Parallel Lies Chapter 02
Author: Cyan A.
A feast awaited me the next morning. I had not seen such a lavish brunch in a very long time. The warmth rising from the dishes almost made me dizzy.
I was allergic to seafood, and I disliked garlic and cheese. Amy knew that, yet she had made garlic bread topped with cheese and prawn pies.
“Rose always loved garlic bread. She said it was the best. She was always snacking on these pies too. I have to start practicing her favorite dishes before she comes home. I don’t want her complaining that I’m out of practice!” Amy muttered to herself.
I stared at my empty plate. Suddenly, I grabbed a piece of bread and took a large bite of the section of bread with the least garlic and forced it down, trying to swallow the anguish welling inside me.
Keeping my eyes lowered, I fought to keep the tears out of my voice as I asked, “Did you remember that I’m allergic to seafood?”
Amy froze in the middle of what she was doing. “Why is that a problem? Rose is coming home. We need to get used to catering to her tastes as soon as possible. If you don’t like any of this food, then skip this meal. It won’t kill you.”
I nodded and went back to my room.
…
Caelan came to visit that afternoon. His brows drew together when he noticed how pale my lips were.
I grabbed a fistful of his shirt, looked at him for a long moment, and asked in a quiet voice, “Can we please go to the beach just this once? I’ve always wanted to see the ocean. Just… treat this as granting one last request from someone who’s about to die.”
He froze.
I thought he would say yes. I truly believed he would agree once I made it that clear.
“No. You need to stay here for the next few days. Your mom won’t be able to handle it if the Replacement goes wrong.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “You’re that worried she won’t get the chance to possess me.”
His expression darkened. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m worried about you.”
I lifted my head and blinked as hard as I could. Then I smiled as widely as I possibly could, so hard that the corners of my mouth began to ache. “You voted ‘Yes’ for my sake too, didn’t you? Even though it might kill me?”
Caelan lowered his eyes and avoided my gaze. His lips pressed into a thin line.
He did not even want to argue with me.
I realized there was nothing to gain by arguing, so I returned to my room and opened the app. I logged in using the password Amy used for all her devices.
It worked. I was able to access my health reports including items such as my sleep duration, mood fluctuations, and so on.
They had been tracking my condition all along in preparation.
My stomach suddenly churned. I braced myself against the table as a bitter, sickly sweetness rose in my throat. A bright red microphone icon appeared at the bottom of the page.
I pressed it, and a soft voice played through the speaker.
“Mom… Don’t do this to her. I don’t want to replace her. She’s your daughter too.”
Shock crashed over me. I ran to Amy and held the phone out to her.
“Listen! Rose sent a voice message! It’s her!”
Amy dropped her spoon the instant she heard Rosamund’s voice.
“Rose!”
Then her expression turned cold. As soon as the message ended, she swung her hand across my cheek.
Heat exploded across my face, and my ears rang from the force of the blow.
“How dare you fake her voice? You never wanted her to come back, did you?!”
Roger snatched the phone from my hand and deleted the voice message. “Your sister has already died once! Do you want her to die again?!”
I turned to Caelan, numb with disbelief. “You heard her, didn’t you? She said she doesn’t want to come back.”
I pulled up the page where members could revoke their votes and held the phone out to him. “Honor her wish. Revoke your vote… and I’ll still be able to live.”
Amy suddenly dropped to her knees and grabbed his hand. “Don’t! Don’t do this! I’m begging you! She saved your life! You can’t betray her! She wants to come back!”
Caelan closed his eyes. After a long moment, he set the phone down. “I’m sorry, Amelia.”
My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. He stepped forward and reached for my hand.
I pulled away. “Don’t touch me. You wanted this to happen.”
