The Heartless Imposter

Somebody said if you hate someone, you hate something about them that is part of yourself.

I hated myself for what I’d decided. I can no longer escape it, and even more so, I will never forget it.

I picked up the blower and threw it at the glass, causing it to make a loud noise when it shattered. I heard the maid sigh when she entered the bathroom.

“Clean it up,” I commanded her and left the messy bathroom.

In my life, I’ve learned only one lesson: don’t make decisions when you’re desperate or frustrated.

People can do things, especially when they are desperate to get someone or something.

And one of these people was me.

If my birth mother was still alive, would she brand me a thief for this? Maybe she would understand; everything I did was for her.

Wherever I was now, it was because of justice that I had not obtained.

But I was not like everyone who gave up because there was nothing I could do. As long as I was breathing, I would never give up until I knew the truth.

I wanted to make everything right, but I didn’t know where to start because even I, myself, was also a mistake.

***

Someone’s fake cough halted me as I was ready to kiss the guy I met on the dance floor. I forced myself to get up while clutching the man’s shoulder.

Steven irritated me to no end!

“What?” I asked, my brow furrowed.

He shattered my euphoria! That was Joo Hyuk, the sexiest bachelor in South Korea! Oh, please!

“Your presence is required, and you will return home tomorrow,” he said solemnly.

My presence in the house was comparable to an ant. What was up this time?

I merely gave Steven a nod. I wanted to go home some days, but they wouldn’t let me, and now that I didn’t want to go home anymore, they wanted me to return. Isn’t it funny how ironic it is?

I returned to my unit tipsy. Because I had limited tolerance for alcohol, I didn’t consume strong liquors.

I didn’t want anybody to get into my heart; therefore, I had nothing to lose. Since last week, I had not returned any of Mommy’s calls or texts.

They adopted me when I was ten years old. I didn’t remain long in their hearts since they immediately found their daughter, who had been missing for a mysterious reason. I was first envious of Jillian, their biological daughter, but I realized later that they clothed, fed, and schooled me, so why couldn’t I be grateful and glad for them instead of being envious?

I lived an extraordinary life for a brief period because of my foster mom, Ellen.

She shook her head when I asked where my biological parents were. I didn’t want them to return to my life; I only wanted to know where they were.

I could still feel her love for me, which I was grateful for. Dad and I weren’t close; he was always out of town, but I still loved and cared for him.

My foster mother sent me to South Korea when I was eighteen. I disagreed since I didn’t want to be apart from them. They stated they wanted me to study here, yet they still didn’t want me to return home after my studies. Once I graduated, they wanted me to take over my aunt’s real estate company.

Now, I was 28—old enough to care for myself independently.

I ended up sleeping in the bathtub the next day. I only intended to wash, but I fell asleep.

***

Steven was stuck in his phone, annoyed since I overslept, and now we were late for our flight home to San Francisco. We had almost missed our flight.

I let him rant, but we both knew his rage couldn’t last long. Steven was my phony cousin and secretary, who was in charge of looking after me. We were first uneasy with each other, but now we were friends—best friends, actually.

I was dressed in a bright pink coat with a bandeau dress that fitted my body. I paired it with matte black stilettos.

“Why do I have to go home?” I asked as we boarded the jet.

I could hear him sigh. “Because they’re missing you—”

“We’re both aware that it’s not the case.”

“I don’t know either…”

I attempted to put on a broad grin.

Our flight was pleasant. When we got to the airport, the driver welcomed us right away.

“Oh, Jian, I don’t remember when I last saw you!” he said enthusiastically.

As our gazes met in the rearview mirror, I grinned. I couldn’t help but look at Steven, engrossed in his phone.

“I remember when you and Sue helped me to get a job…” he grinned uncomfortably, his sentence unfinished. It was much better because he was talking nonstop.

I could still recall where our house was, even if I hadn’t been home for several years. So, I was perplexed when we were on a different road. I didn’t ask Steven despite my confusion.

The driver stated, “Here we are.”

