Oneshot

“Carlos.”

I could hear her voice calling me, telling me to wake up from my sleep. But I didn't listen. I tried to ignore the voice. However, she pushed me off my bed and I fell to the floor.

UGH!

It hurt. I opened my eyes and saw my twin, Carla. She was staring sharply at me while I tried to get up from the floor holding my head.

“Carlos, why aren't you getting up?” she asked—her face looked annoyed. I just sighed at her question and looked back at her.

“And, Carla, why did you push me so hard that I fell?” I asked back. She only replied with a cold look.

I sighed again. “Alright, alright, I'm getting up! So, could you stop looking at me like that?” I said, irritated.

Carla, hearing what I said, smiled slightly. She took away her cold gaze and replaced it with a warm look.

“Good! I'm glad to hear that.”

She smiled at me.

“I want you to get ready quickly because Mother is waiting downstairs,” she continued.

“Mother? What does she want with me?” I asked, displeased to hear Carla's words.

“Oh, Carlos. You'll find out when you come downstairs,” Carla answered lightly and left my room.

I could only watch her leave before I asked any more questions. I knew Carla wasn't one to share everything—after all, she's a Doll.

I pushed all thoughts away, got ready, and went downstairs. After I finished preparing, I walked down the stairs towards the dining room to eat—and to meet her there.

I arrived in the dining room. As usual, Mother was waiting there with Carla sitting opposite her.

But I noticed something was different. Father was in the dining room. It was rare to see him there eating with us, considering how busy he was with work.

Father was the boss of a company in this city. He was so occupied with his work that I thought he had forgotten his family.

“Carlos,” Mother called as she noticed me. Reluctantly, I entered the tense dining room.

I took a seat beside Carla and called a servant to bring me some food.

“So, what's the matter that Mother had to call me?” I asked, puzzled.

“It's about Carla,” Mother replied.

“Carla?” I asked again, curiosity growing.

“Next week, she's getting married.”

Father, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. Honestly, his deep voice sent a chill down my spine.

But I brushed the feeling aside as soon as I heard ‘Carla is getting married.’ I stood up from my chair and slammed the table with both hands because I was shocked and couldn’t accept the fact that Carla would be married next week.

“Father!” I shouted angrily at him.

“Married? Carla is only 16! Is that normal?!”

I couldn't control my anger and stared at Father with hatred.

Father looked back at me calmly and said, “It is normal.”

“Look at people in the old days—they married young. If they could, why can't Carla?” he continued.

“That was the old days! And this is the modern era! Why can't you understand that?” I insisted.

I stood firm in my belief. I couldn't believe Father would go so far as to make Carla give up her dreams.

“Brother. Enough.”

Carla's voice came from beside me, looking at me as if to tell me to stop being angry.

“I can't, Carla! How can I simply agree to this marriage!” I said, frustrated at Carla's resignation to her fate. That's why I said Carla was a Doll.

“Brother, please.” Carla begged me to calm down. I could only clench my fist and bang the table with my left hand.

“Damn it!”

I sat back down and tried to calm myself as Carla requested.

“Look, Carla seems to agree,” Father said happily.

“Isn't that right, Carla?” Father asked with a smile as he looked at her.

“Yes, Father.”

Carla just nodded her head. Once again, I could do nothing about Carla.

From that moment, Carla's life was in Father's hands. If only she hadn't lost that competition, would her life have been different?

Since she was little, Carla loved drawing; she was always drawing, even at school. But everything changed after she lost the drawing competition a year ago. She became a different person.

She used to call me Carlos. But now, in front of him—Carla had to call me ‘Brother’ as a polite younger sibling should. What attitude? We were only five minutes apart.

I got up from my chair, left the dining room, and abandoned them and the food that had just been served to me. I didn't care anymore—I cared more about Carla's problem.

BANG!

I slammed my bedroom door hard and locked it. I was frustrated because I couldn't do much for Carla. I threw myself on the bed and hugged my pillow tightly to calm my anger.

“Carlos.”

Not long after, I heard Carla's voice calling me. I tried to ignore her voice.

“Carlos, I brought you breakfast.”

“Go away, Carla,” I said irritably.

“Carlos, I'm sorry.”

