"The Replacement wife"

"I always envy my twin sister because everything she wants always goes her way.

We're completely different:

I'm a brat, and she's kind.

I'm stubborn, and she's obedient.

I'm selfish, and she's selfless.

I envy her because everyone likes her, and I hate her because she deserves it.

"Hanni, daughter, what are you doing here?" I quickly turned to the woman descending the stairs.

She was dressed simply but still stood out due to her posture and the natural beauty she possessed, making her look like she was only 30 years old, even though she was actually 50.

"Aunt Eloisa," I nervously said, waiting for her to come down the stairs.

"You told me that there's something you want to tell," she began before kissing me on the cheek, and we both sat down on their living room sofa.

I was about to speak when Uncle Errol arrived with Erren, and they seemed to be in a cheerful conversation. I saw Erren's subtle smile as he spoke with his father.

I closed my eyes briefly.

"Hanni? What are you doing here?" Uncle Errol asked.

I took a deep breath and looked at them, especially Erren, who had a hostile look in his eyes.

"Aunt, Un-Uncle," I nervously said, causing Aunt Eloisa to hold my trembling hand.

"It's okay, Hanni. You can tell us any problem," she reassured me, causing me to cry due to the guilt I felt. I felt Aunt's comforting hand on my back, as if she was trying to calm me down.

I took a deep breath before looking up at them again.

"What's the problem, daughter?" Uncle Errol asked.

I could see the concern in their eyes, except for Erren, whose gaze was fixed on me.

"I'm p-p-pregnant," I stammered, and I saw surprise in their eyes, even in Erren's.

"W-who's the father, daughter?" Aunt Eloisa asked.

I took a deep breath, and she immediately comforted me as tears streamed down my face.

"It is Enzo?" Uncle asked seriously.

I just shook my head.

"Oh my, don't tell me it's Ely?" Aunt Eloisa asked excitedly.

I shook my head again.

Ely was their first child, who had no interest in girls.

"Then who, daughter? Because you wouldn't tell us if one of our children wasn't the father," Uncle Errol stopped, looking at Erren in shock.

I burst into tears when I saw him staring at Erren, who was in a daze.

"No...no, daughter, he can't be," Aunt Eloisa stammered, as if she was trying not to cry.

I took a deep breath and wiped my tears before looking at them.

"Yes, Aunt... Erren is the father of my unborn child," I tearfully confessed, causing tears to well up in her eyes as well.

I also saw surprise in Uncle Errol's eyes.

"He can't be, daughter... he can't be... Hannah just passed away," he cried.

I cried too because of Aunt Eloisa's reaction. It hurt because it seemed like she couldn't accept our baby, no... she couldn't handle it.

What do you expect, Hanni... they loved Hannah so much.

"That is not my child," Erren coldly said, and it felt like my heart was being crushed.

"T-this is y-your child, Erren."

"THEN ABORT IT!"

Abort it.

Abort it.

Abort it.

My heart felt like it was being stabbed repeatedly as he said that. I clutched my chest and closed my eyes.

Don't listen to him, baby... he loves you... he needs to love you.

I just cried and, when I opened my eyes, I saw Uncle Errol suddenly punch Erren, who was on the floor now.

"What the hell is that, Marc Erren Buenavista! Abort it!? Are you out of your mind!? That is your child!!" Uncle Errol shouted angrily, and Aunt Eloisa quickly approached him, trying to calm him down.

"I'm so disappointed in you, Erren," Uncle Errol added.

I felt guilty witnessing this. Uncle had never been disappointed in Erren before.

But because of me... because of me.

"You will marry Hanni," Aunt Eloisa angrily said, looking at him.

"But, Mom!" he protested.

"No more 'buts,' Buenavista! You will marry her!" Aunt shouted before helping Uncle Errol upstairs to their room.

Erren looked at me angrily and grabbed my hand, gripping it tightly as we reached their garden. When we got there, he immediately slapped me hard, causing me to fall to the ground.

I held my cheek because of the force of his slap. I was surprised when he forcefully turned me around and pushed me to face him.

"Why the hell did you come here and tell them in front of my parents?" he angrily shouted at me.

"E-Erren," I cried out his name, tears streaming down my face.

"Damn it! Can't you hear what you're saying, Hanni? I'm your brother-in-law! How can I marry you!?" he shouted in anger.

I cried and shook my head, still sitting on the ground.

"You're not my brother-in-law! You're just engaged to my dead twin sister!" I shouted back at him.

He slapped me again, making me fall to the ground.

"Don't you dare say that in front of me again," he said angrily, and then he let go of me.

"I can be your wife, Erren. After all, I look so much like Hannah... I can be Hannah, I can replace Hannah," I said desperately.

"You can't replace Hannah... because you're just a slut," he said coldly before continuing to walk away. He slapped me hard once more, making me fall to the ground.

I let go of him and held my chest.

It hurt so much. It felt like I was being killed over and over again.

