My Twin Sister Stole My College Admission Chapter 05
As the departure date crawled closer, my mom suddenly summoned me into the living room.
“Elena, that community college you’re attending is right here in the city, so you won’t be facing any real expenses. Your father and I decided on an allowance of $100 a month.”
I clenched my fists inside my pockets, keeping my mouth shut.
She turned to Chloe, her face melting into an affectionate smile.
“Chloe, sweetie, Kingston is surrounded by an elite town with a high cost of living. Your dad and talked it over, and we’re setting your monthly allowance at $1,000 for now.”
“If that’s not enough, just call us anytime.”
My brother, who was sitting on the sofa answering corporate emails on his laptop, chimed in without looking up.
“Chloe, I’ll be Venmo-ing you an extra $500 every month on top of that. Don’t cheap out on anything, buy whatever you want.”
Chloe sniffled dynamically, her eyes shining with tears.
“Thank you so much, Mom, Dad, Logan…”
I stood on the periphery of the room, watching the picture-perfect scene of this harmonious family
of four. I looked like a completely invisible, transparent ghost who didn’t belong.
But it didn’t matter.
Stanford University had granted me a full-ride scholarship, waived my tuition entirely, and provided a massive stipend. Even without a single penny from them, I was going to live an extraordinary life.
My brother finally glanced up at me, his voice sharp.
“Do you accept these terms?”
“I accept.” I nodded slowly. What right did an invisible person have to reject anything?
Seeing how entirely compliant and submissive I was acting, a satisfied, superior smile finally broke across his face. He walked over and casually ruffled my hair.
“See? That’s a good, obedient girl.”
The night before departure, a massive crowd of extended relatives gathered at our house.
Chloe’s packing list consisted of ten massive, heavy designer suitcases. Meanwhile, I only carrie
single JanSport backpack. Inside were nothing but my driver’s license, my Social Security card, and my metal lockbox.
“Oh, look at our brilliant little Ivy League prodigy!”
My aunt shoved a thick graduation card stuffed with cash into Chloe’s hands, then spun around to
glare at my cousin.
“You better learn from your cousin Chloe! This time, we’re all tagging along on the trip just to soak
in the elite atmosphere of Kingston University thanks to her!”
My brother stood next to them, his chest puffed out with immense, secondhand pride.
“Our precious Chloe has always been a cut above the rest.”
My uncle also brought his daughter forward. “Chloe, your cousin is going to a college nearby too.
When you guys get there, make sure you look out for each other.”
“Mainly, please give her some guidance and tips whenever she needs help.”
Chloe nodded with extreme, calculated sweetness.
“Don’t worry at all, Uncle. I’ll make sure to take my cousin to Kingston all the time to hang out. And Auntie, I’ll organize all my SAT study guides and high school notes to give to my little cousin too.”
“Wonderful! This child is truly the ultimate glory of the Sterling family!”
Right at that moment, my phone buzzed. It was a direct iMessage from Chloe.
[Did you hear that? Hurry up and digitalize all your high school notes and essay drafts and email
them to me right now, or I’m telling Logan you’re sabotaging me!]
I casually swiped left and deleted the message, acting as if I had never seen it.
In the past, I cared about them, so their threats held power. But now that I no longer desired an
ounce of their love, they possessed absolutely zero leverage over me.
The crowd was laughing and chatting as they began loading the luggage into the cars.
My brother suddenly remembered something. He stopped, turned around, and looked at me standing alone by the front door.
His voice carried a heavy layer of stern warning.
“We’re driving out to drop Chloe off at Kingston. You get yourself to your local community college and check into your dorm. Keep your head down and stay out of trouble, do you understand me?”
I met his gaze dead-on.
“Actually… I was never accepted to Kingston.”
He froze, and an immediate, uncontrollable rage instantly flushed across his face. He grabbed my arm violently and dragged me to an isolated corner of the yard.
“What the hell is wrong with you?! What kind of psychotic episode are you throwing now?!”
He lowered his voice into a vicious whisper. “Get a grip, Elena!”
He narrowed his eyes, a mocking realization hitting him. “Wait, I personally filled out the Common App portal myself! Nice try, you almost threw me off! If you cause one more scene, don’t you ever bother coming back to this house!”
Without waiting for my response, he spun on his heel, joining the massive, bustling caravan of family members as they drove off toward the airport in a grand, triumphant parade.
I let out a soft scoff.
I told you the absolute truth, but you chose to believe your own delusion. You can’t blame me for
what comes next.
As for this house… I had zero intention of ever returning anyway!
Right then, the admissions director from Stanford called.
“Hi Elena, your first-class flight itinerary has been dispatched to your email. Please double-check
the details.”
“I see it. Thank you so much, Director.”
I hung up, pulled up Uber, and booked a ride.
Shouldering my backpack that contained nothing but a box of ash, I headed straight to the airport,
embarking on the journey toward my true dream at Stanford University!
