You see, it worked. When I used to get sick, Hector would just make a phone call, express polite concern, and have his assistant send over some skincare products. But now? Now I received the kind of attention that only the fake Edna had been afforded.
Still, his mood was dark, and his anger and contempt were unmasked.
“Can you stop this nonsense? No matter how hard you try to act like her, you’re not her!”
“Eds was a musical genius. You’ve been practicing for so long, and you still can’t play even the simplest piece. Her smile came from the heart—genuine and beautiful. Yours is stiff and forced.”
“And you’re not allowed to eat spicy food, stay up late, or drink alcohol. It’s bad for your health.”
Then, in a softer voice, almost a whisper carried away by the wind, he added, “What will you do if Eds comes back and your health is ruined?”
But I heard him.
It felt like my tail had been stepped on. I grabbed the nearest cup and hurled it at him.
“She is me! She’s all of me! This is my body—I can do whatever I want with it!”
“She doesn’t exist! She’s not real!” I screamed, tears streaming down my face, repeating the words like a broken record.