Sebastian’s Truth


    Sebastian


    I walk out of Elena’s room with my mind in a haze. The girl who I had teased mercilessly for being


    slightly curvier than her sister, was hiding an absolutely stunning body. Thest thing I expected to find


    was her naked on the other side of that door. Clearly, she was used to being naked in her own room,


    and now I had invaded her personal space.


    Walking towards my room, which was down the hall from hers, I internally reprimanded myself


    again for my stupidity earlier this evening. What had I expected to gain today from having sex with


    Sarah? She was easy and willing, but did I really want to keep the affair going?


    When I saw Elena’s face through the doorway, the hurt disyed there mirrored my own from long


    ago. Instead of bursting in and acting like the firecracker that she was, she simply closed the door and


    walked away. Any trace of lust I felt had evaporated when I saw the look of betrayal in her eyes, and I


    immediately stopped what I was doing with Sarah.


    Elena was right, I had disrespected and insulted her on her wedding day. Even though it was not a


    real wedding to either of us, what I did was still wrong. If this marriage was to work, I would need to put


    in the work as well.


    I never would have thought that I would end up with Elena, of all people. I am sure she doesn’t


    remember me from all those years ago, but I remember her as clear as day. It was Social Season


    about 3 years ago, and my mother had forced me to attend some or other masked ball for charity. I had


    just turned 20 years old at the time and was not interested in the social circles, but my mother advised


    me to attend as a Dumont representative.


    I was standing at the hors d’oeuvre table, fixing myself a ss of champagne, when I spotted the


    most beautiful girl I had everid eyes on. Soft brown curls framed her heart-shaped face, bright blue


    eyes and a gorgeous set of lips I immediately wanted to kiss. She looked to be about 18 and had taken


    her mask off for some or other reason and was arguing with her mother. Calling the wearing of masks


    ‘stupid’ but relenting and attaching it again. This disy of rebellion had made me want to get to know


    her, and when I asked a patron who she was, I was told she was Lady Eliana Wiltshire.


    Approaching her, I introduced myself as the Dumont representative and noticed her mother had


    gone pale, then excused herself. The girl named Eliana had a frown on her face at her mother’s


    reaction but proceeded to talk to me, anyway. I asked her if she would like to walk with me and she


    obliged so I held my hand out for her to take and we walked towards the vast gardens.


    “So, what brings you to this ball if you’re not interested in being here?” I asked her as we rounded


    the boxwood hedges and walked towards the rose garden. She shrugged, “It is sort of difficult to get


    out of a social event when it is being held at your estate.” She replied with a giggle and I suddenly felt


    dumb. Of course, The Wiltshire Charity Ball.


    “Ah, forgive me. I am not too clued up with the social circles. My work tends to keep me busy.”


    “Oh? And what do you do?” She had asked, clearly not recognizing me, and for some reason, I


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    preferred that.


    “I own a fewpanies in London. We’ve currently broken into the stock markets and are climbing


    each day. As CEO, things can get quite demanding.” I had told her and noticed the bored expression


    on her face. “Something the matter?” I asked her with a grin on my face.


    She had blushed at this, “No, not at all. I just find the business world very boring.” Her hand


    suddenly flew to her mouth, “Oh! I do apologize, I didn’t mean to insult you and your work!” I said with a


    chuckle, then took her hand in mine, “Not to worry. I prefer honesty anyway, Lady Wiltshire.”


    shing me an apologetic grin, we continued to walk and made small talk. In those 2 hours spent


    with her, I had never felt lighter or freer. I could talk to her about anything, and she would reply with a


    witty retort. She made meugh as well. No other woman had been able to. Lady Eliana Wiltshire was


    definitely not your ordinary heiress.


    When it came time to say goodbye, the both of us seemed to struggle to do so. I told her I would


    visit her the following weekend, and she epted my invitation.


    She was on my mind the whole week that followed, and when I told my mother to set up a meeting


    with Eliana Wiltshire, she couldn’t have more been happier for me.


    The day of our meeting came, and I was a ball of nerves. I would get to see her again and it gave


    me butterflies, strange but true. No other woman had this effect on me before, and I might just be a


    little infatuated.


    Arriving at The Wiltshire Estate, my Eliana greeted me at the door, but she acted strangely. She


    did not seem to know who I was and was confused by my being there. I tried to make a joke as she


    previously referred to herself as ‘podgy’ and she immediately took offence. Then, as another person


    descended the stairs, I realized something.


    Eliana had a twin.


    During my lunch with Eliana, I was so confused. Who had I met at the charity event?


    “Were you present at the Wiltshire Charity Ballst weekend?” I had asked her and she shook her


    head, “Oh, gosh no I wasn’t. I was down with a terrible cold and had my sister, Elena, take my ce as


    the Wiltshire representative. You met her this morning, she weed you at the door.”


    Suddenly I wished that the ground would swallow me whole. I was on a date with the wrong sister,


    and this one was as boring as watching paint dry. We had nothing inmon, nothing at all. There was


    no connection between us, as there has been between the Wiltshire twin I had metst weekend. Even


    our food tastes differ.


    However, my mother wanted this union to work as it would bring about a useful connection for our


    family. So I had to keep up the pretence of being in love with Eliana for over 3 years and eventually


    proposed to her.


    Whenever I would meet Elena, we always argued and fought. There was never a pleasant


    conversation between the two of us, it was always banter, and I absolutely loved it. Elena still did not


    realize who I was. I never told her my name at the charity ball and I had kept my mask on.


    I think Eliana always suspected that my feelings for her were never true, which was why she found


    sce in my uncle. I must admit that it hurt to find out that she had been cheating on me for so long,


    but it quite relieved me to finally be rid of her.


    “Unless we find a recement.”


    When my mother uttered those words at the dreaded dinner party, I knew what would happen.


    They were going to force Elena to take her sister’s ce. I had agreed and stormed out, but deep


    inside, I was secretly happy; I was finally going to be with the twin I had fallen for so long ago.


    But Elena could not have looked any more disgusted. I knew she fiercely disliked me, but I did not


    know it was to a depth I could never reach. Seeing her kiss Nichs Addington in the gardens we


    walked through had made my blood boil and I had likened her to her cheating sister. But looking back,


    my ways hadn’t been exactly pure.


    I had slept with Sarah countless times, even in my office, before Elena unexpectedly showed up. I


    was already so angry at the rumours flying around and insulting my name, that I pulled her into my


    office and forced her against the door. Being that close to her had done something to me, and after that


    stolen kiss, I knew she felt the same way.


    We ignored one another after that for obvious reasons, but seeing her walk down the aisle had


    done something to me. I did not want to feel anything for anyone again, not after the Wiltshire twin mix


    up and Eliana’s betrayal, but Elena was stirring things up inside of me. Feelings of love and admiration


    got me into a loveless rtionship and almost a loveless marriage, I think it’s why I have been keeping


    the affair with Sarah going. If I can get Elena to hate me, maybe I would start to hate her too. She was


    essentially the reason I had to court Eliana.


    That was my mindset until we kissed in the limousine again. She felt the connection as well; I knew


    she did, and I had just extinguished it when she walked in on Sarah and I.


    We just needed to keep this charade going for 5 years, then we could go our separate ways and


    never speak again. But in all honesty, did I want to let Elena go now when I finally had the right


    Wiltshire twin in my grasp?