Who is the real shadow?

Dear Diary,

Oh no. Oh no, oh no. I think... I believe I'm in love with Liam.

OMG! I don't know what to do anymore! I've only known Liam for a short two months, but I genuinely think I have strong feelings for him. Now, I'm completely clueless about how to handle myself and behave around him.

And why would Liam ever be interested in me? He's become the most popular guy in school in just two months. He even has a fan club, I'm not joking. While I admit I'm not ugly, why would someone like Liam be attracted to someone like me? I'm just Sarah Johnson.

Ahhh, I'm really at a loss here! What do I do?

Signed,

Frustrated Sarah

June 6, 2019

Dear Diary,

Liam asked me to be his girlfriend.

I said yes.

Signed,

Happy Sarah

"So he asked her," Alex frowned, rubbing his temples. Despite it being four years ago, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy towards this guy. The truth remained that Sarah had given her heart to Liam before him.

"Chill. She loves you now," Alex reminded himself, and a geeky grin appeared on his face as he reminisced about the memory.

Snapping out of it, he flipped the page and continued reading anxiously.

Dear Diary,

Liah has been acting really weird lately. Remember when I wrote about her being interested in a guy a month ago? Well, I asked her about it again today, and she still refuses to tell me anything. It's strange because we always share secrets with each other.

I can't help but think that this guy might be the reason for Liah's recent odd behavior. Her mood swings, outbursts of anger, and bad temper... It all seems connected to him. Whoever he is, he better treat her well.

On a different note, I'm glad to see Liah finally talking to Liam a bit. Liam has been coming over to our house so often, but whenever he's here, Liah becomes quiet. It's really strange because she's usually like a bullet train, never stopping with her chatter. I thought maybe Liah disliked Liam, but when I asked her, she said it wasn't the case. She claimed she didn't have anything to say. It's all very peculiar.

But today, when Liam went to the kitchen to get a drink, Liah happened to be there, and they actually exchanged a few words. I'm relieved that happened. I don't want my sister and my boyfriend to be on bad terms.

Signed,

Sarah

August 11, 2019

Dear Diary,

Liah disappeared again today. She didn't come home right after school, and I lied to mom that she went to her friend's house. But I knew she didn't because I saw her friends at the shopping district and asked them about her, but they didn't know.

Liah has been pulling this disappearing act quite often lately. She's been messaging a lot more on her phone and giggling to herself silently.

I have no idea what's going on. Could it be that she has a secret boyfriend? On another note, Liam was also missing this afternoon. I called him because we were supposed to meet at the mart, but he didn't show up, and he didn't answer his phone either. I was really worried that something happened to him, and I wanted to rush to his house, but he never told me where he lived.

Fortunately, he called me a few hours later and explained that his phone was on silent mode, and he had fallen asleep at his desk. tsk tsk, he's been doing this dozing off thing quite frequently lately too. I wonder what's going on.

Signed,

Sarah

September 30, 2019

Oh no," Alex said, a frown forming on his face. He could already anticipate the direction the situation was heading. He knew exactly what had transpired. Sarah, being kind and naive, should have seen this coming. She had never believed that people were capable of such actions. But aren't we doing the same thing? Alex wondered, biting his lip as he continued reading, unsure of what lay ahead.



Dear Diary,

Today has been the worst day of my life. I witnessed something unimaginable. It was a Saturday, and I usually spent the day with Liam. However, he didn't call me today and only sent a brief message saying he had something else to do. I thought I could spend some quality time with my sister, Liah, but she informed me that she was out with her friends too. So, I decided to stay at home and read, hoping to make the most of the day.

Little did I expect to find out that they were actually spending time together. Soojung suddenly called me, sounding extremely anxious, and demanded that I rush to the mart immediately. Worried about her, I hurried over, not knowing what to expect.

Upon arrival, Devi pulled me behind a pillar and pointed ahead. I cautiously peered out from behind the pillar, and what I saw left me in disbelief. Liam and Liah were walking down the street, holding hands like any other couple in love. I tried to reason with myself, thinking that perhaps they had coincidentally bumped into each other, and there was a logical explanation for their closeness.

But then, Liam stopped in the middle of the road, and my heart shattered into pieces as he kissed Liah. He kissed her, just a day after we shared our first kiss together. I couldn't hold back the tears that welled up in my eyes. Devi, in her fury, screamed at them, exposing our presence. Liah appeared shocked, while Liam turned pale. I couldn't face them, couldn't even process the magnitude of the betrayal I felt.

