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Chapter 2

Cyan A.
A feast awaited me the next morning. I had not seen such a lavish brunch in a very long time. The warmth rising from the dishes almost made me dizzy.

I was allergic to seafood, and I disliked garlic and cheese. Amy knew that, yet she had made garlic bread topped with cheese and prawn pies.

"Rose always loved garlic bread. She said it was the best. She was always snacking on these pies too. I have to start practicing her favorite dishes before she comes home. I don't want her complaining that I'm out of practice!" Amy muttered to herself.

I stared at my empty plate. Suddenly, I grabbed a piece of bread and took a large bite of the section of bread with the least garlic and forced it down, trying to swallow the anguish welling inside me.

Keeping my eyes lowered, I fought to keep the tears out of my voice as I asked, "Did you remember that I'm allergic to seafood?"

Amy froze in the middle of what she was doing. "Why is that a problem? Rose is coming home. We need to get used to catering to her tastes as soon as possible. If you don't like any of this food, then skip this meal. It won't kill you."

I nodded and went back to my room.

…

Caelan came to visit that afternoon. His brows drew together when he noticed how pale my lips were.

I grabbed a fistful of his shirt, looked at him for a long moment, and asked in a quiet voice, "Can we please go to the beach just this once? I've always wanted to see the ocean. Just... treat this as granting one last request from someone who's about to die."

He froze.

I thought he would say yes. I truly believed he would agree once I made it that clear.

"No. You need to stay here for the next few days. Your mom won't be able to handle it if the Replacement goes wrong."

I let out a bitter laugh. "You're that worried she won't get the chance to possess me."

His expression darkened. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm worried about you."

I lifted my head and blinked as hard as I could. Then I smiled as widely as I possibly could, so hard that the corners of my mouth began to ache. "You voted 'Yes' for my sake too, didn't you? Even though it might kill me?"

Caelan lowered his eyes and avoided my gaze. His lips pressed into a thin line.

He did not even want to argue with me.

I realized there was nothing to gain by arguing, so I returned to my room and opened the app. I logged in using the password Amy used for all her devices.

It worked. I was able to access my health reports including items such as my sleep duration, mood fluctuations, and so on.

They had been tracking my condition all along in preparation.

My stomach suddenly churned. I braced myself against the table as a bitter, sickly sweetness rose in my throat. A bright red microphone icon appeared at the bottom of the page.

I pressed it, and a soft voice played through the speaker.

"Mom... Don't do this to her. I don't want to replace her. She's your daughter too."

Shock crashed over me. I ran to Amy and held the phone out to her.

"Listen! Rose sent a voice message! It's her!"

Amy dropped her spoon the instant she heard Rosamund's voice.

"Rose!"

Then her expression turned cold. As soon as the message ended, she swung her hand across my cheek.

Heat exploded across my face, and my ears rang from the force of the blow.

"How dare you fake her voice? You never wanted her to come back, did you?!"

Roger snatched the phone from my hand and deleted the voice message. "Your sister has already died once! Do you want her to die again?!"

I turned to Caelan, numb with disbelief. "You heard her, didn't you? She said she doesn't want to come back."

I pulled up the page where members could revoke their votes and held the phone out to him. "Honor her wish. Revoke your vote... and I'll still be able to live."

Amy suddenly dropped to her knees and grabbed his hand. "Don't! Don't do this! I'm begging you! She saved your life! You can't betray her! She wants to come back!"

Caelan closed his eyes. After a long moment, he set the phone down. "I'm sorry, Amelia."

My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. He stepped forward and reached for my hand.

I pulled away. "Don't touch me. You wanted this to happen."

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  • Parallel Lies   Chapter 10

    Amelia's POVI received a call request from my original family on the third day after I arrived in this new world.[Roger Silverstone and Amy Flynn, as well as Caelan Jackman requested a call. Do you accept it?]I sat by the window with my new cat curled up in my lap, watching the sunlight warm the back of my hand.I remembered how my vision had blurred before I was traded away. I remembered the countdown timer.May was peeling an apple for me. She paused when the app's new notification appeared."Hmm, the decision is yours, Amelia," she said.Rutger walked over with a glass of warm milk. "We can stay with you if you decide to call them. But if you don't want to talk to them, there's nothing wrong with that."I noticed Rosamund's name at the bottom of the request list and tapped it.There wasn't much, only a few lines of text.[I'm sorry for what you've been through, Amelia. I will keep telling them that we are not tools. I am not a defective, unruly child, and you're nobody'

