The Mafia's Duplicate Bride

Chapter 2

Morning came too soon for Charlotte and as she tried to stretch, the realization of what happened the day before came crashing down on her. She forced herself up to the bathroom, freshened up, and walked out of her bedroom to whatever life chose to throw at her.

As she descended the stairs, she heard her parents talking over breakfast. Her father was busy with his phone while her mother barked orders at the guards standing by the door. Yolanda had a notepad with her taking note of God knows what.

"Morning Mom." she greeted, kissing Victoria's cheeks.

"Morning Dad." she kissed Thomas's cheeks and sat down to eat, pretending not to be the center of attention. Before Charlene's death, everything in the house had revolved around Charlene, Victoria sang praises of her, never ceased to compare her to Charlene, and always rubbed it in her face that Charlene was better in everything. Despite being identical aside from some physical differences, Charlene always told Charlotte she was just a duplicate and nothing more.

The title "duplicate" had hung to her for years and right now she was about to accept it wholeheartedly because of her family and the trouble they'd undergo if she didn't agree to it.

"Did you sleep well?" Victoria asked, placing her palm over Charlotte's own, the warmth spreading over hers.

"Yeah, I did, thanks Mom," Charlotte responded as nanny Flora served her breakfast.

"Yolanda, get her things ready we'll be leaving tonight."

"Tonight?" Charlotte exclaimed, not believing her ears. She didn't even get enough time to mourn her sister and now she was expected to jump into her sister's shoes and act like her? tears welled up in her eyes as she turned to stare at her father but he had his head bent over his food in resignation. She knew that look, that stance so well. Her mom has always been the controlling one, the one to make decisions for the family and the one to run the family's finances.

Her father just worked but her mom did the spending and purchasing and hiring and firing.

"Can i get my stuff at least?" she asked, hoping she could take some of her personal belongings with her. "Of course not, you're going to be acting like Charlene, don't get us wrong baby we need this union to get them off our necks.

"Charlotte and Kendrick were in love, how do I act like that? how do I develop a venom within me in a couple of weeks? we're two different people Mom I don't__"

"Enough of this discussion, eat up, and let's get down to business."

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"What's taking him so long to get here? Doesn't he know courtesy? damn, my father is pushing his luck by pairing me with this__" The door opened and Jerald walked in, arranging his suit properly.

"Mr Perkins will be with you shortly, and the meeting will be brief. I hope you've got your proposal ready?" he asked as Jemima chuckled. "What do you take me for? an unserious business associate or what? tell me. it's either you get your boss here or he can call it__"

"That won't be necessary Miss?" Kendrick asked, his eyes pinning her to her spot.

"You don't know my name? and you do business with my father?" she asked, shaking her head.

"I do business with a lot of people, people I come across once or twice a year, I don't keep tabs on that so cut me the slack and tell me your name I'm less interested in this meeting than you are." now that felt like a slap on the cheek. She had men crawling and worshipping her but here, she had a man who was ready to pretend she didn't even exist. it hurt her feelings and her womanhood.

She's popular amongst the males and even amongst the females her only competitor was Charlene Anderson who was younger but much more successful and talented. She'd met her at several events from fashion shows to movie premieres to TV shows and yes, Charlene screamed wealth. She was so bossy and sassy and she could get any man she wanted.

"I'm Miss Jemima Henson, the daughter of the CEO of Henson Hotels and Resorts," she replied, stretching her hand for a handshake but he kissed the back of her palm instead, sending shock waves and shivers down her spine as she blushed hard.

"so let's get down to business," he said as she smiled and sat down.

*

*

About an hour later, as his guards led them out of the building, she couldn't help but imagine being his woman and what it'd feel like being with him on the same bed.

"We should meet some other time." he voiced out, licking his lower lips as she chuckled. "I see you love my company," she replied as he chuckled.

"You can say that again," he whispered, kissed her cheeks, and waited till she got into her car and zoomed off.

"Keep your tabs on her father, that mother fucker is going down real soon and I'd start with his darling daughter. Send her a bouquet first thing tomorrow and a little note."

"Noted," Jerald said and turned around to open the car for Kendrick.

As the car zoomed off, he realized it was past dinner time and his family would probably be waiting to hear from him so he picked up his phone and dialed his sister's number.

"I thought you wouldn't call," Becca said into the phone, clearly pissed.

"You don't have to sound so concerned, I know what you did with my credit card." he teased as she gasped then chuckled. "How's mom? did she take her drugs?"

