The Orphan Who Stole My Identity

It was my seventh day back in my real family’s home when I saw the confession post. [The year my parents adopted me, I knew their real daughter was in the same orphanage. But I didn’t say anything. I was terrified of being left without a family, of being at the matron’s mercy again.] [Now my parents favor me and treat her poorly. The guilt is eating me alive. How can I ever make it up to her?] In my last life, when I discovered the poster was the girl who had taken my place, I dragged my useless right leg to confront her, my mind shattering. But that same night, she buckled under the pressure and jumped from a building. My parents blamed me for her death. They screamed that I should pay with my life, that I had to die. Only my adoptive brother, Ethan, shielded me. He took me away from that house, gave me a new place to live. But he refused to find me a doctor. Instead, he tormented me daily. “You drove Lily to her death,” he would whisper. “You extinguished a bright, living soul. You will spend the rest of your life atoning for it.” In the end, swallowed by a deep depression, I followed in her footsteps. I jumped. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I first found that post.

1 The commenters thought Lily Hecht was just fishing for attention, a troll making up a story. They filled the thread with memes and sarcastic replies. She posted an update. [My parents raised me for eighteen years. They love me, they couldn’t bear to send me away. So they let me stay, as the real daughter’s younger sister.] [The first time we met, we were both five. We became best friends at the orphanage. But I was so scared her parents would recognize her and not adopt me. So one day, I convinced her to play hide-and-seek. I told her to hide and stay hidden.] [I tried to find her later, I really did, but she’d already been adopted by another family. She’s had a terrible life. Her leg is crippled, and she’s so thin, just skin and bones.] [I heard her adoptive family was awful. They beat her, neglected her. She had to drop out of middle school to fend for herself.] [And me? I grew up with every luxury. If I so much as sneezed, my parents and brother would call the family doctor. I go to the best private high school. I feel so, so sorry for her…] Last time, reading those words was what made me snap. How could I not hate her? On the first day I was brought back to the Hecht family, my mother held me and wept. My father, a man with a stern face, had red-rimmed eyes. My adoptive brother, Ethan, gently stroked my head. It should have been the start of a happy life. But then Lily appeared. She wore a beautiful dress, a diamond necklace I’d only ever seen in magazines glittering at her throat. She smelled soft and sweet, like flowers. I instinctively looked down at myself. At my right leg, shattered by my foster father. It could barely support my malnourished body. My nine-dollar thrift-store clothes carried a strange, musty odor. The black lint from the fabric was still wedged under my fingernails. Why? Why did she get to live my life? I hated Lily from that moment on. She had changed so much that I didn’t recognize her as Lulu, my friend from the orphanage. After I got lost all those years ago, a kind person had taken me there. We were always hungry, always cold. The matron was cruel, but she was always gentle with Lulu. Every time the matron took Lulu away to “play a game,” Lulu would return with a bag full of snacks. I wanted snacks too, so I asked her about the game. “It’s not fun at all,” she’d said. “It hurts, and it smells bad. If you want some of my snacks, I can share.” “But whatever you do,” she warned, “don’t let them make you clean. If you look too clean, the matron might force you to play the game.” I believed her. I spent my days covered in dirt, a little mud-caked wild thing. Then, six months later, Lulu wanted to play hide-and-seek. By the time I climbed out of the dusty cabinet, night had fallen. And she was gone, adopted by a rich family. I was happy for my friend. But she had lied to me. When that bloody truth was ripped open, in my previous life, I had attacked Lily in a frenzy. My parents and Ethan had rushed in. When they learned that Lily was the reason I had been separated from them for thirteen years, they couldn’t believe their sweet daughter could be so vicious. She just cried, apologizing over and over. “I’m so sorry, Mara. I ruined your life, I’m so sorry…” Not long after, Lily jumped to her death, right in front of me. My parents, who had been furious at her deception, broke down completely when they saw her body. My mother grabbed the collar of my shirt, her face contorted with grief. “What did Lily do wrong? She was just a scared little girl trying to escape the matron! She just wanted a mommy and daddy to protect her! Why did you have to expose her? Why did you have to kill her?” “Give me back my daughter!” And what did I do wrong? Why did I have to spend my best years as a cripple? Why did I have to dig through trash for food, wearing the same pair of shoes through all four seasons? Does dying suddenly make you the innocent one? I don’t remember how I left the Hecht house that day. All I remember is Ethan wrapping his arms around me, shielding me from my parents. His embrace was as warm as his voice. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “I’m here.” But his very presence in this family was because of her. They had adopted him only because Lily had wanted a big brother.

