5: Let me introduce myself

"People with weaknesses get killed by the people who lack them. Notice I'm not dead."

"Quynn Hudson, I am Anna Wilson, I am Eli Wilson's fiancée and in five weeks I will be his wife," she says the Wilson name with much emphasis on the Wilson as if it was supposed to mean something to me.

Wilson; does that name sound familiar? I wonder to myself before coming up short. No, it doesn't. Well, is it supposed to? Also no.

At least the stranger finally put a name to herself, I've been calling her Lucifer's younger sister since I saw her more than half an hour ago.

She then takes the next hour briefly introducing herself, Family, background, work and things I didn't find interesting to know.

She's not my lost twin because according to everything she just said, she knows her birth parents and they are still alive the last time she spoke to them. The reason we look so much alike and sound a bit alike as well is purely coincidental.

"I'm very sure you didn't go through all the stress this past month just to introduce yourself, family and work to me." I groan out, completely bored from her aimless lecture.

Something in my gut tells me she's not here to get justice for Ade's death or help Sharon. She's here on a different agenda and she's going use me to get it.

She coldly stares at me but just like before, she ignores and continues to speak, "I have come here with a proposal for you. I will need you to take my place and the role of Ms Wilson, Eli Wilson's fiancée."

My ears ring in bewilderment, and after proper digestion of what she just proposed, I realized it is completely impossible and therefore a death sentence.

I raise my hands in confusion, "You want me to be you." I ask, my voice beyond astonished.

"Yes," she answers putting out the smoke in her cigar and this is the second time she's smoked in the last hour.

My eyes flutter close as I take another moment to process this messed up situation. "I can't do that. We may look alike, but we are not the same and your fiancé of all people will know that."

They may have been engaged for only two months, but I am sure they have gotten to know each other well over the many months they've dated and no way I can replace that feeling. Eli might probably know her better than she knows herself and he if he doesn't, why was he marrying her?!

"He will, they all will if you don't play your part well in the days you will be my replacement."

My brow rises and my heart begins to beat faster, "Days? How many days are we talking about?"

"For the next twenty-one days."

"Twenty-one days?" I echo and my eyes widen, "that's three weeks!" I get up from my seat and move to the kitchen to grab a bottle of whiskey and a cup from the counter. I don't drink in the morning, but it's too early for all this. "You want me to be your replacement for three weeks and your fiancé of all people is not supposed to find this out. He's not an idiot is he?"

From her introduction about herself, she seems to be surrounded by a lot of people, and that makes her proposal a suicide mission. I can't fool everyone and if I'm caught, it would be said that I stole her identity and I could go to jail. There are always "what-ifs" in these kinds of arrangement.

She glares at me, I suppose because I called her fiance an idiot and she speaks, "I know that's not going to happen because we are already alike in so many ways and also because one of your very special skill is impersonating people."

At this moment I just want to bury myself and never come out. She may have done her homework about me, but she has no idea that there is a difference between doing an impression of someone's gesture and behaviour pattern and becoming that person.

Luke had tried to convince me several times about putting my ability to impersonate other people's actions, gesture and voice at the same pace into use. I used to do that when I was younger, but Ade (rest his in hell) wasn't a huge fan of the skill and told me it sounded stupid and just like my dream of being an astronaut, it went down the toilet. Since then, I didn't try mimicking anyone until the first week after I started working when we were at the vending machine and Luke's money got stuck and groaning he threw a punch to the machine only to wince out in pain and cuss out an "Oh that fucking hurts!" I cracked up laughing and I repeated his words after him, mimicking his words with the same tone, depth and frustration he had said it.

Luke who was impressed beyond reasonable doubt told Jake, Kanayo and Obi a few of our colleagues at work who were ready to experiment with my so-called talent.

After I began charging them for each impression I did, they stop bugging me to be their clown.

"It doesn't work the way you're thinking, lady," I say through gritted teeth, trying not to snap at her for her crazy assumption as I pour the whiskey into a cup.

"So Kanayo lied then?" she demands with a raised brow and though my mouth opens, no word comes out.

I blink, "No, but doing an impression of someone for five seconds is completely different from becoming someone for three weeks, I could go to jail." I growl in frustration and empty it into my mouth.

Pointing out the things that might go wrong doesn't help because she already had her mind set.

"Listen, I know this might be a little uncomfortable for you, but you have no choice in this matter, so I'd advise you to figure your way around it and come to the acceptance that it is happening."

My lips quiver and tears well up in my eyes and I blink them back. No, I can't cry, not here, not now. I walk up to the dining and take a seat.

"You probably think I'm a monster, maybe I am, but at this point, I don't care I'm just interested in meeting my goal." she pushes the file beside her towards me and I glance down at it before raising my brow and staring back at her.

"What is this?"