  • Parallel Lies   Chapter 9

    It was midnight when Roger marched into the Parallel Universe Research Center.Amy stared at the computer screen with bloodshot eyes. She typed Amelia's name into the search bar and waited for the page to load.A single line of red text greeted her.[All of the subject's familial connections to Origin World have been removed. The subject has forfeited her right to return.]Amy refreshed the page again and again. "This can't be right! She's my daughter! Mine! She has to want to come back to me! Why can't I summon her back?!"The computer system remained indifferent.[Your familial anchor has been removed. Your request has been denied.]Roger turned to Caelan. "You have to try. She cares about you the most!"With trembling hands, Caelan logged into his account and made the same attempt.[Caelen Jackman had agreed to the Replacement. Any right to summon the subject back has been forfeited.]He stared at the words as his knees gave out beneath him. He sank to the floor with his b

  • Parallel Lies   Chapter 8

    Third-person POVThe Silverstones finally realized that Rosamund was nothing like the person they had convinced themselves she was over the years. She had no interest in taking pictures in a little white dress or smiling behind a birthday cake. She did not want to be close to Caelan, nor did she even enjoy eating the meals they prepared half the time.She hated people touching her skin. The curtains could never be fully opened. Even the TV volume could not go above 20.At first, Amy did her best to be patient. "I know you've suffered a lot where you came from, but you have to learn to adapt to our world too!"Rosamund buried her face in her pillow, her hands seemingly glued to her ears. "I've always been like this, whether I was there or here! You're the ones who have never tried to accommodate me!"Amy wanted desperately to argue, but she could not stop thinking about the diagnosis.After hiding the report, she had even thrown away the parenting guide the psychologist had given

  • Parallel Lies   Chapter 7

    After just three days with Rosamund back home, the Silverstones had reached their breaking point.She refused to sleep in my old bed. She complained that the perfume was too strong, the bedsheets were too thin, and the lights were too bright. Yet when Amy turned the lights off, Rosamund hugged her head in fear and shuddered.Roger had run out of patience. He flipped on the living room light and growled, "What the hell do you want?"Rosamund immediately shrank against the wall, her breathing growing rapid. "Don't shout! You're hurting my ears!"Amy burst into tears. "God, Rose, I didn't bring you home just to watch you invent new ways to suffer!""I'm not making it up. I am suffering!" Rosamund protested.Amy stopped crying mid-sob. It was as though she had never heard anyone say those words to her face before.That night, she made garlic bread topped with cheese and prawn pies. "Here. Your favorite food."Rosamund sniffed them and immediately gagged, her face turning pale. "I d

  • Parallel Lies   Chapter 6

    My new mother's name was May.She drew the curtains so the sunlight fell only on the floor instead of across my face.Before she touched them, she always looked at me first. "How is this lighting, dear? Is it comfortable? Oh, should I dim it a little more? Does it make you uncomfortable if I stand here?"A lump formed in my throat. I realized she was not doing this to win me over. She genuinely wanted to make things easier for me.My new father's name was Rutger. He filled a bowl with soup before placing a spoon beside it. "Easy now. It's still a little hot. You used to have stomach problems whenever you got anxious, so it's okay if you can't finish it. Just take as many sips as you're comfortable with."I picked up the spoon. My wrist ached, and my hand trembled. I took a sip and felt the warmth slide down my throat into my empty, aching stomach. It hurt.Rutger handed me a tissue, but he did not ask why I was crying. He simply said, "Take your time, sweetie. We're in no rush."

  • Parallel Lies   Chapter 5

    Amy stared at the few words on the screen. Her lips trembled. "I-Is that you, Rose?"The screen flashed with new messages.[Amelia is not a vessel. She's a person! She is hurt!]Roger's expression froze. Caelan stared at me.I remained standing before them and the imaginary camera, the practiced smile still stretched across my aching cheeks.Amy cradled her phone as if it were a baby. "Don't say that! I just miss you so much, Rose. I've been waiting for you for so many years!"[I told you when I was a child. I'm sensitive to light and sound. I'm sensitive to touch.]Amy's sobs stopped abruptly. Roger's finger curled.[The doctor told you, didn't she? I'm on the autistic spectrum. I have sensory issues. And yet you convinced yourself I was just a wild, difficult child.]Silence settled over the living room.Tears still clung to Amy's face as confusion spread across her features. "What are you talking about, Rose? You were just... opinionated."A chill crawled up my spine.Ev

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