I immediately looked at my phone when it rang, not even checking who was calling.

: MARIA HANNI RAMOS! What the hell! What is Eloisa saying that you're pregnant, and Erren is the father?

I sighed and quietly cried as I sat on the ground.

Why is it always Hannah?

Why can't it be Hanni for once?

Why can't it be me?

Why does everyone keep choosing her even though she's gone?

Why does she always get chosen?

Why is it so hard for them to love me?

To cherish me?

Yes, I'm a brat, stubborn, selfish, a slut, but I also want to be loved.

"Hanni!" Mama rushed towards me, as soon as I entered the house. She immediately grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face her. "H-Hanni, is what Eloisa said true?" she tearfully asked me. I took a deep breath, holding one of her trembling hands that were still on my shoulder. I just nodded and hugged her tightly. "M-Mama," I cried.

"Sis!" Hazel came running up to me when she saw me, and she hugged me. "Everything will be alright," she softly whispered. I thought she was angry too. "I thought... you were... mad..." I started to say, but she hushed me. "Shhh... I'm not mad at you," she said with a smile before hugging me again.

We were all silently crying, holding each other, when someone cleared their throat behind me. "Ahem." We all turned our attention to Dad, who was looking at us seriously. "Dad," I called out to him, hoping he would hug me and comfort me like Mom did, but he just stared at me intensely. "Let's talk inside," he said gravely before leaving us outside the house.

Tears welled up as I realized he wouldn't hug me or comfort me. I looked back at him with a heavy heart. "Come inside, Hanni," Mama said with tears streaming down her face, urging me to follow them.

Once inside, Dad immediately slapped me, causing Mama to cry out and restrain him from slapping me again. "Alejandro!" Mama scolded him angrily, stopping him from hurting me further. He was furious. "You shameless child! You always bring humiliation to this family!" he yelled at me.

"Dad, stop it!" Hazel yelled, making Dad even angrier. "Shut up, Hazel!" he shouted at her. But Hazel just shook her head and held me tighter. "Enough, Dad," she pleaded.

But Dad couldn't contain his anger. "You!!" he yelled, and then he turned to Mama, who was like a dying candle, weeping beside him. "Y-you!!" he said, his voice breaking. I watched in shock as my father, for the first time, cried. "H-how can I move on, Hazel?" he sobbed. Hazel approached him and hugged him, and Mama joined in too.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Hazel cried, and she hugged Dad even tighter.

I just sat there, tears flowing freely, staring at a picture of Hannah on my bedside table. My father loved her so much. He made all her choices, and she followed his path. She studied law because that's what he wanted. He wanted her to become a lawyer.

Just four more years, and she would have graduated. But she died, and now I was pregnant with her twin's child, the man she was supposed to marry. I felt responsible for her death, for not stopping her from making the choices that led her to that horrible fate.

My father was a lawyer, the family lawyer of the Buenavistas. Mama was a university professor, and the university also belonged to the Buenavistas. Hazel was studying there now, just like Hannah and I did.

Maria Hannah Ramos, my father loved her so much. She followed in his footsteps. She studied law because he wanted her to, because he wanted her to become a lawyer.

***Flashback***

"Five students caught cheating in the Law entrance examination!" Dad shouted, throwing the newspaper on the table. I looked down, playing with my fingers. I wouldn't have done it if he hadn't forced me to take the law entrance exam. I tried to study some laws, but I just couldn't get into it.

"What a disgrace, Hanni! You haven't changed!" he yelled at me.

"Papa, calm down," Hannah calmly said, trying to soothe him while he pointedly glared at me.

"You keep getting worse instead of better as you grow older!" he angrily exclaimed.

"I told you, Papa! I don't want to be a lawyer!" I shouted back.

"And what do you want? To be an architect? You won't achieve anything by drawing! So, you will study law, whether you like it or not!" he yelled, making me stand up from my seat.

"No! I don't want to!" I shouted.

"I will talk to Errol to see if you can retake the entrance exam! This time, don't try to cheat again!" he yelled in frustration.

"I don't want to, Papa!" I yelled back.

"Leave Hanni alone. I'll study law, so let her choose her course," Hannah said, trying to calm him down.

"Fine, do whatever you want!" Dad yelled, then went upstairs to his and Mom's room.

I knew Mom was disappointed in me too. What parent wouldn't be, especially when they found out their child was caught cheating, and it made the news? Mom was a teacher, so I knew she was disappointed in me.

"Everything will be alright, sis," Hazel said with a smile, hugging me.

"Don't worry, Hanni. Dad will eventually accept that you're not meant for law," Hannah said, gently stroking my hair.

I looked at her hand touching my hair, her sympathetic expression, and I hated her for it. I hated her because she was a good daughter and sister.

"Sister Hanni... sister Hanni..." I woke up from a nap feeling Hazel shaking me.