“I know why you're angry.”

“But please, Carlos, you don't need to bear my life's problems like before. Because, from the start, this was my fate.” Carla's voice sounded sad, and she seemed to still be trying to bring me breakfast.

I sighed and got up from my bed to open the door. There, I saw Carla standing with a tray holding my breakfast.

“Why do you accept it?” I asked, leaning against the door.

“That's my fate, Carlos,” Carla answered easily.

“Fate, fate, fate.”

“Can't you stop saying it's your fate, huh?”

I looked at Carla displeased. Her face was downcast, and she looked like someone with no zest for life. I sighed again.

“I'm fed up with you, Carla,” I said loudly and took the tray from her hands.

“You've really changed.” And bang, I slammed my bedroom door hard once more and locked it again.

The next day, I went to school without saying a word to Carla. I ignored her. I was angry with her.

At school, I was greeted by my best friend, Devanka. He was waiting at the school gate.

“Good morning, my friend,” Devanka greeted me with a smile.

I smiled back. “Good morning, Devan,” I replied.

We walked into school where many girls were staring at us. I wasn’t bothered—it was normal for us.

“How's Carla?” Devanka asked.

“Carla? She is fine, and she's getting married next week,” I answered, rolling my eyes.

“Wait, what? Carla's getting married?” Devanka looked shocked and tried to stop me with his hand.

“Yes, she is getting married soon,” I replied and pushed away his hand that was trying to stop me.

Meanwhile, Carla looked to be sitting and was reflecting on her life. Her life had truly changed 180°, and so had she.

“Am I wrong?”

That sentence always echoed in Carla's mind. She knew, she was wrong. Wrong because she had abandoned her dreams.

Carla then rose from her seat and walked towards the wardrobe that she had locked tightly since last year.

She unlocked the padlocks one by one that she had placed on the wardrobe, and at the same time, she heard a familiar voice in her ear.

“My dear, what are you doing?”

Mother, who was watching her open the wardrobe, came into the room and looked at Carla sadly.

“Do you want to start again, dear?” Mother asked while looking at Carla.

“Mother, I didn't mean to—.” Before she could continue, Mother stroked Carla's head and asked, “Darling, what's your dream?”

Carla was silent at the question, unsure of what to say. Unconsciously, tears fell. She hugged Mother tightly and cried silently.

At the same time, Devanka couldn't believe what he heard.

“What?! Carla lost the competition?!” he asked me.

“Didn't you already know, Devan?” I asked him in return, confused.

“No, no! That is impossible, Carlos!”

Devan shook me.

I just looked at him confused—what was impossible? The announcement last year was clearly made in front of all participants.

“What do you mean?”

I asked Devanka, and he rummaged through his bag, took out his phone, and showed me a photo that was truly unbelievable.

Carla was the winner!?

I still couldn't believe it. My legs, which had been fine moments before—suddenly went numb, and I nearly fainted. Luckily, Devan caught me quickly.

“Is this real?” I asked Devanka again to make sure.

“Of course. Don't you remember? My father's company sponsored that competition,” Devanka answered confidently.

Knowing this, I immediately found a way to help Carla!

I asked Devanka to find out more about how Carla could have lost. Fortunately, he agreed.

Meanwhile, at home, Carla still looked sad.

“My dear, what's your dream?” Mother asked again.

“I want to be a designer,” Carla replied.

Mother smiled hearing Carla's answer and hugged her.

“Dear, take this and read it.”

Mother handed over an envelope containing an acceptance letter to a Design Academy abroad, addressed to Carla Levitano.

“This is...an acceptance letter?” Carla asked her Mother, unbelieving.

Mother only smiled.

“Ignore your father, and run away while you still can, Carla,” she said while hugging her.

“Mother has booked your ticket, and you can leave next week,” Mother continued.

Carla didn't know what to say. She was truly happy, tears streaming down her face again.

“Th-thank you, Mother,” Carla said, crying in Mother's embrace.

A week later, the house was bustling. Everyone hurried around every corner to prepare for Carla's wedding.

CRASH!

But the activity stopped when the sound of breaking glass was heard in the father's office.

“What do you mean, Carlos?” Father asked, folding his arms.

