Chapter 10
1451 Words
Darcy’s POV
“Good girl,” The man mused, leaning to kiss my frozen frame.
Just as I parted my lips to scream, another voice tore through.
“Mrs. Qualton!”
We turned to see the nurse. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere!”
“Miss Lola is awake and she wants to see you, come with me.”
Her words snapped me out of my shock, forcing my limbs to work as I trailed after her.
The man behind me was long forgotten.
When I saw Lola, I would give a big hug, a long one.
Because my entire life was spiraling out of control and she was the only thing that seemed static.
“We’re here,” The nurse said, pointing at the door.
I pushed it open, my heart swelling as I locked eyes.
She looked pale, her thin lips had lost all their color but the spark in Lola’s eyes was the same.
“Hey Rosie!” she chuckled, trying to sit up in excitement.
“No, no, no, don’t!” I yelled, soft laughter escaping my lips at the sheer realisation that she was alive.
Diana could wait. Everything could wait.
Right now, I just wanted my best friend as much as she wanted me.
I walked over, tackling her into a hug.
“I missed you so much, Rosie!”
“I’ve told you so many times, Lola. Stop calling me Rosie, I don’t know why that name is stuck in your head.”
She playfully nudged me, “I don’t know either, I heard that name during the fire…”
The fire.
“Someone kept calling you that name because of your Rose shirt and it stuck.”
We sat in silence for a while. Lola also had nightmares, as I did.
I didn’t know much about my past, but we shared that fire incident in common.
And yet, only Lola remembered that name.
“Forget that,” she took my hands into hers, her wide blue eyes staring into mine. “Where did you get so much money?”
I tried to retreat but her grip didn’t ease.
“Don’t you dare lie to me, Darcy. A hundred thousand dollars? That's a lot of money,” She moved her hands to my arms.
“Even if you sold me, you and all your paintings, we won’t get that money.”
I parted my lips for a new excuse but she stopped me in my tracks.
“And no, gifts from streaming won’t pay that amount! Even your anonymous fan doesn’t!”
She leaned. “Darcy… you didn’t do something wrong did you?”
“Will you at least let me speak?”
“I mean, look, look at these fancy clothes!” She gestured at me. “Where did you get them from? What have you–”
“Enough, enough, you little parrot!” I snapped, covering her mouth. “Will you listen now?”
She nodded.
“After you got in an accident, I found my parents,”
Her eyes widened to twice their size. “Those cheap people who were abandoned at the orphanage?”
“Lola! Don’t talk about them like that.” I responded, my chest tightening. “Besides where did you get so much strength from?”
She grabbed my arms. “My sister is about to make a terrible decision, of course I suddenly have energy!”
I shook my head and took her hands into mine.
“Nothing like that. They want to accept me into their family.”
Something flickered in Lola’s blue eyes before they sharpened again.
“What?” she asked. “What did they ask for in return?”
How did she know that mom and dad wanted something?
“Don’t look surprised,” She spat, “of course they want something! They abandoned you for twenty years and suddenly showed up? Did time soften their hearts and fill their pockets? Of course not!”
I kissed her hands, I was really lucky to have her. My Lola.
“Hey, hey, hey,” I defended. “It’s not like that. Not everyone is bad!”
“Not everyone is good, Darcy! Stop trusting people! Now, tell me, what did they want?”
“They want me to replace my sister, Diana. They wanted me to marry her groom because Diana fell sick on her wedding day, she was in terrible condition but this was her last shot to get married.”
“Because her groom’s mind was being poisoned by his relatives. Now, I have to fix their relationship and then leave.”
Lola stared at me for a while and at some point, I thought I’d broken her.
“You said now,” she finally spoke. “Like, you… You’ve already done this?”
She grabbed my hands. “You got married to a stranger for my treatment? You allowed them to fool you, why? You should have just let me die—”
I covered her lips before she could continue, shaking my head frantically.
“I already lost Lolita in that fire, I can’t lose you too. I won’t lose anyone else. Forget marrying a stranger, I would die for my family and you are my family. Okay?”
Lola scoffed. “Your goodness will be your biggest downfall. I’m telling you.”
There was silence.
“Wait.” Lola’s face paled, if that was even possible. “There’s more. Isn’t there?”
“I used to think that Diana was the wrong one and Klav’s relatives were bad but after today,” My mind drifted to the man. “I think I’ve been wrong. Very wrong. And now, I have to fix this mess. I have to fix everything. But I don’t know how to be Diana.”
“I don’t know how to win Klav’s heart. He hates Diana so much, how could he like…”
Lola sighed. “I don’t know about being Diana,” she turned my face so I could look into her eyes. “But I know Darcy, and I know that my Darcy is now married. I’m also sure that my Darcy can win anyone’s heart.”
“Whether their heart is cold or lava, you’ll tame it.”
“What’re you trying to say?”
“There's only one way to fix all your problems.”
“What way?”
Lola leaned, a smile gracing her pale features. “Just be yourself, Darcy.”
“My Darcy is just perfect. And I know that. Even if she can’t accept that. You don’t need to be anyone else, besides, if Diana was enough, why would they need you?”
Me? Perfect? Good enough? Me?
But I let Lolita die? I couldn't keep my parents and even in the orphanage, the caretaker said that I brought bad luck,
How could Lola see any good in me?
Even Klav hated me.
She cupped my cheek. “Face this battle as Darcy and victory is guaranteed. I don’t know about any drama, but you’re married now, Darcy. Your life or marriage is not a game that someone will swap and fix, no.”
“My apologies for interrupting.”
I turned to see a nurse, “I need to change her drip, and visiting hours are over. The patient needs to rest.”
I nodded, getting up. “I’ll come to see you and get you a better place. I’ll…” I trailed off. “I will also do what you have asked.”
Lola smiled and as I turned to exit the room and finally the building, the image was the most relieving thing I’d seen all week.
I pulled out my phone, dialing the house number.
Lola wanted me to be myself. So, I had to do what Darcy would do. And I had the perfect idea to warm everyone’s heart.
“Hello, make sure to start arrangements. We’ll have a picnic, the kids will join in too, okay?”
The maid on the other hand was dead silent before mumbling a yes.
I hailed a cab and stared out the window, wondering how everyone would be handling the picnic. Maybe this would help Klav cool off too. The kids would be happier too.
After the picnic, I would find out about Diana’s affair.
“We’re here,” the cab driver said.
I stepped out but before I could even pay, someone grabbed my arm.
I came face-to-face with Klav.
“You’ve crossed all limits now, Diana.” He growled.
Why was he so angry?
“How dare you make my children do labour under the guise of a picnic?!”
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