On the day I, Sofia Jackson, received my acceptance letter from New York University, my best friend George Stewart came to me with a wooden box, saying he wanted to give me a family heirloom. He asked me to open the box and put on the silver bracelet that had been passed down through his family for generations. Just as I was about to reach for it, a stream of bullet comments suddenly appeared before my eyes. [Don’t touch that silver bracelet! It’s bound to a soul-swapping system by George. Once you put it on, your life is over.] [All the opportunities that belong to you will be swapped to Riley Foster. She’ll take your NYU acceptance letter and go to college in your place.] [Even the person you risked your life to save will be married off to her under the guise of being a lifesaver, letting her enjoy wealth and luxury.] [Poor your parents – when they discover something’s wrong and find evidence to expose their true purpose, they’ll be persecuted to death by George, dying with their eyes wide open.] George in front of me forcefully grabbed my hand, and just as the silver bracelet was about to slip onto my wrist, I suddenly stepped back. George said, “Sofia, this is our family’s ancestral bracelet, meant for my future wife. You got into college – I’m so happy for you.” George, who had grown up with me since childhood, held up the bracelet with a shy smile on his face, trying to slip it onto my hand. I hid my hands behind my back, hesitating in my heart. The bullet comments continued their frantic warnings. [Sofia, listen to us – don’t put on that silver bracelet!] [Stay away from him! Don’t let George fool you, or your family of three won’t have a good ending!] My heart was pounding, and I clutched the corner of my clothes tightly. George brought up the engagement our families had arranged since childhood. Seeing that I didn’t respond, he reached out and grabbed my arm. He said, “Sofia, I’ve been looking forward to the day you become part of the Stewart family!” I forced myself to calm down and managed a smile. “George, haven’t you always liked Riley and only considered me a good friend? How did you suddenly start liking me?” He fell silent for a few seconds, then quickly regained his composure, lowering his head to hide his expression. “I’ve always liked you. I was just afraid of interfering with your studies, so I kept hiding my feelings for you. Now that you’ve gotten into college, I can boldly pursue you.” As he spoke, he raised his head, his ears slightly flushed. I took the opportunity to retreat behind the desk, forcing myself to stay calm. “Look, I still have the letter where you rejected me last Christmas.” He snatched the letter and tore it up, throwing the pieces on the floor. “Those were just harsh words I said to help you focus on preparing for your exams. Don’t take them to heart.” George spoke urgently, reaching out to grab my hand again. I turned around, opened the drawer, and pulled out a full ten letters. Those were letters he and Riley had written to me. I used to love George deeply, but ever since that incident, his attitude toward me had grown increasingly cold. He had even told me multiple times not to bother him, saying he found me annoying. Yet today he was acting completely out of character, claiming everything was for my own good – it was hard to believe. I pulled out the letters one by one, pointing to the handwriting on them. “You also wrote that you only liked Riley.” George’s eyes darted away, his tone strained. “I told you, that was to make you focus and put your energy into studying. Why won’t you believe me? Just put on the bracelet, and I’ll discuss our wedding with my parents.” Looking at his shifty eyes, I became even more convinced he was lying. My heart suddenly sank, as if a huge hole had been torn open and cold wind was howling through it. George and I had grown up together, and our parents were close friends too. They had arranged our engagement early on. When he was almost kidnapped last Christmas, I bit the trafficker’s hand to save him, and I nearly got beaten to death for it. For many years, we were practically inseparable. George would take me to buy delicious food and take me out to play. When the neighborhood kids made fun of the pimples on my skin, he didn’t hesitate to pour a bottle of ink on them, willing to embarrass himself in front of everyone just to stand up for me. I had always thought our bond was unbreakable, that we would never do anything to hurt each other. But the scrolling bullet comments reminded me that this was all part of his carefully planned deception, just to give Riley a good life. I looked into his eyes and asked unwillingly, “George, do you really want to marry me and have a wedding with me?” George said, “Of course. As soon as you put on the silver bracelet, I’ll marry you immediately.” [Hypocrite! George doesn’t even care about your whole family’s lives, yet he dares to lie to you!] Disappointment surged through me, making it hard to breathe. Riley had only moved here a year ago, yet she had easily stolen his heart. She wore pristine white dresses and delicate hair clips, looking like a doll that made George unable to look away. Thinking back on their increasingly intimate behavior, there had been signs all along. Now they even had such a vicious plan involving soul swapping. No, I absolutely wouldn’t agree to this! My life must be controlled by me alone! I said, “My mom forgot something. I need to take it to her.” I quickly ran outside, but unexpectedly bumped into a familiar person.
