Sugar Berry
On my 24th birthday, an app suddenly appears on all the other digital devices in my family except my phone.
The one inside that app is another version of me, another Cordelia Winchester. But she's so much better at everything than I am.
Mom's bakery has been in the red for three years. "Cordelia" casually tweaks one recipe, and the cakes sell out that same day.
Dad has failed to earn his promotion three times. "Cordelia" revises his presentation, and the very next day, his boss grants his promotion.
My fiance, Chase Jensen's company is about to run out of cash. "Cordelia" spends ten minutes reworking his pitch deck, and the investors immediately put in another 20 million dollars.
From then on, Mom starts asking her how to develop every new dessert. Dad prints out screenshots of everything she says. Even when Chase chooses an engagement ring, he asks her opinion first.
On my 25th birthday, before we even cut the cake, Mom suddenly stares at the app and asks, "Does she really have to stay inside the phone?"
Dad lowers his voice. "Is there any way to bring her here for real?"
Chase taps open customer support.
[Apply for a parallel-life exchange?]
Customer support replies, [After the exchange, the Cordelia from your world will be sent to the other world. Confirm exchange?]
They barely hesitate.
I watch as they hit "confirm", my nails digging into my palms and drawing blood.
I force a strained smile. "Since you guys adore her so much, I hope you don't regret this."
The next second, a red line of notification appears on the screen.
[Exchange sequence initiated. Countdown: 7 days.]