Chapter 1

The day Alyssa Grace was brought back, I was at school hunkered down for physics competition training.

When my homeroom teacher called, her voice was uncharacteristically cautious. "Sarah, your parents said there's an emergency at home. They need you back right away."

I put down my pen. Deep down, I already had a hunch.

Ever since I was a kid, I knew the day would come when the Graces would find their long-lost daughter. My foster parents never kept me in the dark about it.

Every year, they'd run ads on missing persons' shows and hand out flyers with her photo to everyone they met.

In the picture, she was a three-year-old with pigtails, her eyes crinkling into crescents as she smiled.

I'd stared at that photo a thousand times, wondering where I'd fit in if she ever turned up.

*****

The moment I pushed the front door open, I saw a frail girl sitting on the couch. She was wearing a faded floral dress, her hair parched and yellowing. She was taking tiny sips of the honey lemon Mother had just handed her.

Mother's eyes were bloodshot. As soon as she saw me, she beckoned, "Sarah, come here, quick."

I walked over and greeted her. "Mom."

The girl looked up, her gaze sweeping over me from head to toe. Finally, her eyes locked onto my wrist. I was wearing a Cartier bracelet, my birthday gift from Mother last year.

"Alyssa, this is your older sister, Sarah." Mother took my hand, her voice soft and tender. "Sarah is two months older than you. From now on, you two need to get along."

Alyssa gave a small smile. "Hey, Sarah."

I smiled back. "Hey, Alyssa."

The vibe was pretty warm. I was just starting to breathe easy when I heard her ask softly, "Mom, which room does Sarah sleep in?"

"The one on the east side of the second floor," Mother said. "It has the best light and has its own bathroom."

Alyssa just murmured an "oh" and looked down, falling silent. I felt a pang of unease, but I brushed it off.

It wasn't until that night, as I stepped out of the shower, that I found Alyssa standing at my door. She looked at me with a smile that seemed perfectly innocent. "Your room is beautiful, Sarah."

"Thanks," I said.

"Back in the countryside, our house leaked and winters were brutal." She paused, tilting her head. "You've had this room for 17 years, Sarah. Surely you've had your fill by now?"

I was stunned.

She stepped closer and lowered her voice. "Since I'm back, don't you think it's time you gave this room back to me?"

I didn't say a word. I just looked at her.

Alyssa didn't flinch. She met my gaze head-on. Her eyes were clear as day, without even a flicker of guilt.

"Alyssa," I said, taking my time, "I think you've got the wrong end of the stick."

"Oh?" she replied.

"Mom and Dad gave me this room. It doesn't matter how long I've lived here. If you like it so much, you can talk to them and have them set one up for you," I said.

Alyssa's smile faltered for a second.

I brushed past her and pushed the door open, then looked back. "By the way, we have school tomorrow. Don't stay up too late."

As the door clicked shut, I heard her let out a sharp sigh.

*****

At breakfast the next morning, Alyssa was a totally different person. She sat next to Mother, picking at her pancakes. Every now and then, she'd steal a glance at Mother, her eyes filled with nothing but nerves and a desperate need to please.

Mother asked, "Alyssa, why aren't you eating your eggs?"

Alyssa kept her head down. "I... I'm not used to eating such a fancy breakfast. Back where I came from, I was lucky if I even got a piece of dry toast."

Mother's eyes welled up instantly. She pulled her into a hug, calling her "sweet girl."

I quietly peeled an egg, washed it down with some milk, and grabbed my bag. "Mom, I'm heading to school."

"Hold on," Mother called out. "Your dad is driving Alyssa to school today to get her enrolled. I want you to show her the ropes."

I looked at Alyssa.

She was watching me with a timid expression. "I hope I'm not being a bother, Sarah."

"Not at all," I replied.

*****

On the way there, Alyssa walked beside me in silence.

As we neared the school gates, she suddenly asked, "You're a straight-A student, aren't you?"

"I do alright," I replied.

"Mom told me you're top of the class and that you're representing the school in a competition," Alyssa said.

"Yeah," I replied.

She stopped in her tracks and stared at the lettering on the school gate.

"I always wanted to go to school," she said softly. "But my old family were too poor to let me study back there. I spent my days herding sheep, cutting grass, and doing laundry. I barely even know my ABCs."

I turned to look at her.

Her eyes were red and swimming with tears, but she was desperately holding them back.

"You're home now," I said. "Mom and Dad will get you a tutor. You'll catch up in no time."

"Thanks, Sarah." She wiped her eyes and flashed me a grin. "You're the best."

For a split second, I almost thought the whole encounter from last night had been my imagination.

Alyssa was assigned to the class right next to mine. When I went to pick her up after school, I found her surrounded by a group of girls, all chatting and laughing.

"Sarah!" She spotted me and ran over, tucking her arm through mine. "This is my sister, Sarah."

The other girls glanced back and forth between us, their expressions strange.

I knew exactly what was going through their heads. The real Grace daughter was back, yet here I was, the "fake" one, still hanging around.

"Let's go," I said. "Time to head home."

On the way back, Alyssa was a total chatterbox, rambling on about school. She went on about which teachers were nice, which classmates were funny, and whether the cafeteria food was any good. I just listened, giving her the occasional nod.