Intertwined with my twin’s lover

Chapter 3

My father had walked up to the altar and publicly apologized to Helen for all he put her through. He was lucky he wasn't speaking to Helen, but to me. Helen would have walked him out without a second thought, and the wedding would go on like nothing happened.

"Babe," Pedro said uneasily, holding onto both of my hands and squeezing them tightly as if that would answer the unasked questions he had. We were in a room that was dressed specially for us. We had a few minutes to use the bathroom and freshen up.

"Yh?" I had no idea what Helen used to call him, so I just answered him casually. I didn't want to blow my cover.

"Your hands feel softer today. Seems like the manicure you got for our wedding was worth the eight hundred dollars you paid." I giggled when he said that, recalling how Helen had a really hard and masculine palm despite the many lotions and treatments she applied to soften them. Eight hundred dollars? Just for a manicure? That was a heck of an amount.

It would get me a good number of textbooks for school. I tried not to show the surprise on my face and nodded in agreement. "It did."

He smirked in response and then he took a deep breath.

"You aren't as excited as I thought you'd be. I mean you have waited your whole life for your wedding day and waited until your wedding day for your first kiss. Yet you seemed so uneasy in there." Pausing to put his hands around my neck, he continued. "Were you nervous?" I couldn't believe what he just said. He was talking about the kiss we had at the wedding hall.

I hadn't realized that my sister was this morally guided. So she had never kissed Pedro? It was almost impossible to believe, the Helen that I know was a loose girl. This came as a shock to me.

I was certain that she had kissed tons of other guys before she met Pedro, so it was awkward of him to assume that she had her first kiss in there, with him. Except she had lied to him.

But what about the many sleepovers she had at Pedro's place?

If they had never kissed, what were they doing all that while? Netflixing and chilling? I looked at Pedro with suspicion, and then I looked away.

Although I tried hard not, I wore a puzzled look. Pedro titled, "Okay, lol." He smacked my ass casually.

"We both know that wasn't our first kiss. You are an amazing kisser. But since it wasn't our first kiss, why did you act so immature out there?" I looked up at him, still dumbfounded that he had slapped me in the ass. And slightly thrilled that Jasmine was such a guru with kissing. How do I tell him that I am not one? How do I go back to being Jasmine? How do I tell him that what I had in there was not just my first kiss with him, but my first kiss ever?

I looked him over, wondering if I was willing to go on with the plan of impersonating my sister or execute my plan B. I had made up my mind to run away, but somehow I was beginning to enjoy his company. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

I finally had the time to admire the expensive clothes he had on. The sky blue designer suit and pants, with black Gucci shoes. The real goal chains, the expensive wristwatch.

He wasn't just a billionaire, he looked like a billionaire. His brown wavy hair was permed. He was wearing nothing artificial, other than lip balm. It turned out that this Billionaire loves to be simple and classy.

The fact that he had smacked me meant that he was already feeling very easy around me and I wouldn't blame him for that. I mean, he had dated "me" for two years. I wondered what other things he did with Helen, feeling slightly jealous.

I was his bride after all, now his wife. Although I had planned to run away after the wedding, or even during it... I was beginning to rethink.

The emotions I felt for him when I first met him two years ago, the strong connection we shared...

Everything was beginning to come back. But it still felt awkward and different.

The brief break we had after the wedding was over and we returned to the hall. It was time for the reception.

He held onto me like I was going to disappear if he let go and that wasn't a completely wrong assumption. I still contemplated going missing and never coming back home. If I was going to marry, I'd probably find somewhere out there worth my time and tie the knot with him. And not end up with someone else's husband.

Let the stories have it that Pedro's bride had disappeared on his wedding night, or during the wedding. But at least he and Helen tied the knot.

I could see the substitute maid of honor smiling ear to ear when she sighted us. Abbey was Helen's best friend and a hypocrite. She was the one who talked about my heels and walking steps today earlier in the presence of everyone.

After my mother had told the makeover artist and the tailor that I was at school taking exams, Abbey immediately filled in for her best friend. Helen.

