Chapter 2: I Am Your Son

Evelyn stared at the woman in her forties before her. The pronounced crow's feet, age spots that not even thick makeup could cover, sagging skin, and deeply etched nasolabial folds – all marks of time that couldn't be erased. And yet, through these traces of years, she recognized Margaret, her stepsister who was only a few months younger than herself.

Evelyn's mother had passed when she was just twelve, and her father had remarried, bringing Margaret into her life. The two girls, of similar ages and classmates, clashed within months until their grandmother intervened and took Evelyn under her wing to calm the waters.

But later, Evelyn fell ill with a life-threatening disease, and after their grandmother's death, the treatment funds left for Evelyn were "borrowed" by her stepmother for Margaret's private study abroad.

These grievances were carved in Evelyn's heart. The mere thought made her grind her teeth, itching to pummel Margaret. But now, perhaps the shock of waking up to a world so altered, or perhaps seeing a middle-aged Margaret, she strangely found herself at peace, curiously inspecting her: "Margaret, is that you? I'm your sister, Evelyn. It's been many years."

Margaret stood agape, words failing her.

Her daughter Hannah looked at Evelyn as if she were insane: "Who are you? Are you crazy?"

Evelyn turned to Margaret's daughter, recalling Margaret calling her Hannah: "You must be Hannah, right? I am your aunt, your mother's sister. As a niece, you should show respect to your elders, understand?"

Admittedly, seeing her niece, who seemed older than herself, Evelyn couldn't help but feel amused.

Hannah was perplexed: "??"

Margaret, full of suspicion, asked, "You, are you really Evelyn?"

Evelyn knew Margaret wouldn't believe her. She touched her face, wondering if the research institute's freezing solution was too nourishing. Her skin was now even plumper and smoother than before her cryostasis, like freshly peeled egg white. The thought alone was satisfying.

She gave Margaret a smile: "Sis, do you see any difference between me now and twenty-five years ago? None, right? Then, I am indeed your sister, genuine and unchanged. Could there be any doubt?"

Seeing no difference from twenty-five years ago was precisely what was so unsettling.

After twenty-five years, she herself had become a middle-aged matron, so how could it be that Evelyn still looked as young as before?

Watching Margaret's bitter, shocked, disbelieving expression, Evelyn felt even cheerier: "Didn't you know? The surgery failed, and I was cryogenically frozen. Now with the advancement of science, my illness has been cured, and I've been thawed."

With that, she walked past the stunned and wide-eyed Hannah and Margaret, along with two men, one older and one younger, into the house. She frowned slightly at the sight of her once familiar home now completely transformed: "How did you end up living in my house? What has happened to my home? What have you done?"

Margaret finally came to her senses. That's right, the surgery failed, and Evelyn was frozen; she thought it meant Evelyn was dead, gone for twenty-five years.

And now, she was alive again?

She glared at Evelyn: "This is my house now, the property has been passed down to me."

Evelyn was taken aback: "The property has been passed down to you?"

All the old grudges, long faded, were now trivial, but she was telling her that even her own house had been usurped?

Margaret said, "You may not know, but after you were frozen, dad inherited this house, and later on, it was gifted to me. The property is mine now."

Hannah, who had been dumbfounded, finally caught on and rushed to retrieve a property deed: "This is our deed. The owner is my mother, it has nothing to do with you. Don't act like a beggar in our home."

Evelyn, enraged and with a tightness in her chest, argued: "I'm not dead, how could my house be transferred to Dad? Without my consent, how could my property just be given away?"

Margaret, envious of the sister who looked even younger and more beautiful than her own daughter, ground her teeth: "Five years after you were frozen, Dad had your death certificate issued, and the property was transferred to his name!"

Back then, many procedures were not as strict, and with a forged death certificate that looked genuine, everything else was easy to handle. The money in Evelyn's account was divided, her property inherited, and her belongings taken or discarded.

Everything that belonged to Evelyn was gone.

A death certificate?

Evelyn was bewildered.

So while the institute did not give up on her, maintaining her life at a high cost, her only kin, her father, had given up on her and hurriedly had her death certificate processed?

Margaret smirked triumphantly at the fleeting look of loss and confusion in Evelyn's eyes: "Dear sister, although you are young and beautiful, the house is truly mine now. If you want it back, go ask Dad, because it's him who gave it to me, not you. Oh, and—"

Margaret suddenly remembered something: "Your jade pendant, Dad also gave it to me."

