The Substitute Twin Bride
Chapter 1
"Is this the place?" the woman murmured.
Rose stopped in front of a luxurious hotel and checked the address on the message she had received on her phone. It was correct-Rose's sister had indeed asked to meet her there.
It had been seven years since Rose Baxter had heard from her sister, and then this message came out of nowhere.
"What is she doing in a place like this?"
Rose entered the hotel lobby, only to be immediately stopped, more like intercepted, by security. Given her plain appearance, anyone accustomed to serving the upper class would instinctively block the entry of a mere commoner.
"Wait, miss, where are you going?" the guard asked.
Rose showed him the screen of her cell phone. "I'm Rose. I was invited by Romilda Baxter, who's staying here. In a suite."
The hotel staff's demeanor changed instantly. "Ah, yes. She specifically requested that you come."
Rose's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yes, Miss. Please follow me."
As Rose followed the hotel staff, she thought, "Seven years wasn't that long to rise to the highest ranks of wealth. How had Romilda done it?"
Rose and Romilda were born into an ordinary, borderline-poor family. Financial struggles had been the root of their parents' endless arguments for years. Their father, a gambler and drunk, had run up debts everywhere.
Finally, their parents divorced seven years ago. Rose went with their mother, while Romilda went with their father.
Rose had tried to contact Romilda to reconnect as sisters. But the divorce had caused Romilda to treat Rose like a stranger. She never responded to Rose's messages.
Until last week, Rose had told Romilda that her mother was seriously ill and that her dying wish was to see Romilda.
After years of ignoring her messages, Romilda suddenly responded that day. She agreed to meet Rose at a five-star hotel.
Rose grew tense as the hotel staff stopped before a tall, grand door. What should she say? Should she give Romilda an immediate hug? Or start with small talk? Her mind was spinning with uncertainty.
"This is the room, miss. Please go ahead." The hotel staff rang the bell and promptly left.
Rose took a deep breath as the door opened. And...
She nearly screamed as she saw a half-naked man standing in the doorway. Rose's eyes widened, as did his.
"Shit! Honeeeey!!!" the man yelled.
"What is it?" came a voice from inside.
"She looks like you!!"
Rose froze and quickly covered her eyes, unsure of what to say. Had she walked into the wrong room?
"Hey, come on in. You're Romilda's sister, right?" the man said casually.
Rose nodded hesitantly and stepped inside.
The hotel suite was larger than her tiny apartment. It had a spacious living area with floor-to-ceiling windows, a sleek kitchen with high-end appliances, a center island, and bar stools.
The man gestured for Rose to sit on the plush and inviting sand-colored couch. She watched him disappear into the bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Rose hesitated to sit, so she stood anxiously, waiting. Then, a woman emerged from the bedroom, wearing a crimson satin robe. Her damp hair fell over her shoulders.
They stared at each other as if in a mirror. Rose saw herself in Romilda, and Romilda saw herself in Rose.
"Oh, wow... seven years," Romilda mused with a soft chuckle. "You haven't changed at all, Rose."
"Well, yeah." Rose swallowed hard. "You... look different."
"Isn't that a good thing? Our faces may be the same, but I refuse to end up like you."
Rose fell silent and took a deep breath. The sting of Romilda's words hit her hard.
Not only had her sister's demeanor changed, but her words were cruel.
Was there no love left in Romilda's heart after all this time? They had been inseparable since birth, sharing both joys and sorrows.
But now?
Being born from the same womb as identical twins apparently wasn't enough to keep their bond intact. Romilda felt like a stranger to Rose.
"How have you been?" Rose asked, changing the subject.
"Better." Romilda shrugged. "So, what do you want? To talk about your mother?"
"It's our mom."
"Well, since she chose you, I haven't had a mother since that day."
Rose wanted to tell Romilda that their mother had no choice when their father forced Romilda to go with him. Her mother had never wanted to separate the twins.
