Chapter 42 Chapter 0042
•ANEIRA•
"What are you talking about, Polly?" Rafael scoffed, looking at me and then back to her. "This is Narra Colombo. Do you think I would marry someone and not know who they are?"
"Oh, is she truly Narra?" She laughed, leaning closer while Amari stood beside my mother so that she could stop her from running. "Perhaps you should ask her what her name is."
"Her name is Narra, Polly," he growled. "What are you doing here with Amari?"
"That should be the least of your worries, brother," Polly answered as she crossed her arms across her chest. "Instead of asking me what I am doing here with Amari, you must ask your wife why her mother moved to a different location after your wedding."
Rafael slowly turned to me, and I could see the anger that was brewing behind his eyes. He didn't want to believe her, but he knew she was right.
"Who are you?" he asked, taking a step back from me.
"What do you mean, Rafael?" I gasped. "I am Narra Colombo. Why would I lie about my identity to you?"
"Oh, please, Aneira," Polly scoffed as she leaned closer. "The secret is out, so there's no need for you to act as if you don't know what I'm talking about."
"No, no," my mother chimed in, sounding nervous. "My daughter Aneira died in a car accident. I have been mourning her for almost two months now. Why would I conspire against Rafael about her death?"
"That's exactly what has been on my mind, Emma," Polly answered, turning to her. "But I couldn't understand why you'd lie about your daughter's identity when you know Aneira has a birthmark that Narra doesn't."
My blood ran cold. My breathing became uneven, and I felt my chest tightening.
The birthmark was on the top of my left shoulder. My mother used to tell Narra and me apart from it.
She also believed that it made me the imperfect twin since Narra was born without a single spot on her body.
And for years, I hid it from everyone, thinking people would judge me based on it. I thought it would make people think there was something wrong with me.
"I would never lie to you, Rafael," I answered, my voice sounding desperate. "My mother and I wouldn't have fooled you."
"Show me the birthmark," he answered, leaning closer. His lips were tight and his eyes were cold.
I looked at my mother and realized I didn't have a choice. Perhaps this would be her punishment, and whatever fate I wanted would come true.
Rafael would kill us both. He never took it lightly when people betrayed him, and this was the worst thing we could've done to him.
"Rafael, please," I begged, trying to hold back the tears that were burning behind my eyes. "This isn't true. My sister died in a car accident before the wedding."
"Strip her," he muttered to the housekeepers who had gathered in the hallway.
"Fine," I swallowed as I turned around and pulled down my shirt. I looked down and accepted whatever fate was coming to me.
Rafael leaned closer, and when he saw the birthmark, he turned to my mother and looked her straight in the eye.
"How dare you lie to me about your daughter's identity?" He growled. "Do you know the consequences of your deception?"
"That's not the only thing they are keeping from you," Polly added with a soft chuckle. "But Narra is alive and hiding somewhere. When Emma moved from her home after your wedding to Aneira, she took Narra hiding and made the entire town believe she was dead."
My heart skipped a beat as I looked at my mother. She told me Narra died and blamed me for her death so I agreed to marry Rafael.
"No, my sister is dead," I answered, shaking my head. "My mother arranged for me to marry Rafael because Narra died. I did this because she told me I had killed her before her wedding."
My mother opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. I shook my head as I leaned back. My heart was pounding in my chest, thinking of the lies she concealed so I would marry Rafael.
She did this because she — my breath caught, and I didn't notice when I stepped back and slipped from my apron that got loose when I slid down my shirt.
Everything happened so fast, and I fell on the floor on my back. I closed my eyes and groaned as an unbearable pain shot through my back and thighs.
Rafael was on my side within seconds, lifting me from the floor.
"Take Emma to the guest room and lock her up there until I return!" he commanded the housekeepers. "You must ensure she doesn't leave the house under any circumstances!"
He picked me up in his arms as I slipped in and out of consciousness. My vision got blurry whenever I opened my eyes.
"Where are you taking her, Rafael?" Amari chimed in. "She needs to answer for her crimes!"
"She must answer to us, Rafael!" Polly backed her up.
"She's hurt," Rafael answered. "And I won't let anything happen to my baby, or Aneira," he said as he took me to his car in the driveway.
I passed out before I could see where we were going.