EVA'S POV

In my entire life, I have never seen my mom gone all out for anyone the way she was doing for Rachel.

She hired some cleaners to clean the house, she changed a few things, bought drinks and food items in just one day.

As soon as she asked Rachel to invite her fiance over, preparations started immediately for his arrival the next day and as usual, I wasn't exempted as my mom asked me to change the curtains in the living room.

I didn't understand why she was going all out for just a casual visit and it wasn't even to start making preparations for the wedding.

"Eva, make sure you fix that in the right way and don't get distracted."my mother said as she walked away.

I sighed deeply as I continued doing what I was doing.

"Mom!!! He is going to be here as early as 9 tomorrow!!!" My sister yelled.

"Oh shit!!! We haven't gotten everything done!!! Eva!!!!???" She called.

"Yes, mother??"

"Hurry up and fix those....I have another job for you."

"But what about the bride to be??" I asked teasingly.

I noticed Rachel had done nothing for hours except walk around and look pretty.

"No dear...I don't want her to stress herself before tomorrow so her fiance won't change his mind." She said smiling.

"Really mom??? Really??"

I was starting to believe that I was adopted.

"Just do it for your sister okay...once she gets married and moves to her husband's house, she'll be out of your head."

After doing all the heinous chores my mother asked me to do, I was exhausted as I laid on the bed.

I felt aches all over my body and that added to my frustration too as I didn't eat anything and decided to sleep with an empty stomach.

The following day as early as 6:30AM, my sister woke me up.

"Eva!!!wake up!! Have you forgotten what day it is??" She asked.

I yawned and checked the time.

"Rachel it's still so early please let me sleep...besides it's not your wedding day." I said.

"Fine!!! Suit yourself." She said as she walked out of my room in anger.

The craziest part of this was that I was not even the tiniest bit curious about the man she was bringing home because I just wanted this to go away as much as it could.

I got up soon after as I couldn't go back to sleep and freshened up.

My Mother was already in the kitchen and so I joined her.

"Eva, please I beg of you...be of good behavior today and don't drive away our guest with your silly remarks."

"Mom?? Am I a child???"

"Am just saying Eva."

"Just a few more hours Eva." I whispered to myself.

It was already 2pm and Rachel's fiance was nowhere to be seen.

She had already cried twice ruining her makeup and as for me, I had already eaten twice.

I felt bad for her but that didn't mean I should ignore my empty belly.

She called him repeatedly but it was going straight to voicemail.

"Mom, did I do something wrong?? Am I cursed??" She asked in tears.

"No sweetie...maybe something just came up."

"Something came up and he couldn't inform me about it??"

"Yeah...or maybe something bad happened." I said.

"I know you are the cause of this Eva!!!!"Rachel said.

"Me??? What did I do?" I asked in confusion.

"You have used your bad luck to jinx me."

"Mom, can you hear her??" I asked.

"Just leave your sister alone Eva."

"No mom!!! First of all I am her older sister and she should accord me some respect and second, haven't I worked my ass off since yesterday just to make sure things go smoothly??? And then she has the temerity to say I jinxed her with my bad luck??"

"Calm down Eva...this is not the time at all to do this with your sister..she is hurt and heartbroken."

"I feel bad about that...I really do but that doesn't give her the right to say whatever she pleases."

"Eva I said it's enough!!"

"Mom, what if he cancels the engagement?? What am I going to do??" Rachel asked.

"Then you will find someone better dear."

"No mom...I don't want any other person but Clark!! He is the perfect man for me."

"There are no perfect men Eva." My mom said.

"No mom you don't understand...he is perfect....he is nice, kind, loves me and rich.... everything I want in a man."

"There are other eligible bachelors out there with these qualities sweetie...he isn't the only man in the world."

My mom really didn't care if Rachel's fiance died because all she wants is for her kids to get married by all means and get out of her head.

She has been planning our wedding ever since we were born and it is her lifelong dream to bring it to actualization.

"Let me try to call him again." Rachel said as she dialed his number but it went straight to voicemail again.

"I think you should stop calling him now honey...i'm not sure he is going to come anymore."

"But mom, he promised!!! I spoke to him yesterday and he promised he was going to be here." Rachel said as she burst into tears again for the 100th time.

"Rachel honey you need to stop crying now or you are going to end up falling sick....I told you before that you will find someone better than him okay??"

"I don't want any other man...I want only him!!!" She said as she got up and ran into her room.

My mom gave me a go after her look.

"No mom...she's all yours." I said.

