They Swapped Me Away, Then Begged Me to Return Chapter 01

They Swapped Me Away, Then Begged Me to Return Chapter 01

On my twenty-fourth birthday, a strange app popped up on every phone in my family all at once.

Inside the app lived another version of me.

Her name was Leah too, but she was infinitely better at everything I did.

She tweaked my mom’s cake recipes on a whim, and overnight, my mom’s bakery blew up into the most viral pastry shop on Instagram.

My dad had failed three consecutive promotions at work. Leah rewrote his presentation script for him, and the next morning, his supervisor personally pulled him aside for a talk.

My boyfriend Evan’s startup was on the brink of collapsing from cash flow shortages. Leah polished his PowerPoint deck in ten minutes flat, convincing investors to pour an extra twenty million into the company.

After that day, my mom ran every new flavor idea by her nonstop. My dad printed out every word Leah said and taped the screenshots to his desk. Even when picking out an engagement ring, Evan checked with her first before asking me.

On my twenty-fifth birthday, before we’d even cut the cake, my parents and Evan all held up their phones, showing the same screen.

[Request Parallel Life Swap?]

[After swapping, the original Leah from this world will be transferred to the alternate reality.]

[Confirm?]

They didn’t hesitate for a single second.

I watched each of them tap “Confirm” one after another, my fingernails digging so hard into my palms they drew blood.

I forced a wobbly smile. “If you all like her that much, don’t come crying to me later.”

The app flashed bright red text the very next second: [Countdown: 7 Days.]

…

The living room fell dead silent once the timer appeared.

My mom let out a slow breath, then remembered I was still standing there and cut a small slice of cake, holding it out to my mouth.

“It’s your birthday, don’t hold a grudge against me. Have something sweet.”

I stared blankly at her.

For an entire year, she’d run every bakery concept by the other Leah. Half the time I spoke up beside her, she wouldn’t even register my voice.

It hadn’t always been this way, though.

When I’d spiked a fever as a kid, she’d held me in her arms all night long.

If I hated thick frosting, she’d scrape every bit off and save the softest cake crumb just for me.

She used to always say, “The first sweet bite’s always for my Leah.”

I’d thought that love had faded completely. But as she held the cake out to me now, I leaned forward and took a bite anyway.

The frosting melted softly on my tongue, tangled with a sharp, bitter ache sliding down my throat. My eyes stung, and swallowing felt like choking on glass.

Seeing me eat it softened her tone even more.

“Once she comes over, first she’ll help me expand the bakery, then get your dad his promotion, and stabilize Evan’s business after that.”

“Once everything’s settled for our family, you’ll get to live like a queen.”

The word queen made my grip on the plastic fork lock tight.

I hadn’t heard anyone call me that in a full year.

My dad sat off to the side, his tone firm and non-negotiable. “We aren’t abandoning you. We’re just letting her handle the heavy lifting for now. When our lives get better, you’ll reap all the benefits too.”

I stared down at my lap, picking at the skin of my fingers. That cold, hollow feeling of being cast aside crept over me inch by inch.

Evan knelt down in front of me and flipped open the ring box, sliding the band onto my ring finger.

“My heart will always belong to you, no matter what.” His voice was quiet.

Tears spilled down my cheeks and landed on the back of his hand. I almost begged him—if I was still the one he loved, could they call off the swap?

But once I wiped my eyes, I really looked at the ring.

Champagne gold, wrapped in a full band of tiny pave diamonds. It was gorgeous, but it wasn’t what I’d always wanted.

I’d fallen for a simple plain platinum band years ago, when we’d passed a jewelry store window. He’d promised he’d remember back then.

Now he smiled without a trace of guilt. “She picked it out. I didn’t ask any other girl—only the other version of you. Doesn’t that count as being faithful?”

I slowly curled my fingers closed around the ring. I rubbed the sharp little diamonds against my skin, and the faint stinging pain felt almost comforting next to the agony in my chest.

He didn’t even know how to love me without asking her permission first.

A notification pinged on the app—a voice note from the other Leah.

[Did I upset Leah? If she’s really hurting this much, I don’t have to come over at all.]

My mom snatched up her phone immediately: [Leah, don’t think that for a second.]

My dad chimed in right after her: [Choosing the better option isn’t your fault.]

Evan murmured soft reassurances into his screen: [She’s always been overly sensitive, don’t take it to heart.]

I sat alone at the birthday table, the faint sweetness of the cake long gone from my mouth. My tongue went numb, my neck prickled with an odd itch, and red hives bloomed across the back of my hands one after another.

It hit me then—the fruity tang I’d tasted under the frosting earlier.

“Mom, did you put mango in this cake?”

My mom froze mid-breath. “Just a splash of juice. She said it’d taste better, and I completely forgot you’re deathly allergic.”

Realization flickered across her face, sharp with panic.

My skin burned and itched all over, yet a tiny flicker of foolish hope sparked inside me—hope that they might actually care about me before they sent me away.

Her next sentence snuffed that spark out entirely.

“What if the hives scar her face? The new Leah will be upset when she gets here.”

My throat clamped shut, and I couldn’t force a single word out. I gasped for air, black spots swimming across my vision.

Evan grabbed my arm and said we needed to head to the ER, but when his phone buzzed, he glanced down to type a reply first.

[Don’t worry, none of this will affect you.]

I stared at that text on his screen, then slowly pulled my arm away from his grasp.

At the emergency room, the doctor shot them a confused look. “Did none of her family know her mango allergy is this severe?”

My mom opened her mouth to make excuses, but I spoke over her first. “They forgot a long time ago.”

We headed home once my IV finished, the antihistamine still dulling my senses. As I stood in the entryway, I heard my dad talking on the phone upstairs.

“We need all the renovations done within seven days. She likes cream white walls, a big desk, and replace the bed and wardrobe entirely.”

“The new Leah will be moving in soon.”