By the seventh month, Mona had grown into a teenage girl of about fourteen or fifteen.
She refused to let me bathe her anymore and would always turn her back to me, trying to hide her developing body.
I stroked her hair and said, "Sweetheart, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. I know every inch of you, just as I know myself."
By now she was about five foot four, and the acrylic aquarium could barely contain her anymore. I had a custom oversized bathtub installed, filling it with fresh water and colorful flower petals.
We lay side by side in it, holding each other, kissing. Her fingers glided across my body like serpents, and she said enviously, "Melody, will I be as beautiful as you someday?"
"Of course," I replied. "Because you are me, after all."
By the tenth month, Mona had finally emerged from her cocoon.
That evening, I came home, pushed the door open, and found a beautiful woman gazing at herself in the mirror. She was wearing the white dress from my wardrobe—from her figure to her aura, everything was so familiar it made me dizzy.
I called her name and wrapped my arms around her from behind, holding her tight, body pressed to body, heart pressed to heart...
We kissed each other's tears and made a solemn vow: "We will never, ever be apart!"
10
Now fully mature, Mona left the bathtub and began growing in sync with me.
I bought her beautiful clothes; she cooked delicious meals for me. We bathed together, slept together, relied on and cared for each other, like the legendary twin flowers.
I rejected every man who pursued me, banishing love from my heart entirely. Yes—this kind of life was wonderful. No fear of betrayal, no danger of being hurt...
I was truly, deeply grateful that I'd walked into the Heartbreak Doll Shop that night!
11
Mona had never been outside.
Because I'd told her the world beyond our door was dangerous.
"Then why can you go out?" She blinked her big, innocent eyes.
"You'll understand when you're older." I could only pat her head.
I was a sculptor by trade, teaching at an art college. Worried that Mona would be bored home alone, I taught her how to make plaster casts. She was clever and picked it up quickly...
Once, she even sculpted a Statue of Liberty modeled after the one on TV—life-sized and incredibly lifelike!
But I couldn't bring myself to smile.
The freedom she yearned for was something I couldn't give her.
12
In addition to my teaching job, I was also a web novelist, serializing romance novels on a popular platform. I'd built quite a following.
In the evenings after finishing my work, I'd write on the computer. When Mona wasn't sleepy, she'd lean beside me and watch. Sometimes she'd even discuss the plot with me like a little fan.
One night, I took a break and stepped onto the balcony. When I came back, I found Mona sitting in my chair, typing away at the keyboard.
"What are you doing? Don't touch my computer!" I rushed over to stop her.
"I—I just wanted to help..." She looked startled.
"You can't do this. What if you delete everything I've worked so hard to write?"
"Who says I can't? You said we're the same person. If you can do it, so can I," she retorted, chin raised.
I was stumped. "Alright, let me see what you've written."
I took one look and gasped: "What? Why did the heroine just kill the hero?"
"Because she hates him!" she said matter-of-factly. "Look, when he held her, she said she hated him. If that's the case, he might as well die!"
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You don't understand—she was just being coy! And even if she really hated the hero, you can't just kill him off. Even in fiction, you can't go around murdering innocent characters."
She rolled her eyes. "Writing a novel is too much work. Not fun at all."
13
Another night, a neighbor came over to discuss something. When I heard the knock, I hurriedly told Mona to hide. She wasn't happy about it, but she did as I asked.
After the neighbor left, she pouted: "I really don't understand why you never let me go outside and never let me see anyone."
I paused, then decided to tell her the truth.
"The truth is, you're a clone. As a clone, you can't appear in our world—it would upset the balance and cause chaos..."
She stared at me, stunned. Then great tears rolled down her cheeks. She bolted into the bathroom and slammed the door shut...
Worried, I followed her and found that she'd filled the bathtub with water and submerged herself completely.
I knew she was in immense pain.
She was a clone, but she was also an independent individual—with her own self-awareness and emotions!
14
Mona wasted away quickly. Her eyes sank into their sockets, her collarbones jutted from her neck, and she became listless, like a flower on the verge of wilting.
I consulted a doctor and got her a pile of medication...
But nothing worked.
I knew the truth—she suffered from an illness of the heart.
And there was nothing I could do.
One morning, while I was teaching a class, a friend called me. "I just saw you at an amusement park! Are you taking a day off?"
My heart sank. I called home immediately—no answer, just as I'd feared.
At the amusement park, I found Mona sitting alone on the carousel, arms spread wide to the wind, smiling so brightly...
And I broke down in tears.
I walked over and held her close. "Mona, I'm sorry. I was too selfish..."
15
After that day, I tried to carve out more time for Mona. We played computer games together, went shopping together. We walked hand in hand through the crowds, filling our bellies with street food...
If we ran into anyone I knew, I introduced her as my twin sister. Since my hometown was far away, no one knew any different.
I made up my mind—I would be good to Mona from now on.
I had created her, so I had to take responsibility for her.
I still remembered the first time I took her outside. She'd shaken her head with giddy excitement, fascinated by everything she saw, like a delighted fool.
We passed a bakery, and the aroma pulled her inside. She grabbed a pastry from the display and started nibbling, then grabbed another and another, sampling everything in sight like a bear shucking corn...
At the mall, she tried on every pretty dress she saw—pulling them on one after another, leaving a trail of discarded clothes behind her. That day, I trailed behind her, swiping my card until it nearly smoked...
I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt my wallet. But one look at her innocent and radiant smile, and all my frustration melted away.
That day at the mall, she fell in love with a red silk scarf. It wasn't cheap, but I bought it for her anyway. She was thrilled and wore it everywhere...
She seemed drawn to bold, intense colors, whereas I was not.
Even though we were the same "person," our personalities were truly quite different.
16
If things had continued this way, we'd have been happy. But then we ran into Greg—my ex-boyfriend.
Greg was an excellent doctor, already nicknamed "The Surgical Blade" at a young age. We'd dated for three years with a stable relationship. Then one day, out of nowhere, he broke up with me, saying he'd met someone more suitable...
His new love was one of his patients, a seductive woman. He said being with her made every day feel exciting... Men, truly, were carnivores.
That evening, I bumped into him by accident. He was strolling down a bustling street, hand in hand with his new girlfriend. Their intimate silhouettes suddenly tore at my heart...
I thought I'd moved on, but clearly I hadn't.
Mona said, "Don't be sad. I'll help you get revenge."
She declared she would impersonate me, win Greg back, and then dump him cold, so he'd know what heartbreak felt like. Though I thought it was a bad idea, I went along with it.
I admit, I had too much unresolved bitterness. And I admit, I wasn't as brave as Mona.
Mona sprang into action. A few days later, when I got home, she announced triumphantly: "Melody, I did it. Greg has changed his mind and left that woman.
"He said he'd regretted the breakup for a long time. He just didn't know how much he cared until it was over!
"He also said he'd never be wishy-washy again and would cherish me from now on!"
Every day after that, she reported on their progress: Greg took her to the park, Greg took her to the movies...
Her eyes grew brighter and brighter, her spirits higher and higher. Yet she never mentioned getting revenge or dumping Greg again...
17
One day in a public square, I ran into them together. As the musical fountain erupted in a spectacular display, they ran through the curtain of water, laughing without a care...
In that moment, my heart twisted into a knot.