SIGN MARRIAGE TO GET REVENGE

CLARA'S POV.

"Where's Cassandra?!"

Cassandra, my twin sister, disappeared.

Tomorrow was supposed to be her wedding day. But she hadn't heard from me since yesterday. Willson-my father had just returned to our mansion, giving his already tense face a look.

Meanwhile, Patricia-my mother has been in a daze since a few hours ago.

[The Number You Have Dialed Cannot Be Contacted...]

I sighed with uneasiness after hearing the same sentence for the umpteenth time. I saw that Cassandra's display name had changed to the message room.

There were some of my messages there.

[Clara: Cassandra, where are you?!]

[Clara: Tomorrow is your wedding day!]

[Clara: Cassandra, mom and dad are looking for you. Please come back. What about your and Lucas' arranged marriage?]

And none of my other messages have been replied to since yesterday.

"Is she reachable?" asked Willson, who was standing next to me.

I shook my head, looking straight at my phone screen. My heart was racing at the thought of where Cassandra had left us.

It wasn't just that. If Cassandra was missing, and the wedding was tomorrow, what would Lucas's family-the man who was going to marry Cassandra-have to say?

"There's no reply to messages. She doesn't pick up my calls either," I replied listlessly.

"What on earth is she thinking?" Patricia complained as she walked back and forth. "We can't cancel this wedding. Tomorrow is the day!"

"Right, this wedding is very important to unite our business and Lucas's family," Willson chimed in, sounding equally agitated.

I was well aware of the anxiety on Patricia and Willson's faces. They had organized the wedding between Cassandra and Lucas long ago.

The Lucas family owns The Weinstein Company, a subsidiary of WmW Noth Company. The second-largest company in America, it encompasses culinary, entertainment, law firms, and other fields.

Willson, my father, needed a large investment for his company. But he used Cassandra as a means of getting his way through an arranged marriage with Lucas.

"Hey, Clara, you try contacting Cassandra! At all costs. Try again!" Patricia urged me.

"I can't, Mom. I've sent many messages and tried calling her. But look..." I showed her my phone screen.

"There's no reply or trace of his whereabouts," I continued.

"Have you searched through contacting his friends? Or what's her social media footprint?" Willson asked.

I shook my head. I'd been doing that since yesterday, but no one knew Cassandra's whereabouts.

"I've done that too, Dad. The result is zero. No one knows where Cassandra is. They didn't get any news," I replied.

Willson sat down as he exhaled restlessly. His gaze darted all over the place.

"Cassandra... why is she doing this? Is she trying to ruin a business plan between our families?!" Willson grumbled.

"Maybe, she's feeling burdened because of the wedding, Father," I said carefully.

Willson's gaze turned sharper and focused on me. Instantly my whole body froze. I knew what I had just said would not be to his liking.

"Why should she feel burdened? She doesn't have to earn money. Lucas, the man who will be her husband, is wealthy. She won't have a hard life," Willson said firmly.

I had expected Willson to say that. Over the years, he had only been someone who thought about money and power. All he did was manage the company.

"We can't tell Lucas or his family," Patricia piped up, making Dad and me look away in unison.

I saw the obvious fear in Patricia's eyes. Suddenly, Patricia came straight to me.

Both her hands held my shoulders with a firm grip. The look in his eyes, which had radiated fear, now also radiated great pleading.

"Clara, you must take his place."

I was momentarily stunned after hearing that. For a split second, I convinced myself that I hadn't heard wrong. Or at least my mom was just having a fleeting thought.

However, for a while, she didn't change her mind. I never thought that I would face something like this.

"Wait, mom... why are you saying that?" I asked, then shook my head. "I can't-"

"You shouldn't argue, Clara!" Patricia suddenly raised her voice.

"I can't remarry, I just got divorced a month ago," I insisted, still trying to keep my tone.

"Your mother is right, Clara. You're all we have now," Willson suddenly interjected.

When I turned my gaze to Willson, I noticed the hopeful look on his face. I suddenly felt a sense of apprehension start to creep into my heart.

I felt a little offended by Father's words. Did he mean to say I was an item-the only thing they had and would sacrifice?

"This marriage is for the family business. We'll go bankrupt if we don't get their investment! Clara... you have to do this wedding," Patricia said again, more firmly.

"Marriage is not a game, Mom," I said.

