Chapter 4

• They chatted all through our drive. I listened to a few of their conversations and most of the things they talked about was the wedding. They never asked for my opinion and I wasn't ready to offer any. We got to our destination and I parked the car at the parking lot. Olivia and my mom stepped out of the car while I remained in it.
• "How long will you be staying here?" I asked.
• "An hour or two," Olivia replied and I smiled.
• I should be able to make it to lunch with my friends at the Italian restaurant we chose and be back before my mom and Olivia would notice I am gone.
• "I will be here waiting," I said.
• "You are coming in with us," my mom replied.
• "I do not have business going in there."
• "You do not have business staying here either. So you are coming with us and that's finally" my mom insisted.
• "Mom, why..."
• "I do not trust you, Olive. I will be at ease if I can have you in a close space with me. I won't worry about you causing trouble."
• I groaned. I am not a troublemaker. She should stop painting me as one.
• "I am not coming with..."
• "Olive, please come with us. You can't keep getting Mother worked up over you."
• I nodded. "I guess I should not. Being the bad sheep in the family, right?"
• "I never said that." Olivia shrugged.
• "You don't have to. Your actions and words have said it all."
• "Olive, that's enough! You should not speak to your sister like that."
• I scoffed. I knew this would happen. That was the reason I never wanted to come with them in the first place.
• "Olive, get out of the car now. You are coming with us." my mom insisted.
• I stepped out of the car and followed them into the building. I wasn't angry that my mom sided with Olivia because I was already used to that. I was angry that she forced me into coming with them when I could be with my friends.
• "Is she the one getting married?" a woman asked when she saw Olivia and my mom nodded. "She looks very beautiful."
• I could see the smile on our mother's face.
• She must feel so happy hearing Olivia being complimented, I thought, rolling my eyes.
• "Can I at least sit?" I asked.
• "Are they twins?" The woman asked and I groaned.
• "Isn't that obvious?" I mumbled. "We look so much alike"
• "Olive!" my mom almost yelled at me and I sighed.
• "Please, come with me," the woman said.
• She directed us to the wedding dress section and we met with two other women.
• "Welcome, ma'am. Is she the bride?" one of the women pointed at me and I scoffed.
• "She is." I pointed at Olivia and the woman smiled.
• "You both must be twins."
• I frowned. Can they stop talking about the obvious? It wasn't like I wanted to be twin with her.
• "It's obvious we are," I murmured and she smiled.
• "I get that. You can come with me," she told Olivia.
• Olivia followed her into the dressing room. I sat down and began to press my phone. I was bored, having no one to talk to. I chatted up with Claire and Lucy in our group chat.
• Hey babes. How is lunch going? I texted.
• It's boring without you. What is picking Olivia's wedding gown like? Claire replied.
• Boring, I must confess. It's been an hour already and they are yet to pick one. I texted back.
• Picking a wedding gown must be very difficult. Lucy answered.
• I scoffed slightly. How difficult can it be?
• I think they are bent on keeping me here. I replied.
• We are missing you so badly. Hope you're coming to the exhibition. Claire wrote.
• Nothing is going to stop me. I replied.
• "Olive," my mom cooed. "You are here to help your sister pick a dress and not to press your phone."
• "I told you I wasn't needed here," I replied.
• "You are here already. You should help your sister out by picking her dress." my mom said.
• "Mom, Olive doesn't have to help me out. She..."
• "She will," Mom replied. "It's her duty.". She turned to face me. "And I do not want to see you pressing that phone."
• "Can I at least reply to my last messages?"
• "You can't" she replied and groaned.
• "Fine!"
• I placed my phone into my pocket and stood up to meet Olivia.
• "Can you pick up a dress already? It's not like you are getting married to a Prince" I whispered.
• "I heard you, Olive," Mom said and I sighed.
• Picking up a dress for Olivia was difficult. Mom rejected every dress I picked and Olivia did not choose for herself either. She was bent on going with whatever my mom chose and that got me angry.
• It's going to be her wedding, not ours. Why should we pick her dress when she could make a choice herself?
• "Mom, if you keep rejecting every dress we might not be leaving here any time soon," I said but she ignored me.
• I breathed a sigh of relief when she finally settled for one.
• "Can we leave now?" I asked and our mom frowned at me.
• "We are not done...". Her phone began to ring and she stared at me for a while before she turned to face Olivia. "It's your dad," she told her.
• She left to pick up her call and Olivia moved closer to me.
• "Olive, I think..."
• I raised my right hand. "Spare me your sermon, Olivia. I don't want it."
• Our mom returned and stared at me. "Olive, you have to go home and help Hannah in the kitchen. The Campbells are coming over for dinner."
• I furrowed my brows. "W-why should I go home?"
• "Did you not hear me say that your sister's inlaws are coming over for dinner?"
• I scoffed. "They are not my in-laws. Why should I be the one going home?"
• "Olive, you..."
• "I am not speaking to you, Olivia. So, shush.". I faced my mom. "I want to know why I have to be the one going home."
• "You have to help out in the kitchen."
• "When did I begin to help in the kitchen? I have never done that before. Why should I do that now? I already made plans. I can't change..."
• "You have to," my mom said.
• "I..."
• "Your sister needs you. You must help her out."
• I sighed. It's always about Olivia and not me. She is always the favorable daughter of the family.
• "It's always about Olivia," I muttered.
• "Enough of the talks. Go home now, Olive. Hannah is waiting for you," my mom said. "You will stop by the mall and get some stuff. Hannah will send you the list."
• My eyes switched. "D-do I have to go to the mall too?"
• My mom frowned. "You do not want to?"
• I groaned. "It's frustrating already that you brought me here and you want me to go home to help out when I can be with my friends. Now you want me to go to the mall."
• "Olive, I do not see anything wrong in going to the mall," Olivia said and I furrowed my brows.
• "What did you say?"
• "You have always had time to yourself. You have every freedom you have ever yearned for. Now, your family only wants a few hours out of your time. Is that too much to ask?"
• I scoffed. Is she trying to prove to me that she will always be the perfect child?
• "You have no right to talk to me like that. I do not owe my family anything, why should I risk my life for their sake?"
• "Olive!" Olivia called. "Your family did nothing for you?"
• Our mom held Olivia's hand. "That's enough!". She stared at me. "Let me have the car key. You can take a taxi. Hannah will send you the list."