Call it petty or perhaps foolish if you will, but to Lauren, this small revenge of hers is what kept her going for all these years despite her suicidal thoughts.

To her, serving her family a small dose of their own medicine is just a little token of payment for all that she had to endure from them.

Her big sister's wedding is in a month's time, to which she plans to intercept and insert herself as the bride instead. Now, all that's left is for her to start executing the final part of her plans and show up for the big day.

*

"So I guess that there's not any way that I can change your mind, right?" The middle-aged woman asked.

Lauren shook her head.

"Have you informed that man that you're leaving? You know he really does love you, right?"

"There's no need, Madam. He already knows that what we had was only temporary."

Bella wanted to say something, but she dropped it. "Alright. Let me get my chequebook then and sort you out."

"Yes, Bella. I'll be back, please." Lauren said to her boss and got up to go and say her goodbyes to the other bar hostesses.

Essa, her closest friend among them, pulled her into one of the empty VIP rooms. They were not open for business yet.

"Rosa, must you really do this? I mean, what if your sister retaliates in a more vicious way, knowing very well that that man is someone that she's been chasing after all her life and you're now going to deny her her only chance with him?

Or even, what if your "husband" should find out that you're only an imposter, talk less an ex-convict? These wealthy people can be very dangerous, you know? Most especially when they feel that their egos have been bruised by you making a fool out of them."

Lauren looks at her friend and smiled. "Don't worry, Essa. I have everything put in place. I haven't been working this hard to hire all these people just to fail." She assured her friend.

"Hmmm." Essa sighed in defeat. "Okay, fine, but please do take a step back if you sense that things are becoming complicated there. Okay?"

"Thanks, my friend." Lauren hugged her and finally left after taking the cheque from Madam Bella.

***

One Month Later...

"Okay. Sure. Just keep asking around and see if anyone knows where she's gone to. Alright. Later then." Gavin said into the phone before cutting the call.

James shook his head. "You know, your bride would be very unhappy to find out that you're busy looking for your lover when it's just a few minutes to your wedding, instead of hurrying up into the wedding hall."

Gavin turned to his friend with a solemn look, "I'm not going to that wedding, and if you can't help me in searching for her, then just shut it."

Knock. Knock.

James was about to say something when someone knocked on the door, and in came Gavin's dad.

"Father. What are you doing here? I thought you would be at the wedding hall with Mom by now."

Gavin's dad's eyes scanned his son and realised that he still hasn't changed into his wedding suit.

"Your mother feared that you would either delay or, worse, not show up at all, so she sent me to pick you up. I guess she wasn't so wrong after all. Now hurry up and change, and let's leave."

"I cannot go, father; I already have someone that I love. I've already told you both that."

"And where is she? We gave you a month to bring her to us, but you couldn't."

"I couldn't, because she left. But I'll find her soon, father. I just need a little more time."

"It's too late for that now. Everyone is already in the wedding hall, so let's hurry."

Gavin had no words to counter his father's words any further. He reluctantly put on the clothes and left with him to the wedding hall but plans not to sign the marriage papers.

***

"Wow!" Catriona exclaimed.

"How do I look? Do you think that I'll be found out?" Lauren worriedly asked and did a twirl in her big sister's beautiful white gown.

She only sees her sister's image when she looks at her current reflection in the mirrors, but she still couldn't overcome her anxiety at being caught.

"You look exquisite, Rosa. And no, there's absolutely no way for anyone to tell you two apart. Now hurry up and go before your parents notice that you're late.

You don't want your family to catch on to you before your plans succeed, do you?" Cat asked her client, Lauren, whom she has become fond of.

"No. No. I'm going in now. Just watch over my sister and stop her in case she wakes up and tries to come and spoil my plans for me...." Lauren stopped mid-sentence after hearing a knock on the door.

Both ladies froze for a minute, wondering who it was at the door and if they might have heard their conversation.

"Knock. Knock." Came a male voice before the door slowly opened, and in came the soon-to-be husband.

Lauren, who had her back facing the direction of the door, was too scared to turn and see him. From his voice, she knew that the person was not her relative.

Gavin didn't need anyone to tell him which of the two ladies in the room was his bride, as it was that obvious.

He motioned for Cat to leave the room, leaving the sleeping Laura on the sofa.

Lauren felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as the air became colder while the figure behind her got closer and closer.

"You must be the lady that I am supposed to tie the knot with in a few minutes." Gavin said from right behind his bride's back.

Lauren could even feel his breath on the back of her neck as he spoke.

A familiar, nice cologne arrested her nose, which sent her heart rate into an over-speed.

