They Made Me My Brother

The face staring at me in the mirror was both familiar and strange. After all, it was my brother Luke Henderson's face.

Three months ago, he had jumped from the top floor of his laboratory and died without leaving a single word behind.

A week ago, I removed the last layer of bandages from my face and became him.

"Perfect. You look just like him." My father, Joshua Henderson, stood behind me, clearly thrilled.

My mother straightened the ill-fitting suit I was wearing, her voice trembling with barely contained anticipation.

"Luke, don't be nervous. Ms. Rivers will be here any minute."

My name was Julian, not Luke. But now, no one remembered my name anymore.

My legal identity, school records, and every trace of my existence had been quietly erased a week ago.

"Willow is here."

The sound of high heels came from outside. Soon, a woman in a finely tailored suit walked in. Her eyes turned red the moment she saw my face.

She was Willow Rivers, my brother's fiancée, a woman whose beauty and family background were equally impressive.

"Luke…" She threw herself into my arms, her body trembling slightly.

I could smell her expensive perfume. My body stiffened as I had no idea what to do.

My father immediately stepped forward and patted my back with satisfaction.

"Willow, look. Luke is right here, isn't he? He suffered a head injury in a car accident and lost some of his memories, but he remembers everything now. Your engagement and the project he was working on can both be resumed."

Willow looked up at me through tear-filled eyes, studying my face carefully. "Do you really… remember everything?"

My mother dug her fingers hard into my arm.

I endured the pain and imitated my brother, curving my lips into a gentle yet distant smile. "Willow, it's been a while."

A flicker passed through Willow's eyes before she broke into a smile through her tears. "I knew you would never leave me."

My parents exchanged relieved smiles.

They took Willow into the study to discuss how to restart the Genesis project my brother had left behind.

I stood alone in the vast living room, surrounded by the trophies my brother had won that still lined the walls.

He had been a genius, the whiz kid, the pride and joy of our parents. And I was the genius' brother, an unnoticed shadow beneath his brilliance.

We shared similar faces, but our lives had gone down completely different paths.

He had always been the center of attention. I had been painfully ordinary.

I once thought we would go on like that forever… Well, that lasted until he made the irreversible decision to jump from the research building he had built himself.

My parents' world came crashing down. And so, they forced that entire world onto my shoulders.

My phone vibrated. It was a message from my only friend. "Julian, where have you been?"

I stared at my name and quietly typed out a reply. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Then, I blocked him. From this day forward, there was no more Julian. Only Luke.