After a fun night of speed dating, I showed my mom a photo of the guy I met. She freaked out and immediately called 911. I was shaken, but what I discovered the next day when things got really wild left me gasping for air.
My palms were sweating as I smoothed down my dress for the hundredth time. The restaurant’s dim lighting couldn’t hide the anxiety radiating from the other speed daters around me. At 30, I never thought I’d be here, but my best friend Lily’s persistent nagging had finally worn me down.
“You’ve got this, Selena,” I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath. The bitter scent of wine and the soft clink of glasses filled the air, doing little to calm my nerves.
The bell rang with a shrill sound that made me jump. It signaled the start of our first round.
I plastered on my best smile as a tall, dark-haired man slid into the seat across from me. My breath hitched as our eyes met.
“Hi, I’m Robin.”
I felt an instant spark, like electricity coursing through my veins. “Selena. Nice to meet you.”
I found myself leaning in as we chatted, captivated by his stories and wit. He spoke of his work as a software engineer, his love for rock climbing, and his dreams of traveling the world.
With each word, I felt myself falling deeper under his spell.
When the bell rang again, Robin stood up, hesitation brimming in his eyes as he gripped the back of the chair.
“Listen, I know this is unconventional, but would you like to grab a coffee after this? I’d love to continue our conversation.”
My cheeks flushed, and my heart raced. “I’d really like that. Tomorrow? I said, feeling the heat creep into my cheeks as he kissed the back of my hand.
“Sure! Will be waiting for you in the café downtown!”
As we left the restaurant later that night, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my life was about to change forever.
The next afternoon, I couldn’t stop smiling as I recounted my evening to my mom, Daisy.
“He sounds wonderful, honey,” she said, her eyes crinkling with happiness. “I haven’t seen you this excited about someone in years.”
“I know, Mom. There’s just something about Robin. It’s like… like I’ve known him my whole life.”
“Well, don’t get ahead of yourself. But I am happy for you. Do you have a picture?”
“Oh! Yeah, we took a selfie.” I pulled out my phone, swiping to find the photo. My heart fluttered as I looked at Robin’s smiling face. “Here he is!”
The moment I turned the screen towards her, Mom’s face turned pale.
“Mom? What’s wrong?” I freaked out.
Her eyes were wide with panic, fixed on the phone screen. “Selena, oh my God… it’s HIM. The man who robbed my friend Janet! CALL THE POLICE RIGHT NOW!”
“What? No, that can’t be right.” I shook my head, confusion and disbelief warring inside me.
“I’m telling you, it’s him! He conned Janet out of her life savings. Promised to marry her, took every penny she had, and then vanished! We need to call the police right now, honey!”
My stomach dropped, a cold dread seeping into my bones. “Are you sure?” I asked, desperately hoping she was mistaken.
“Positive. Janet showed me his picture a hundred times when we were trying to track him down. I’d never forget that face.”
I stared at Robin’s smiling face on my phone, feeling sick. The warm brown eyes that had seemed so kind now looked calculating. The charming smile now seemed sinister. How could I have been so blind?
Mom reached for her phone, her fingers shaking as she started to dial 911. Without thinking, I grabbed her wrist, stopping her. “Mom, wait!”
“What do you mean, wait? We need to turn him in!”
“If we call now, he might get spooked and disappear again,” I said slowly, a plan forming in my mind. “But, what if we set a trap?”
Mom’s eyebrows shot up. “What are you thinking?”
“I have a date with him tomorrow night. What if I go, act normal, and you call the police to meet us there?”
She hesitated, worry etching lines across her forehead. “I don’t like the idea of you being alone with him. He’s dangerous, Selena.”
“It’ll be in a public place, Mom,” I assured her, even as my heart raced at the thought. “And think about it. This might be our only chance to catch him. To get justice for Janet and who knows how many others.”
After a long moment, she nodded, fear still lingering in her eyes.
As we began to plot our plan, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was balancing on a knife’s edge. One wrong move and everything could come crashing down.
The next evening, I sat across from Robin at a cozy café, my nerves on edge. He looked as handsome as ever in a blue shirt that brought out his eyes.
But now, his charming smile made my skin crawl. Every compliment and every gentle touch of his hand on mine felt like a lie.