She sighed deeply, got up and followed Rachel into the room.

I was hungry again and decided to get the third plate of food mainly because it tasted so good.

After eating, I switched on the TV in the living room and watched a series I've been following up on.

I continued watching for hours and when I checked the time, it was already 6pm.

Mom came out of her own room and was looking so exhausted.

"How is Rachel??"

"She's asleep...she'll be fine." She said as she walked into the kitchen.

Suddenly I heard the doorbell ring and I wondered who it was because it was late.

I got up and opened the door and saw the cutest man I had ever seen.

I almost started drooling as I looked at him from head to toe and automatically blushed.

"Good evening...is this Rachel's house??" he asked with his deep toned voice.

"Yes, who are you??" I asked as I stared deeply at him without breaking eye contact.

"I am Clark....her fiance."

EVA'S POV

Noo..no..no...I suddenly remembered I had a one night stand with someone I couldn't recognize but I only saw his tattoo and this person standing in front of me has the exact same one.

After checking for the hundredth time, panic set in as I instantly became uneasy.

I didn't know if he recognized me and I prayed and hoped he wouldn't because I was a mess at the bar.

As I extended my hand to shake him, my hands shook in fear and sweats gathered on my forehead.

I shook his hands and retracted it back so fast that one would assume I touched a boiling oil.

"Nice to meet you Eva." He said with a smile.

"Same." I replied.

My Mother invited him in as I kept a reasonable distance away from him.

As he sat down alongside Rachel, I kept on stealing glances at him to see if he recognized me but he didn't even spare me any glance or show that he had ever met someone like me.

I was a little bit relieved about it because the last thing I wanted was to create a rift between my sister and her fiance and so him not being able to recognize me was definitely for the best.

My mind still wasn't settled about the whole situation and so I tried reading the emotions on his face to see if he truly knew who I was but it was as if he was masking it....and it was either that or he truly didn't recognize me.

"Clark, you are welcome to our home...please make yourself comfortable." My Mother said.

After exchanging pleasantries again, Clark stated his intentions for my sister Rachel and when my mom asked if he owned any assets, my mouth hung open as he mentioned them.

Not only did my sister get herself a Greek god but she also got a billionaire as an added bonus....I was indeed unlucky.

"Eva, get some refreshments for him." My Mother said to me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Okay Mother." I said as I walked away.

I was happy to get the refreshments because it bought me enough time to be away from that awkward situation I was in.

As much as I concluded that he didn't recognize me, I was still so uncomfortable around him because if there was even the slightest chance that he did, I was in deep trouble.

After getting the refreshments and serving it to him, my eyes still went up his arm to check out the tattoo and whenever my eyes got to it, there was this intense feeling I had inside of me that I couldn't explain.

"Mom, with your permission I would love to get married to Rachel in two days time." He said.

"What?? Two days??" I blurted out without thinking.

My Mother and Rachel looked at me awkwardly and that was when I realized what I had just said.

"Hmmm... I meant.... isn't it too soon??"

"And how is that any of your business Eva?? Are you the bride to be??" My Mother asked.

Two days to plan a whole wedding was absurd.

Even if he was the president of the whole world and had all the money in his disposal, I felt like two days was just too small to plan an entire wedding meant to be planned for months.

I was hoping my Mother would object to his absurd request.

"We can go ahead to plan the wedding, Clark... two days is perfect." she said disappointing me once again.

"Thank you so much mom." Rachel said as she rushed over to Mother and gave her a hug.

Mixed feelings was what I was having at that moment and the reasons for it was because I didn't understand when and how Clark proposed to my sister and also had sex with me and now I had to pretend everything was alright when in fact it was the exact opposite.

And what pissed me the most was the fact that my Mother agreed for Rachel to get married just like that without asking Clark any questions or finding out if he was good enough for her.

My Mother just assumed that because he was a billionaire, he was the perfect match.

I bit my bottom lips and tapped my foot aggressively on the floor as I was once again lost in my own thoughts.

I wasn't hearing anything they were saying anymore as their mouths only moved like they were put on mute and my mind drifted far away still thinking about the one night stand.

"Rachel, is it okay with you??" My sister asked as I snapped back.

"Hmmm...o...oh...okay...yeah." I said without finding out what question I was asked.

After all said and done, Clark excused him as he took his leave and just as soon as he left our house, my sister couldn't contain her happiness.

"I am getting married in two days!!!!" She yelled.

"Congratulations my dearest....your sister Eva needs to start taking notes from you." My Mother said.

