My Twin Sister's Wife

Elix’s POV: "I need to review the finance reports for the last quarter. Can you bring them in for me, please?" utos ko sa secretary ko habang nakatingin pa din sa laptop sa mesa ko. The weight of my responsibilities is pressing down on my shoulders. “Sure, ma’am.” Shannon responded, her fingers flying across the keyboard of her tablet as she pulled up the necessary files. As the CEO of the company, nakasanayan ko na ang high-stress environment, but today felt particularly challenging. I leaned back in my chair and took a deep breath, trying to center myself. As she handed me the neatly organized stack of reports, hindi ko maiwasang pahalagahan ang dedikasyon at kakayahan nito. It was a comfort to have someone so reliable managing my schedule and handling the intricacies of the office. "Thank you, Shannon," I said, accepting the reports. Ngumiti naman ito at wari mo’y kinikilig sa sobrang lapad ng ngiti. "I'll need some uninterrupted time to go through these. Please hold my calls for the next hour." I added. “Sige po ma’am. Is there anything else I can assist you with today?” nagniningning pa din na mga mata nito. I nodded, realizing there was one more task on my agenda that couldn't be postponed any longer. "Actually, Shannon, I need you to arrange a meeting with the board of directors this Wednesday afternoon. We have some pressing matters to discuss regarding the company's future projects." Isinulat naman nito ang request ko sa kanyang tablet. "Consider it done, ma’am. Ipapadala ko agad ang meeting invitations.” "Thank you, Shannon," I said, "That will be all for now." Lumabas na ito pagkatapos tumango, leaving me alone with the stack of finance reports. Habang pinag-aaralan ko ang mga numbers and charts, di ko maiwasang maramdaman ang bigat ng pagiging CEO na nakapatong sa balikat ko. It was a position I had never expected to hold, but one that I had assumed to honor my late sister's memory. In the quiet of my office, I reviewed the financial data with a critical eye, determined to lead the company with the same dedication and resilience that Lexa had exemplified. The world outside my window continued to buzz with activity, but in that moment, all that mattered were the reports before me and the future of the company that had been entrusted to my care. Yes, it’s been a year since the day I have confronted Rielle and revealed the truth that had lain hidden for so long. Nakaukit na sa pagkatao ko yung tagpong iyon na hindi ko halos kayang isipin kahit saglit. Yun yung tagpong nagpabago ng takbo ng buhay ng bawat isa sa amin. Ipinikit ko ang mga mata ko, pilit inalala ang mga naganap ng araw na yon. I’ve been watching Rielle from a distance. Ramdam ko ang bawat bigat at sakit na nararamdaman niya satwing uuwi siya ng unit. At first, kita ko pa ang excitement sa mga mata niya. Ngunit sa paglipas ng araw, pabigat ng pabigat ang sakit na alam kong hindi ko yon kayang pawiin. Pero paano nga ba? Alam ko na hindi ko kayang ipagpatuloy ang mamuhay sa kasinungalingan. Ang gampanan ang pagkatao ng kapatid ko at itago ang tunay kong pagkatao. I just can’t do that with Rielle. She deserves to know the truth kahit gaano pa ito kasakit. Ramdam ko pa rin hanggang sa ngayon yung bigat mula nung sinabi ko sa kanya ang malungkot na katotohanan na wala na si Lexa. Yung lungkot sa mga mata niya na parang sumasaksak sa dibdib ko satwing maiisip at maaalala ko ito. But her grief had been too raw, too overwhelming. Sa bawat pag atras ng paa niya palayo nung araw na iyon ay alam kong ako yung dahilan ng pagkawasak ng mundong kilala niya. Yung mundo kung saan siya masaya. Ang hirap. Ang sakit pero wala akong magawa. I’ve left no choice. Magdudulot at magdudulot talaga ako ng sakit sa buhay niya. Lumipas ang isang taon. Lahat ng bigat mula nang mawala ang kapatid ko ay sinalo ko ng buong buo. Pero wala ito kumpara sa nangyari sa buhay ni Rielle. Nakita ko lahat ng pinagdaanan niya. She had her emotional distress because of Lexa’s death. That night when she left, I followed her hanggang makasakay ito sa sasakyan nito. I felt her anger, her pain. Her life shattered right in front of me. Kitang kita ko kung paano siya lumuha at magwala sa loob ng sasakyang iyon pero wala akong magawa until she passed out that night. I rushed her to the hospital after I broke her car’s window. Her mom came and asked me what happened while she’s crying in front of me. I can’t just lie to her so I told her only the truth. I sobbed when I told her but she hugged me and felt sorry for my own loss. The memories of that fateful moment still haunted me, but today, my thoughts were consumed by a different kind of worry, a more recent memory that had left me utterly shaken. I had taken over the company, honoring my twin sister's final wish to protect Rielle from further pain. I had assumed the role of Lexa, both in the business and in our personal life, as I knew it was the only way to honor Lexa's legacy and shield Rielle from the harsh realities of her loss. Her life became my own. Neither of us doesn’t want comparison. We both want our personal space but our lives are connected. We asked our parents to separate us from the public eye kaya we don’t live in one house. Gusto naming mabuhay nang walang comparison mula sa ibang tao. My father, a man of wealth and influence, had always been proud of his family legacy. But in recent years, he had grown tired of the constant media attention and public scrutiny that came with having two daughters who were often compared to each other. Lexa and I had never wanted to live in a world defined by such comparisons, and it was a burden we both carried. Lexa just sacrificed her real identity when my dad decided to have a public announcement, stating that he has only one daughter. Lexa wants it to be me. She wants people to know that I’m the only daughter and she will still be my sister without any buts. I still remember the day she told me, we were already 15 that time. "I will always be your sister, Elix, in our hearts and in our bond. But this decision is meant to spare us from the constant comparisons and public scrutiny. It will allow you to live your life as you see fit, without the shadow of my existence hanging over you." Tinitigan ko siya, and she knew that I understood the sacrifice she was making. "Lexa, you don't have to do this," I whispered. She just shook her head, "I want to, Elix. We've always supported each other, and this is my way of ensuring we have the freedom and peace we deserve." I nodded, my eyes glistening with gratitude and understanding. "Thank you, Lexa. You're the best sister anyone could ask for." Nang araw na yon we knew the consequences of that announcement. Makikilala ng mundo na ako yung nag iisang anak ni Daddy. But we would always know the truth, and our sisterly bond would remain intact, a testament to the unbreakable connection between two sisters who had chosen to support and protect each other in a world that often sought to tear them apart. We even have the same first name. I was named Paris Elix and she was Paris Lexa but our names were not registered like that, only ‘Paris’. Elix and Lexa are just our identifier names but never exist. All the documents our father did is to name everything under the name Paris alone. We have the same rights in everything sa kabila ng mga desisyon ng pamilya namin. Yun ang dahilan kung bakit hindi ko kayang putulin ang ugnayan ko kay Rielle. I promised Lexa that I will honor her death wish. Just like what she did for me until her last breath, she sacrificed her own identity and gave way for me. Yung ginusto naming dalawa ang hindi mabuhay sa definition ng ibang tao pero ako lang yung kilala ng lahat bilang nag-iisang anak.