Bonus Chapter- Five ❤️

"Is she really in there?" I asked David who had come with me to where I was supposed to meet Samantha- the prison yard.

"Yes. She is waiting for you and she will explain everything in detail."

"Can't you just tell me what you know?" I was starting to change my mind. Perhaps I wasn't ready to face the crazy truth yet.

Perhaps coming down to New York was a waste of time.

"Grace, don't grow cold feet now. You need to know the truth and you need to know it now." I looked his way, my eyes screaming confusion. "Grace... you have come this far. Besides she isn't going to bite."

"Wait, so the person I am about to meet, is it her sister or Samantha herself?"

David nudged me towards the knotted gates in front of us. "Just go in and find out yourself. I assure you that you will be safe. Heck," he huffed. ",Dominic would tear me into pieces if something happened to his fiancee."

I smiled at that word. It was nice to hear and it was nice to have a feel of the beauty seated on my finger. But... back to the issue at hand. I sighed as I took a look at the buildings beyond the gate that held special prisoners.

"Okay David, here goes nothing." He patted me gently as I made my way in.

As soon as I made it past the gates, a sudden fear befell me. I really was going to get answers that would change a lot for me. Over the past months, I have had situations where I fell into a dark space because I happened to recall my close call to death that could have claimed lives if it really happened.

The dark space never stayed for long, but everytime I remember the incident, I begin to feel guilty and scared and angry too.

But all that had to change with this visit.

I was led into one of the blocks nearby by a security guard. When we entered the room, I was greeted by a familiar scent. That chocolate-like smell never wore off her. But her hair color was different.

"Hi Grace," the woman who was seated on one of the lounge chairs in the entrance turned to look at me. She looked really different. Her now black hair was longer than before which made her face really pop out. Her use of make up was heavier, but I could still tell she was the one. "Yeah, I don't expect you to hug me on first sight."

She got up and I finally found my reaction. I took a few startled steps back.

Samantha sucked her lower lip in as she decided to stay where she was. "You have every right to not like me Grace, I won't hold it against you."

But her voice was still the same and it took me back to the good days. "A- are you really Samantha?" I asked, my tight hold on the hem of my long sleeved wooled shirt easing a bit.

She nodded. "David must have told you everything."

"He only mentioned something about a sister."

Her chest rose and fell heavily as she looked away. For a second, we both stood in silence before she said, "We will have to sit down for this." She gestured to the seat right next to me and took her seat opposite me after I did. "It is true that I have a look alike sister. She is my younger sister, Sandra."

"Okay?"

"Sandra is the one who tried to kill you." I frowned. "I know," she continued before I could say anything. ",why would my sister, who you do not know try to kill you?"

Samantha reached into her bag and brought out a couple of pictures which she extended my way. Reluctantly, I collected them and took a look.

The first was a picture of two girls, one taller than the other, but they had the same face, the same smile, it was a bit... it was a little incredulous.

"The doctors think she might be my identical twin who did not develop while I did in my mother's womb. It is a crazy story actually. Sandra has always being a unique child right from birth. Unusual too. My mother gave birth to her eight months after me in the most unexpected way."

The next picture showed a much more grown Samantha who was hugging her sister who was almost as tall as her, gladly.

"Sandra wasn't an easy child. While I was the obedient, good one, she only caused trouble. At a point, she got furious and jealous at the fact that our parents preferred me over her. That caused her to create a personality that is me within her."

I looked up from the pictures.

Samantha cleared her throat as her voice was beginning to crack a bit. "Sandra began to act like me, dress like me, behave like me. It was so crazy." She sniffled. "It became crazier when, on a certain night, Sandra tried to kill me in my sleep, she wanted to fully become me, she wanted me gone."

"Is that why...?" My eyes went to the scar on her neck which I never asked questions about.

Her slender fingers ran through it as she nodded. "She almost killed me that fateful night, but I survived. That incident became a wake up call for my parents who always made light of her recent changes. They had to put her in a mental hospital. She was fifteen when that happened and for six years, she remained there."

I sighed. Now, I was very curious to know how the story connected to me.

Samantha adusted in her seat before she continued. "When she was released, my parents sent her to live with me. It was during that period that she had her eyes set on Dominic Powers. Oh, she couldn't stop talking about him, she couldn't stop praising him.

At first, I thought he was a new friend she had met, but that was not the case, she only saw him from afar and became obssessed with him as months flew by. Apparently, at some point, she stalked him.

But I didn't take her seriously, I thought she was just going through a phase until I caught her with a picture of Dominic and his wife then, she was punching this little knife into it and was muttering these dangerous words.

It was there I found out that she was still claiming my identity. It became a crazy battle between us as I became so angry at her. I was going to send her packing, but I didn't want our parents to be stressed."

Man, this story is creeping me out. It sounds like something that came out from a horror movie.

Samantha swept her hair back as she watched my contemplating face. "I got her a doctor who prescibed medications to tame her. But that long treatment failed later on when she somehow sneaked out of the house, followed me and heard you and I talking about Dominic." A bitter chuckle followed.

"Sandra lost it, she said she was going to have a chance with him again, no matter what. Along the line, she kind of had kept me hidden in my own house."

