“She's awake! She's awake! Master Farleigh, come and see!”
The voices felt distant, almost unreal, as my eyelids fluttered open. A sharp inhale filled my lungs. I was alive.
Why?
Zack had only pulled his precious Serena from the pool, leaving me for dead. He didn't even look back. I should have just died.
Who then saved me?
I tried to move, but my body felt so heavy, every inch of me was sore and aching.
“It's almost a miracle.” a deep voice murmured.
I instinctively tried to turn my head, desperate to see who it was.
“Oh, no, no… you'll hurt yourself.” His gentle hands steadied me as he adjusted my pillows.
“Your body is still weak. Just rest.”
I froze.
That face…. Those eyes.
They were bluish-grey, just like mine. The kind that always made people feel like I was staring into their souls.
I stared at him as my mind scrambled for logic.
His perfectly oval face, the dark curls falling to his shoulders, the same almond skin, the same thin lips.
He was me!
“Who the hell are you?!” I panicked.
He just chuckled, clearly unfazed by my horror.
“Hello, sister,”
“Sister?” I repeated.
Is he mad?
“I'm glad you're awake,” he continued casually as if he hadn't shattered my entire reality.
“The doctors said you’d be unconscious for at least three weeks, but look at you! One week and you’re already proving them wrong. You’re a fighter.” he giggled.
I barely heard him. I was too busy trying to make sense of where I was; the grand, unfamiliar room.
The towering walls, the grand chandelier, the heavy drapes, the luxurious old-world decor. It was something straight out of a history book. This wasn’t home. This wasn’t even my world. It looked like a castle!
“Who are you? Where am I?” I managed to ask.
“Oh, forgive my manners. I'm Asher.. Asher Farleigh, your twin brother,”
I frowned at him, and then I laughed. It didn't make any sense, but he looked dead serious. Even our striking resemblance mocked me.
“T..That’s not possible. I don't have a twin brother. H-He died at birth. My mom told me, s…she made sure it sank deep,” I said, trying to make sense of my reality.
“Oh, I see.. She didn't tell you yet,” he said in a disappointed tone.
“Tell me what?” I asked.
Then, I remembered.
“My glasses!” I jolted. I couldn't let anyone know I had regained my sight. It was great keeping Serena and Zack in the dark.
“Glasses? Your eyes are perfectly fine. What do you need them for?” Asher asked, looking at me with questioning eyes.
“Nothing. Never mind,” I sighed.
What was the point anyway? I had already lost. Zack and Serena were getting married and there was nothing I could do about it.
“Forgive me, Lena. I should have come to you sooner. I wanted to, but I was under strict orders to never get close to you. It pained me even more when I found out what you have been going through in their hands. Please forgive me for not being there for you. You deserve way better,” he said.
“What are you talking about? What is going on? Please tell me, ” I begged.
I could see the genuity and sadness in his eyes, but I still couldn't wrap my head around what exactly was going on. And I guess he noticed.
Asher sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“Start anywhere,” I whispered, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Please.”
He hesitated before locking eyes with me. “Lena… I didn’t die at birth.”
My fingers curled into the sheets. “W-what?”
“We were separated,” he continued, watching me closely. “Because of a deal our parents made.”
“I…I.. I don't understand. W-What do you mean?”
“Let me make this simple. My father, Mr. Farleigh had an affair with our mother. When she got pregnant, he wanted to take responsibility, but she refused. She was married to your father… or rather, the man you thought was your father.”
“My dad had no children. He never married, he was too busy building his empire. So when he found out about us, he refused to walk away.
“Mom couldn't tell her husband that she had gotten pregnant for another, so she decided to give the child to my dad, under the guise that the baby died, but then, she had twins.
“My dad chose to keep me since he couldn't have both of us, even though mom kicked against it. Ultimately, dad had his way. Mom used to come around once in a while to visit me. I knew about you, dad never kept any secrets, but I couldn't meet you,”
Of all the overwhelming details Asher had just unloaded, one truth cut the deepest; neither of my parents wanted me.
