie attention back on her.

"What conclusion?"

"That you go in my place" 

"What?" Marie shrieked out loudly before controlling herself.

"I know it's crazy but it's the only way I can think of" Develene said.

"I can't do it Develene. Don't you know that we will be caught?" Marie asked.

"We can't if we both have the same face. Have thought of this well enough and am sure that it will work. If you accept to go in place of me, your task is just to get rid of my fiance. I did a little research on him and I found out that he is someone very picky which is to our advantage" Develene said.

"Hold on Develene, I ....."

"You only have to do things that will make him lose interest. Make him dislike you by doing things men hate and am sure that the marriage thing will be cancelled and I will be free and you can return home" Develene finished cutting her off.

"Please just do me this favour?" Develene added.

"This isnt going to work"Marie replied.

"It will, cause all you have to do is to go there and pretend to be me. We both have the same face and could be mistaken for twins. It will work out Marie, just help me" Develene begged.

"This is crazy! Why aren't you doing this yourself? you can as well go and tell that man off" Marie said and Develene stared down at her clenched hands.

"I can't. James mother already dislike me and James and i plan on going to stay with her this weekend just so she can come to terms with me being with her son. If I were to cancel it and go back home then I can forget being with James" she said now looking at Marie with tears on her face.

"Don't cry Develene" Marie said softly.

"Please do this for us,for me and James. Help me" Develene said looking so much like a sad puppy who got lost in the rain.

Marie has a kind heart which goes out to people in need and here is her friend who is in need of help, she just can't leave her stranded and besides she only have to go there and make it clear to that Fiance of her's that she's not interested.

"Fine then. When am I to leave?" She asked Develene who was now starring at her with so much gratitude.

"You leave tomorrow and...."

"Tomorrow? But that's too soon, what am I going to tell my boss, I have a life here as well Develene" Marie told her.

"I will become you then"

"This isn't funny Dev" Marie said cutting her name short.

"And am not joking. I mean it, while you help me with my life, I will help with yours, it's the least I can do" Develene said.

"But you don't know how to work? You've never work before" Marie told her.

"I will start from now and you can teach me" Develene said as she stood up going to the counter while urging her to come along.

As Marie returned to the counter, she hoped that everything would go well for them.