Fate of The Fake Princess

"Laura, what are you doing! We've been waiting for you at the office since this morning, and here you are, relaxing by the pool," shouted a formally dressed man to a girl playing by the poolside. "Please act a bit more mature!!" he continued.

The woman seemed surprised by the man's arrival, hastily stood up but dared not look at his stern face. "Uh, well..." she stammered, her eyes shifting restlessly.

"Quickly change your clothes! We have to go to the office right now!"

The woman became even more confused, rejecting with hand gestures. "I-I can't," she replied.

"What do you mean! You can't continue to be this selfish; you have to prioritize the company, think about your family," the man continued with the same tone.

"I can't... how do I explain," the woman said while scratching her head. She shifted her gaze towards the inside of the house, hoping for help from the homeowner.

"I don't care, change your clothes quickly! We have to go to the office!" commanded the man while pulling the woman's hand towards the house. She struggled to keep up with his determined pace. Suddenly, they stopped when faced with another woman.

The man slowly released his grip on the woman he called Laura. The current situation left him bewildered. He observed both women from head to toe.

"My problem is resolved, Marvin. Thanks to her."

"Wait a minute, so I haven't been talking to you all this time?" asked the man named Marvin.

The woman nodded quickly, smiling brightly. "From now on, Eugene will take my place," she said. "Eugene, let me introduce Marvin Campbell. He's my father's right-hand man. And Marvin, this woman is Eugene Thompson."

"I'm Eugene Thompson, nice to meet you," replied the woman standing behind Marvin's robust figure.

Marvin focused his gaze on Eugene, his eagle eyes scrutinizing every inch of her. "She really looks like you. Where did you find her?"

"At the office, specifically in the office lobby. A few days ago, when I went to the office, I saw her about to walk towards the reception area. She was applying for a job in our office. Can you imagine what happened next?" Laura explained.

"As usual, there will be chaos in the office."

"That's why I brought her here. I've also trained her to behave like me, so she can take over—"

"What do you mean?" Marvin interrupted, appearing irritated with his boss's words.

"I've told you hundreds of times that I don't want to be in business. I have my own way of life, but all of you force me. That's why I found my own solution, and look at her now," Laura clarified.

"You can't just do as you please, Laurence Griezmann. You can't hand over the company to a stranger," Marvin warned, glaring at the woman.

"You, my mother, all of you can't just control my life like this. She's not a stranger; you just haven't met her. She's smarter than me, more capable of leading the company than I am," Laura continued, trying to convince Marvin.

"You're insane, Laura!"

"Exactly, I am insane. I spent my whole life serving my parents, and now it's time for me to find my true self," replied the woman. "For business matters, I entrust it to you and Eugene. I've trained her in some basic things I usually do."

"Come on, Laura, think it over. I'm ready to help you run the company," Marvin pleaded.

"My decision is final; you better help Eugene," she said casually. "Feel free to talk, I have other matters to attend to," she added, walking towards Marvin's house. Marvin tried to catch up with her, grabbing Laura's hand and saying, "Don't leave yet; let's settle this matter."

"My problem is already resolved; I found the right person. Now, it's up to you whether the company will be without a leader or if you work together to manage it until my father recovers," she said while looking at Marvin and Eugene alternately. After that, she left the two of them.

Marvin turned his face away in frustration, while Eugene could only stand there in confusion. She didn't know how to act now. "Why did you agree to cooperate with Laura?" Marvin asked without looking at his conversation partner.

"Because of money, she gave me a lot of money," Eugene answered with her head bowed. "I need the money to pay off my debts to loan sharks."

Marvin sighed heavily. Now he looked at Eugene from top to bottom. "Why did you borrow money from loan sharks?"

"I needed money for my mother's medical expenses. I had nothing left to sell. The shortcut was to borrow money from loan sharks," she explained.

"How is your mother now?"

"God is kinder to her; the day before yesterday marked the hundredth day since my mother passed away."

Marvin's sharp gaze softened; he felt pity. As a fellow child who had lost his mother, he understood Eugene's feelings. "And where is your father? Don't your other siblings help you?"

"I don't have a father, and I don't know who my siblings are. Since I was a child, I only lived with my mother," Eugene revealed.

"What was your last education level?"

"I went to college until the third semester because there was nothing more important than my mother's medical expenses," she said.

Marvin nodded; he understood the situation and the background of the woman in front of him. But as the right-hand man of the company owner, he couldn't be defeated by compassion. The fate of hundreds of employees was at stake here.

"What did Laura tell you?"

Eugene then took the notebook left on the bench and handed it to Marvin. "That's the notes Laura gave me, about her daily habits, what she likes or dislikes. She told me to study it."

Marvin smiled, realizing that writing such a thick note couldn't be done overnight. That meant Laura had been preparing for a while, and she was serious about her plan.

"Do you enjoy being Laura?" Marvin asked, wanting to know Eugene's answer.

"It's not about liking it or not, but it's about responsibility. I've received her money, so I have to fulfill my duty," Eugene replied, still not daring to look at the man.

"In your opinion, how worthy are you to replace Laura as the leader of her father's company?"

This time Marvin's question left Eugene speechless. Of course, she wasn't worthy to replace Laura. "I am not part of the Griezmann family, but I will try my best. I will be responsible for what I am doing now. Are you willing to help me?"