Be With My Sister's Boyfriend

My Twin's Man

Chapter 1

I was going to Yloria to study, to complete my sister's final year of school on her behalf, and, at the same time, to date her boyfriend for her. I wanted to date him as myself, but whenever my sister showed up, I'd have no choice but to leave in embarrassment.

Out of the blue, my dad said to me, "Your sister is seriously ill."

I stared at him, confused. My sister was in Yloria. If she was sick, surely they wouldn't expect me to fly over there to take care of her.

However, my dad's tone turned sharp. "She needs to come back for treatment. She's all alone in a foreign country, and no one's there to look after her. She's so sick that she can't even attend classes properly anymore. Didn't you once apply to study abroad but didn't get in? Well, here's your chance. You'll take her place for her final year."

His words blew my mind, leaving me completely shocked.

I had always wanted to study abroad, but that was years ago. I wasn't a student anymore. I protested, "How am I supposed to take her place? I'm not even a student anymore. I have a job now."

My dad slammed the table. "How can you say that? She is sick, and all we're asking is for you to step in for her studies. Is that so unreasonable? Do you have any idea how hard she worked to prepare for her graduate exams? She's just one year away from graduating! You're going, and that's final!"

Under the weight of my father's authority, I had no choice but to give in. I packed my things, preparing to head to Yloria and make room for my sister to return home. I even cleared out my room for her.

The three of us, my parents and I, took a taxi to the airport. During the whole ride, I sat silently, watching my parents' anxious expressions as if I were an outsider. I didn't share their worry. Instead, I felt an odd, bitter sense of satisfaction.

At the airport, my mom kept scanning the exit, her eyes darting back and forth. My dad, meanwhile, had a cigarette in his mouth, though he didn't light it. He just chewed on the filter.

My sister had once told him smoking was bad, so he never smoked in front of her to maintain his "good dad" image. Around me, though, he didn't bother with such pretenses.

A figure appeared in the distance, and my mom shouted excitedly, "Jessica, Mommy's here to pick you up."

Jessica froze for a moment, then let go of her suitcase and ran toward my mom. My mom cupped Jessica's face, her voice trembling with emotion. "My dear, you've been through so much. Seeing how thin you've become breaks my heart to pieces."

Quietly, I picked up the suitcase Jessica had abandoned and turned to see the three of them huddled together. Their joy was palpable. It was as if I didn't exist.

I truly felt like an outsider.

I hated seeing them like this, so close and affectionate. Every time I saw it, my chest tightened with a sour, bitter ache, as if I weren't part of the family at all.

Dragging Jessica's suitcase, I headed back to the taxi. The driver, chewing on his cigarette, glanced at me and said, "You and Jessica look pretty alike."

I didn't respond, and the driver, sensing my disinterest, didn't press further. He took one last drag, flicked the cigarette out the window, and rolled it down to air out the car.

"Juliet, I missed you so much!" Jessica flung open the car door and threw herself at me. Knowing I couldn't dodge her, I let her hug me, her head rubbing against my shoulder.

Her tear-streaked face lit up with a smile as she looked at me.

For a moment, I was dazed. We had the same face, but why didn't I have that expression?

Clinging to my arm, she rested her head on my shoulder and said, "Juliet, you have to study hard in Yloria, okay? Our professors are super strict."

I pushed her head away and said flatly, "Don't get your tears on my clothes."

"Juliet, you're the best. I know you don't really mind," she teased.

"I do mind."

On the way home, Jessica sat in the backseat with my parents, who fussed over her endlessly. I sat in the front, scrolling through my phone, tuning out their chatter.

Chapter 2

After just three days at home with Jessica, I was already preparing to leave for Yloria. Her classes were urgent, so I had to leave that week.

No one came to see me off at the airport. I took a taxi there by myself.

It was the same driver as before. He looked like he wanted to say something but, seeing my cold expression, kept quiet.

The ride to the international terminal was silent.

By the time I landed, it was already evening. The airport was bustling with blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreigners.

In fact, I was the foreigner here.

I reminded myself to call home to let them know I'd arrived safely and to ask Jessica for directions. I quickly dialed her number.

The phone rang for a long time before someone picked up. "Hello? Jessica..."

"She's undergoing treatment and can't take your call." My dad's voice was sharp and impatient.

"I've arrived in Yloria. Where should I go?" I asked, pretending not to notice his irritation.

"Go to the school! Where else would you go?" His annoyance was even more evident now.

In the background, I could faintly hear my mom urging him to hang up, and Jessica calling for him.

Sure enough, he ended the call with a curt before hanging up, "Study hard and don't bring shame to Jessica."

A wave of frustration washed over me. I had come all this way for Jessica, yet no one even bothered to give me proper instructions. Was it too much to ask for a few words of encouragement?

But then again, I should've been used to being overlooked by now.

I wiped away the tears that had started to fall and told myself, "It's fine. You're used to this. You can handle it."

I knew the name of Jessica's school, but I had no idea how to get there. The subway system here wasn't as widespread as back home, so I'd probably have to take a taxi.

The more I panicked, the harder it became to find a cab. The streets were growing darker, and I knew how unsafe it could be at night.

Just as I was starting to despair, a black-haired, dark-eyed girl approached me. "Hey, do you need help?"

Grateful for her kindness, I quickly explained my situation. "Do you know Amberwood University? Are you heading there?"

Her eyes lit up. "I'm a student there too! I came to pick up a friend. You can ride with us."

She pointed to an old car parked nearby. "Come on, we'll take you."

I hesitated, wary of trusting a stranger in a foreign country.

If something happened, no one would be able to help me.

Sensing my hesitation, she laughed and pulled out her student ID and passport from her bag, holding them up for me to see. "See? These are my certifications. I wouldn't lie to you."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I smiled and followed her to the car with my suitcase.

There was also a girl from my country on the bus. Both were international students at Amberwood. As they chatted, I learned a bit about the school.

When we finally arrived at the international student dorms, I felt a wave of relief. I thanked the two girls profusely before heading toward the building.

"Jessica, you're here!"

A warm, magnetic voice called out Jessica's name. I turned toward the sound and saw a young man standing under a tree near the dorms.

Chapter 3

The young man was strikingly handsome, with a clean-cut appearance and a refined air. His outfit had a distinct style. It was probably the school uniform.

For a moment, I was stunned because he was exactly my type.

Seeing me frozen in place, he quickly walked over. Before I could react, he pulled me into a tight hug.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back? You know it's hard for you to get a cab on your own, especially this late. It's dangerous for a girl to be out alone. Why didn't you answer my calls or reply to my messages? Do you know how worried I was?"

He murmured, his voice soft but tinged with reproach, "Not letting me, your boyfriend, know you're back. that's not what a good girlfriend does."

So this was Jessica's boyfriend. For the next year, he would also be mine.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Feeling guilty?" He loosened his embrace slightly and teased, "You're usually so quick to argue your point."