“There’s something wrong,” I murmured in the air, my gaze fixed on the ancient mansion.

Steven must have sensed my perplexity, but he didn’t bother to ask.

While holding our baggage, the driver led us inside.

“Jian…” my foster mother said softly, making me turn around.

“Mom…” I could now see her small white hair and her deep eyes.

I approached her and hugged her right away. I unclasped our grip as soon as I heard her small cry. In the distance, I could hear Steven’s sigh as he spoke to Jillian’s handmaiden, who was sobbing and carrying suitcases.

What’s the matter?

I stroked Mommy’s shoulders. “Mom, tell me what’s going on.”

“Jillian…”

Many things changed during my stay in Korea. Our firm was now on the verge of collapsing, and the Jones only relied on the company I managed today, but that wasn’t the point.

Jillian killed someone and now left the country. Our father had sent her there.

I realized that Mom had to deal with all this by herself. I felt so sorry for her. If only I knew… I would have never ignored her calls!

“I’m sorry, Mom. I wish I were here…” I sobbed. “Didn’t Jillian look after you while I was gone?”

She wept and trembled even more. “Jian, Jillian has changed. She’s connected with d***s…”

“What?” I exclaimed, my mouth gaping. How could a sweet young girl become something like that? Unbelievable! Although Jillian and I were not very close, I knew she couldn’t put herself in that situation!

I asked, “What happened? Why would she kill someone?”

“I don’t know. Your father told me that Jillian killed someone, and I have no idea why! He just sent your sister away…” she struggled to finish.

I immediately grabbed my phone, hoping to reach her.

“I’ll try to call her…”

I dialed her number, not really expecting that she would reply. But still, I was worried, and she was my sister, after all.

I was about to disconnect the call when I finally heard her voice.

“Hello?”

“Oh, she responded!” I exclaimed. Mommy’s eyes filled up with delight. “Jillian, this is Jian.”

She chuckled. “I know,” she said, a bottle cracking in the background.

“Mom is worried—” I said, turning the loudspeaker on.

“S-so now you’re home? My stepsister is now at home with my family.” She was drunk! “Will there be a welcoming party?”

Mommy and I exchanged glances before she groaned and gently removed the phone from my grasp.

“Jillian, sweetheart…”

“Oh, my dear mother!” she exclaimed, surprised. “Are you happy now? Because your oh-so-called daughter is once again in your arms?”

What was she saying? Why did she pretend to be envious of me?

“Hey there, Jian! I murdered someone,” she muttered as she shattered the bottle. “Are you now pleased—”

“What are you talking about?!” I couldn’t help but raise a voice at her.

“Shut up, Jian! I know you’re glad about what happened to me today!”

I snatched my phone from my mom’s hands. I was irritated! Mommy was unable to do anything but weep.

“Why would I be glad—”

“Because Mommy’s attention is now on you! All the time you weren’t there, Mom was constantly worried only about you! You had all her attention! And you, Mom, you forgot that she’s not even your child! You forgot you had a real daughter eager for your attention!” her voice cracked.

Mom’s calm voice echoed, “That’s not true, Jillian…”

“Don’t lie to yourself anymore. Won’t you ask why I’m like this? Because of you! I don’t remember you looking at me like you look at Jian! God knows how hard I tried to attract your attention, but I failed in many ways! I’m sick of it! Sick of Jian!”

Tears began to run down my cheeks gradually. Was she envious of me? Wasn’t she aware that I was also jealous of her?

“That’s not true. I love both of you…”

“This is not what I want! I want more because I’m your legitimate child!” she screamed like a lion before crying like a baby.

It made my mouth open. That was terrible!

“I’m sorry, I was unfair.”

I also wanted to communicate my feelings to her, but I didn’t want my mom to suffer further. Mom spent a lot of money on my international school tuition, and she just wanted the best for me, but I hoped she realized that was not what I wanted! Being with them as a family was enough for me.

My father entered the living room, where we were weeping. Steven was behind him.