Palms sweating, heart beating fast, and mind in turmoil.
Alia doesn't know why but she's so nervous about her first appearance in their company. Although she's very much confident about everything and everyone on the company, nervousness still lingers in her body for she knew, she isn't Alejandria the moment she steps inside their company. She's her sister, Alexandria whom everyone knows as a very strict and scary boss.
Alia sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She looks nothing like her old self. Wearing a midnight black tube top, topped with a Chanel white coat paired with black skinny jeans and black stilettos, she looked nothing like a lawyer she once was. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and a small amount of make up was put on her face that enhances her facial features.
She took a deep breath, grabbed her sister's purse and phone, and walked out of her sisters room towards her parents' study.
Alia walked with elegance and poise, just as how she practiced. She has also perfected how her sister speaks and even her mannerisms were taught to her. And now, she doesn't only look like her sister, but it's like, she is her sister.
With all the pretension and the lies, she's relieved that she was able to keep up with what her parents are demanding. Because after all this, she'll make sure to crush them both. The same way they crushed and ruined her and her sister's name.
"Alexa..." Tanya looked so fazed looking at her with amusement and happiness.
Alia smiled at her even though she felt a pang of pain in her chest hearing her father's assistant call her by her sister's name.
She has to get used to this. She must get used to this.
Tanya smiled at her and held her hand as she motioned her to enter her parents' study.
Alia smiled at Tanya, took a deep breath and entered the room, even without knocking.
As she opened the door, both her parents were busy looking at something at his father's desk, making them both have their backs facing her.
"Mother? Father?" she asked in a low voice, trying to catch their attentions.
Her mother and father both looked at her direction hearing her speak. As their eyes made their way towards hers, their faces held shocked expressions seeing Alia, look exactly like their Alexa.
Her mother, Quina, walked towards her and stopped, inches away from where she stood. Quina brought her hand up to touch Alia's face as tears started to form in her eyes.
"Alexa..." she whispered, as tears streamed down her face.
Alia then, felt her heart ache at the mere sight of her mother touching her face, crying and calling out her sister's name. She should've seen it coming. there's no way in hell that her mother would hold her like this, let alone cry because of her. Her mother loathes her. As much as she loathes her mother.
"Mother..." Alia answered, making her mother realize that it isn't Alexa she's holding. So with tears in her eyes, she took her hand away from holding Alia's face, glared at her and walked past her, out of the study.
"You look exactly like her..." her eyes turned to look at her father, who's looking at her, examining her from head to toe. His eyes held longing. His eyes held pain.
Her heart, once again, felt like it was being torn apart.
"Are you ready, Alejandria?" his father, then avoided looking at her direction. Probably to stop himself from thinking that she is Alexa. And to stop himself from missing his dead precious daughter.
"Yes, father." she answered looking straight into her father. She wants him to know that she's indeed ready. That she can do this. She wants him to believe that he's got nothing to worry about. And as much as she hates the idea of this, she must earn her father's trust.
"Very well. Have Tanya escort you to the company. She has your schedule and everything you need is with her. She'll be your assistant and secretary from this day on." her father said as he started walking towards his chair and sat there.
She bowed her head and turned her heel to exit the room when she heard her father spoke.
"Do well, Alejandria. It's the only way for the company to survive." His father's words echoed in her mind as she stepped out of the room.
She knew that the company is facing some major financial loss and them being the largest shareholder is now at it's edge. She must find a way to have the company rising again and to maintain their position as the major stock and shareholder of their company and empire. '
"Tanya, what's Alexa's, I mean, my schedule for today?" She asked as she and Tanya started making their way towards the outside of the house and onto the garage.
"You have a meeting with the board at 8:00 am, a meeting with the finance department at 9:00 am, you have a free schedule at 10:00 am but you have to review and sign lots of reports from every department, and at 3:00 pm, you have a meeting with the marketing department regarding the building of the new subdivision at one of the company's lots. Then at 5:00 pm, you have an early dinner meeting with the Salvador Empire's successor regarding their investment in the company." Tanya spoke non stop as they entered the car and drove towards the company.
"Is that all?" asked Alia as she fished Alexa's phone from her purse and went through her gallery, messages and emails.
Alia's heart felt like it was about to explode as she saw her sister's gallery. There were a total of more than four thousand photos inside her sister's phone and all of those were either selfie shots or candid shots of her and Alexa.
She refrained herself from crying. She misses her sister dearly. She misses her non stop texts, trying to get her meet up with Alexa. Her stories about how stupid and clumsy everyone is in their company, her nonstop blabbering about how she hates a certain stockholder from the company that her father keeps on pushing her to date. And especially her laughs, her smiles and she herself. If only she could turn back the time, she'll make sure it's her, and not her sister, who dies.
"Ms. Rutherford? We are here." Alia snapped back to her senses as she heard Tanya speak from the shotgun seat of the car.
She looked at her side, facing the window and examined the whole company building. It looks the same as how it looks when she was young. it's been years since she's been here. It feels kind of nostalgic for her.
As the car had parked at the front of the company, she took a deep breath and allowed Tanya to open the door for her to go out.
Alia feels her nervousness intensifies as both her feet stood firmly at the ground, facing the company's doors. Tanya led the way towards the automatic doors of the company and the moment she's inside, everyone's eyes settled on her.
She put up her sister's signature stoic and poker face. Stood up straight and walked with elegance and poise. Every single person she'd walk pass through would greet her a pleasant morning and would bow at her. She's not used to it and was feeling awkward but she managed to put up an unbothered facade until she and Tanya reached the elevator.
As the doors of the elevator closed, she let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding. And at her side, she heard Tanya chuckled.
"Well, Alia. Welcome to Rutherford Industries." Tanya said in a funny manner and chuckled after.
Alia, herself let out a nervous chuckle and whispered.
"Fuck. Will I be able to stand this for more years to come in my life? I think not. I'm doomed." she sighed.
'This is indeed, going to be a one hell of a roller coaster ride.' Tanya thought chuckling to herself.