THE SUBSTITUTE BRIDE

Chapter 2

ALEX POV

"Uuhm..." I mumbled softly as my consciousness slowly regained. I hadn't even opened my eyes yet but I quickly turned around when I remembered the last thing that happened to me before I passed out.

When I opened my eyes, I was so shocked to see that I was inside an elegant room. The owner of the room was obviously rich because the furnishings inside looked expensive. Even the vase above the divider looks expensive although it looks simple. How much can I sell it for when I run with it?

I immediately erased the bad idea that suddenly entered my mind. It looks like I'm desperate for money so I will grab whatever comes to my mind as long as I can get money. Instead of thinking about where I was and what was the reason why I was kidnapped, what actually came to my mind was stealing. But why was I kidnapped? I'm not rich enough to pay off by my mom. I evwn walked home just to save on the fare but I was kidnapped. If I had known that I was going to be kidnapped, I would have just closed my eyes and rode a tricycle back to our house.

I slowly got out of bed to peek outside the room. If I don't see anyone outside the room I will run away from this place. I was about to get off the bed when I felt that my clothes were heavy. I literally gasped when I saw that I was wearing a fancy white dress. I immediately got off the bed and rushed to the front of the human-sized mirror. My jaw drop when I saw myself in front of the mirror. It turns out that what I'm wearing is not just a simple fancy white dress but a wedding dress. My face is covered with make up. In my eighteen years of living, I only wear make up just now.

"What happened to me? Who bewitched me? Or did my soul enter someone else's body?" I asked myself after I screamed. But my face is what I see in front of the mirror and my soul is inside the body so it is impossible for my soul to enter another body like the ones I watch on the television shows.

But in fairness, I just realized it now that also look beautiful when I'm wearing a make up and I noticed that my body is sexy. I don't look at my body in the mirror because first of all, our mirror at home is a only small and I don't wear sexy clothes. And I don't have that either. I always wear my old baggy t-shirts and jeans. I can only wear skirts because it was my uniform at the coffee shop which I ran out of and my uniform at the public school I attended before. But my faded uniform skirt is knee-length, so the only short skirt was my uniform from my part-time job.

I looked at my right hand when I felt like I was holding something thin like paper. I frown when I see that I am holding a paper in my right hand. I was about to open the paper when the door suddenly opened and a woman wearing a maid's uniform rushed in.

"What happened, Ma'am Alexa? Why did you shout so loudly?" she immediately asked me.

Ma'am Alexa? Since when did my name become Alexa? I asked in my mind.

"Where am I and why am I wearing a wedding dress?" I asked the maid in surprise.

The maid frowned as she looked at me as if she was confused by what I said.

"You are inside your room, Ma'am Alexa and the reason you are wearing a wedding dress is because you are now going to marry Sir Uriel. Have you forgotten?" she answered me. "You just fell asleep while the makeup artist was fixing your make up and fce. Since it's still early, your dad said to let you sleep first and wake you up when it's time to leave."

"What? I'm getting married?With whom? I don't even have a boyfriend and I am getting married?" I exclaimed in disbelief as my nostrils flared. "There seems to be a misunderstanding going on."

"Ma'am, we don't have time because the car that will take you to the church is already outside the house," explained the maid.

I was confused when I heard what she said. "Relax, Alex. Relax," I spoke softly to myself. I have to think about how I can escape this place. I will not allow myself to be married to a man I have never seen. What if that Uriel I'm going to marry is already a grandfather and has eight children and ten grandchildren? I don't want to become an instant grandmother yet.

"Could you please tell the driver to wait for a moment because I'm still retouching? My clothes got tangled when I was lying on the bed," I excused myself. But the truth is that I will put on some clothes and run away from this house.

"Alright, Ma'am Alexa. I will tell him right now," the maid answered then left the room.

When she came out, I was about to take off my wedding dress when I remembered the paper I was holding earlier. I picked it up from the floor because I dropped it earlier when the maid came in. Maybe the answer to my questions is in this paper. With trembling hands I unfolded the paper to read...

