Chapter 1: Confused Identity
Ethan is a clerk at a pet store. His daily tasks are numerous and trivial. He has to take care of various small animals, clean their cages, feed them on time, and bathe them. In addition, he also has to do chores that others are unwilling to take on, such as cleaning the store and moving goods. Although he is extremely busy every day, the remuneration he earns is pitifully small, barely enough to cover his most basic living expenses.
At this moment, he was lying on a single bed surrounded by comic character posters. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, and his consciousness gradually cleared. This was a handsome face, looking eighteen or nineteen years old, with golden hair, fair skin, blue eyes, and a straight nose bridge, below which was a youthful mouth. He rolled out of bed and ran into the bathroom with his pants bulging. Soon, a piercing scream came from inside, followed by an angry and terrified voice, “Who? Who ruined my freshly applied makeup?”
“Ethan, what are you shouting about? Hurry up and come out for breakfast!” It was his sister, Catherine, who was preparing breakfast for the two of them in the kitchen. She was a waitress at a fast-food restaurant. Although she had a prosthetic leg, she worked no less diligently than anyone else. She skillfully flipped the frying pan in front of the stove, and the bacon in the pan sizzled, emitting an enticing aroma.
Ethan heard the voices from outside and, filled with doubt, rushed out. When he saw Catherine, a look of surprise appeared on his face, as if he had seen a complete stranger. He widened his eyes and asked, “Who are you? Why are you in my house?”
“Ethan, what nonsense are you talking about? I’m your sister, Catherine!” Catherine replied, her voice filled with shock. She tried to approach Ethan, wanting to calm him down.
However, Ethan seemed startled and instinctively took a step back, saying warily, “I don’t understand what you’re saying. I really don’t know you. Please leave here immediately, or I’ll have to call the police.”
Catherine was stunned. She saw that Ethan’s expression was serious and he didn’t seem to be joking. She couldn’t understand why her dear brother suddenly didn’t recognize her. “Ethan, are you sick?”
“I said I’m not Ethan, and I’m not sick. Please leave my house quickly. If you keep bothering me like this, I really will call the police.” Ethan frowned, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes.
“Okay, since you don’t believe me, can you tell me who you are? At least let me know who I’m talking to.” Catherine retorted.
“I’m Sophie, a painter, and I live in my own apartment. I don’t know who you are, and I don’t know who this Ethan you’re talking about is. Now, please leave, I’m very busy.”
Catherine felt even more confused hearing that name. She realized the situation was more complicated than she had imagined. The person in front of her not only claimed not to be Ethan but also gave a completely unfamiliar name. She tried to calm herself down and sought more information from Sophie. “Sophie, I know this sounds absurd, but I truly believe you are my brother, Ethan. Is it possible you’ve had some kind of accident or lost your memory?”
Sophie was clearly not interested in Catherine’s speculation, so she said, “Madam, I have made it very clear that I am not the Ethan you are talking about. My name is Sophie Dupont, and I am a professional painter. I have always lived here, and everything you are saying is a complete mystery to me. I understand you may be going through some difficulties, but please stop disturbing my life.”
“I’m sorry if I caused you any trouble. I’m just too worried about my brother. If you remember any information related to Ethan, or have any clues, could you please contact me?” Catherine knew that continuing to insist would not yield any results, so she decided to take a step back for now.
Sophie hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. Catherine left her phone number and a brief message, then left the residence. She walked heavily down the street, the conversation replaying in her mind. What she didn’t expect was that in the alley behind her, a pair of eyes were closely watching her back. The person was a middle-aged man with black hair and blue eyes, about forty years old. He was wearing a white shirt, slightly open at the collar, and carrying a briefcase. His expression was somewhat gloomy. As Catherine was about to turn the corner, he suddenly called out, “Catherine! Wait a moment!”
This sudden voice made Catherine instinctively stop. She slowly turned her head and looked behind her. When her gaze fell on the other person, she couldn’t help but frown, “Lucas, what are you doing here?”
“What about the matter I asked you about last time? Have you thought about it?” The other person’s gaze was fixed on Catherine, seemingly expecting a satisfactory answer.
“What matter?” Catherine asked, feigning ignorance.
“It’s about our marriage.”
Catherine didn’t answer directly, but instead looked up at the old man, who was more than twenty years older than her. Lucas was 46 years old, and time had left deep marks on his face. He had been divorced once and had a son. Not only that, his family background was very ordinary. Although he worked at a listed company, he was just an inconspicuous small employee, and his monthly salary was pitifully small, barely enough to maintain a basic living. A hint of anger flashed in Catherine’s eyes. She knew that he dared to make such a request because she had lost a leg. She said coldly, “Lucas, do you think I would agree to such an absurd request? You’re old enough to be my father, and even your son is a year older than me.”
Lucas’s face instantly turned pale, and he explained, “Catherine, I... I really like you, I didn’t...”
But Catherine didn’t give him a chance, and sneered, “Like me? You just think I’m disabled and easy to control. Do you think I can’t see through your intentions?”
“Catherine, don’t say that, I never thought that way. I admit, I approached you out of sympathy at first, but during our time together, I was truly attracted by your strength and courage. I know I’m not worthy of you, but I still can’t help but want to take care of you, to give you a...”
“Alright, stop talking.” Catherine interrupted him again and turned to leave. But after only a few steps, her phone in her handbag suddenly rang. She seemed startled and hurriedly fumbled for her phone from her bag. When she saw that the screen displayed her restaurant boss Brent’s number, her heart sank. She took a deep breath, then slowly pressed the answer button.
“Catherine, why didn’t you come to work today?” The boss’s voice came clearly from the receiver. Even through the phone, she could sense a hint of dissatisfaction.
“I’m so sorry, Brent, I had some urgent personal matters to deal with, so I couldn’t notify you in time. I’m really sorry, I promise this won’t happen again.” Catherine gripped her phone tightly, her knuckles slightly white from the effort.
Brent paused on the other end of the line, seemingly thinking about something. A moment later, his tone softened slightly, “Catherine, we know you’re usually very reliable. But the store is really busy today, and I hope you can come back as soon as possible.”
“Of course, Brent, I’ll take a taxi there right away. I should be there within twenty minutes, I’m really very sorry.” Catherine quickly replied. After hanging up the phone, she immediately rushed to the roadside and vigorously waved to hail a taxi. The taxi slowly stopped in front of her. She quickly pulled open the door and got in. After getting in the car, she hurriedly told the driver the restaurant’s address, then added, “Please, hurry up, I’m in a rush.”
The driver nodded, started the car, and skillfully drove into the traffic. Lucas stood there blankly, watching the taxi carrying Catherine speed away, leaving only a trail of exhaust fumes lingering in the air.
