My Cousin's Playing House의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 10

The noise startled Lily, and the five-year-old burst into tears.My daughter. Still a baby when I left.My heart softened. I opened my arms."Lily, don't be scared. It's Daddy. I'm home."I stepped toward her, trying to smile gently.I'd forgotten my spotted, twisted face probably looked scarier than a monster.Lily screamed, dropped her paintbrush, and ran to the man.She clung to his leg, burying her face against him."Go away, bad guy! Daddy, help! That ugly man's trying to grab me!"I froze, arms outstretched, fingers shaking.Lily had called the impostor Daddy.I was the stranger who'd barged into their home.***Laura's parents, Robert and Helen Falkner, rushed downstairs at the noise.Five years ago, I'd moved them to the city, set them up with generous retirement funds, and treated them like my own parents.They were my last hope."Robert! Helen! It's me, Calvin!"They looked me over. Neither hesitated.Helen spat in my face."Look at yourself! Calvin's hands

Officer Miller studied me like a cornered animal."Do you know the penalty for impersonating a federal scientist?" he asked slowly, his voice rough."I'm not impersonating anyone!" I met his gaze. "How would a fake know the encryption protocols for top-secret records?"Something flickered in Officer Miller's eyes.The door opened, and the police chief walked in, looking grim."Officer Miller, Professor Cooper's lawyer is here with a joint statement from the neighbors and paperwork from a psychiatric hospital willing to admit this man."They say he has severe delusions and violent tendencies."The chief looked at me like a lost cause."Lock him up. Hold him for forty-eight hours."The iron door slammed shut, cutting off the last of the light.Trapped in that dark cage, I was a ghost with no identity.***The holding cell was dark and damp.I curled up in a corner, shaking with cold and rage.I closed my eyes and replayed the past five years.Navara's wind and sand. Lab li

Third-Person POVAll of Carmoria was watching the National Science and Technology Awards.Evan sat front and center in an expensive custom suit, his hair flawless.He soaked up the admiring looks and cameras tracking his every move. It all went to his head.Laura and Lily sat beside him.In a lavish gown and flawless makeup, Laura looked every bit the wealthy socialite.Lily looked uneasy, confusion in her eyes despite her pretty dress.When the host announced, "Professor Calvin Cooper, chief designer of the Tempest missile series," Evan stood and straightened his tie.He took the stage with the humble smile he'd rehearsed countless times.Applause thundered through the hall."Welcome, Professor Cooper." The host shook his hand. "You spent five years working in secret for Carmoria's defense. Thank you for your service.""It's an honor to serve my country." Evan's voice rang out, strong and rich.He launched into his speech: grand promises, empty praise, and hollow talk of p

A disfigured "lunatic" against a polished "hero" whose wife backed him up.The crowd seemed to side with Evan instantly.Guards approached the stage, looking hostile.The livestream chat blew up.[OMG, is this family drama or a spy movie?][Her tears look real. Is the other guy a fraud?][But... what about the model?]Hope lit Evan's eyes as the crowd took his side.He stepped forward and reached for the model. "Give me back my property!"I stared coldly at his outstretched hand.Just before he touched the model, I stepped back and smiled.With my twisted face, it must've looked unsettling."Evan Cooper." I met his eyes. "Done with your little act?"His eyes widened.Laura stopped crying. "Wh-what are you talking about? My husband is Calvin Cooper...""Is he?" I glanced around the hall, then back at Evan. "If you're Calvin Cooper, Tempest's chief designer, what did I make this model from?"Evan froze. "I... o-of course I know... but that's classified..."I raised the m

Henry's voice shook, but his words hit harder."Some say you should save yourself first. A true soldier doesn't stop to weigh the options. They step up!"He pointed at me."He went in. Saved the data. His teammates survived. But his face... was burned like this."And someone just mocked those scars. Called him useless for failing to protect himself."Let me tell you!" His voice boomed. "Those scars are medals! Proof of what he sacrificed to keep us safe!"This is what a real hero looks like."Through my tears, I looked at Lily.She watched me wide-eyed, no longer afraid.I smiled, without bitterness this time.Henry lowered the microphone and gave me and the crowd another sharp salute.Applause shook the hall.People stood, tears streaming, clapping as hard as they could.The ceremony couldn't go on.I carried the model offstage, escorted by Henry and the guards.I walked through the crowd and crouched before Lily.My daughter. I hadn't been there for her in five years.