Hearing this, Evelyn almost lunged at Margaret to slap her.

The jade pendant was her mother's keepsake!

Her father had actually given her mother's jade pendant to Margaret!

Hannah sensed trouble and rushed forward: "What do you want to do? Hit someone? This is our house. If you dare touch us, we'll call 110, and you'll get out!"

...

The ensuing scene was chaotic, with Margaret's husband and Hannah's boyfriend joining in. Outnumbered, Evelyn was chased from the house, and her suitcase was thrown out viciously.

Her belongings scattered, a few simple clothes strewn across the ground.

Margaret laughed triumphantly behind her: "What does it matter if you're young? You're an old relic! You don't know anything; do you think this is still twenty-five years ago? You have nothing now!"

The commotion roused the neighbors, who gathered around to watch the spectacle, listening to Margaret berate the "unruly" girl who had barged into her home.

Surrounded by onlookers, Evelyn bent down to gather her clothes.

She had been declared dead twenty years prior; she had nothing. Not the house, not the remaining balance in her bank account. She sighed; her only asset was the 880 dollars in her suitcase.

She had roughly a thousand dollars before spending 120 on the taxi.

With 880 dollars, which was not an insignificant sum, Evelyn contemplated renting a place to stay, then figuring out how to sue and reclaim her property.

But as she was pocketing the money, Hannah burst into laughter.

The contents of the spilled suitcase had been clear for all to see.

Hannah taunted: "What a true pauper, with nothing but a few clothes and a few hundred dollars!"

Margaret, now in high spirits, chimed in: "Youth isn't everything. You're poor; go beg on the streets!"

A sympathetic elderly neighbor, familiar with Evelyn's past, suggested: "You should call the real estate office to see how they can help with your situation?"

Evelyn indeed planned to do so, gratefully looking at the neighbor: "I was just about to find a payphone."

Neighbor: "Payphone? Where's your cellphone? Call them now, and consult a lawyer."

Evelyn: "Cellphone?"

She quickly understood: "Is that little game machine you're holding a phone?"

Everyone: "......"

Neighbor: "......"

Margaret laughed till she cried: "You don't even know what a cellphone is?"

The young onlookers found it hilarious: "Where did you come from, not knowing what a cellphone is? Do you know about scanning codes? Do you know about the internet? What an antique!"

Evelyn felt utterly lost; she truly knew nothing...

The neighbors' sympathy deepened: "Do you have money now?"

Evelyn: "Yes, I have over 800."

Neighbor: "..."

What could she do with just 800?

Margaret laughed heartily. Initially envious of Evelyn's youthful face, she no longer felt any jealousy.

Evelyn might be young, but without money, a house, a husband, or children, she had nothing. In contrast, Margaret had a fulfilling family and a successful husband—a true winner in life!

The onlookers pitied and chuckled at Evelyn, witnessing an event they had never seen before. Some even secretly snapped Evelyn's picture, planning to share it on social media.

As Evelyn listened to the surrounding mockery, she understood she had lost face. Helpless, she realized how far behind she had fallen over the past twenty-five years.

She had become an antiquity.

Just then, she noticed the laughter had stopped, and everyone gazed in astonishment toward the entrance of the compound.

"Quite a few cars have arrived."

"And so many bodyguards in black suits!"

"What's going on?"

"Wow, a stretch Rolls-Royce, a limited edition, with the license plate ending in 888. Quick, take a picture, I’m posting this on F******k!"

Margaret and Hannah also craned their necks to join in the excitement, a rare occurrence in their old neighborhood.

To everyone's surprise, the doors of the stretch Rolls-Royce opened, and the person emerged, surrounded by bodyguards and assistants, entering the compound and approaching the crowd.

The person at the center, with broad shoulders and long legs, exuded an air of nobility and aloofness, seemingly from a different world than this old neighborhood.

The intimidating entourage indicated this was no ordinary individual.

Everyone was shocked. Who was this person? A relative of someone in the compound? Why would they come to such a modest neighborhood?

Hannah's face flushed with excitement, thinking this person was approaching her.

What did this mean? Had she caught his eye? Could she now ditch her current boyfriend?

They watched as the distinguished figure walked up to them and stopped.

Hannah felt like she was floating. He was standing right before her? He, he, he...

Suppressing her excitement, she blushed and spoke up: "Sir, may I ask what you—"

Before she could finish, she heard the handsome man speak: "Mother, hello, I am your son."

Hannah: "??"

Margaret: "??"

Onlookers: "??"