I placed the picture frame I was holding back on the side table, realizing I must have fallen asleep holding it. Hazel followed my gaze, and our eyes met. She held my hands.

"You're not at fault, sis," she said, gently stroking my hands.

You're wrong, Hazel. It's all my fault, I thought to myself before a tear fell, which she quickly wiped away.

"It's not your fault that you got pregnant. I know it was an accident with Erren. But even so, it's still a blessing. So don't feel guilty just because Erren was Hannah's fiancé," she said with a smile.

I just nodded. If only you knew the truth, Hazel, you'd probably hate me.

"Get ready because Aunt Eloisa and the others are downstairs," she said before leaving. That left me feeling like a statue. Aunt Eloisa and the others are here, aren't they? I sighed and started getting dressed.

As I was heading downstairs, I could already hear their conversation in the living room.

"We're here because we want Erren and Hannah to get married as soon as possible," I heard Uncle Errol say.

"Errol, Eloisa, Hannah just passed away. Can't we wait at least a year?" my dad responded.

I took a deep breath, trying to hold back tears at his words.

"We understand your pain, Alejandro. We're still mourning Hannah's loss," my mom added, and my heart shattered at her words.

I didn't expect that.

"I hope you can also understand us, Serina. Hannah is pregnant, so we want to expedite their wedding," Aunt Eloisa chimed in.

I wiped my tears and went down to see them talking, my dad, mom, Aunt Eloisa, Uncle Errol, and Erren, who seemed indifferent to the conversation.

Hazel's eyes immediately fixed on me as she approached with snacks for the guests.

"Sister Hanni," she said, diverting everyone's attention to me, except Erren, who continued fiddling with his phone.

"Hanni, dear, come, sit with us," Aunt Eloisa smiled at me, and I forced a smile back.

"Like I said, Alejandro and Serina, Erren and Hannah need to marry as soon as possible while her pregnancy isn't too obvious," Aunt Eloisa continued.

"But Eloisa-"

"I understand, Serina. I know it's still painful for you both after losing Hannah, but we need them to marry quickly," Uncle Errol added, which left my parents sighing heavily.

"Fine, but when?" my dad asked, his voice devoid of life, and I couldn't help but bow my head. It hurts so much.

"Maybe next month-" Aunt Eloisa was about to continue when Erren interrupted.

"This Friday," Erren interjected, and I looked up in surprise.

"Erren, you still need a month to prepare for the wedding. It can't be this Friday," Aunt Eloisa protested.

I quickly checked the date on my phone, February 28, 2016, 7:36 PM.

"We don't need preparation. We can just get married at the courthouse. We don't need an extravagant wedding," Erren firmly stated, leaving my dad to voice his disagreement.

"It doesn't seem right. Even though the pregnancy was accidental, you should give her a proper wedding," my dad said seriously, and I couldn't help but look at him. It felt like his words touched my heart.

Uncle Errol echoed my dad's sentiments. "Erren is right, Serina, but it can't be a courthouse wedding."

My parents sighed heavily, and I felt a pang of pain in my chest.

"Fine. When?" my dad asked without much enthusiasm.

Erren finally looked at me, and I teared up, feeling his gaze on me.

"Okay, fine. But no more preparation. We'll use everything Hannah had planned for her wedding, from invitations to everything. So, this Friday, it is," Erren said with a smile, dragging me away towards the pool area.

When we reached there, he abruptly grabbed my chin, and with a dark expression, he said, "I don't want to see you wearing short shorts again."

I was surprised by his words, not expecting this. Is he being possessive? Does he not want others to see me in shorts?

My cheeks turned red as I thought he was upset because he didn't want others to see me in shorts.

I smiled at him and stammered, "O-okay..."

"He said with irritation, which wiped the smile off my face, 'You're already pregnant, and you still insist on wearing those kinds of clothes! Fix yourself, Hanni! You're showing off too much and it's coming across as flirtatious.'"

"I-I'm sorry," I murmured, trying to hold back tears.

"Tomorrow, we'll pick up the dresses Hannah had made for our wedding," he said seriously.

I swallowed hard, struggling not to cry. "B-but, Erren, can we change the design of the dress? I don't really like the one Hannah wanted."

He burst into laughter, as if he couldn't believe what I just said. I was shocked when he tightly held my chin and turned it to face him.

"Cut the drama, Hanni. Be grateful you have nothing to worry about for your wedding, as your sister's already taken care of it."

I raised my eyes to look at him, "I-I'm sorry."

"No more 'buts.' You want to change your sister's plans anyway. I'll allow it because you two look so alike. Just think of it as me marrying her on our wedding day," he said angrily before letting go of me and walking away.

When he was about to leave, I spoke up, "Someday, Erren, you'll learn to love me."

"Dream on," he said dismissively before leaving, leaving me in tears. My wedding day is supposed to be perfect because it's my dream. Why do I have to cry now?

This is what you wanted, Hanni. This is your dream, so why are you crying now? Stop crying...