My eyes widened as my mother's words hung in the air like a deadly challenge. "You want me to marry my sister husband ?" I repeated, my voice barely a whisper of disbelief. Across the mahogany desk, my mother nodded solemnly, acting as if the entire future of the family rested on this singular, monstrous decision.
You can't be serious," I exclaimed, my voice rising to a pitch I had never dared use against my mother before.
"You will not use that tone with me, young lady," my mother snapped, her eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. "You will do exactly as you are told, since your sister has decided to bring shame upon this family name and everything your father and I have worked for. Mr. Richard and his son will be coming by next week, and you will not only be taking your sister's place, but you will be taking her identity as well."
"What did you just say?" I managed, hardly believing the words, yet already feeling the cold dread of them sinking in: taking my sister's identity.
While my sister and I were identical twins, we were vastly different women: I was quiet, calm, sweet, and nice, possessing every gentle characteristic of a storybook heroine; Sophia, conversely, was wild, volatile, and a noted alcoholic who relished a loud party, making her the complete opposite of me. I certainly had no idea how to successfully act like my sister.
"Now, darling," my mother cooed, stepping closer, leaning over the chair until her shadow fell across me. This was the same look of cold calculation she always gave when she wanted to seize control of my life, a look I had feared since childhood. "You don't want me to remind you what I am capable of doing, so you will take your sister's place, you will take her identity, and you will do a damn good job of it. I don't care how you manage it, but you will ensure Mr. Richard and his son never see the difference. Am I clear, Sienna?" my mother finished, folding her arms across her chest with a look that plainly stated: You don't have a choice because I own you.
I left my mother's office feeling as if my world had just been completely turned upside down, every trace of my own life stripped away and replaced with a terrifying mandate. I understood the family I came from; I knew that if I didn't do exactly what my mother had ordered because this was an order made by my birth-giver, not a request my mother would surely involve my father. He was worse than her, as he didn't care about any of us, and once he wanted something, he would stop at nothing to get it, even if it meant sacrificing his own children in the process.
I fled down the long corridor and burst into the sanctuary of my bedroom, slamming the heavy mahogany door shut behind me. Amelia, my personal maid, who had been folding linens by the window, immediately dropped her work. She was a woman who had taken care of me since I was a child, and she had been more of a mother to me than my own biological one ever was.
She rushed to me, her gentle face clouded with immediate concern. "Oh, my sweet girl, what has happened now?"
The sound of her voice, so full of genuine love, shattered my composure. The tears I had fought off in my mother's presence now came with devastating force, blurring my vision as they streamed down my face. I collapsed into her arms, and she held me tightly as my entire body shook with sobs, the terror and injustice of the situation finally overwhelming me.
"She wants... she wants me to marry him," I choked out, the words muffled against her uniform. "She wants me to marry Sophia's husband's and pretend to be her."
Amelia's arms tightened around me, and I felt her chest heave in a weary sigh. She pulled me over to the chaise lounge and sat, stroking my hair as she let me cry until the worst of the trembling passed.
"I can't do it, Amelia," I whispered, pulling back just enough to look at her. "I'm not like her; I don't know how to be wild or reckless. He'll see straight through me, and then what will they do?"
Amelia took my hands, her grip firm and comforting. "Listen to me, child," she said, her voice soft but strong. "Your mother sees people only as pieces on a chessboard, but you have always been more resilient than she gives you credit for. You are kind, which is a strength, not a weakness. You must not let her break your spirit."
She looked me squarely in the eyes. "Your mother has given you a role to play, so you must play it until you find a way to take back control. The marriage is a trap, yes, but it is also a safe place, far away from this house. You will go there, you will survive, and you will wait for the moment to reclaim your life. You must be smart, Sienna, but most importantly, you must be careful.