Carol inadvertently took Rose's hand to get to her feet. The latter wiped the stains off her dress with a handkerchief. "What are you doing on the ground? Hunting for treasure?" she teased.
Carol offered no reply. Rose was never good at humor anyway.
"Why are you dressed like a widow?" she asked curiously, eyeing her depressing attire.
Carol didn't answer that question as well. Instead, she turned to her twin sister and looked into her brown doe eyes. Why was she helping her? Weren't they supposed to be enemies?
The two beauties stood face to face, regarding each other awkwardly. If it weren't for their contrasting dresses and an inch difference in height, a bystander would consider them identical doppelgängers.
"I can find my way out of the cemetery," Carol finally said, breaking eye contact. She pried Rose's helping hands off herself and began walking towards the car.
Her twin sister sighed and accompanied her. "Wait… I need to talk to you about something…"
"Have you also come to express your hatred for me?" Carol spat. "To tell me how I am complicit in Victor's death and need to suffer all my life?"
Rose briefly lowered her eyes on the mention of Victor's name. "I… I am distraught that he is gone forever. But I don't blame you for it."
Carol looked at her quizzically. "Why? If it weren't for me, Victor would still be alive."
The clouds rumbled, and it began drizzling. Rose opened her umbrella to shield them from the rain as they walked.
"Carol…" she began. "Don't take this the wrong way. But the world doesn't revolve around you. You are not important enough to make such major events happen."
"Victor chose to walk into that battlefield and sacrifice himself. Mighty forces were already bent on killing him, and they finally succeeded. Taking credit for his death is too narcissistic, don't you think?"
Carol got a start on hearing her sister's brazen words. She stopped in her tracks and turned her face towards Rose. "You are a bitch sometimes, you know…" she said with a bitter smile.
Even though Rose's words were harsh, they made sense. How could she claim responsibility for the demise of a peerless man like Victor?
"So you don't hate me?" Carol asked innocently.
Rose shook her head. "No, I honestly don't. At least not for Victor's death. You've been horrible to me since our parents separated us. Even for that, I don't blame you. Whatever venom our parents brewed between us doesn't make me toxic towards you anymore."
"But why…"
"Because you are my sister, for god's sake! After being beaten around in the cutthroat business world, I realized only your loved ones come to your aid."
"Although I didn't know Victor long, his actions taught me much about life. He wanted everyone around him to be happy and safe. He died to make it happen, and that's worth something. The list of people he saved also includes you. Cherish that."
Carol's lips quivered as her eyes began streaming again. "But Victor said he will never forgive me on his deathbed."
Rose shrugged. "Well, that's fair. But why are you so broken down about it? That burden is a legacy he left with you. Cherish that as well and move on with your life."
Carol smirked bitterly and nodded. "You've gotten wise."
Her twin sister grinned ear to ear. "I've had some good company recently."
Carol spun and threw a glance at Victor's distant grave. The rain had already flattened and darkened the fresh soil. Victor's legacy… Was the burden all he left behind?
"I didn't see Claire at the funeral," she asked Rose suddenly.
"Well… Claire is not doing too well. She couldn't make herself come and watch Victor being buried. Besides, in Victor's absence, she's temporarily overseeing the Rapids Project until a successor is chosen. Claire is swamped with work."
Carol nodded. "Victor chose an excellent administrator. Anyway, I will give up my shares in the Rapids Project and donate the proceedings to Edgar Damone."
Rose raised her brows. "Why? You worked hard for it. Why would you throw it away like that?"
"That's the least I could do for Victor…"
Her sister tugged at her arm. "Look. I don't think Victor would want that to happen. Regarding honoring his legacy, the man is already being hailed as a messiah by the city."
Carol raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Well… The official story is that Victor was an ex-marine. He fought against insurgent terrorists as a civilian and saved Springfield. The media picked up the hype, and now we have a city hero. Haley B has donated money to build a Victor Damone statue before the city hall. That's awesome, right?"
Carol smiled thinly. "It's good to know that they are honoring him. I feel better now. Thanks for talking to me, sis. By the way, what important thing did you want to talk about?"
They reached Carol's car, and the latter got into the front seat.
Rose stood beside the vehicle, holding up her umbrella. "Springfield has reverted from state to a city," she said in an optimistic tone. "In fact, it will be turned into a military-industrial megacity. The army and navy will constantly patrol the land and marine borders. Victor's efforts bore fruit. His death wasn't in vain."
Carol nodded. "That sounds good. But why are you telling me this…?"
Rose put a hand over Carol's shoulder. "The city needs a new Mayor. I think you should run for the position."
Carol threw her head back and laughed. "Are you crazy? Who would believe me and vote for me? Even I wouldn't trust myself anymore. How would I go about leading a military-industrial city?"
"But…"
"I have to go…" Carol said abruptly, turning the ignition. "I need to look for a new place to live. The Blackwell family took away our villa."
"You could stay with me in Prince County," Rose offered.
The beauty shook her head. "No, that would be awkward. I need time to figure out myself and get to terms with the changes. Sorry."
Her twin sister nodded. "I understand. But think about running for Mayor. I will throw my support behind you in case you choose to."
Carol nodded and drove away.
Nine days had passed since Victor's funeral. It was a sunny afternoon when Carol burst into her new apartment.
She had been feeling unwell for a while and just returned from a visit to the pharmacist. The latter inquired about her symptoms and recommended a simple test before going to the doctor.
Carol entered her bathroom, retrieved a sachet from her pocket, and pulled her pants down.
The print on the sachet said PREGMATE DIGITAL TEST STRIPS.
Within a minute, she had carried out the test and stared blankly at the digital screen. PREGNANT.
"Oh, my God!" Carol exclaimed so loud it was almost a scream. Then she covered her mouth in shock and settled down, trying to digest the gravity of the situation.
A thousand confusing thoughts flooded her mind. However, there was one thing she was certain of.
Carol was pregnant with Victor's baby!