When Lucy meets Alex, she thinks that she has finally found the love of her life. But after she blows her tire, a chance trip to the auto repair shop leaves her stunned. There, she finds a man who looks identical to her fiancé. What else is Alex hiding from her?
“Lucy, tell me everything,” my sister said when I showed up at her house looking for a shoulder to cry on.
“Make me some tea and give me some cookies, and I’ll tell you everything,” I said.
“Coming right up!” she exclaimed, running to the kitchen.
“There is no twin brother, is there?” I demanded.
“No, there isn’t,” he said, looking down.
“Why lie? Why lie about everything?” I asked, wanting to throw my cup of tea at him.
After a moment of silence, he finally looked at me, his eyes pleading.
“I wanted to be someone you could be proud of. I knew about your family’s wealth and connections, and I thought… I thought if I seemed successful, you’d actually want a chance with me. That you’d never see me as just a mechanic.”
I was at a loss for words. A part of me wanted to understand, to find some reason that would make this all make sense. But another part, a larger part, felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal.
This wasn’t just a harmless lie. No, this was a fundamental betrayal of trust.
“I can’t do this,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t marry someone who built our relationship on lies.”
Alex reached out to touch my hand, but I pulled away.
“Please, give me a chance to make it right,” he pleaded.
But there was no making it right. It was over. With a heavy heart, I took off the engagement ring and placed it on the table.
“I think you should return your mother’s ring to her,” I said sadly.
“Oh, Lu,” Mia said when I told her the whole story. “I’m really sorry that you had to go through this.”
I smiled at her with tears in my eyes.
“Well, at least you know exactly how it feels,” I said. “So that makes me feel better.”
Mia laughed and hugged me.
“Look, it has to get better than these deceitful men. We’ll find the good ones soon.”
I nodded and sat back against the couch.
What would you have done?