"That is the document that contains, the calendar of the 21 days you will be my replacement, a brief break down of my work, family, background and the sample contract of our agreement which states that if you can complete your task of replacing me for the three weeks without being caught, I will pay you fifty thousand dollars with the money you can be able to start something for yourself when this is over."

I chuckle at the audacity of this woman, "You're trying to buy my head with your crazy plan so I will be obliged to do your bidding." I blurt out accusation in my voice.

"No, you will do my bidding," she states with so much certainty. "the money is just my way of trying to compensate you for the trouble you will face."

Motherfucker! I seethe inwardly.

"Helping me? I do not need financial help from you, I just want you out of my life." I groan, saying the last past more to myself than to her.

"You do, according to Luke you have been hoping to establish your bakery business and this is one way to ensure that that happens."

I only told Luke that because he was my friend and I never told anyone else. This woman has everything planned out and will fit me into the plan one way or another.

"You believe that money can buy everything, don't you." I snort before closing my eyes and taking the whiskey bottle to my mouth this time.

She pulls off her glove to display the diamond rock on her finger and it is almost blinding, and I know for a fact that whoever she's marrying is very rich, but that's not my concern. "Yes I do and if your money can't solve your problem, then you don't have enough money," she says, a smug look coming to stay on her face.

I shake my head and push the document back to her, "I don't want your money, taking your money would be making us even and I want to keep hating you for as long as I can."

She finally gets up to her feet, holding firmly to her black purse with her right hand, not reaching for the sample contract like she's supposed to.

"Keep the contract and thoroughly go through it. It would be better for you. The terms are negotiable, I will be back tomorrow to finalise this and begin your one-week training and if you even dare try to cross me. I have eyes on you on every corner." The threat in her voice is a believable one too and I swallow hard.

She gets to the door and as she takes the doorknob to open the door I speak up, "I have never met you before and I'm so sure that I've never offended you before so why are you doing this to me?"

"Because I can." She says curtly.

The door closes behind her and I scream loud, kicking at the chair at the dining angrily and pushing the flower vase on the table away, it falls and breaks into tiny pieces.

After leaving Ade six months ago, I told myself no one would control my life or decisions from then on, but here I am at the fingertips tips of Anna and my actions being controlled by her. How did I get into this mess?

By stealing my ex money while leaving him and that led to his untimely demise.

I didn't want to take a look at the documents that Lucifer's younger sister left behind and insisted I take a look at it, but I didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Whether I like it or not I am going to do her bidding, it is only better I take a look at the terms stated in the document. Anna stated before leaving, that the term and offers could still be adjusted, so reading over the sample contract will help me know what I need to know and negotiate the parts I am not comfortable with.

I stopped drinking because I needed a clear head to read and understand the papers before me.

For the rest of the day, I was trapped reading all the documents she brought; firstly at the documents consisting of #31 rules of Ms Wilson's replacement which has a lot of dos and don'ts.

Then the file consisting of pictures with names, backgrounds, ages and the roles everyone played of which I was supposed to know, including Anna's fiancé, Eli Wilson, whom according to these document is partially blind. It states here that though engaged since two months now, Anna and Eli have been staying in their separate homes and Anna has only been visiting during weekends which were Fridays through Sundays.

Reading this makes me feel a little better because this reduced the risk of me being caught. After all, we are not always going to be together.

According to the document Anna was born; Anna Jocelyn Wilson to Maria Wilson and Agada Wilson, she left home when she was sixteen and hasn't gone back. She got engaged six months ago and fortunately for her, she's marrying a man that shares her last name and wouldn't be needing any changes. There was not much said about Anna's parents just that she didn't communicate with them often and that thought doesn't sit well with me, I know that might be for my own good. Then I moved to the file about her work which has a breakdown and brief introduction of those she works with at the A&W clothing as well as their various duties.

Lastly is the sample contract that had a lot of terms and conditions as well as the role I had to play as Ms Wilson. It also had a calendar that had the activities of every day for the 21 days I will be her replacement scheduled, as well as the pictures of what I'll be wearing during those days.

It's been three hours since I started reading this contract and I am now on page sixteen of twenty-five and that is a huge achievement, I have also taken out my jotter and pen to cross out the important parts and also parts that I was uncomfortable with and providing suggestions that I believed were suitable.

The doorbell goes off and I scramble up only to wince as my head begins to hammer massively as a result of the sudden movement coupled with having my eyes glued to the document for the past eight hours. I walk- more like drag myself to the door and open it and there stand Luke with two can of Monster and a box of pizza and most importantly, a broad smile on his face.

"I know I didn't call, I had to come and check up on you and I brought these because I know how much you hate me coming over without bringing food." He holds up the pizza and the two cans to further prove his words.

I grin at him and pull him inside before closing the door.

After spending over three hours with me he takes his leave, I spend the next thirty minutes going over the remaining four pages of the sample contract and once I finish with that one, I make my way over to bed feeling accomplished.

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