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All Chapters of Traded for a Perfect Version of Myself: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

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 s

Chapter 2

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

Chapter 3

No one answered me. Chase's outstretched hand froze in midair, then slowly dropped.I went to the study, clutching my cup of soy milk. The cot was narrow. The hives on the back of my hand still hadn't faded, and a tingling numbness shot up my arm when my skin brushed the side of the cup.Out of nowhere, I really wanted to talk to my best friend, Jocelyn Lane.This whole past year, my family had revolved around the other Cordelia. Jocelyn was the only one who would still listen to me.Last New Year's Eve, while my parents were on video chat celebrating with "Cordelia", Jocelyn had sat with me on the curb outside a convenience store. We'd had hot dogs.She'd said, "If you find that you can't take it anymore, just come to me."I tapped on my chat with her and held down the voice message button. I cried for a full minute. The second I lifted my finger, all I saw was a single gray tick.I stared at it for a long time, then searched for our dorm group chat. I couldn't find it, but tha

Chapter 4

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

Chapter 5

When I woke up, I was still clutching that old digital tablet. The screen had gone dark.A breeze drifted in through the window. The curtains were thin, and sunlight spilled across the foot of the bed.I was dazed for a long time before I realized I was lying in a bedroom I didn't recognize. The mattress was soft. Next to me sat a glass of warm water with a sticky note tucked under the base."Drink this when you wake up."There were voices outside the door."Is she awake?""Don't go in. Remember that you're dealing with Delia Winchester here. She's always been great at playing the victim."Delia Winchester, not Cordelia Winchester.I pushed myself up in bed. My whole body felt hollowed out, and the red ring on my wrist was still there.The door swung open. A man in a gray shirt stood in the doorway, his eyes ice cold. "You're awake?"I instinctively shrank back.He noticed my reaction, and his brows drew together just a little. "You're scared of me?"My voice came out rough

Chapter 6

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

Chapter 7

On the third night, the old digital tablet suddenly lit up. A gray pop-up window appeared on the screen.[Echoes of the Old World]At first, I didn't want to open it. My finger hovered in midair for a long time before I finally tapped it.The screen showed my old living room. The cream-colored flowers were still there, and the champagne-colored balloons were still taped to the wall. Mom was slipping Grandma's diamond bangle onto Delia's wrist.She stood under the light, smiling and looking beautiful. Mom looked at her, her eyes filled with satisfaction. "It does look better on you."Delia lowered her head and brushed her fingers over the bangle. "Thanks, Mom."The form of address came out of her mouth so naturally.I thought it would hurt, but my wrist had been bare for so long that all that was left was only a faint, dull ache.Dad handed Delia a stack of paperwork for his promotion. "Lia, see if there's a better way to phrase this section about my achievements."She only fli

Chapter 8

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

Chapter 9

I didn't pick up Chase's call, but the Echoes of the Old World still lit up the screen in the middle of the night.This time, the moment the video started playing, I saw Mom leaving a hospital with a test report clutched tightly in her hand. Her eyes were bloodshot.After the complaint about her bakery blew up, a kid got food poisoning, and the parents had camped out at the bakery demanding answers.On her way home, Mom called Delia over and over, but she didn't answer. She just sent a short, curt message. "Handling crises is your job."Mom stared at that sentence like she didn't recognize the person who'd sent it. After a long moment, she whispered, "In the past, no matter how upset Cordelia was, she'd still help me deal with the customers first."Dad stood beside her, an ugly look on his face. He'd lost his chance at being promoted. In the report against him, every single place where he'd used someone else's work was marked out in detail.In the office group chat, his coworker

Chapter 10

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

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