1- Odd Query

Marissa looked up at her friend's forehead which had several lines while pressing the ultrasound device on her belly moving it back and forth.

"What? Is there a problem?" She asked Dr. Sophia James who was not only like her elder sister and friend but also a big name in the gynecological department.

"This PCOS has messed up my cycles already, Sophie. I don't know how else to control my sugar cravings anymore." She complained putting her head on the pillow praying silently that it wasn't another cyst on the screen.

"Umm … it's not the cyst, Marissa," Sophia passed over a soft cotton napkin to her assistant who wiped off the gel from Marissa's belly.

Once Marissa was seated opposite her, Dr. Sophia leaned back in her seat and observed her face, "When did you get your last period?"

"Oh, I think it was two months back, but it was more like spotting," Marissa leaned forward to place her elbows on the table, "What is it, Sophia? Is it something serious?" 

She was already tensed due to her husband Rafael Sinclair whose blindfold would be taken off today after three days of his eye surgery. 

A small smile crossed Dr. Sophia's lips, "I know you are already anxious, Marissa because today Rafael will come to know about the reality that all this time when he was blind, his wife was not Valerie but you. "

Marissa gave a nervous nod and pursed her lips. 

"But I think he won't stay mad at you once you tell him you are pregnant." Marissa's eyes snapped up to Sophia's face.

What? Pregnant?

Sophia nodded with a smile, "Now you need to stay happy and take a good nutritious diet for your babies."

Marissa felt her heartbeat stopping and her hand moved to her flat belly, "Babies? Twins?"

Two years back she had to marry Rafael Sinclair in place of her sister who fled away from the wedding because she couldn't marry a blind man.

 Rafael Sinclair was drop-dead gorgeous, president of the Sinclair group of industries, and was very much in love with Valerie.

In an accident, he lost his eyes and after expensive treatments, doctors decided to wait a bit so that they could operate his eyes. They were quite hopeful for the success of the operation. 

However, on the wedding day, Valerie decided to escape from the venue and Marissa had no choice but to take her sister's place.

Rafael's mother Nina Sinclaire cried before Marissa and begged her to accept her blind son's proposal or he would give up on life.

Marissa was a lot different from Valerie. She had been a shy and quiet kind of girl whose world used to revolve around books. 

Four years back when her sister brought Rafael to introduce him to the family that's when she met him.

He had become her instant crush, but she couldn't say much due to her elder sister Valerie. Valerie was a beautiful carefree soul who was crazy about boys and parties. From a very young age, boys used to adore her and fell for her like moths around a flame.

Valarie and Rafael were crazily in love and wanted to get married in a hurry except when Rafael met a car accident and lost his eyes.

Valerie went quiet after that. She used to visit Rafael in hospital and Marissa could feel that the spark was missing.

"Rubbish," her mom Vicky Aaron snubbed her once, "your sister is upset but she loves Rafael like anything. Stop thinking negative about her."

Due to Rafael's disturbed mental state, both families decided to arrange the wedding, and everyone seemed happy about the decision except Valerie.

Marissa could see sadness in her eyes but as always Mom used to brush it off.

However, everyone was shocked when Valerie was found missing from the dressing room leaving behind just a small note of apology that said, "Sorry. I can't marry a blind man."

Marissa was used as a scapegoat and her mom made her wear the wedding gown in place of her sister. 

The only thing similar between Marissa and Valerie was their voices. Nobody could detect whose voice was it and that worked for both the families.

Since she got married to him, she became Valerie to everyone around her. Only Dr. Sophia was the one who used to call her by her real name in her clinic.

 Rafael at last had a successful eye operation and today doctors were supposed to take off the blindfold. Marissa was already very nervous, but both the families had assured her that they would support her in front of Rafael.

He needed to accept that the girl he married two years back was not Valerie but her younger sister Marissa.

On her way back to the hospital, she was continuously smiling like a fool looking out of the car window. Her pregnancy report was in her purse, and she could imagine Rafael's happiness.

"Now no more hide and seek, Mr. President," she told him silently, "I'm your wife and you need to accept it, love. We are going to be parents and that's it. You are mine and today I'll tell you how much I love you."

She rubbed her belly lovingly and closed her eyes in pure bliss.

The last two years of their married life had been heavenly. They talked about books, literature, and philosophy. Rafael often used to remark how he never had such kind of meaningful conversation with her.

"How come my wife has become so knowledgeable?" he used to tease her before kissing her passionately and Marissa used to melt into his body and lips.

She even helped him in taking care of the business. He taught her a lot about how to make billion-dollar deals and the ways meetings should be presided over.

In short, they had supported each other in every aspect.

She felt her heartbeat stopping when the car halted in front of the hospital.

"Time to claim your daddy as Mrs. Marissa Sinclair." She told her unborn babies letting out a long sigh. When she reached the corridor, she could feel her heart drumming inside her chest.

With fingers crossed she took out the envelope from her purse that had her pregnancy report and opened the private room's door where Rafael was brought after the operation.

Her steps faltered when she saw the scene before her eyes. Her husband Rafael Sinclair was there sitting on the bed without a blindfold. His green eyes were darting around in the room excitedly while he was laughing hard at something.

His one arm was around a woman's waist who was standing close to him leaning her forehead against his shoulder. The way only a wife was supposed to stand.

Only Marissa had the right to stand like this.

Who was she?

Just then the woman decided to raise her face and her teary gaze met Marissa.

"Valerie!" Marissa whispered to herself.

What the actual…

What was she doing here?

"Oh, Rafael," Valerie sobbed, "I can't believe you can finally see me."

"Stop crying, my love." he wiped her eyes gently.

My love? That's what Rafael used to call me.

ME!

Just then Rafael's eyes fell on her, "Marissa! My little Greene. My favorite sister-in-law. How come you are here? That too so soon."

He was told that his wife's sister had moved abroad for studies. Ignoring him, Marissa shot a sharp gaze at her sister.

"Valerie. What do you think you are doing here?" a hush fell in the room by her odd query.