Chapter 06: New Identity

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BREAKING NEWS:

30-year-old Ginger Cadette, the owner of the Bar & Life passed away yesterday due to brain cancer. Her family kept her burial private. With hard work and persistence, she successfully started and ran Bar & Life. But when she discovered that she had brain cancer, the business was passed on to her twin brother, Carter Cadette.

Charlie was silent as he listened to the breaking news one morning as they were eating their breakfast at the dining table in front of their TV. He knew that Ginger was already dying, but he didn’t expect that her death would come earlier than expected. Charlotte, on the other hand, never cared that Ginger died. She just looked at Charlie and raised a brow. “Grieving over her, huh?”

Charlie heaved a sigh. “Well, we were together for two years and made so many memories.”

Charlotte didn’t like his answer. Furrowing her eyebrows, she said, “So, you still love her?!”

Charlie quickly looked at her and denied it. “What? No! I didn’t say that! Why would you think that?” He then continued. “I was trying to say that, even though I don’t love her anymore, she still became a part of my past, so I would be sad. Get what I mean?”

Charlotte was too selfish and didn’t accept his reason. “Oh, shut up! Why don’t you follow her to her grave if you were so happy with her?” She stood up and walked away.

“Charlotte! Wait!” Charlie stood up and ran after her. “Don’t stress yourself out! It’s not good for our baby.”

“Stop acting like you’re all concerned,” Charlotte shot back and continued walking. “I knew that you only married me because you got me pregnant.” Tears started falling from her eyes, trying to make Charlie feel bad.

When Charlie caught up to her, he embraced her from behind. “Sorry that I got you upset,” Charlie said in almost a whisper. “And it’s not true that I only married you because of our child. I married you because I love you.”

Charlotte smirked slightly in satisfaction. She knew that manipulating Charlie would be so easy, especially with her current situation. Charlotte turned her heels to hug Charlie as she buried her face on his chest. “Promise me you’re not leaving.”

“I promise,” he said.

“And promise me that you won’t get upset that she’s already gone.”

“I promise.”

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Ginger smirked in satisfaction while watching the news about her ‘death’ inside her bedroom. She got up from her bed and checked her drawer for her old phone, as she had broken her iPhone in a fit of anger.

When she successfully turned her phone on, she was relieved that it was still working. Then she created a new social media account using ‘Lucy Solace’ as her fake name and her old phone number, which no one knew.

“It’s time to kill Ginger for good,” Ginger muttered as she dialed a number on her phone and pressed it against her ears.

“Hi, is Dr. Gueverra in her clinic?”

“Hi, yes! She is in her clinic. Would you like to set an appointment with her?”

“Yes, please, for a Liposuction. Is she available today? Because it is pretty urgent.”

“Apologies, but there are 5 people in line and you are in the 6th, so you have to wait for a while.”

“How long would the liposuction take?”

“Estimate would be 1-3 hours.”

Ginger didn’t have any choice but to wait, so she did.

“Alright. Just book my name now — Ginger Cadette.”

For a while, the other side of the phone went silent.

“Hello? Still there?” Ginger asked.

“Right, sorry about that. It’s just that I’ve heard your name before,” she explained. “Ginger Cadette is the name of the CEO who has just been reported dead because of cancer.”

Ginger chuckled. “Maybe we just have the same name? It’s not like I am the only Ginger Cadette in this world, you know?”

“Yeah, you’re right. Silly me,” she said. “Alright, you’re all set. You can come by at 5 pm today.”

“Great, thanks!”

As soon as Ginger ended the call, she decided to go out for a walk, but as she stepped out of her room, someone blocked her way — Bryan, with his serious face, flashed on his face, his arms folded together.

“I overheard that you’re having liposuction tonight,” Bryan said.

“What’s it to you?” Ginger responded and shut her door behind her. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

Bryan didn’t answer Ginger’s question and said, “Is that your plan? Play dead and change your identity for good?”

Ginger sighed. “It’s none of your damn business, so get lost, freak!”

Then Ginger walked past him. As usual, Bryan followed Ginger downstairs.

“Why are you so eager to help me, anyway?” Ginger asked. “I’ve been helping myself alone my whole life, especially when I was sick!”

“Because I wanted to protect you. You’re the daughter of my girlfriend, so it’s natural to have the desire to protect you.” Bryan explained, which made Ginger chuckle.

“Or maybe, you’re just trying to help because you want to make up for not visiting me when I was at the hospital, right?” When they reached the first floor of the mansion, Ginger stopped walking and turned around to face him. “Is your guilt haunting you? That’s why you want to help me?”

There was no way Bryan would tell her that he liked her. That’s why he wanted to protect her, because he knew that it was forbidden. So he said, “Yeah, maybe that’s it. And the way to ease the guilt that I’m feeling is to make it up to you by helping.”

Ginger sighed. “You really want to help?”

“Yes,”

“Take me to the clinic now,” Ginger said. “If you drive me to the clinic, I’ll fully accept your offer to help.”

Bryan looked hesitant and said, “Are you sure that you’re going to change your face? Just because you want to seek revenge?”

“Well, taking revenge is your idea to begin with, right?” Ginger pointed out. “Plus, I did really want to make their lives a living hell like what they did to mine, so we’re even.”

Bryan went silent for a while and heaved a sigh.

“You don’t need to help me,” Ginger said. “Just don’t stop me, it’s all I ask.”

“You don’t have to do this alone,” he said. “I’ll help you.”

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While the traitors enjoyed their sweet victory for fighting dirty, Ginger didn’t waste any more time and proceeded to her next plan — to have a Facial Liposuction to change her face until no one could recognize her anymore.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

The surgeon, Dr. Guevarra, asked as she was giving a consultation to Ginger about changing her appearance for good.

“Never been more sure,” Ginger said. “I’m dead in the eyes of the world, anyway.”

“Yeah, I heard in the news too,” Dr. Guevarra said. “Very well, then. If you are determined, I need you to sign this.”

She pulled out a folder and gave it to Ginger.

“This is the Informed Consent Form that you have to read and sign.”

Ginger nodded and started scanning the contract to review what she had to expect from getting a Facial Liposuction. After reading, Ginger signed the contract without any hesitation.

“I’m done,” Ginger said and gave the signed document back to Dr. Guevarra.

“Listen, you’ll see the full effect of the surgery in three months, and you’ll feel the pain within those months,” Dr. Guevarra said. “So after three months, you’d better go back here for a check-up, Ginger.”

“Okay, got it,” Ginger responded and smiled. “Let’s start the procedure and kill Ginger. Lucy Solace will be born soon.”

And with that, the operation started, which lasted three hours — a three-hour surgery that can change her life forever.

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