I was not in the mood or right frame of mind to respond to my Mother at that moment and so I went straight to the kitchen, dished myself with some food and went to my room.

I turned on the Tv and switched the channel to my favorite series hoping it would calm the storm in my mind which it did at first but as time went on and as I lost interest in the program, I switched off the Tv and just curled up in my bed like a little child as I closed my eye and welcomed darkness.

Just like that, the wedding preparations kick started.

My sister's fiance Clark indeed took care of everything....down to the venue, the cake, decorations, food, drinks, gifts and the only thing left was Rachel's wedding gown and my own dress which I helped her pick up.

As the D-Day kept on approaching fast, the guilt I felt kept on increasing.

I needed to tell someone how I felt because whenever I thought about what happened between Clark and I, I felt like throwing up Because I was disgusted with myself.

I tried reaching out to my best friend but I couldn't.

And just like that, her wedding day arrived and I was already in my maid of honor's dress pacing back and forth in my room In fear and tension.

My heart rate increased each passing moment and my palms became extra sweaty.

My sister was getting dressed in her room while I tried calling my best friend again to try to talk to her and see if the feeling I was having would reduce.

I was so tense that I felt my airways were gradually getting restricted.

"Breath Eva...just breath." I said to myself as I kept on trying Christie's number.

After several attempts, she finally picked up the call.

"Oh my goodness!! Where have you been christiana??? I've been trying to reach out to you for two days now." I said as I sighed deeply in relief.

"I am sorry girl...I had an emergency I needed to take care of and I left my phone at home... but what is going on?? You sound so tense."

I was confused as to why she asked me those questions even after the text messages I sent to her explaining what had happened.

"Christie, didn't you read my text messages??" I asked.

"Oh no I didn't...just wait a while let me go through it."

The next few minutes of deadly silence were the most critical for me.

"Oh my goodness." she said as she broke the silence.

"And that is not the worst thing that has happened to Christie."

"Is there something worse than what I just read??" she asked.

"I have found out who my one night stand was." I said, as my heart rate increased again in pace.

"What??? How??!!!"

"He had a tattoo on his arm and the person I met has the same tattoo as well."

"Wait?? Who is he?? Is he someone you know??"

"Christie, he is my sister's fiance....the man she is getting married to today."

Suddenly I heard something drop on the ground and I turned around and saw my sister staring at me with a dead expression on her face.

"What did you just say Eva??!!!"

EVA'S POV

"What did you just say Eva??" my sister asked.

My heart started pounding so fast that I felt it was going to jump out of my chest.

I suddenly felt like there was no air in the room.

I bit my lips so hard that I could taste my blood as I thought carefully of the next words that were going to come out of my mouth.

"W....what...I...I...d...did... didn't s...say... anything." I said stuttering.

"I am not going to ask you again Eva...what did you just say??"

I didn't even realize that I was still on the phone with Christie until she came on asking if I was still on the line.

Rachel clenched her fist like she was going to swing at me at any given moment and I knew that all hell was about to break loose.

"Your silence only proves that it is true....you slept with Clark." she said.

"I didn't...I mean I did...but I had no idea he was the one....it was a one night stand."

I blurted out without thinking.

She had this deadly look on her face as her intense gaze on me almost made me wet my pants.

My sister had a deadly temper that even my Mother couldn't control and that alone made me scared to my bones.

She turned around and quietly walked out of my room.

I didn't know what to do at that moment as I paced back and forth in worry.

I didn't know if she was going to pick up a knife from the kitchen and stab me with it or even hurt herself and I couldn't help but have those deadly and terrible thoughts run through my head.

My Mother suddenly screamed out my name and I jerked in fear and ran out to meet her.

"What is this nonsense I am hearing Eva??? Is it true??"

The moment of truth was upon me and I thought about the next words coming out of my mouth carefully because I knew that one wrong word or move from me would prove fatal.

"What??? How did it happen Eva??!! How did you make such a foolish mistake as to sleeping with your sister's fiance??" my Mother asked again.

I looked at Rachel and could see her deadly gaze on me just waiting for me to say the wrong thing.

My stomach tightened in a knot and I took a deep breath before spilling everything that happened a few days back.

Rachel suddenly burst into laughter as I looked at her in confusion.

"So that bastard fucked my sister and still had the audacity to put a ring on my finger??"

It was over for me and I knew it because there was no apology that could change what I did with Clark be it knowingly or unknowingly.

"Rachel, I am so sorry." I managed to say as I felt numb.