2 Ethan settled me into his apartment, gently wiping the tears from my face. “You’ll live with me from now on. Right here.” But Lily’s death became a recurring nightmare. When I woke up screaming in the night, Ethan would hold me tight, whispering softly. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m with you.” “I’ll put on a movie for you. It’ll help you take your mind off things.” But the scenes of people falling in the films only terrified me more. So Ethan switched to opera. The soaring, dramatic music frayed my nerves. The only thing that brought me a sliver of peace was clutching Ethan’s hand. I was like a castaway clinging to driftwood, desperate for something to keep me afloat. In that despair, love began to bloom. But my mental state only worsened. I tried to save myself. “Can you take me to see a therapist tomorrow?” Ethan refused. He leaned close, his voice a gentle poison in my ear. “When Lily died, her head was smashed open. Have you ever thought about how much that must have hurt?” “Do you remember? She was apologizing to you right before she died. Have you forgiven her in your dreams yet?” “Mara, you’re a murderer.” “You drove Lily to her death. You extinguished a bright, living soul. You will spend the rest of your life atoning for it.” So that was it. Ethan hadn’t saved me because he believed I was innocent. He took me in to torture me, to avenge Lily. This time, I closed the web page and pretended I had never seen it. I wouldn’t become a sinner again. I would use the Hecht family’s influence to climb as high as I could. Then I would leave this place forever and build the life I wanted. The only person I can ever truly rely on is myself. So I went downstairs and found my mother. “I want to go back to school.”

3 The day I came home, my mother had suggested I transfer to Lily’s high school. I hated her, and I was terrified of being mocked for my leg, so I’d refused. Now that I was bringing it up myself, my mother was delighted. “That’s wonderful! Lily will have company on her way to school now.” “Mara, you’ve missed a lot of classes, but your brother is a freshman in college. He can tutor you. Just ask him if you need anything.” Ethan was sitting on the sofa, watching TV. He looked up at her words. He had the same gentle expression I remembered. But I wanted nothing to do with him anymore. I shook my head. “He doesn’t need to trouble himself. I can ask my teachers.” Ethan’s gaze dropped. “Suit yourself.” “Dinner’s ready,” my father called. Lily came downstairs, too. She sat across from me, looking timid and tense. As my mother served us, she cheerfully announced I’d be starting school. Lily’s face paled slightly. “It’s great that… that sister wants to study. I’ll take care of her at school…” “Mom,” I interrupted quietly. “I can’t eat celery. I’m allergic.” I’d discovered it during one of my old jobs. I was so hungry I’d eaten a customer’s leftovers, only to break out in hives, struggling to breathe. The restaurant owner had panicked and called an ambulance. Afterward, he docked my pay for the month, claiming I’d disrupted his business. My mother froze, then quickly removed the celery from my bowl. “Oh, I’m so sorry, dear. I’ll remember from now on.” “Here, Lily, you have it. Celery is your favorite.” She didn’t just give Lily my piece. She tossed it in the trash and served Lily a fresh one, as if my food was now contaminated. Then my mother picked up a piece of fish, carefully removing the bones for her. “A bite of celery, then a bite of meat. You need your perfect balance, don’t you?” The love that should have been mine was being poured all over Lily. Lily watched me cautiously, gauging my reaction. I just shoveled the meat into my mouth. The fake beef I used to eat was soft and tasted like tofu. This was real meat, tender and savory. I was eating so fast. Suddenly, a pork rib landed in my bowl. Ethan had served it to me. “The ribs are good, too. Don’t just eat the beef.” I froze, not daring to touch it. My mind raced, wondering if there was something wrong with it. A warmth trickled from my nose. He quickly grabbed a napkin and wiped the blood away for me. I shot up from my chair, stumbling backward. The chair legs screeched against the floor. My mother looked over, and I stammered, “I’m full.” As I ran upstairs, I heard Ethan’s low voice. “Maria, Mara looks a bit flushed. Could you make her some cooling herbal tea?” That was Ethan. Always so considerate. Even when I first came back, a stranger to him, he would ask if I was settling in okay, if my clothes were warm enough. That’s why, in my past life, I never once suspected that his kindness was a mask for his hatred. But it doesn’t matter. This time, Lily won’t die. And I won’t be driven to jump from a building. The school enrollment was handled quickly. On Monday morning, I was supposed to go to school with Lily. She came to my room.