"Are you going to be responsible if our family goes bankrupt, huh?" asked Patricia, her tone turning sardonic.

Now I really couldn't answer at all. My heart sank. Patricia's words made me realize my position in this family.

Compared to Cassandra, I was an unlucky woman. Cassandra lives with her successful career and education. Her beauty would bring many men to their knees.

Willson and Patricia loved Cassandra dearly despite their high regard for money and power. To them, Cassandra was the family's most precious treasure.

While I didn't get more than half of their affection. My marriage was ruined because my husband cheated on me behind my back.

"Clara, you haven't given as much to this family as Cassandra," Willson said.

I still couldn't open my mouth to say anything. Part of me wanted to refuse their request. But I was too scared.

What if they couldn't love me anymore?

"At the very least, you should do something, you're the daughter of this family. If this family's company is destroyed, we'll kick you out," Willson said.

"I'll do it."

***

Today is the day.

I looked at the reflection of my body that had been wrapped in a long white dress in the mirror. My memory replayed the moment when my first wedding ended in betrayal.

This was strange. There was none of the festive wedding euphoria I should have felt in my chest.

I couldn't understand why I was stuck in this situation. In fact, I didn't even think about taking Cassandra's place to marry a foreign man-someone I didn't love.

Can marriage be played with now?

"Mom, I feel hesitant to do this," I voiced in a languid tone.

Behind me, my mother in her elegant dress but eyes full of anxiety, gripped my shoulders.

"Clara, we have no choice. All the guests have arrived. Lucas' family is already here. If we tell them Cassandra is missing, our family will be completely humiliated!"

I grimaced. That wasn't the answer I wanted.

"But, Mom..."

I turned my face towards my father, hoping he'd give me support, but he just stood with his hands clenched at his sides. He didn't say anything, but the look in his eyes seemed to tell me that he agreed with my mother.

What did I expect from them?

I didn't have anyone who would defend me. No matter how much I tried to tell them how I felt, they wouldn't listen.

"How can I go through with the marriage without loving that person?" I asked. I was really careful when I said this.

I heard Patricia suddenly laugh sarcastically.

"Love? It won't save our family from bankruptcy," my mother said.

"That's right. You don't have to think about love, Clara. What you need to do is save this family," Willson, my father, said. He spoke calmly but firmly.

"This is only temporary, Clara," my mother continued, her tone trying to reassure me.

"We'll look for Cassandra after this is over. Once she's found, you can explain the situation to Lucas. But today, you have to do this for our family," my mom said again without hesitation.

Didn't they think about how I was going to get through this in the future?

I felt my legs go weak. "Lucas will know, Mom. He'll know I'm not Cassandra."

"You're twins, Clara," her father cut in sternly. "With the makeup and wedding dress, Lucas won't notice. He'll think you're Cassandra. This is to save our family's face."

I fell silent, drowning in mixed feelings-fear, anger, and helplessness. I knew how important it was to maintain the family's good name in their neighborhood, but what was being asked of him was too great.

How could I stand at the altar in my brother's place, lie to Lucas, and pretend to be married?

There was a knock on the door.

"The bride and groom should prepare now," a woman's voice from outside made my heart skip a beat.

Patricia turned my body to face the mirror again. Quickly, she smoothed out the folds of the long white dress I had forcefully put on.

"You'll look perfect. No one will suspect a thing," she said, her voice sounding both desperate and forceful.

"Mom, I'm scared..." I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes.

Her mother paused for a moment, looking at her daughter through the mirror.

"We're all scared, Clara. But this family depends on you now. Please... do this for us."

I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of that responsibility hit her like a tidal wave. I knew that if I refused, the consequences would be far worse. But every fiber in my body screamed that this was wrong.

When I opened my eyes, she was staring at her own reflection in the mirror-a face adorned with perfect makeup, a white dress that should have belonged to Cassandra, and a pair of eyes filled with confusion.

"All right," she whispered, almost inaudibly. "I'll do it. But you have to promise to find Cassandra. And after this is over, I don't want to be part of this lie anymore."

His mom nodded quickly, then kissed my forehead.

"You're a good girl. Thank you."

As I stepped out of the room towards the altar, my steps felt heavy, as if I was walking towards a worse life.

I could see Lucas standing at the altar. All the guests focused their eyes on me. They all looked radiant, and so did Lucas-although the look on his face was cold, he wasn't