A Year In The Wrong Twin's Bed

Seven days before the wedding, I found out I was pregnant. Thrilled, I went to find my fiancé, billionaire CEO Marcello, only to discover that the man who'd been sleeping with me for the past year was his twin brother. His brother Carmine's laughter came from inside. "Marcello—what if I couldn't resist? What if I really slept with your little fiancée, pretending to be you? Think she'll break up with you if she finds out?" Marcello was coldly pouring a drink. He didn't even pause. "Why would I worry? Her father's a bottomless gambling pit. She needs me. Besides, you know who I actually want. I always use protection when I touch her. Just don't knock her up." That's when I knew. Marcello was never my savior. This was just a game to him. The one he wanted—it was always her. The proud, wealthy heiress, Valeria. I didn't cry. I didn't scream. I played my part. I was his perfect, obedient fiancée. But behind the scenes, I found a back-alley doctor. I scheduled the appointment. And I bought a one-way ticket out of the country. The day he found me on that clinic table, the great CEO lost his mind. He grabbed his own brother by the throat, his knuckles turning white. He roared, "Who the f**k told you to actually touch her?!" ***** The day I found out I was pregnant, my first instinct was to run. Straight to the VIP room of Marcello's private club. He'd told me never to set foot in there again. Said it would bring back bad memories. My father, the slums, the debts. But I was so happy. I had to tell him. My CEO, my fiancé. I had to be the one to tell him about our baby. I reached for the door. But a voice from inside froze me in place. "Carmine. Are you done playing? Time to switch back." That was Marcello's voice. Cold and dark. The voice of a billionaire. His twin brother, Carmine, went still for a second. Then a wicked grin spread across his face. He blew a slow smoke ring. "Not yet. What's the rush?" Marcello sat across from him, his brow furrowed. "I'll ask you one more time. Did you touch her? You know the rules." My breath caught in my throat. "Relax, Marcello." Carmine chuckled. It was a dangerous sound. "But what if I couldn't resist? What if I really slept with your little fiancée? Would you care?" I saw Marcello tense up. The lighter in his hand snapped shut. His face twisted in disgust. "Of course I'd care. She's filthy." The room of wealthy heirs erupted in laughter. "Carmine, you're sharing a woman with the boss?" "Can't blame him. You seen those curves? Flawless. I'd hit that too." "That body's insane. Bet she's a screamer." The air was thick with their disgusting jokes, their filthy fantasies. I bit my lip, hard. I tasted blood. "Enough, you pigs. You're giving her too much credit." A woman's voice cut through the noise. Sweet, but arrogant. It was Valeria. The heiress of a partnered corporation. Marcello's childhood sweetheart. She was draped against Marcello, giggling. "Aria? That poor thing from the slums? She's just a gold-digger anyone can have." She swirled the wine in her glass, smug. "I can't believe this swap worked so perfectly. The i***t has no idea Marcello even has a twin. She doesn't know the men taking turns beside her every night, treating her like a b***h in heat, aren't even the same person!" A c***k of thunder outside nearly split my eardrums. I was shaking so hard I could barely stand. So that was it. The man who'd held me every night for a year… it was them? Both of them? Taking turns? "But Marcello," someone asked, "what about the wedding in seven days? The invitations are out. Is it for real?" "It's still on." Marcello raised his glass, let out a small laugh, and downed it in one go. "It's just a game. A trick to fool some girl from the slums. I have no plans to actually register the marriage. It's amusing, watching her fall deeper in love with me." A game. My salvation, the future I'd worked so hard for—just his way of killing time. "Brilliant!" Valeria's eyes shone with excitement. "Marcello, in seven days, at the wedding, I'm going to expose everything! I want to watch her world burn right when she thinks she has it all!" "Fine." Marcello didn't even hesitate. He looked at her, his eyes full of adoration. "Anything to make you happy. Play however you want." My heart hit the floor. I went numb. "But…" Valeria's eyes darted around. She raised a malicious eyebrow. "What if she gets pregnant?" The room went silent for a beat. My hand in my pocket squeezed the pregnancy test. "Impossible." Marcello scoffed. "If she dares to use a pregnancy to trap me, she's lying." He turned, his gaze like ice on Carmine. "I took precautions. And you… you're sure you never touched her, right, Carmine?" Carmine's hand tightened on his glass. His knuckles went white. But he just smirked, let out a casual whistle, and said nothing. "Good." Marcello got the answer he wanted. "Carmine will testify to what a liar she is. If she dares to dream about trapping me with some bastard child, I'll throw her back to the slums to rot." I was trembling. Tears were already streaming down my face. Just last month, I'd willingly let him finish inside me, foolishly dreaming of our baby. But I didn't storm in there screaming. My survival instincts, honed from years of crawling through the gutter, took over. The fairy tale was dead. I let go of the doorframe. I pulled the pregnancy test from my soaked pocket. Two bright red lines. A mockery of my three stupid, obedient years. I'd run through the pouring rain to share my good news. Now? It meant nothing. I was just the punchline to their sick joke.