4 Lily held out an orange shopping bag. Inside was a designer backpack. I’d seen couriers deliver them to wealthy customers before. A brand called Hermès. Very expensive. “Sister, your backpack is a little small. You’ll have a lot of books in high school, it won’t fit everything. This one’s new, you can have it.” Ever since I’d returned, Lily had been finding excuses to give me expensive things. I used to think she was showing off and would always reject them coldly. Only now did I understand. It was her way of compensating me for stealing my identity. This time, I took it without a second thought, already calculating its resale value. After all, money would never betray me. Seeing that I hadn’t refused, Lily practically skipped out of my room. I slung the bag over my shoulder and headed downstairs. As I passed the living room, my mother called out to me. “Mara, do you like Hermès bags, too?” Her voice was soft, but the edge was sharp. “If you like them, Mom can buy you one. But you can’t steal…” She coughed, rephrasing. “You can’t just take Lily’s bag.” I stood frozen. “Lily gave it to me.” “That’s impossible. Lily treasures that limited-edition bag. She barely even uses it. I once joked about giving it away, and she cried her eyes out.” Just then, Lily came downstairs. Hearing our conversation, she rushed to confess. “I did give it to sister.” My mother was confused. “But don’t you love that bag?” “I…” Lily stammered, unable to bring herself to tell the real reason. Her hesitation only confirmed my mother’s suspicions. Her face hardened, believing I had bullied her precious daughter. That’s when Ethan spoke up. “It’s true, Lily did give it to her. I heard them talking upstairs.” Lily immediately latched onto the lie. “Yes, that’s right. Ethan can vouch for me.” But Ethan had been downstairs with our mother the whole time. Our mother sighed. “You two are just too soft-hearted.” “We’ll let this go for now.” And just like that, the matter was closed. I was a thief who couldn’t be proven innocent. I clenched my fists but said nothing more. My mother wouldn’t believe me anyway. They were Lily’s family. Whatever I did was wrong. There was no point in arguing. Later, I found a consignment shop and sold the bag. The wire transfer hit my account: a staggering number with six figures. More money than I could have earned in a hundred lifetimes. It was worth being called a thief.

5 School wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined. When my classmates found out about my leg, they were kind and went out of their way to help me. Because of that, Lily never approached me. She pretended not to know me. And I had no interest in starting a drama about the long-lost daughter. She sat in the front row; I sat in the back corner. We stayed out of each other’s way. That evening, I stayed late to ask a teacher a question. By the time I came out, Lily and the driver were gone. Ethan was waiting for me at the school gate. “I told them to go on ahead.” His voice was low. “Mom found out you sold the bag. She’s furious.” “Dad gets back from his business trip tonight, and he knows, too.” “When we get home, just admit you were wrong. I’ll speak up for you. They won’t be too hard on you.” I couldn’t figure Ethan out. Based on his personality, he should have been just as angry as our parents, scolding me for selling Lily’s gift. He should never have been the one to help me. Could it be? Had he been reborn, too? Ethan reached for my schoolbag, but I flinched away on instinct. “I understand. I need to buy some school supplies. You should go ahead, brother. I can get a cab home.” Without waiting for a reply, I limped away as fast as I could. It didn’t matter if he’d been reborn or not. In this life, he could protect his sister, and I would walk my own path. We would have nothing to do with each other. When I got home, the air was thick with tension. My parents were sitting grim-faced on the sofa. The orange backpack was on the coffee table in front of them. Lily sat beside them, prim and proper, though she shot me a guilty look. She clearly hadn’t intended for her gift to cause so much trouble. My mother was the first to speak. “Mara, this morning your brother and Lily lied to protect you, so I didn’t expose you for stealing. But how could you sell it?” Her voice rose. “That was Lily’s most prized possession!” “If I hadn’t seen it in a shop window and bought it back, you would have broken her heart all over again!” My father tossed a credit card onto the table. His voice was cold as ice. “This family is not so poor that we need to sell handbags for cash. If that got out, people would think we mistreat our own daughter.” “From now on, I’ll deposit your allowance onto this card. This is your only warning. But first, you will apologize to Lily.” “You were in the wrong.” I had no idea how much money was on that card. I could apologize, take the card, and let the whole thing blow over. Or I could fight, expose Lily’s real reason for giving me the bag, and reclaim my innocence. This seemed to be a question where I was doomed to lose, no matter what I chose. So. I chose…