"Take Alejandria to Alexandria's room, Tanya. Teach her everything she needs to know, and have her practice Alexa's handwriting. She needs to be ready within a week." Alejandro said and turned his back to both Alia and Tanya.
Alia sighed and left the study along with Tanya, her father's assistant.
"You going to be fine doing this, Alia?" Tanya asked her, worried.
Alia just glanced her way and smiled at her to assure her that she's alright. She needs to do this. And even though she prefers not to, she knows that she doesn't have a choice. It's her parents against her. It's her parents using her sister's death, against her. She can never go against that. Her sister is one of the most precious people in her life, loosing her already caused her a lot of damage, she can't afford her sister's name being put to shame because of her.
"I'll be fine, Tanya. But you really have to start practicing calling me by my sister's name. From now on, think of Alia as a dead person. Please." she asked Tanya and went inside Alexa's room followed by Tanya.
It will be a big adjustment, but she has to get used to it. This is now her life, and she can't do anything about it.
"Very well, Ali-Alexa. Your training will start tomorrow, but for now, here are Alexa's notebooks and notes, as well as her signatures. Practice them until you perfect writing this way." Tanya handed Alia a couple of notebooks and a bunch of printed papers.
Alia sighed. Well, maybe the atoning of her sins starts now. She spent he entire evening practicing to write as to how her sister does and trying to copy her signature. Luckily, they both have the same strokes in their signatures and they use the same initials in their signatures.
QARutherford.
Alia knew this won't be as easy as it looks now. Especially with her\ sister's attitude. Alia easily gets frightened and threatened even though she's a lawyer. Much different from Alexa, who's a fighter.
The night came by quickly and the morning came.
Alia was called for breakfast by one of the maids telling her her parents are already waiting for her at the dining area.
"Thank you, tell them I'll be down soon." she answered emotionless.
Her sister is never the type to smile often. The stoic facade and all that, she must perfect it all.
She changed into one of her sister's clothes and headed downstairs towards the dining area where she saw her parents patiently waiting for her to come.
The moment they saw her walking towards them, his father gestured one of the maids to bring their food for them to eat. Alia, immediately went to sit in her old seat, a chair away from her father.
Alejandro cleared his throat.
"Sit here, Alexa." he said coldly motioning her to sit across her mother and near him.
Alia felt like crying once again after hearing her father call her by her sister's name.
She immediately obeyed and changed seats.
Alia ate silently while he parents talked about their business. As much as she wanted to butt in for the maids to believe that it's really Alexa that's in front of them, she still have zero knowledge regarding the company and their business.
"Alexa, iha. After breakfast go with Tanya for your lessons. You have lots to learn" her mother told her, giving her a fake smile in the process.
She once again, nodded her head and ate silently. Her parents could win Oscars for being such great actors. She silently hopes it runs in their blood. Because she's really having a hard time acting alongside them.
After breakfast, she excused herself from both her parents and went to look for Tanya. She did find her at the library of their mansion going through lots of papers and accepting tons of calls from different phones.
She knocked on the door to get Tanya's attention.
"Oh, hey. Good Morning Ali-Alexa." Tanya almost called her Alia.
She's got a long way to go calling her by the right name.
"Morning." Alia greeted back entering the room and walking towards where Tanya is looking through some of the papers herself.
"Do you always do all this, everyday?" Alia asked while reading a certain file on top of the others.
It was their financial report for this month. And boy, looks like they are having a problem with the business.
"Uhuh. And this is what you'll be doing once you've learned everything you need to learn regarding the company." Tanya said glancing her way for a second before returning to what she was doing.
Alia stood there quietly looking through the papers while waiting for Tanya to finish her work. The library was awfully quiet and only the sound of papers are heard and the continuous sound of keyboard from all of Tanya's typing.
"Tanya, are you yet to finish with your work?" she asked his father's assistant while looking at an open window of the library.
She wishes to take a stroll around the house for the meantime and for her not to disturb Tanya from her work. She also wishes to visit the lagoon, where her sister's ashes are held.
"Why do you ask?" his father's assistant asked back not even taking a glance at her direction.
"Well, I'd like to take a stroll around the house for a while." Alia playfully answered hiding her true agenda.
Tanya gave her a disapproving look which made her smile sheepishly.
"You hate this house, Alia." she said in a low whisper afraid that someone might hear her.
"Fine. I want to see her, Tanya." Alia said giving up.
His father's assistant then smiled at her and nodded her head. She smiled back and hurriedly went out of the library and made her way towards the backyard of the house where the lagoon is located at the farthest side of their ancestral house, purposely hidden from visitors to see.
As she takes a step closer to where the lagoon is located, she feels her heart clenching. Her sister is resting here, instead of her. she's supposed to be one turned into ashes now, and not her sister.
She can't help but to blame herself for what happened to her sister. There's no denying that it was because of her that she died, but it wasn't her fault that they look alike, that they are twins, and that not many people know that.
Upon reaching the lagoon, the first thing that caught her attention was the beautiful sealed vase located at the top of the lagoon's little waterfall. Below it was her photo, her name but her sister's ashes.
Tears fell from her eyes while continuously saying sorry. Her sister deserved none of what happened to her.
"Lexa, I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry. I shouldn't have left home. I shouldn't have become a lawyer if only I knew that my freedom would cause your death. Alexandria, I'm truly sorry, but I can't say no to mother and father when they asked me to be you. And I'm sorry that your death isn't just, because your name is taken by me. I'm sorry for letting you die instead of me. I'm truly sorry."
A strong gust of wind suddenly emerged from the calm and quiet surroundings. Alia continued crying as she feels the wind embrace her, as if she's feeling her sister hugging her. She cried harder.
"Your death will not be put in vain, Alexa. I swear I'll make them pay for taking your life, instead of mine. I'll avenge your death, and live your life the way you wanted. You'll be remembered, Queen Alexandria Rutherford, not as my dead twin, but as someone who left a mark in the world."
Alia wiped her tears away and said her goodbye to her twin.
With a determined heart, she made her way towards their house and claimed her new life. For from now on, she's no longer Alia, she's now, Alexa Rutherford, the Rutherford Empire and The Rutherford Industries only heir. She'll make her sister's name mark the business world and make sure, that she's dearly remembered.