Chapter 2 A Bright Future for Me Too

When I got back, everyone was gathered around the table, clinking glasses of juice.

Mom glanced at me and said lightly, "I see that you got accepted into college too. Which one?"

I told them the name, but no one at the table reacted.

Tania leaned over and asked curiously, "Where is that? I've never heard of it."

Derrick had been Tania's boyfriend since high school. Our families had been close for generations. So, he ate at our house more often than at his own. Hence, he had never bothered to watch what he said around us.

He scoffed and said derisively, "It probably is some third-rate college. With Riley's grades, she should be glad any college accepted her."

As he spoke, he handed the first slice of cake to Tania before looking back at me and continuing, "Riley, is your school expensive? If it is, you should tell your parents. Tania's training already costs a lot. You shouldn't put too much pressure on the family."

Dad set down his utensils and interjected wearily, "That's enough. If we're paying for one kid, we can pay for two. Don't ruin your sister's celebration."

No one asked another question or looked up the school.

None of them knew what those words meant.

The University of Defense Technology was not just military-adjacent, but also one of the most prestigious universities. It had early admission, and only 12 students were selected from the city.

That day, I stood in the corner of the living room holding a glass of warm water, watching Tania unwrap gift after gift until colorful wrapping paper covered the floor.

No one asked me to sit down and have a slice of cake from start to finish.

I blinked back to the present. A line had formed at the boarding gate while I was taking a stroll down memory lane.

I muted the family group chat, stood up, and dragged my old suitcase with me, its zipper already rusting.

The four of them had flown to Lome, while I was heading to Beckham City alone.

We were flying in opposite directions, and that was how our lives would be from now on, on opposite ends.

When the staff member scanned my boarding pass, her finger suddenly stopped as she scrolled through my information.

Then, she looked up at me and blurted, "Are you heading to the University of Defense Technology?"

I nodded.

Her lips curled into a genuine smile at my response as she gushed, "That's incredible. I wish you a bright future!"

A bright future, she said. They were the same words that had been written on Tania's cake, but this was the first time anyone had ever said them to me.

I rested my head against the window and closed my eyes as the plane took off.

My thoughts drifted further into the past.

Tania and I were twins, but no one had ever gotten us mixed up. She took after Mom with her round eyes, bright smile, honeyed voice, and lovable personality.

On the other hand, I took after Dad with my solemn eyes, taciturn manner, and the tendency to tuck myself away in some corner during family gatherings.

When we were little, one of our neighbors used to tease us.

"Tania is like a piece of candy, while Riley is like a bitter pill."

Whenever Mom heard this, she would laugh and nod. Not once did she defend me.

Three years ago, Tania and I both tested into the advanced class. When our homeroom teacher called with the good news, Mom's excited voice rang through the apartment loud enough for the entire floor to hear.

"Tania, that's amazing! I'll take you out for steak this weekend."

Once she hung up, she passed my bedroom and paused.

"Riley, I heard that you got into the advanced class too."

I looked up from my homework, my grip tightening around my pen.

"Yeah."

"Oh," she said, as though she were confirming something that hardly mattered. "That's just as well. Help Tania with math more often. She's weak in that subject."

From then on, I would find myself sitting in Tania's room teaching her functions and derivatives for three nights a week.

Tania would lie across the desk yawning, her phone hidden beneath her textbook as she scrolled through short videos.

She wouldn't even look up after I finished explaining a problem.