Chapter 2
It was obvious she was worried Lila might treat me thoroughly and ruin her plans. Watching Brian Parker and Lily busily running around, I couldn’t help but find it laughable.
Back at home, Lily struggled to find the right key to unlock the door.
I teased her deliberately, “Sister, how can you not know which key opens the front door? If someone saw this, they might think you’re a thief trying to break in!”
Brian’s face darkened, and he shoved Lily aside, quickly opening the door himself while trying to smooth things over. “Your sister works later than I do, so I’m usually the one who unlocks the door for her.”
Click!
As the door opened, Lily put on a dramatic act. “There’s no need to worry when you’re at your sister’s house. Just treat it like your own home-”
Before she could finish, Brian shot her a glare, silencing her immediately.
I let out a cold chuckle. Who would’ve thought that I’d need my sister’s invitation to return to my own home?
After settling me and Lily in, Brian hurried off to work.
Through the reflection in the window, I could see Lily intently watching my every move.
I knew she was preparing to imitate me later.
She had clearly made up her mind to use this opportunity to replace me.
To mess with her, I deliberately walked to the bathroom, rinsed my slippers without drying them, and strolled through the living room, scattering sunflower seed shells everywhere as I snacked.
Sometimes I lounged on the balcony sunbathing, other times I watered the plants. Within an hour, the balcony dust and soil were tracked all over the living room.
The living room floor was Brian’s favorite polished wood, and he hated seeing it littered with debris and footprints.
But Lily, focused on mimicking me, completely forgot about cleaning.
When Brian returned home, the sight of the messy living room made his face instantly darken.
“Brother–in–law, you’re back!” I called out.
“My sister is in the bedroom applying a face mask.”
Lily lazily walked out of the bedroom, wearing my pajamas and a face mask, only to be scolded by Brian right away.
“Can’t you see how messy the house is?!” he barked.
Spoiled since childhood, Lily wasn’t used to being reprimanded.
“I’ve never done this kind of thing before!” she retorted angrily.
While they argued in the living room, I quietly slipped into the bedroom and retrieved the lottery ticket stub from
the drawer.
When their shouting match reached a boiling point, I walked out slowly, pressing my temples as if unwell.
“Stop fighting, you two,” I said softly.
“Who usually handles these things? Why are you arguing all of a sudden?”
As soon as I finished speaking, the argument between Brian Parker and Lily Eleanor came to an abrupt halt.
Both of them turned to look at me in unison, as if they had only just noticed my presence.
[ blinked my big, innocent eyes, waiting for their response with a look of pure naivety.
Brian was the first to recover.
‘I was just having a little spat with your sister. Married couples do this all the time–it’s just playful bickering.”
Forcing a smile, he awkwardly wrapped an arm around Lily, who begrudgingly played along. She lightly slapped nis stomach and chuckled,
‘Don’t mind us. Just a little misunderstanding.”
Watching their forced smiles, which looked more like grimaces, I held back my laughter, stretched lazily, and slowly walked back to my room to rest.
With the tacit understanding that only twins share, Lily had almost perfected her imitation of me in just two days.
Tonight, she even went out of her way to invite our parents over for dinner, hoping to test how convincing she was.
Sure enough, after half an hour of conversation, neither of our parents realized the switch between me and Lily.
During dinner, I noticed Brian’s face darken as he stared at the dishes on the table–Caesar Salad, Spicy Lasagna, Buffalo Wings, and BBQ Pork Ribs–hesitating to pick up his fork.
Suppressing my amusement, I teased,
“What’s wrong, brother–in–law? Don’t these dishes suit your taste? My sister prepared them all for you.”
I had told Lily to make these dishes under the guise of catering to our parents‘ preferences, but she had no idea they were Brian’s least favorite foods.
My mother chuckled and patted my head.
“How could they not? Your sister knows your brother–in–law better than anyone.”
Brian forced a smile that barely reached his lips.
“Of course, I was just distracted by work, that’s all.”
Reluctantly, he picked up a piece of spicy chicken and put it in his mouth, his expression betraying his struggle as he
chewed.
Brian had avoided spicy food for nearly three years for health reasons, but thanks to his beloved Lily, he was now
forced to endure these fiery dishes.
Before long, his face turned red, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
