Chapter 2

(Kim's POV )

The car ride was anything but ecstatic as my parents, especially my mom, threw words at me. I felt attacked as she stated on my dress when she was among those who picked it out.

"That's a lot of cleavage being exposed!" She took a peek at me from the front mirror. "It doesn't even look good on you, we should have gotten you another dress,"

"Mom, Kim looks good!" Eloise remarked, smiling up at me and I returned it but less bigger as I stared down at my palms, fondling with my hands.

"Look at her, so sheepish and weenie, Kareen would have looked stunning in that dress, she looks beautiful in everything anyway"

"Kareen is the bride, Mom!" Again, Eloise countered. Such a sweet little sister I had, she understood me better than anyone.

"I know, she is just perfect, she's only 23 and has gotten herself the best job and she is getting married to the richest man in the country," Mom praised with a dreamy smile as she stared at the road.

"Kim's gonna have a good job and get married to a billionaire too, right Kim?" Eloise peered expectantly at me, waiting for my reply but mom interposed as she whizzed.

"Oh please, have you seen the way she looks, no organization is going to employ a techie that loves being in her head all the time, and trust me, no man in his right senses would want to make her his wife, she's a lost cause. She can't even cook, good for nothing!"

Again with the derogatory words, pricking through my heart whenever she spat them out with no empathy for my feelings. I should be used to it by now but I wasn't and I didn't think I would ever be able to get used to it.

"I have an interview with LGPC on Monday," I uttered and this time, dad crackle as if he just heard the absurdist parody of the century.

"That's one of the biggest companies in the US"

"And isn't that your fourth try. If it had been Kareen she would have bagged that job so easily," Mom laughed along with Dad, smashing my dreams all over again. "And I've told you to quit the thought of becoming a photographer, we didn't send you to college to become a shutterbug, that's just so lame, Kareen is a Financial Manager and she's doing so well, I'm so proud of her, right honey?" She reeled to dad and he nodded.

I bit my bottom lip, my mood turning pungent while a lump crystallized.

Kareen this, Kareen that, she was just so perfect, so excellent that I was nowhere compared to her. Just a year after graduating, she had already gotten a job as a financial Manager in a big company and was getting married to a young billionaire while I was nothing, submerging myself in books and taking photos, thinking one day my prince charming would come sweep me off my feet. Ah!

I saw nothing wrong with dreaming and I equally didn't see a need to substantiate myself to anyone, not even my parents.

To them, I was in the blink.

"And can you please put on a smile, you are going to scoot all the guests away with that face of yours!"

Kareen and I had the same face! Those words nearly slipped past my lips but I swallowed them. I found it inconsequential.

It was a 20 minutes drive, yet it felt like an hour as the car finally stopped in the hotel's parking lot. We got down from the car, my parents went ahead with Eloise while I hung behind, trying so hard to elevate my putrid temperament but it wasn't working.

I told myself not to be impacted by their words, yet, they still got to me no matter how hard I attempted.

I won't blame them though, I was already 23 of age, working as a waitress and selling photos to minor organizations, I still lived with my parents regardless of knowing my presence wasn't needed, reminding me of my incompetence daily. I was equally a graduate yet, no one wanted to hire a wonk with glasses in their companies.

I sighed heavily and put on a smile as I strode into the five-class resort, it was my twin sister's wedding. For her sake, I chose to be optimistic. At least, one of us was living the life we wanted.

I met my family on the elevator, I cowered to the corner, resting my head on the wall as the lift when up to the top floor.

The door opened with a ding a few seconds later and we walked out, heading towards Kareen's room while Mom went on and on about how Kareen was the perfect daughter, how she wished Eloise would one day turn out like Kareen.

This day had been nothing but about Kareen but then again, that was how it had always been. Kareen, Kareen, Kareen.

If I didn't know better, I would have started despising the name on how much it was being let out in a day.

Arriving at my sister's room, Mom excitedly knocked on the door and it opened to reveal an unfamiliar girl. Mom excitedly shoved the girl out of the way and ambled into the room, we followed after her. However, the enthusiasm died as we ceased at the sight before us, our gaze staring at the woman who sat elegantly on the bed, one leg crossed over the over, showcasing her red stilettos heels that went with her deep v neck jumpsuit and a pair of polarized sunglasses at the bridge of her nose.

She equally stared back at us. "Welcome, I've been expecting you," Her tone was non-existent, she pushed the glasses lower, revealing a pair of elegiac brown orbs that drilled through our skulls with contempt.

I watched as Mom and Dad shared uncertain glances before peering back at the glamorous woman. "Where's Kareen?" Mom started and the woman hissed, the abhorrence in her gaze not fading.

"How brash of you to ask a question I should be asking, Mrs. Quant, Where is your daughter?" She catechized in a formal tone.

The way she spoke was hushed, yet emphatic, settling an awful feeling in our gut.

"What are you talking about. Where is Kareen, this is her suit, she's supposed to be here!" Mom's voice was sharp and snappy, her gaze now glaring at the woman.

The woman scoffed, yet didn't respond while the girl who opened the door earlier advanced with a piece of paper, and extended it towards mom who didn't hesitate to snatch it out from her grip and unfold the paper, reading its content.

We watched silently as Mom's eyes widened with each word she read before passing the note to dad. "That's impossible!" She gasped.

"I believe you know your daughter's handwriting better than an outsider,"

The suspense was killing me as I went behind dad, pecking at the note, and my eyes enlarged at the boldly written words. Kareen's writing was unmistakable.

"I realized my happiness didn't lie with him anymore, I can't keep lying to myself anymore, I'm sorry!-" The note read.