"Yeah, she's asleep. when will you be coming home? I haven't heard from Charlene all day did you contact her?" Becca asked.

"I couldn't contact her and I have a strange feeling concerning it, it's weird."

"Maybe she got stuck with work and all, she'll call tomorrow." As he ended the call, his mind was not settled. He knew Charlene so well, she'd not sleep a day without hearing from him or texting him if she was so busy.

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"How's she doing?" Victoria asked the minute she stepped into the house.

"She's very much shaken and has been crying her eyes out, I just managed to put her to sleep." Nanny Flora replied. "I'll stay with her tonight, you can rest."

"Honey, how's she?" Thomas asked, walking into the quiet house.

"She's very much shaken it's a blow in the guts you know, it's not something to take lightly, and seeing the responsibility on her shoulder it must be tiring and painful.

"You go up and be with her, I'll be in my study come over when you leave her bedroom." Victoria nodded and walked up the stairs, her heart heavy.

As she pushed the door open, her eyes landed on Charlotte's form on the bed. She must have cried her eyes out, she thought, walking over to the bed to touch her face.

Charlotte sniffled, hugging her thighs to her chin while the traces of dried tears clung to her face. "It's going to be alright Charlotte, it's going to be alright. You'll be Charlene and life will go on," she whispered, kissing Charlotte's cheeks as memories of Charlene came resurfacing back.

"Sleep well sweetie," she whispered after half an hour had passed, and as she walked out of the bedroom, she knew what she had to do and what must be done.

***************************************

"She's sound asleep," Victoria said, walking into the study.

"She must be tired, Yolanda called not quite long ago, she put a call through to Hamilton College in West Virginia and I'm guessing our plan will go as it should, we won't have any setbacks," Thomas said, standing on his feet.

"I'm really glad about that now all we have to do is get the private jet ready to fly Charlotte out of the country." as she spoke, Thomas shook his head, sadness suddenly washing over his features.

"You're just interested in making Charlotte fit into Charlene's shoes, have you ever wondered if she'd like to mourn her sister in her way? Have you ever wondered if she needs the time to grasp all that's happening?" he asked and she chuckled.

"Who got us into this mess? who's to be blamed for this? tell me! I warned you about doing business with the Perkins but no you wouldn't listen, now look at this." she yelled, hitting the table.

"I had it under control until you blurted your words telling him on his sick bed that marriage between our children would make a great deal and you pushed your teenage daughter into that life." he retorted, breathing heavily.

"I did what I had to do to protect my family and that's the least I could do for now and then. Just so you know, I'd do more if I had the power and opportunity to do so, I won't sit back and whine like a kid."

"It's so easy for you to say, do you even love Charlotte? or do you just see her as a duplicate of Charlene?!"

"Do not question my motherhood, you have no right to do so, I'll leave you to your thoughts, excuse me.”

As Victoria walked out of the study, her phone rang, displaying Kendrick's name on the screen. "It's nice to hear from you." she did her best to make sure her voice was normal.

"I've been trying to reach Charlene but her line's been inactive," he said over the phone, his breathing going raggedy.

"We got a call from her PRO, she was involved in a fatal accident her car was mangled but she's safe just a little bed rest for about two weeks according to her doctor." she lied, her heart playing party drums in her chest as she hoped he wouldn't tell on her lie or detect anything suspicious.

"Why wasn't I informed? I deserve to know what happened to my fiancee don't I?" he asked, obviously angry and Victoria hoped he wouldn't get angrier cause Charlene always told her Kendrick was a loving man till he got angry.

"Yeah, but I suspected you were busy so I didn't want to bother you with it." she lied again and this time he sounded convinced till he ended the call.

As she walked to her bedroom she couldn't help but ponder on all that was happening around her, her daughter just died, and and her husband's past was catching up with them. The door opened revealing Thomas as he walked slowly in.

“I think my past is catching up with me Victoria, it's coming to haunt me and there's nothing I can do about it.”

“You should have thought about it before making such a mistake, you should have listened to me that night now my baby is gone, what are you going to do about it? What if Kendrick finds out what you did to his father? Do you think this marriage will be able to leverage you? You'll end up getting us in trouble.”

“Now don't act up so high and mighty, we both are in this together so don't act like you're innocent if I'm going down, you're going with me and that's it!” She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“You sound so confident, I've got so many people on my side, I've got so many things to pull you down and you won't like the outcome, I promise.”

“I love your threat but they're mere words, Victoria

don't test my patience, it runs out thinly, it runs out, and when I'm fed up, both of us are going down and that's the truth.”