Pretending to be my sister
During my broke years, I impersonated my
sister to take care of her blind fiancé for fifty
grand. The day he regained his sight, I vanished.
We met again at a business interview. I was a
nobody intern reporter, while he, restored to his
former glory, was the powerful young heir of
the Hayes family. He was being interviewed:
“We heard that during your illness, you were
indebted to your fiancée, Ms. Chloe Williams,
for her unwavering support. Are you two getting
married soon?” He smirked, raising his hand to
reveal a ring: “Yes, Chloe and I are getting
engaged.” Yet, his gaze, through his glasses,
drifted towards me in the corner.
- 1.
Before the interview, the room buzzed with
gossip. “The young heir being interviewed today
is the head of the entire Hayes empire.” “|
heard five years ago he went blind and was
kicked out of the family. If it weren’t for his
く
fiancée’s constant care, he’d probably be
dead.” “Shh, keep it down-”
I sat to the side, forcing a smile, my nails
digging into my palms. Suddenly, Mark, the
senior reporter mentoring me, turned: “Hey,
Anna, grab me some water, will ya?”
I’d just reached the water cooler by the door
when it swung open. A familiar figure filled my
vision, my mind blanking. Three years had
transformed Ethan Hayes drastically. The once-
thin teenager was now tall and imposing, his features sharper. His once–cloudy eyes were
now cold and clear.
“Excuse me,” he said flatly, his gaze sweeping past me like I was a stranger. He walked
onstage, flanked by bodyguards. As he passed, a crisp, woody scent lingered.
I froze, then it hit me. The two years I’d spent
with him were Ethan’s darkest. Exiled and
blinded by a car accident, of course he wouldn’t recognize me. …Good.
3:34
By the time I returned with the water, the interview had begun. Ethan sat onstage, fingers steepled, calmly surveying the room, answering business questions. Suddenly, the side door opened. Chloe Williams entered, smiling at
Ethan: “Sorry, Ethan, darling. There was a hold-
up on set. I’m late,”
She glided to the seat beside him, her champagne gown shimmering. The room hushed, then buzzed with excitement, Mark,
sipping his water, looked at me like he’d made a discovery: “Hey Anna, you and Chloe Williams… you kinda look alike.”
I forced a laugh. “She’s a movie star, Mark,
You’re too kind.”
Of course we looked alike. We were sisters.
- 2.
“We heard that during your illness, you were indebted to Ms. Williams for her unwavering
support. Are you two getting married soon?”
My throat tightened as I watched Ethan. He
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smirked, revealing a plain silver ring on his left
ring finger
—
the one I’d bought him years ago
to cheer him up. It looked out of place on the wealthy heir, yet he traced it with his finger as if oblivious. “Yes, Chloe and I are getting engaged.” He said, his gaze sweeping across the audience, lingering on me for a fleeting moment before moving on.
The microphone was passed to Chloe. “Ms.
Williams, we hear you’re currently filming
Director Lucas’s movie. He rarely casts new
actors. Did Mr. Hayes have any influence?”
She smiled, admitting, “Of course. I’m confident.
in my abilities, but I won’t deny Ethan’s support.
And I absolutely deserve it.” Her self-
assuredness earned the crowd’s approval.
Someone asked, “Could you share any stories
of how you and Mr. Hayes supported each
other during his difficult time?”
Chloe’s smile faltered. In the awkward silence,
<
time seemed to slow. Finally, Ethan chuckled,
taking the microphone. “Nothing much to tell.
Our memories are for us to keep.”
84
Tears pricked my eyes. I gripped my pen,
looking down. Closing my eyes brought back memories. During his downfall, people had harassed Ethan. Once, protecting him, I was shoved down some stairs, bleeding. The
attackers ran. I got up, pretending nothing
happened, and returned to his side. “Let’s go
home.”
Ethan grabbed my hand. “You’re hurt. We’re
going to the hospital.”
“I’m fine-”
“I smell blood!” His voice rose, tears spilling
from his cloudy eyes like dust–covered stars.
He pulled me close, his thin arms tight. He
spoke, but called me by my sister’s name:
“Chloe. When I recover, I’ll give you the
grandest wedding in the world.”
- 3.
After the interview, the sky darkened, a fine rain
falling, Mark patted his pockets, “Anna, I left my
memory card inside, Grab it for me, would ya?”
I hurried back inside, my shoes squelching on
the wet floor. The elevator reached the first
floor. The doors opened, and I bumped into
Ethan and Chloe, Chloe was talking to Ethan
about filming, and he, despite his aloof
expression, listened patiently. They looked
intimate.
Seeing me, Chloe’s face hardened. “…Sorry,” I
mumbled, turning to take the stairs.
“Stop,” Ethan said. I froze. “Aren’t you taking
the elevator? Go ahead.”
I slowly turned, lowering my voice. “Thank you,
Mr. Hayes.”
He told me to use the elevator, yet blocked the
way, staring. “You were a reporter at the
interview? I didn’t hear any questions from you.”
<
I lowered my gaze. “Mr. Hayes, I just graduated
and returned to the States. I’m an intern. I don’t
have the privilege to ask questions.”
“I see.” He replied flatly, lost in thought.
Chloe glared at me. “Let’s go, Ethan. We’re
meeting Director Lucas and the others tonight.”
Ethan finally looked away. “Let’s go.”
- 4.
Alone in the elevator, I was lost in thought.
After my parents‘ divorce, my dad took Chloe
and became Mr. Williams, marrying into her
mother’s family. I hadn’t seen Chloe since I could remember. Five years ago, she’d suddenly contacted me. “I’ll give you $50,000 to pretend to be me and take care of someone.” My mom
had just passed, leaving a mountain of debt. I
had no choice but to agree.
I later learned the “someone” was Ethan Hayes,
her fiancé who’d had his accident shortly after
their engagement. “A blind guy, a discarded
heir… who’d want to take care of him?” she
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