Todos los capítulos de Traded for a Perfect Version of Myself: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

I held onto the banister as I went upstairs and pushed open my bedroom door. Mom was carrying my pillow and comforter out; the old star-shaped nightlight on my nightstand had been tossed straight into a cardboard box.I rushed over and grabbed the nightlight, my hands shaking hard. Dad had made this for me. At the time, he'd ruffled my hair and said he wanted me to fall asleep every night feeling as safe as if I were under the stars."What are you doing?" I croaked.Mom glanced back at me. "Perfect timing. Pack up the stuff on your nightstand. The contractor's coming tomorrow morning to take measurements."I stared at my messy bed. "Then where am I supposed to sleep?"She answered like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Isn't there a folding bed in the study? You can stay in there for now."The study had no windows, only an old camp cot Dad used to nap on. The corners were piled high with dusty files, and half the overhead lights were dead.I stood in the doorway and s

Mom stared at me for a long time, like she didn't believe I was really done kicking up a fuss.Dad locked the study door from the outside. He said it wasn't to lock me in, but to keep me from freaking out and running around saying crazy things.Chase stood outside the door, still holding my phone. He said in a low voice, "Cordelia, just hang in there for a few more days. I'll find a way to make it up to you once this is all over."I sat on the narrow cot. The lights were off, and the room was dark. I ran my fingers over the empty spot where my bangle used to be, feeling an eerie, unnatural calm settle in.That night, Mom unlocked the door a crack and slid a bowl of plain oats in. There were no side dishes or cutlery. She said, "It's better to eat something plain. You don't want another allergic reaction."I cupped the bowl of lukewarm oats in my hands and let out a soft laugh. When I was a child and had gotten sick, she would make me oats with plenty of fruits and honey so I had t

The next morning, by the time Natalie knocked on my door, I was already awake.She didn't just walk in. Instead, she stayed outside and asked, "May I come in?"I stared at the door for a few seconds, feeling thrown. Back in my old world, Mom would push open the door and come in without ever asking if I was okay with it.I asked Natalie to come in.She walked in with my meds and breakfast. The first thing she did was draw the curtains halfway open. "If the light bothers you, I'll close them again."Sunlight spilled over the blanket, warm and soft.I lowered my head and ate, feeling a little out of place. Breakfast here was scrambled eggs, some baked beans, and bacon.Natalie said, "Sean checked your allergy records. Anything with mango's gone."I faltered. "Why would he do that for me?"She glanced at me. "Because your crying was pretty genuine yesterday. Delia would never have acted like that. Whenever she cried, it was because she wanted to get something out of it."…After

After I turned off the Echo of the Old World, I just sat there for a long time.Natalie knocked and entered, a box of Band-Aids in her hand. "Have you been picking at your wrist again?"I looked down and realized I'd rubbed that red ring on my skin even deeper.She didn't ask what I'd just seen. She just peeled a Band-Aid and smoothed it over my wrist bone. She said, "When the old stuff is gone, you finally have room to grow something new."I murmured in agreement, barely loud enough to be audible.The next day, I went to the office to continue sifting through data.Miranda tossed a stack of receipts onto my desk. "Delia used this batch to claim partnership fees. See if anything looks off."I went through them one by one. By the time afternoon rolled around, my eyes were burning. In the end, I found three payments that all went to the same account—not Delia's own, but for a shell company called Parallel Lives Agency.Sean was quiet for a long time when he saw what I'd found. Me

The day we went to the police station, the weather was beautiful. I wore a white shirt Natalie had lent me, the cuffs long enough to hide the red ring on my wrist.Sean handed me the folder with the evidence. "Are you nervous?"I shook my head. I was, actually. But compared to being locked up in the study, facing the truth didn't feel so terrifying anymore.Miranda came, too. She stood beside me and said in a low voice, "Today isn't about taking the fall for Delia. It's about taking back everything she stole and putting it back where it belongs."I nodded.The officer asked what my relationship with Delia was.I said, "We share the same face, but we're not the same person."The moment I said that, it felt like a weight was lifted from my chest. It turned out that admitting I was different was a lot easier than trying to prove I wasn't worthless.We turned in the transfer records, the original project files, the app's backend access, and proof that Delia had literally paid for t