“Do not pretend, Father. You are the reason Carla lost!” Carlos’s voice rose.

“If that's true, what is your problem with it?” Father asked back. I clenched my fists until I heard the door open and saw Carla looking at us—shocked.

“Is that true, Father?”

Carla's voice was full of disbelief.

“I can't believe you are the reason I lost.”

“Carla..!” Before I could say more, I saw tears falling from Carla's eyes. I clenched my fists again.

“Father, why are you so obsessed with making me give up my dreams?” Carla asked, looking at Father bravely, trying to fight her fate.

“Because you are a girl,” Father answered. Carla, hearing that, got angry and slammed the table.

“Just because I'm a girl? You are wrong, Father!”

“Girls can become successful people like you in the future, and I will be one of them!”

Carla threw an acceptance letter and Father read it with an indescribable expression.

“I'm leaving home to chase my dreams again! I will prove that I can be more successful than you think!”

Carla then snatched the letter and left Father and me behind. I admired Carla's courage—she had truly changed.

“I think this time, we won, Father.” I smiled at Father and left him alone.

I walked into Carla's room and saw that Carla packed her things, preparing to leave home.

“So, are you really going to chase your dreams now?” I asked her with a little smile.

“You're right, Carlos. I should chase my dreams.”

“Just because I lost once doesn't mean I should give up. I really regret only realising it now.” Carla looked like she wanted to cry again, and I quickly wiped her tears.

“Better late than never, Carla” I said to Carla and hugged her. I felt her tears fall on my shoulder.

“Are you crying, Carla?” I asked.

“No. I'm just happy, Carlos,” she replied with a smiling face, crying tears of joy.

It had been six years since Carla left. Many things had happened during these six years.

For example, I took over Father's position as the boss of his company and engaged to Devanka's cousin, Mita Dellion, who has been my childhood friend.

Also, a letter I recently received from Carla saying she managed to sign a contract with a big company there—and I was happy to hear it.

I didn't expect Devanka to have feelings for my sister. He went to where Carla was as soon as he graduated from high school.

Well, I hope they're both doing well there.

-FIN-

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CHARACTERS

Carlos Levitano

- Species: Human

- Gender: Male

- Age: 16 → 22

- Birthday: July 27th

- Zodiac: Leo

- Height: 177cm → 184cm

- Weight: 64kg → 69kg

- Blood Type: O+

- Hair Colour: Blonde

- Eye Colour: Black

- Fiancée: Mita Dellion

- Relatives: Levitano Family, Winslow Family, Francisco Family

- MBTI: ISTJ

Carla Levitano

- Species: Human

- Gender: Female

- Age: 16 → 22

- Birthday: July 27th

- Zodiac: Leo

- Height: 161cm → 164cm

- Weight: 54kg

- Blood Type: O+

- Hair Colour: Blonde

- Eye Colour: Black

- Relatives: Levitano Family, Winslow Family, Francisco Family

- MBTI: INFP

Elijah Levitano

- Species: Human

- Gender: Male

- Age: 37 → 43

- Birthday: June 22nd

- Zodiac: Cancer

- Height: 186cm

- Weight: 70kg

- Blood Type: A+

- Hair Colour: Blonde

- Eye Colour: Gold

- Relatives: Levitano Family, Francisco Family

- MBTI: ESTJ

Olivia Levitano (Mother)

- Species: Human

- Gender: Female

- Age: 36 → 42

- Birthday: August 29th

- Zodiac: Virgo

- Height: 165cm

- Weight: 56kg

- Blood Type: O+

- Hair Colour: Light Taupe

- Eye Colour: Black

- Relatives: Levitano Family, Winslow Family

- MBTI: ENFJ

Devanka Alexiou Lykaios

- Gender: Male

- Age: 16 → 22

- Birthday: August 20th

- Zodiac: Leo

- Height: 179cm → ???

- Weight: 66kg → ???

- Hair Colour: Glaucous

- Eye Colour: Violet

- Love Interest: Carla Levitano

- Relatives: Lykaios Family

Mita Dellion

- Gender: Female

- Age: 23

- Birthday: December 4

- Zodiac: Sagittarius

- Fiancé: Carlos Levitano

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