Rich Kid in Disguise

Disguise 30.5: The Liar

Rich Kid in Disguise

The Liar

Disguise 30.5

-Penelope's POV-

To say that I was lost is not only the biggest understatement I've ever thought to admit, but also the most confusing truth I ever had to face in the eighteen years that I've lived.

Right now, the only thing registering in my mind despite the hellish tornado of events I can't seem to grasp on is the shocking fact that this situation won the first place of the ten things beyond my comprehension-well, at least it is right now but I'm pretty sure I'll be understanding it sooner or later- and let the fact of Axel having his first crush a mannequin dressed in bloody nurse clothes with a real knife in hand crush itself to second place.

I always knew that we were an oddball duo but a mannequin was overdoing it. Seriously.

"What... does that mean, Natalia?" Melissa was no longer the irritating person lashing about every single thing I didn't want her to. Her voice hushed two tones down, as if reality corroded and she was left to suffer confusion. "Yo-you're not thinking what I'm thinking, right?"

"It's exactly what it meant, Melissa." Natalia's words felt like very sharp blades stinging into me, as if prying to wake me up and recall all those times I've been played. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Melissa dropped to the floor, a look of disbelief painted on her face as she watched Natalia. This failed attempt of kidnapping has been nothing but full of twists and surprises.

"What were you thinking?" Melissa asked, her tone a whisper full of force. It felt like her bottled up emotions bursted in that one question. "Are you really crazy enough to bring her here?"

"Maybe." Natalia answered immediately, face expressionless. It made Melissa scoff, but she chose not to retort.

"Why?"

Silence followed Melissa's question. My eyes fixated on my wrists, studying the scars I've obtained from the binds. For a moment, it was the most fascinating thing in this situation. Which it was. Or wasn't. Maybe it was both.

"Because hating a person you never knew is stupid."

I stopped whatever I was doing. It took another second for me to return my focus back on Natalia. She glanced at me, flashed a sympathetic smile, and then finally walking to where I remained frozen trying to digest her words.

Who did she direct that to?

"So does that mean that you knew her the moment you sat next to each other on your flight to New York?" Melissa questioned, Natalia halting right in front of me. She grabbed both my hands with caution, as if holding a valuable and fragile antique that would break any moment.

I lifted myself with her help, biting my lower lip to fight back another wince.

"I knew her before that," Natalia revealed, her smile a wistful one. "Because of Axel."

She must be remembering a bad memory, I concluded.

"Are you saying that my disguise was useless from the start?"

All eyes in the room turned to me. It was then that I realized that I bursted forth my inner thoughts without me noticing. So timing has an issue with me now as well?