The Twin They Saved, The Twin They Destroyed Chapter 06

The Twin They Saved, The Twin They Destroyed Chapter 06

Mom pointed a shaking finger at the big screen, at my zero. “Avery’s scores were canceled! How can you possibly be here for her?”

“If a blank answer sheet gets her admitted, then why the hell not Blake?”

The admissions officers stared at her, done with the theatrics. By now, the picture was pretty clear. Blake was their precious little princess. And me? I was nothing.

The Harvard officer’s expression hardened. “Our directors were clear. We’re here for Blake Lawson.”

Then he looked past Mom, scanning the room. “Is Blake Lawson here? We’d like to speak with her directly.”

I felt the corner of my mouth twitch. Just a little. I stood up from the corner. “I’m Blake Lawson.”

The moment they saw me, their faces broke into smiles and they rushed over.

The Harvard officer grabbed my hand first. “You’re Blake Lawson! That’s incredible! Our dean told us-you’re this year’s USAMO gold medalist.”

“If you come to Harvard, full ride, guaranteed PhD track, priority advisor selection.”

The Yale officer shoved in. “Yale can do full ride plus a ten-thousand-dollar scholarship.”

The Stanford officer handed me a card. “Full ride at Stanford, a hundred-thousand-dollar

scholarship, and our summer exchange program.”

The three of them surrounded me, fighting over me.

Mom stood frozen, her face pale. “When did you take the USAMO?”

I turned to look at her. “Do you actually care?”

She hadn’t expected me to talk back and just stood there, stunned.

Blake stormed in front of Mom. “Avery, don’t talk to Mom that way. She’s your mother. She’s just trying to look out for you.”

Her eyes were red, her fists clenched. “She’s concerned about you!”

I looked at her flushed face, her tight fists, the envy she couldn’t hide, and I laughed softly.

“Concerned? She didn’t even know I competed in the USAMO. What kind of concern is that?”

The crowd started murmuring.

“Oh my god, they didn’t even know their own kid was in the USAMO?”

“Look at what she’s wearing-that’s a server uniform, isn’t it?”

“Then check out the younger one. That outfit has to cost at least a hundred grand.”

“They didn’t treat the older daughter like a human being,”

“The favoritism is unreal Like, next level.”

The whispers landed like slaps. Tate’s parents reacted first. His mom swooped in and took my hand in both of hers, eyes glittering, “Avery, sweetheart. I’ve always said you were the smart one.”

“You won the USAMO gold medal and didn’t say a word? See, this is why I’ve always said you were special”

She squeezed my hand, her smile widening, “You’ve always wanted Harvard, right? Now you and Tate can finally go together.”

I pulled my hands away. “Ma’am, you just said the exact same thing to Blake.”

Her smile froze.

“You didn’t like me. You liked the smart one.” I looked straight at Tate but kept talking to his mom. “Besides, your son wasn’t planning on going to Harvard with me. He was planning on going with

Blake.”

Blake watched all of this, her jaw tight, her nails biting into her palms as her eyes darted between

me and Tate’s mom.

She stumbled back a step, then another, her face twisting, “Avery! Why do you always have to be

better than me?”

Her voice cracked, pitched higher. “Fine! I’ll just kill myself! I’m jumping off this building!” She turned and ran toward the balcony, arms flailing

Mom and the others’ faces twisted in alarm. They scrambled after her, blocking her path and

soothing her in frantic, overlapping voices.

Cole didn’t move. He just turned and looked straight at me, his jaw set like he’d already made up his mind. “Avery, you’re doing a gap year with Blake.”

“No.” The word left my mouth without a second’s hesitation.

“What did you say? Say that again.”

“I said no.”

Mom stared at me, her eyes red. “You… are you seriously going to push your sister off a ledge? Do you even care if she dies?”

“She’s about to jump, and you-you’re just gonna say no? What, you want to push her over the edge yourself?”

Tate walked up and put a hand on my shoulder, patting it. “Avery, don’t be like this.”

“I get it. You said you didn’t want Harvard because you think we all pick Blake over you. You’re upset. I get that.”

“Come on. You’re better than this. One gap year-it’s not gonna kill you. Do it for her, okay?”

His fingers slid down my arm, trying to take my hand. I smacked it away. “I said no.”

Someone in the crowd muttered, “Is this family for real? The older one’s a gold medalist and she’s standing there in a server uniform?”

“And the younger one’s got canceled scores and a diamond necklace. They want the smart one to throw away a year for that?”

“Those people shouldn’t be family. Straight up.”

Mom whipped around. “What do you know?! Blake has a condition! Sibling Rivalry Disorder! Her doctor said if her sister outshines her, she’ll try to kill herself! We don’t have a choice! Try having a kid with this disorder and then judge us!”

Cole stepped up. “Blake has struggled for years. Her emotions are finally stable. Why can’t Avery just let her have this? Everyone in the family does-why can’t she?”

Tate joined in. “Avery is so smart. One gap year won’t hurt her.”

I looked at them and suddenly laughed. “She’s sick, so I have to give in. She cuts herself, so my scores get canceled. She threatens to jump, so I have to throw away my future.”

I took a step forward. “Mom. Let me ask you one question. Am I even your daughter?”

Mom looked away, her shoulders trembling. “Avery, I don’t have a choice. You’re the older one. Can’t you just let her have this?”

She never looked at me. Not once.

I didn’t want to cry. Not here. Not in front of them. But the tears came anyway, hot and fast, and no matter how many times I wiped them away, they just kept falling.

“Let her have what? Why should I? Every time she says she wants to die, someone’s watching. Every time she cuts, you just happen to walk in. Her ‘illness’ only shows up when there’s

something she wants.”

Mom’s face drained of color.

Cole’s fists clenched and unclenched.

Tate’s eyes darted toward Blake.

“This disorder-don’t you find it ridiculous? There are twins all over the world. Why is she the only one who has it?””

I pulled out my phone and played a recording. “Just make up some disease. The whole point is to get the family on my side and make sure Avery can never outshine me. You’ll get a million dollars when

it’s done.”