But Rose and Romilda's father, a master manipulator, convinced the court to split custody, with one parent for each child.
Unfortunately, Romilda didn't seem interested in hearing this. The bitterness in her eyes told Rose that Romilda still hadn't put the past behind her.
"And Dad? How is he?" Rose asked, trying to change the subject.
Romilda chuckled darkly. "I don't know. Probably dead."
"What happened, Romilda?"
"Enough, Rose. I don't want to talk about the past." Romilda crossed her arms. "Just say what you need."
"Mom is sick, Romilda. She's been in and out of the hospital the last few years." Rose cleared her throat. "She misses you and wants to see you, Romilda."
"You mean she needs my money for hospital bills?"
Rose clenched her fists. She had worked tirelessly to care for and support her mother, never once thinking to ask for help. Romilda's words were insulting.
" Mom just wants to see you! If we had known you were living like this, we would never have asked you for anything!" Rose snapped.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, making her jump. She quickly pulled it out and saw that the hospital was calling.
"Hello?" Rose's voice was strained with concern.
"Miss Rose, your mother has had another attack. Can you come to the hospital? We need your signature for emergency bypass surgery."
Rose's body grew weak. The doctors had been putting off the surgery for months because she couldn't afford it. Neither she nor her mother had health insurance. Where would she get the money?
"All right, I'll be there soon," Rose said.
"Thank you, Miss Rose. We'll be waiting."
The call ended. Rose exhaled shakily, her eyes dull as she turned back to Romilda.
"I have to go. Mom had another attack and needs surgery," Rose said. "I'm glad you're okay, Romilda. Mom will be happy to know that you're thriving."
Romilda didn't respond immediately; she just stared at Rose with an unreadable expression.
"Goodbye, Romilda," Rose said.
"Wait, Rose..." Romilda sighed. "What kind of surgery?"
"Heart surgery."
"And the cost?"
Why did Romilda ask that? It wasn't as if Rose would ever ask her for money.
"I'm working on it," Rose replied firmly.
"You need money fast, Rose. This surgery is going to cost a fortune." Romilda smiled.
"Yes, I know that. That's why I'll do whatever it takes for Mom!"
Romilda let out a little laugh. "How about we make a deal? I'll pay for it... but you have to do something for me. Sounds fair, right?"
"What kind of deal?"
*
Romilda never specified what kind of deal she had in mind. She simply asked Rose for the hospital's address.
Now Rose sat anxiously waiting for Romilda to arrive. Her mother's bypass surgery was scheduled to begin in an hour, but Romilda was nowhere to be seen.
As time passed, Rose's desperation grew. Maybe Romilda had never intended to help. Perhaps she had just been playing games with Rose and her mother's life. If that were true, Rose couldn't understand how Romilda could be so heartless.
But she was wrong.
Romilda showed up along with the man Rose had met in the hotel suite.
Draped in a scarf that covered her head and wearing oversized sunglasses, Romilda looked like a movie star from the '60s or '70s. Clearly, she was trying to hide her identity to avoid being recognized by anyone at the hospital.
As soon as she spotted Rose, Romilda stopped walking. She leaned over to the man on her arm and whispered something before dismissing him. He stepped aside to give the sisters room to talk privately.
Rose approached Romilda.
"You actually came. Thank you for visiting Mom," Rose said.
"Has the procedure started?" Romilda asked coldly, crossing her arms.
It was a rhetorical question - how could the surgery begin if the hospital hadn't been paid yet?
Rose sighed and shook her head weakly. "Not yet."
"Then what have you been doing? Just sit around and wallow in misery?" Romilda scoffed.
Rose lowered her head, feeling small and powerless before her twin sister.
"So you are ready to accept my offer, are you? That way, your mother can be saved," Romilda said firmly.
"What exactly is it you want from me, Romilda?" Rose asked.
A cruel grin formed on Romilda's lips.
"I need your virginity, Rose."
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