Chapter 3

Yvette continued her whirlwind of boyfriends, and since she was never in the dorm, our paths rarely crossed.

Then, three months into the semester, she posted a question in the all-freshman group chat: [Is it possible for a person to be pregnant with a three-month-old fetus and a one-month-old fetus at the same time?]

She deleted it almost immediately. Most people who saw it just assumed it was a weird joke.

But I knew it wasn't. Because every one of Yvette's pregnancies was being transferred to her mother.

The real drama was about to begin.

The next day, Yvette called me, her voice shrill with panic, demanding I come to the hospital. Before I even opened the door to Grace's room, I could hear shouting.

"I've been on a business trip for three months!" a man roared. "Whose damn kids are you carrying? Two of them? How could you do this to me?"

"I didn't!" Grace sobbed. "I don't know how this happened! I haven't even touched another man's hand! I swear I didn't cheat!"

The moment I stepped inside, Yvette dragged me into a corner. "Lily, be honest with me. Has anything been wrong with your body these past few months?" she snapped.

I put on my best wide-eyed, innocent act. "How did you know? I came here secretly. Please, don't ask me any more questions. It's too embarrassing to talk about."

The suspicion in her eyes faded. She looked down, lost in thought.

Inside the room, the doctor's frustrated voice carried into the hall. "I warned you last time to be careful! A termination at this stage is extremely dangerous, especially given your health. There's a significant possibility that neither you nor the fetus would survive the procedure."

Hearing this, Yvette's legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed.

I steadied her. "Don't panic," I said. "Maybe it's a misdiagnosis. If your mom hasn't been with anyone, how could she be pregnant? It's not scientifically possible.

"Why don't you get a second opinion at a different hospital?"

She nodded, clutching at the straw I had offered. "You're right. It has to be a mistake. We need to go to another hospital."

Her eyes darted back to me as she ordered, "By the way, you're still wearing the bracelet, right? It was a special gift. You can't take it off."

"I spent a fortune on that," she added. "Don't take it for granted."

I smiled. "You're so generous, Yvette. We barely know each other, and you gave me such a valuable gift. I've heard crystals have special properties. If I didn't know better, I'd almost think you were trying to curse me."

Her expression froze. "Of course not. It's to protect you," she stammered.

I held up my right hand, letting the fake bracelet catch the light, and said, "But you never told me I couldn't let someone else wear it.

"Your mom thought it was too expensive and took it back from me that first day. It's been on her wrist ever since. I was afraid you'd be upset, so I bought a fake one to wear instead."

Rage contorted Yvette's face. She stormed into the hospital room and ripped the blanket off her mother.

There, on Grace's wrist, was the unmistakable gleam of the crystal bracelet.

Yvette's eyes were wild. Ignoring the shocked stares of everyone in the room, she tore the bracelet from her mother's wrist.

She spun around and screamed at me, "This was a gift for you! Why did you give it to my mother? Why?"

I just stared back, feigning confusion.

"Is there something special about it? Your mom said it was too valuable and took it back herself. She told me not to tell you because she was afraid you'd make a scene."

Yvette froze, realizing how crazy she was acting. She forced a laugh.

"That's not what I meant. I just... it suits you so well. From now on, just wear it. And don't give it to anyone, no matter who asks, okay?"

Before I could protest, she grabbed my hand and snapped the bracelet onto my wrist.

A faint, almost imperceptible light pulsed from the crystals. My heart stopped.

I couldn't believe it. The bracelet could actually bind to a second host.