It's been two days pero para silang estranghero ni Alice at Sleia sa iisang condo unit na tinutuluyan nito. Sleia felt embarrassed kaya di nito makausap ang kapatid nito. She was the strong one at ayaw niya ng idamay ang kapatid niya. She lost hope and tanggapin na lamang ang tadhanang meron siya.
Ano'ng laban niya sa buong pamilya Montreal kung kasapi siya nito sa una pa lamang. Bilyonarya siya kung tutuusin but what a small individual of her. Kahit ama nga niya ay hindi siya matulungan. Their combined assets is nothing compared to whole family's assets.
She's nothing but an expensive possession of this kind of arrange marriage. Wala na siyang maihaharap na mukha sa kakambal niya. Nanliliit siya sa sarili niya, ni hindi man lang niya maprotektahan ang sarili niya laban sa mga ito. She was too weak already from the start.
Her father already told her many times about her being a member of Montreal Family pero nakakatakot pala pag aktwal mo ng mararanasan ito. Their family are excited about this kind of event. A new merging of family members kaya hayok na hayok ang mga ito sa makukuha nilang benepisyo. Para sa kanila ay importante ang paglaki ng yaman, koneksyon at kapangyarihan na makukuha nila.
"Ate, pwede ba kitang makausap? It's been two days na mukha lang akong hangin dito." Sambit ni Alice mula sa pintuan ng isang kwarto. There are three rooms sa condo unit niya and Alice use the one, a spare room.
Namiss niya rin ang kakambal niya but she's too shy to confront her.
Mukhang naging duwg siya at tila nagbingi-bingihan siya sa sinabi ng kapatid nito.
Papasok na sana siya sa sariling room nito nang magsalitang muli ang kakambal niya.
"I'll be moving out tomorrow Ate, it's like this place of yours feels like not a place for the two us." Sambit ni Alice habang kitang-kita ang labis na kalungkutan sa boses nito.
She feels that she's alone again. Kasalanan niya rin siguro na naging ganito ka-cold sa kaniya ang kakambal niya. Siguro deserve niya ito dahil sa pagiging oa njya masyado.
She lose her composure lalo na pag ang ama na nila ang involve. Siguro masyado siyang sensitive to all the f*ck up things that happened to them lalo na kay Ate Sleia niya.
"No Alice, you have to stay here. Walang aalis. It's just that I'm totally on the wrong side. It's my fault I'm sorry!" Seryosong turan ni Sleia na may halong pagtutol sa kagustuhan ng kapatid nito. She's not use to apologizing pero kakambal niya tong kaharap niya kaya she must lower her head.
"No Ate, listen... I'm just in the wrong too. Ako dapat ang humingi ng pasensya. Kasalanan ko to dahil napakasensitive ko at palaging selfish. Akala ko ay okay ka at ako itong palaging reklamador sa mga problema ko. Sorry talaga Ate!" Umiyak na wika ni Alice habang kitang-kita ang lungkot at pagsisisi. Napayuko ito dahil sa hiya.
Agad namang pinatid ni Sleia ang distansya nilang magkambal at niyakap ng mahigpit ang kapatid nito.
"Don't say that Kambal. You know that you are are precious bunso. You'll never know how embarrassed I am. I'm too weak to be your twin sister." Sambit ni Sleia habang kitang-kita na naging aware siya sa mga kamalian niya.
"Don't insult yourself Ate. Ikaw kaya yung lodi ko. You are always the strong Ate Sleia I ever know. Napakaswerte ko dahil ikaw ang naging kakambal ko!" Masayang sambit ni Alice habang nakatingin sa kakambal nito.
"Mukhang mahihiya pa ko sa sinasabi mo ngayon. I'm not a celebrity or any famous person to be idolize." Seryosong ani ni Sleia sa yakap-yakap nitong kapatid.
"You are my best friend and super Ate. You are the best twin I have and you will never leave my side." Nakangiting turan ni Alice sa kakambal nito.
Mas hinigpitan pa ni Sleia ang pagyakap sa kapatid nito. She always wished about it. In order to protect her sister, she'll do anything even risking her life after this kind of momentum.
Once her powerful family dig up their greatest weakness, she'll know that it will her time to be perished in this world, ang mundong di naging maganda para sa kaniya. Kaya niyang itaya ang buhay niya at siya na lamang ang masaktan wag lang ang inosenteng kapatid nito.
She also wish that her twin sister and her dad will finally unite and forgive each other. Just this one final wish for her. She knows she's setting and risking her own life here but it was all worth it. Wala siyang bagay na hindi kayang gawin para sa pamilya nila.
"Ate, di ako makahinga. Ang higpit ha." Reklamo ni Alice na siyang nagpagising sa kaniya.
"Sorry naman, na-carried away lang ako bunso." Paghingi ng pasensya ni Sleia habang natatawa.
"So okay na tayo? Are we back?!" Tanong ni Alice na tila naninigurado.
"Well yes, we are back! Hahahaha" Maarteng sambit ni Sleia at nakitawa na rin ang kapatid nito.
Marami silang napag-usapan at nagbonding. Sleia don't want to ruin this day. Tomorrow will be the best time to tell her plan. She was ready and accepted this plan. Sana ay hindi siya mabigo because she won't accept Alice knocking into death door. She always wants her sister to be safe. She's already tired being herself and this family tradition. It was the only way and the best thing kahit pa ikagagalit ito ng kakambal niyang ito.
...
They are in a table, it was an afternoon lunch. Kahapon ay ayos na sila and they are back as a close as much as they are. It means that their bond are stronger than before.
Sleia don't have all the time here in this world. Her time is running out and after this long vacation, she must be back or else her plan will go to waste.
"Kambal can I ask a very big favor?!" Sleia
"What big favor it is? It's that so big? Pwede naman kambal." Alice asked confused written on her face.
"Can we do switching? I mean switch places between you and me?" Sleia said it directly.
"You mean ako ay magiging ikaw tapos ikaw magiging ako?! Why all of the sudden?" Alice said confused.
"I want to become brave again Kambal. I mean, I am not used or try this one but I hope you can do this for me please?!" Sleia said it in a plead manner. Alam niyang nagdududa na ang kapatid niya sa takbo ng pag-iisip niya.
"Pero ikakasal ka na Ate Sleia. It's really hard for me to do like your usual self." Kontra naman ni Alice na animo'y di pumapayag.
"It was an arranged marriage Alice and it was not me. Gusto mo bang makasal ako without making a prior plan for this?!" Pagsusumamo ni Sleia na kakikitaan ng desperasyon sa tinig nito.