Traded for a Perfect Version of Myself

The living room fell silent for a long time after the countdown timer appeared.

Mom let out a soft exhale. Then, remembering that I was still there, she cut a small slice of cake and held it to my lips. "It's your birthday today. Don't get mad at me, okay? Have something sweet."

I stared at her, feeling dazed.

For the past year, she'd asked the other Cordelia what new products to launch. Even when I was talking right next to her, she acted like she couldn't hear me.

It wasn't always like this.

When I had a fever as a kid, she'd sit up all night with me in her arms. When I complained the frosting was too rich, she'd scrape it off and save the softest part of the cake for me.

She always said, "The first bite of something sweet will always be my darling Cordelia's."

I thought that love had died a long time ago. But when she held the cake out to me now, I still lowered my head and took a bite.

The cream was soft, but it was mixed with bitterness as it slid down my throat. My nose stung, and my throat burned like something was lodged there.

Mom's voice became even gentler as she watched me eat. "Once Lia gets here, she can help me expand the bakery, help your dad get his promotion, and help Chase stabilize the company. When everything's set, we'll bring you back so you can be our princess again."

My hand, still holding the fork, froze when she said they would treat me like a princess again. I hadn't heard that in a whole year.

Dad sat beside us, his tone making it clear there was no room for argument. "We're not throwing you away. We're just getting a more suitable person to handle the more important things for now. Once our family's in a good place, you'll benefit, too."

I lowered my head, picking at my fingers. That feeling of being discarded still crept up on me.

Chase crouched down in front of me, opened a ring box, and slipped the ring onto my ring finger. He said quietly, "You'll always hold my heart."

My tears slipped free and fell onto the back of his hand. I almost wanted to ask him if he could stop trying to replace me if his heart really belonged to me.

But after drying my tears, I finally got a good look at the ring. It was champagne gold and framed by a delicate circle of diamonds. Gorgeous, but not what I liked.

I'd always wanted the simplest, unadorned platinum band. Years ago, as we passed a jewelry counter, he'd promised me he would remember.

Yet now, he smiled, perfectly at ease. "She picked it. I didn't ask any other woman. I asked the other you. That still counts as being loyal, doesn't it?"

My fingers slowly curled in. I rubbed my thumb over the circle of tiny diamonds. Somehow, the little pinpricks of pain made the ache in my chest ease.

So even the way he loved me had to be run past "Cordelia" first.

Right then, her voice came through the app. "Did I upset Cordelia? I can stay away if she's really that hurt."

Mom immediately snatched up her phone. "Lia, don't ever think that."

Dad chimed in, "You're not to blame for us picking the better option."

Chase's voice turned gentle and coaxing. "She's always been sensitive. Don't take it to heart."

I sat there at the table with my birthday cake, the last trace of sweetness disappearing from my mouth. The back of my tongue went numb, and my neck started to itch. Heat spread over the backs of my hands, and angry red hives began to bloom across my skin.

That was when I finally placed the faint fruity smell that had been buried under all that sugar.

"Mom, did you put mango in the cake?" I forced out.

Mom froze. "I just added a little juice. Lia said it'd taste better that way. I forgot you're allergic."

She remembered now. I saw the flash of panic in her eyes.

My whole body was on fire with itchiness, but somewhere under that, a stupid shred of hope unfurled. Maybe, before I was forced to leave, I could still feel their care and concern.

But Mom's next sentence dashed all my hopes.

"What if it leaves a mark on her face? Won't Lia be upset when she gets here?"

I parted my lips, but my throat had already closed up. As I gasped for air, my lungs burned, and my vision went dark at the edges.

Chase held me up and said he would take me to the ER. But when his phone buzzed, he still glanced down and replied to "Cordelia" first. "Don't worry. This won't affect you."

I stared at that line of text and slowly pulled my hand out of his.

At the hospital, the attending doctor frowned. "Doesn't your family know how severe your mango allergy is?"

Mom started to explain, but I cut in first. "They've long forgotten."

By the time we got home, the meds were still making me woozy. I stood in the entryway and listened as Dad talked on the phone upstairs.

"Everything has to be redone within seven days. She likes the color cream. The desk needs to be bigger, and swap out the wardrobe and the bed. The new Cordelia will be here any day now."