“You look beautiful!” Robin said, reaching for my hand across the table.
I forced myself not to flinch away, plastering on a smile that felt more like a grimace. “Thank you. You look nice too.”
As he launched into a story about his day, I discreetly texted Mom under the table, “Now!”
“So, tell me more about your family,” I said, desperate to keep the conversation going.
A shadow seemed to pass over Robin’s face so quickly that I almost missed it. “It’s complicated,” he said after a moment.
Before I could probe further, I saw two uniformed officers enter the café.
They approached our table, and Robin’s easy smile faltered. “Is there a problem, officers?” he asked, his eyes darting between them and me.
One of them stepped forward, his hand resting on his belt. “Sir, we need you to come with us for questioning.”
“Selena, what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry, Robin. But we know what you did to Janet. And probably to countless other women.”
I thought this was it. But what happened next left me reeling.
After a tense conversation with the officers, during which Robin vehemently denied knowing any Janet, they released him. And he walked back to our table.
“Selena, I don’t understand. Who’s Janet? What’s this all about?”
I blinked, utterly lost. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to be led away in handcuffs, not standing here looking at me like I’d betrayed him.
“The woman you conned. My mom’s friend. You… you took everything from her.”
Robin shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve never met anyone named Janet in my life. But, wait a minute, I think I know what happened here.”
He pulled out his phone, his fingers flying across the screen. After a moment, he turned it towards me. I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth.
The photo showed two identical men — Robin, and another who could have been his clone. Same eyes, smile, and same everything.
But while Robin looked relaxed and happy in the photo, his double had an edge to him, a hardness in his eyes that sent a chill down my spine.
“That’s my twin brother, Adrian,” Robin revealed. “We haven’t spoken in over six months. He’s had some trouble with the law. I’ve been trying to help him, but he disappeared. I think he might be the one you’re looking for.”
I felt the blood drain from my face, shame and horror cloaking me in equal measure. “Oh my God. Robin, I’m so sorry. I thought—”
He held up a hand, cutting me off. “It’s okay. I understand. Anyone would have done the same thing in your shoes.”
But I could see the hurt in his eyes. I’d accused him of being a criminal and had the police come after him. Would he ever forgive me?
As if on cue, Mom burst into the café, her eyes wild as she scanned the room. When she spotted us, she rushed over, stopping short when she saw Robin still sitting there.
“What’s going on? Why isn’t he in custody?”
I stood up, placing a hand on her arm. “Mom, we made a mistake. A big one.”
Robin stood as well, offering his hand to my mother. “Mrs…?”
“Daisy,” Mom said, frowning.
“Mrs. Daisy, I understand there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m not the man who hurt your friend. But I think I might know who did.”
He showed her the photo, and I watched as the same shock I’d felt played across Mom’s face.
“I can’t believe it,” she murmured, looking between Robin and his brother’s picture. “They’re identical.”
“Adrian and I… we’ve always been close. Or we were. But lately, he’s been making some bad choices. I’ve been trying to help him, but he disappeared a few months ago. I’ve been worried sick.”
I reached out, touching his arm before I could stop myself. “I’m so sorry for putting you through this, Robin. I feel terrible.”
He gave me a small smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Don’t. You were trying to do the right thing. To protect others from being hurt.”
Mom shook her head, sinking into a chair. “I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you, dealing with your brother’s actions.”
Robin’s smile faded completely. “It’s been challenging. But I’m not giving up on him. I can’t.”
An awkward silence fell over the table. I fidgeted with my napkin, trying to find the right words to fix this mess I’d created.
How do you apologize for accusing someone of being a criminal? For bringing the police down on an innocent man?
Finally, I took a deep breath, steeling myself. “Robin, I know this isn’t how either of us imagined this evening going. And I completely understand if you never want to see me again. But, if you’re willing, I’d love to start over. Maybe we could try another date? One without any police involvement or mistaken identities?!”
He looked at me for a long moment. My heart raced as I waited for his response. Finally, he broke into a genuine grin, the warmth returning to his eyes.
“I’d like that, Selena. I’d like that a lot!”
As we left the café, walking into the cool night air, I couldn’t help but feel that despite all the chaos and misunderstandings, this might just be the beginning of something wonderful.