"Eva you better be quiet!!!!! Or else I will forget the fact that you are my sister and do something I will regret." Rachel said in anger.

After her threatening words, she took her phone and started dialing Clark's number.

I knew exactly what she was about to do and I had to stop her from doing it and making the biggest mistake of her life.

"Rachel, please don't do this." I pleaded with her.

"Hello love, where are you?? I am waiting for you at the church." Clark said as Rachel had the phone on speaker.

"I am calling off the wedding, Clark!!!" Rachel said as she continued staring at me.

I joined my hands together as I pleaded quietly for her not to call off her marriage but my plea fell on deaf ears.

"What?? What do you mean by that??!!"

"You heard me loud and clear Clark and I hope you and my sister rot in hell." she said as she hung up the call.

"Please dear, the arrangements have been made... just get on with the wedding else my reputation will be ruined." My Mother pleaded.

My Mother just won the best award for Mother of the year.

Any reasonable Mother would plead and try to solve the situation at hand but my Mother was only concerned about her reputation.

"Is that the only thing you care about Mother??" Rachel asked in amazement.

Tears rolled down my face as sadness and guilt washed over me for being the reason why my sister called off her wedding.

"I can never marry that cheating bastard Mother...unless you kill me and take my dead body over to him for marriage." Rachel said as she started pulling off her wedding dress.

My Mother and I started pleading with her but she pulled everything completely and stormed out of the house.

I fell to the ground as I cried bitterly and cursed myself for being the reason why things went this way.

"Someone has to get married today, otherwise my reputation will be ruined....Eva, you have to stand in for your sister." my Mother said.

I stopped crying instantly and looked at her with a confused expression on my face.

"If you know you love me as your Mother and you appreciate everything I have done for you ever since your father died, you would put on Rachel's wedding gown and walk down the aisle without Clark's knowledge."

I was too shocked and weak to react to the absurd thing she said.

My Mother knew very well that she wasn't going to have her way this time around so she decided to resort to blackmailing me emotionally knowing fully well that was my weak point.

"But it wasn't intentional." I said as I burst into tears.

"Do it for your Mother."

I stood up from the ground with tears in my eyes and a broken heart, I wore Rachel's wedding dress and covered my face with a veil.

It was over for me and I knew it and decided to accept the consequences that came with what I was about to do.

As soon as my Mother and I got to the church venue, Clark was standing outside the church pacing back and forth with a mixture of confusion and anger written on his face.

When he saw me, he rushed over to me but I made sure to hide my face so he wouldn't recognize me.

"Hey dear... what happened?? Why did you call off the wedding earlier??" he asked with a worried look on his face.

"Nothing... let's just go inside... it is getting late." my Mother said.

Weirdly, he bought the story and smiled brightly.

As I walked down the aisle, I couldn't stop tears from flowing down my face as I thought about the terrible situation I put myself in.

The priest started the ceremony and my mind was far away from my body.

I felt scared, sad and disappointed in myself. I didn't know how Clark was going to react if he found out I stood in place of Rachel in deceit and that feeling alone made me uneasy.

Suddenly my hand was touched slightly, bringing me back from my thoughts.

"Hmmm??" "I ask again.... Do you Take Clark Anderson to be your lawfully wedded husband...and to have and to hold... in sickness and in health... till death do you part??"

"I do." I said in almost a whisper.

The joining went on so fast that it was time for the veil to be lifted off face after we were both declared as husband and wife.

"You may now unveil your bride and kiss her." the priest said.

"Please forgive me Clark." I said to myself.

As soon as he lifted the veil off my face slowly, his smile dropped as he stared at me in confusion.

"What's the meaning of this????!!" he yelled.

Suddenly, there was murmuring in the crowd as everyone looked on in confusion.

"I am sorry Clark but Rachel didn't want to get married and she ran away.... so I had to stand in her place." I said as my voice shook in fear.

"You deceived me??!!!! How dare you?!!!" I opened my mouth to talk but empty words came out as I trembled in fear.

"Oh so just because we had a one night stand gave you the fucking rights to tell your sister so she could call off the wedding and then u marry me?? Do you think I am stupid??!!"

"Wait, you remember me??" I asked in confusion.

"I can never forget the whore who threw herself at me."

I was reduced to being called a whore and I accepted it wholeheartedly because my mind has also accepted the fact that I was one.

"Just you wait dearest wife, I am going to make your life and sister's so miserable that you all will regret Crossing paths with Clark Anderson... just you mark my words." He said as he walked away.