"Hello, Alex. I know you don't know me but I knew you. I am your identical twin, Alexa. I grew up with our father while you grew up with our mother. I'm sorry if I kidnapped you to replace me as Uriel's bride. It's not that I don't want to marry him, but I'm just not ready to get married. I will bring our mother outside the country to get treatment for her illnes so don't worry about her. And don't worry either because I won't pretend to be you. I will tell our mother about my real identity and also what I did to you. I will take this chance to get closer to our mother. I haven't been with her for a long time so I'm longing for a mother's love. And I hope you can get close to our dad too. I hope you can forgive him for what he did to you and Mom. I will take care of Mom and I will not leave her. Please, pretend as me until I come back. And when I came back I will make sure that I am ready to face my married life. I'm really, really sorry that I put you in this kind of situation. I will contact you when I have a chance and I will also tell you how I found out that I have a twin even though Dad never mentions you to me. I love Uriel but I'm not ready to get married yet. Please take care of him for me."

Alexa

I couldn't stop my tears after I read the letter that Alexa left me. I have a twin. Why mom didn't tell me that I had a sister and my shameless father took away when he abandoned us? Alexa wants me to be close to our father so that I can forgive him for leaving my mom and me? It's not that easy to do it.

Her wish will not happen. Iam mad with my father because if he hadn't left us, we wouldn't have experienced all the hardships we both went through just to survive. My mom wouldn't get sick from doing laundry just so we could eat at least once a day. I can't forgive him. No!

I COULDN'T stop the rush of nervousness in my chest as I walked down the aisles to the man who would be my husband whom I had just met. Next to me was my father. In eighteen years of my life I only see and touched now. Which is the day of my wedding that was supposed to be my twin Alexa's wedding. Everything in my sorroundings are unfamiliar to me even the people.

Earlier, when he greeted me in front of the church with a smile, I couldn't return his sweet smile. I want to speak and blame him for all the pains that Mom and I went through but I can't tell him because he will know that I am not Alexa but his abandoned daughter, Alex.

"Please, take care of my one and only daughter, Uriel," my father instructed as he handed my hand to Uriel, the man I will marry in place of my twin sister.

I felt sick because of what he said. One and only daughter? He had actually forgotten that he had another daughter. I wanted to tease him and tell him I was Alex. His second daughter. But for the sake of my mom's treatment, I stopped myself from doing that.

My hand suddenly became cold when I felt Uriel's warm hand touches my cold and shaking hand. I couldn't look at him because my feelings might betray me and reveal that I wasn't really Alexa. When that happens, it's like I killed my mom.

My mind floated while the priest spoke in front of us. And not only my hands are cold but my whole body. I feel like my chest is getting tight. I also felt like I couldn't breathe and my vision was blurring so I shook my head slightly. It's my dream that when I get married, my mom will be present and wearing a beautiful dress. But it didn't happen because she wasn't here.

"And now, you may kiss the bride," the priest announced at the end of the wedding ceremony. It means that all missing is just a kiss to make Uriel and I becomes officially husband and wife.

I closed my eyes as he gently turned me towards him and then lifted the veil covering my face.

"Open your eyes," I heard Uriel command me in a low voice.

"Kiss! Kiss!" strong motivation from the people around us.

I took a deep breath before I mustered up the courage to open my eyes and meet his deep gaze. I stared at the most handsome face of a man I had ever seen in my entire life. His forehead was slightly furrowed and he looked serious as he looked at me but it didn't diminish his elegance. It turns out he's not a grandfather but a grandson, I thought to myself while still staring at his face with a blank stare.

When his face came down to mine to finish the last part of the ceremony my eyes widened as my surroundings darkened.

My first kiss! I will lose my first kis to a total stranger! my mind screamed. It seems that destiny is helping me because even before Uriel's lips touched mine I am like a burning candle that suddenly collapsed and lost consciousness.