I knew she was a hypocrite, and had told Helen severally. But she wouldn't listen to me the many times I told her that Abbey was not who she claimed to be. I had caught her countless times in the act of trying to hurt my sister. But even after I provided Helen with shreds of evidence, she chose to carry on with her blind trust in her best friend.

Abbey and the crowd cheered simultaneously for us, as we walked in. We had taken just ten minutes off to use the comfort and then get back into the hall for the reception.

The master of ceremony motioned for us to walk faster, as a piece of slow rock music was already playing in the background. It was time for the dance.

The song was by Jennifer clauz. Helen's favorite artist.

Helen knew how to do all her dances, but I wasn't a fan of her music, so I knew it was going to be a challenge dancing to the beats.

"Uhm..." I motioned for the DJ to look in my direction. I might be sad, nervous, and uncertain of the future. But if I was going to get married against my will, I had better do it well. He turned towards me, taking his headset off. "I don't think I want Jennifer clauz today." It was followed by gasps from the few people who heard what I said and knew how crazy Helen was about Jennifer Clauz.

That was too much to ask for, it had a high probability of blowing my cover.

Why would Helen not want Jennifer Clauz on her wedding day?

"But we already practiced this dance." Pedro interrupted me, displeased by my change of heart.

"I know, I know," I responded knowingly, searching for the right excuse to use. Not able to find a tangible reason, I rattled on. "But baby, I think we should do something different." I didn't wait for him to give his approval, I strode closer to the DJ. This was a reception hall and not a courtroom. It was party o'clock.

Whispering the lyrics of the song I wanted, I gave Pedro my hand and asked him to follow my feet movement. It was an unpopular hip-hop song, but It was by my favorite artist.

We didn't do so well, but we didn't do so badly either. We got the crowd to cheer, just not wildly for us. People sprayed a lot of money on us, and we had a good time.

Well, it seemed like I did, because every second I spent with Pedro only made my heartbeat increase. And this time, it wasn't a nervous kind of heartbeat. It was something that could be traced to affection.

After the wedding ended,

Pedro grabbed my hands as firmly as always and walked me to his Bugatti. Not letting anyone else come with us, he drove me back to his apartment which was a few streets away.

"Get upstairs and freshen up, let me get the dogs out. I'll join you shortly." This was my first time in his apartment, I didn't know my way around, nor the place of anything. Not even the way to the bathroom. And did he just say he was going to get the dogs out?

I hated dogs with a passion that I couldn't define. Knowing how much Helen loved to cuddle puppies, I knew it was useless telling him not to. She might have bought some of them herself.

I had only one worry at the moment. Finding my way to the bathroom. This kind of house probably had over fifteen bathrooms, but only one was right for me to use.

I was tempted to ask, but how could a woman he dated for years tell him to show her the way to the bathroom?

I nodded yes and stood with both hands on my hips until he was out of sight.

And then I had set out on my way up the stairs.

Who would have thought I had an excellent scheme for escape that I had discarded?

I planned to disappear after the wedding and probably go to a place no one would find me. Cities away from suitewan city.

But this mother fucker had his goddamn eyes on me the whole time.

A few seconds after the wedding, we were on our way to this magnificent apartment.

I had to admit, he was breathtakingly wealthy.

Strange that a house as big as this was void of stewards.

Not even a chef? I started on my way up the stairs, hoping that I wasn't going to get lost in this Paradise.

I also hoped that I was going to bump into someone who I would causally ask for the way to the master bedroom. There had to be a bathroom in there.

I was wondering if Helen had any of her clothes here already, and why he didn't wait even for a second, so I could pick up my clothes.

"Good evening ma." A bald Asian boy genuflected. I was lost in my thoughts, I didn't see him coming. I almost bumped into him.

Although I wasn't sure if he was Asian, his eyes and nose suggested he was.

"Hey!" I couldn't let this opportunity pass, I halted him. "Kindly show me to the master bedroom," I said most casually, hoping that he wouldn't wonder why I would ask about that. Everyone around probably knew me to be Helen the bride to the Billionaire.

He pointed to his ears and then threw both hands in the air.

He wasn't able to understand English. I sighed and walked past him, pulling off my heels along the hallway.

I cursed aloud. "I'll find my way around."