Out of both fear and curiosity, she tried to turn to see if this man could be whom she was thinking. But his next words shattered her excited heart out of whatever theories were forming in her head, so she stopped and remained still instead. Somewhat grateful that he wasn't him.

Gavin continued. "Well, you'll have to get rid of any funny ideas and fantasies that you might be entertaining in your head concerning this marriage. For I already have someone that I love and do not plan to sign any papers for this.

I'll talk to my parents and yours to have this arrangement cancelled as soon as the celebrations die down. And so, be rest assured that I am never going to touch you, for I do not expect any wifely duties from you.

Don't you worry, though. I'll make sure that you're well compensated for your time and efforts wasted.

Hope you've gotten my message and would not prove to be a difficult person." Gavin informed her and then turned and left the room, without waiting to hear what his bride also had to say about that.

"Whew!" Lauren released her breath, which she didn't even realise she was holding, as soon as he left.

"Are you alright, Rosa? What did he want? Did he hear any part of our conversation from earlier? Are we in any trouble?" Cat asked anxiously as she went to get Lauren a glass of water after returning to the room.

"Thank you." Lauren said as she handed the empty glass back to Cat. She shook her head as she added, "No. No. Don't worry about him. He didn't hear anything.

Lauren then checked her reflection again before pointing to her sleeping sister, "Just make sure that she doesn't cause any problems for me.

"Sure. That's what you paid me for, anyway. Now go, quickly." Cat said and pushed her friend out of the dressing room. She stayed back to watch over the drugged and now sleeping older sister of her client.

Fortunately for Lauren, all the people she hired were very competent, and at the end, she was indeed the one who got married to her sister's childhood crush.

*

Gavin was very surprised to see his bride's face once he joined her at the altar.

"Ros...a?" He blurted out his thoughts, but it seems that his bride did not hear what he said.

"Pardon?" Lauren asked with confusion written on her face.

"Never mind." Gavin said and dropped it. Of course this lady before him can never be his Rosa. She may have similar features as his lover, but she is definitely not her.

*

"I now present to you the newly married couple, Lauren and Gavin Mulligan. You may now kiss to seal the deal." The wedding guests clapped after the officiant's pronouncement.

Lauren subconsciously pulled back as her new husband drew closer.

Sensing her hesitation, Gavin held her by the shoulder before leaning in closer for a kiss, but his new wife just turned her head to the side so he couldn't.

This caused some murmuring among the guests present.

"Be still!" Gavin said as he slowly hugged her and leaned into her ear to whisper, "Why? Don't you want your 'husband' to kiss you now? Then you shouldn't have accepted this sham of a marriage if you can't even play the part."

Though his voice was low, his irritation was that much clearer.

"You... before, you said that..." Lauren stammered.

"The guests are all looking. Do you want them to be suspicious of us?" Gavin cut her off, knowing what she was going to say.

Lauren shook her head in the negative.

"Um..." She was a bit taken aback. This felt very different from what she understood from his warning about their relationship earlier.

Feeling a bit impatient, Gavin Mulligan grabbed her by the waist and pulled her tightly to himself as he pressed his closed lips to the side of her mouth as if they were actually kissing.

The hall erupted into a roar of laughter and cheering from the overexcited guests.

"Now you may go and sign the papers over there." The wedding officiant said and pointed to a table set on the side for the signing of the newlywedded couple's marriage license.

Gavin, who had thought that this would be done indoors, was now taken aback. How does he reject signing the papers now that everyone is watching them?

He found himself following the officiant to the table, albeit hesitantly.

Things were not going his way at all, and he hated it.

Meanwhile...

"Honey, did you hear that? I told you that he mentioned 'Lauren' earlier and not 'Laura.' Let me go and verify first. I'll have them correct it if I'm right." Lauren's mother said to her husband and left to where the bride and groom were.

Her initial intention to have the name corrected vanished once she saw that the bride was actually her estranged daughter, Lauren, and not their beloved first daughter, Laura.

She tried hard to hide her anger as she put on a fake smile for the Mulligans.

"I need to speak with my daughter for a minute, please." Lauren's mother said to her son-in-law and hurriedly dragged her daughter, whose shocked face was like that of a deer caught in headlights, out of the wedding hall and all the way to the dressing room.

Her surprised father, who hadn't seen nor heard anything about her in years, also followed after the two.

James could feel the tensed air between his friend's newly wedded wife and her parents, so he too followed after them quietly.

*

Slap!!!

"You witch! How did you do it, huh? How were you able to take away your sister's man? How come the priest mentioned your name and not hers? And where is she? Have you done something to your sister? Huh?"