"We're done, Liam," I whispered, barely audible, before I turned and ran. I ran as if my life depended on it. I ran until I reached home, and then I cried, letting my tears flow uncontrollably. It hurts so much more to be cheated on by your boyfriend, especially when he chose to betray you with your own sister, your flesh and blood. I can't even begin to...

When Liah returned home, Mom was seething with anger. She unleashed a torrent of screams and shouts at Liah, utterly humiliated by her actions. I, on the other hand, felt too drained to invest myself in the situation.

Then Mom turned to Liah and demanded an explanation, and I witnessed a speech that would forever linger in my memory.

"I know what I did was wrong, Sarah. Every single second of it, I was fully aware," Liah began, her voice trembling.

"But you know what? Every single second of it, I was happy."

Liah's words struck me deeply. "Have you ever paused to contemplate your life, Sarah? Your seemingly perfect life? I'm tired of being seen as the inferior younger sister to the flawless Sarah Johnson. I'm exhausted from constant comparisons. You shine so brilliantly, Sarah, that it's nearly impossible for people to notice me."

"Everyone questions why I'm not as fair-skinned as you, why I lack your writing prowess, musical talent, baking skills, or artistic mastery. You're a jack of all trades, Sarah, while I'm skilled in none. I'm weary of trying to bridge the ever-widening gap between us, a gap that can never be closed," she cried. "I'm fatigued from this struggle. I'm exhausted from attempting to shine while standing next to an angel like you. You can never comprehend the weight I carry."

"Liah..." I interjected, attempting to console her and explain that she was perfect just the way she was. Boys adored her, how could she not see that?

"Before you attempt to console me, just stop," Liah snapped, glaring at me. "You don't understand. Do you think boys genuinely like me? Sure, I may be cute, but what am I compared to you? The boys who court me, do you not realize they only do it to get closer to you? It's all because I'm your sister. I'm sick of being second. I'm fed up with this nonsense," Liah expressed vehemently. "And when Liam came to this school, I found myself falling for him. I fell for him before you did, Sarah. I loved him long before you even realized your own feelings. But he chose you, like everyone else, and you have no idea what it's like to constantly be second, even in matters of the heart."

I truly had no idea. I was completely oblivious to her suffering, which is why she had distanced herself from Liam.

"And when he finally started showing interest in me, do you know how ecstatic I felt?" Liah continued, her voice choked with emotion. "For once, even if the whole world saw Sarah Johnson instead of Deliah Johnson, Liam preferred me over you. He chose me. You cannot fathom the significance of that to me. And I despise you, Sarah. I hate you for being perfect. I hate being your sister. I hate all of this!" Liah exclaimed, her emotions overpowering her.

"You don't mean that," I gasped, taken aback. How could I have been so oblivious to her pain, especially when she was just in the next room? I was blind!

"Yes, I do. I HATE YOU!" Liah cried out, and without looking back, she fled from the house.

Dad is out there searching for her right now. I hope he finds her soon. She means more to me than that Liam guy. I never want to see him again for the rest of my life.

Signe

The diary entry ended abruptly, stained with tears. Alex hastily flipped the page, his throat tightening. It all made sense now, no wonder, no wonder, no wonder.

Dear Diary,

Liah has lost her memories. She had an accident when she ran out of the house, and I blame myself for not finding her quickly enough. She doesn't remember the past two years, but thankfully, she still remembers me. However, her memories of her new friends in middle school are gone.

I can't even begin to describe how I felt when I arrived at the hospital and saw her being rushed into the emergency operating room, unconscious. She looked so pale, even paler than me. Her hair was matted with blood, her shirt soaked in it—everything was a horrifying sight. I doubt I'll ever forget that scene in my life. I might even have nightmares about it for years to come.

But maybe this is a silver lining. Liah doesn't remember Liam, and she doesn't remember hating me. From now on, I'll do everything in my power to help her shine. I promise to never make her feel inferior or unhappy again. I can lose another Liam Thompson, but I can't lose Liah.

The entry wasn't signed.

Alex stared at the book, his complexion turning pale. He recalled Deliah mentioning an accident that caused her to lose some of her memories a few years ago. So that was what happened. The shadow sister wasn't Sarah—it was Deliah. And Sarah had done everything to become her sister's shadow because she believed it was her fault. "You innocent dummy, Sarah," Alex whispered. "Dummy, dummy."