Chapter 1
My phone buzzed four times. And the fifth call, the number changed.
I picked up, and the crying voice came from the other end.
A voice identical to mine said, "Sis, I'm going to die.
"I have acute myeloid leukemia. The doctor said that only bone marrow transplantation can cure me.
"You're my identical twin sister. All my hope is on you."
It had been ten years.
This was the first time she'd contacted me since entering the university, with my name and admission letter.
The call lasted 52 seconds.
I glanced at the phone and hung up.
My coffee was still steaming on the table. Right beside it was a bone marrow matching report.
I just signed it today.
But it had nothing to do with her.
After the call, my phone lit up again.
Three text messages came in one after another.
It was from my mother, Fiona Kingsley. [Tessa, it's Mom. Your sister is really sick. I took a picture of the diagnosis report for you to see.]
Three photos followed right after.
I didn't read them.
[Your dad's back is so bad he can't even walk, and your sister's going through chemo. Are you really not going to come back?]
[We were wrong back then, but your sister is dying!]
Three messages, less than forty seconds apart.
After ten years without a word, she sent me three texts in less than forty seconds.
I turned my phone over and set it on the table.
Outside, the rain in Lumtown tapped against the office window, blurring the view.
Someone knocked at the door.
"Dr. Kingsley, the bone marrow biopsy report for Bed No.3 is ready," the nurse said.
I stood up, put on my white coat, and locked my phone in the drawer.
Time for the rounds.
By the time I got off work, there were seventeen missed calls on my phone.
Three were from Fiona, six were from unknown numbers, and the remaining eight all had Lumtown area codes.
There was also a voice message.
It was from my dad, Gordon Kingsley.
He sounded like he was hiding from someone, his voice barely above a whisper. "Tessa, your sister is badly ill. Fiona's been crying all day... If you hate me, I'll kneel and apologize if that's what it takes. Please, just come home and see her..."
The message ended there.
It was seventeen seconds.
I put my phone in my bag and rode home.
Passing by a noodle shop, I went in and ordered a bowl of beef noodles.
I took three bites, then froze.
It wasn't that I didn't have an appetite.
Suddenly, I remembered it was March too when my grandma, Nora Kingsley, passed away. It was also raining, just like today.
Back then, she called me and said, "Tessa, I'm going to the Bureau to fight for your college spot."
Nine days after that call, Nora had a heart attack and passed away.
Fiona even "forgot" to let me know.
When I finally received the news, Nora had already been buried for three days.
Now, my noodles were cold.
I put the money on the table and left.
On the third day, Fiona tracked down the place I was renting.
No clue who gave her my address.
When I got back from my evening shift, I spotted a hunched figure waiting downstairs.
It was Fiona, my mother.
She looked way older than she did ten years ago. Half her hair had turned white, and the flesh on her face was hanging loosely.
When Fiona saw me, she struggled to stand, her legs wobbling.
"Tessa!" she called out.
I didn't stop.
"Stop right there! I'm talking to you!" Fiona shouted.
I continued walking towards the building.
Fiona caught up to me and grabbed my arm, her fingers digging into the crook of my elbow. It hurt.
"Tessa! Your sister's going through chemo, and she's lost all her hair! Don't you feel sorry for her at all?" Fiona shouted.
I turned to glare at her.
The wind blew through the hallway, and she was thinly dressed with purple lips.
"Before you came, did you ever think about making a phone call?" I said.
Fiona paused, then her eyes welled up with tears. "I did! But you didn't answer! You even blocked my number!"
"It was three years ago," I said.
"To be exact, it was right after you sold the house that Nora left me," I added.
The expression on her face changed.
"That house... When Nora left it, she didn't specify who it belonged to, so we..." Fiona explained.
"One million," I said as I stared at her.
"You sold that house for one million dollars, and I never saw a dime. All of it was used for Rhea's tuition, her living costs, and even her car.
"I've got every receipt," I said.
Fiona's lips trembled, and she didn't continue.
I withdrew my arm.
"You know the truth about all this.
"Stop waiting for me downstairs. I've got an operation tomorrow," I said.
I walked into the building and closed the door.