"Kept you hidden?"

"Yes. I think it was during the time your face was all over the media, she knocked me unconscious and locked me in my basement."

"What?"

"She took over my personality and did all those horrible stuff."

"What?" All that time, I was talking with the wrong person? I left Ruby with her sister?

Samantha got up. "I need you to see something. It is the reason I asked that we met here." She motioned to a guard close by and the man led the way down the corridor to our left. Despite my legs which felt heavy, I followed her to wherever it was we were going.

When we got to the prison arm of the building, we stopped at the third cell which was the only one occupied there. Samantha paved way for me and as I moved forward, my legs went weak.

It was all true. She really did have a look alike sister. It was crazier since I was looking at the evidence who was looking so peaceful as she took a nap.

Samantha took steps away from the cell. "After she did that crazy thing to you, she got shot by a cop who was trying to defend himself from her careless use of a shotgun she had. One way or the other, she escaped custody and came back to my house where she narrated everything that she had done. Luckily for her, the cops gave up on their search for her and pronounced her dead.

But unluckily for me, she used my personality and I was at risk of being arrested at sight, that's why I decided to become this new person. But before then, I wanted to apologize to you one way or the other, but you were gone, so I had to visit David, but I couldn't tell him much."

Damn, it all made sense now. It really made a lot of sense.

She sighed again and faced me, this time fully without her eyes darting. "I am really glad you came Grace and I am so glad I finally got to tell you how things really happened. I knew seeing Sandra who you thought was me do those horrible things must have made you so angry at me."

I let out this bitter chuckle. "You have no idea."

She moved closer with this sad smile on her face and reached for my hand which I let her hold. "Grace... you look pregnant."

I couldn't help but burst into laughter, she had just digged up a good memory from the past. Even her sad smile was gone and replaced with a kind of hearty laughter.

"You remember," I said and she nodded.

When our friendship first started, we watched a particular movie about two friends who fought a lot yet patched things up no matter what. Anytime they happened to become close again after being apart for a while, they always used that phrase which is code for- I have missed you.

So, yes, it was a good memory because that day, we both decided to adopt that phrase.

"You look pregnant too." I finally said when our shared laughter died down. With a small smile planted on my lips, I brought her closer for a hug which lasted for a while.

"I don't think I will be seeing you that much," she said after we dissolved the hug.

"Nah. I live far away now."

"It is really good to see you again. And congratulations on being engaged, I am very happy for you and Dominic."

"I should get going Sam. I have a lot of thinking to do," I said as I was starting to feel a bit drained. Maybe it was because of the discovery or the meet up or maybe it was the room we were in, I had no idea. All I knew was that I needed some air and I needed to be out of that place.

Samantha nodded understandably and moved out of my way. "I am really glad you came here Grace. Goodbye."

I gave her one last smile. "Goodbye Samantha and goodluck with your new life." Then I walked out, my mind still in jeopardy.

~

As Dominic led me and Ruby into what once used to be home, I let out a small squeal. "Oh my God! Everything is the same. Oh, I have missed this place."

"I am going to my room," Ruby raced up the stairs leaving me and Dominic.

"Wait, didn't you let go of this place?"

His quick hold on my waist pulled me closer to him and he walked us to the living room. "Well, it is a bit complicated, I did not exactly let go of this place. But if, we ever find ourselves moving back to New York, I would love for us to live here."

I looked out at the view in front of us. It was beautiful as ever. "I sure have missed this place." His nose nuzzling my hair was his response.

"How are you feeling?" After I had left Samantha, I became unusually quiet because of the thoughts I kept organizing and tossing in my head. But that was all over. I have decided to finally let go of those troubling things and just focus on living a fine life.

"I am super fine since you are with me."

His eyes traveled to the left and I did the same too. His piano was still intact. "Remember the time we both played on her?"

I smiled grandly. "That night was so peaceful, the music was so amusing."

"Should we do that once again?"

"Certainly." There was this huge smile on my face as he walked me to the instrument that was waiting for us. As we got to the stool, Dominic twirled me to face him and planted a quick kiss on my lips. Then he gently turned me and sat me down on the stool.

Before he left my behind, his hands slowly ran through my cloth, causing a little sense of deja vu. "Just relax Miss Sands, or rather Mrs Powers to be." I chuckled into the night. His lips moved closer to my ear and he whispered, "We are just making music."

I shivered a bit. His voice still did things to me, so many things.

He found his seat beside me but before we began he said. "I have been meaning to ask. Which would you prefer; A church wedding or a destination wedding?"

"Anywhere, as long as I am with you, anywhere is good."

Dominic's fingers grazed over the keys as a short smile formed on his lips. "Right answer." And then he started playing.

Then, I joined him and we both, with occassional smiles at each other, played a melodious tune after the other as the night grew older with a solid assurance of a maybe not so easy, but lasting love all around us.

END

Thank you guys so much for this wonderful journey. I added these bonus chapters due to the fact that a sequel didn't seem to be working out for me.

So, I hoped those five extra chapters really made your days.

Once again, thank you all so much. I really, really appreciate you guys.