And terrifying. Because now, somewhere out there, was a man who looked exactly like the one beside me. A man who was everything I’d feared Robin to be.
Michael Jackson’s only daughter Paris proud of African-American roots, identifies as black
Paris Jackson, the sole child of the late Michael Jackson, said lately that she considers herself to be a black woman even though she is mixed-race.
“I consider myself black,” Paris declares, honoring her father’s lineage and traditions, both musically and physically, adding that her father would have wanted her to “be proud of your roots.”
To find out more about Paris Jackson’s identity, continue reading!
Paris Jackson is an American actress, model, and singer who was born on April 3, 1998. Her parents are Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe.
Newly arrived members of the Jackson family, Paris, 25, and her two brothers Bigi, 22, and Prince, 27, came into the spotlight, attracting a large number of admirers who wanted to know everything there was to know about them.
The Billy Jean singer used masks, veils, and blankets (for Bigi) to shield his kids from curious onlookers when they were little.
Jackson’s security described the three children to People in 2007 as “well-mannered, well-behaved kids.”They really do have good judgment. Michael’s top priority was them.
But when their father passed away in 2009, the children’s shield was lifted, and they were thrust into the spotlight on their own, becoming easy pickings for the paparazzi.
https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FJanetJackson%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0hcfG3yXNJrWvAfcGgBsMZu67AiUmF6Ku3qSVeLcFzqh66dgYGk4cn6tvQdEypsjHl&show_text=true&width=500
And it caused post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Paris.She said, “I’ve been going to therapy for a lot of things, but that included audio hallucinations with camera clicks and severe paranoia.”
At the age of 15, the young lady acknowledged that she had made “multiple” attempts at suicide. In 2019, she checked herself into a rehab facility.
“It was just self-hatred,” she remarked.Low self-esteem, belief that I was incapable of doing anything well, and belief that I was no longer worthy of life.”
“My dad is who she is.”
She explains that Prince Michael Jackson, her older brother, has had a significant influence on her today, saying, “He’s everything to me, you know?” Regarding her relationship with Prince, she said to People in 2020, “I’ve always looked up to him and always wanted his approval and everything, and wanted to be more like him.”
He continues by saying that his younger sister “shares almost all of her weaknesses as well as all of her strengths with her father.” She has a lot of passion.
She has walked the catwalk for high-end labels like Chanel and is the lead singer and guitarist for the band The Soundflowers. In addition to her intense dedication for her work, she is dedicated to carrying on her father’s legacy.
My entire family is involved in music. She remarked in 2020, “I mean, I’m a Jackson.” “Being a musician makes sense, but like, a Jackson doing folk indie?”everything pertaining to raceShe shares a racial bond with her late father.The hitmaker, who was African-American and had a darker complexion in his younger years, was said to have suffered Vitiligo, a condition that alters skin color, unlike the Beat It singer, who had fair skin later in life. Throughout his career, Jackson’s look has been the subject of much suspicion, although he has consistently denied bleaching his skin.The rapper said in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey that his skin’s depigmentation was caused by vitiligo and that his nose operation was the only cosmetic procedure he had done.
“I take pride in my race. At the time, Jackson said to Winfrey, “I am proud of who I am.” Paris claims to identify as black, keeping in mind her dad’s African-American ancestry.Paris stated that she “considers [herself] black” and that “[Michael] would look me in the eyes and he’d point his finger at me and he’d be like, ‘You’re black,’” when discussing the situation with Rolling Stone magazine in 2017. Take pride in your heritage.She talks about her lighter skin and says that many people think she’s from “Finland or something” because of her bleached blonde hair and stunning blue eyes. “Okay, he’s my dad, why would he lie to me?” she asks. I just take his word for it. Because he has never lied to me, as far as I know.
Not surprise, she faced considerable backlash after her statement of race was made public. “I get that she considers herself black and everything, but I’m just talking about the visual because you know…black is not what you call yourself, it’s what the cops see you when they got steel to your neck on the turnpike,” said a very outspoken talk show host mockingly of Jackson’s only daughter for identifying as a black woman.That’s what people see, she continues. But that’s adorable and beneficial to her.What do you think about Paris Jackson identifying as a black woman in order to carry on her father’s legacy?Kindly share this story with others and share your comments with us so that we can hear from others as well!
Leave a Reply