Riley was standing by the wall, pressed close to the window, peering into the room. Hearing footsteps, she turned around in panic, her body trembling slightly as she quickly glanced to the side and hastily covered her mouth with a light cough. George had already followed behind her. I tried to walk around her to leave, but she stretched out her hand to stop me. She asked, “Where are you going? Why aren’t you wearing what George gave you?” She was dressed in the latest style dress, wearing a pair of delicate lambskin low heels, and her usually loose hair was braided and draped over her shoulder. She said, “Don’t you like George the most? Do you know this is the Stewart family heirloom? How can you disappoint his good intentions? I’ve seen how much effort he’s put into you all this time. If you miss such a good man, you’ll never get another chance. Just say yes!” George likes me? Even I found this hard to believe. [Riley is so scheming. She’s clearly been secretly involved with George all along, yet she’s still pretending and lying.] [Ever since she appeared, she’s been mocking Sofia openly and secretly, deliberately trying to drive a wedge between them!] [She’s still lying to Sofia now. She’s only doing this because she’s afraid Sofia will get suspicious and won’t take the bait.] My heart suddenly clenched. Ever since she appeared this Christmas, George’s gaze had been unconsciously following her, while he grew increasingly impatient with me. I had argued and fought with him before, but he just looked at me coldly: “Sofia, don’t project your dirty thoughts onto us. Riley isn’t like you—she’s gracious and proper, focused only on her studies.” Riley had also reddened her eyes, her voice choked with emotion: “Please don’t misunderstand because of me. I only think of George as a brother.” So they had already developed feelings for each other behind my back, just waiting for me to get my acceptance letter before stealing my life away. Looking at the anxious Riley, I tried to run around her. But suddenly a hand reached out from behind me, gripping my arm tightly with such force that I couldn’t break free. Riley said, “Sofia, your mother clearly brought candy when she came to my house. Be good and put on this silver bracelet.” [Damn George, he and Riley were practically kissing, and now he wants to steal Sofia’s soul!] I was dragged back into the room again. Riley looked around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly turned around, closed the door, and locked it. I shouted, “What are you doing? My parents will be back soon!” I gritted my chattering teeth and tried to move my heavy steps. George and Riley exchanged glances, then approached me step by step with malicious intent. [This is terrible! George and Riley are actually planning to force Sofia to comply.] Seeing Riley holding the silver bracelet, I suddenly stomped hard on George’s foot. He cried out in pain and immediately released his grip on my arm. I said, “I don’t want to wear it. Why are you forcing me? Are you hiding something from me?” [Sofia, no matter what, don’t put on that silver bracelet!] Watching the constantly scrolling comments, I finally cleared my confused thoughts. If I put on the silver bracelet George handed me, Riley and I would swap souls. Not only could she use my body to go to college, but she could also successfully join the dance troupe. She would eventually marry the only wealthy man in the village and live an enviable life. And I would be sold by them to a mountain village, married off to an old widower. When I finally limped my way out and found my parents, thinking I could finally expose their true nature, I discovered that even my parents had been murdered. When they died, they didn’t even have time to close their eyes! My ending shouldn’t be so tragic, and my parents were completely innocent. I absolutely cannot resign myself to fate again. Just then, I heard the sound of a door opening outside. I shouted at the top of my lungs, “Help!” George’s face darkened as he quickly covered my mouth, leaving me only able to make muffled sounds. But the urgent footsteps outside reminded me that this was my only chance to escape. I bit down hard on the hand covering my mouth until my mouth was filled with the taste of blood before letting go. Taking advantage of the moment he bent down to check his wound, I used all my strength to rush out of the room.
I ran straight to the front gate in one breath, only to crash headfirst into someone’s back. My head throbbed with sharp pain. Clutching my forehead, I waited for my vision to clear, and when I saw who it was, my eyes widened involuntarily. The man said, “Sofia, what are you doing? Where do you think you’re going?” He looked at me with furrowed brows, his tone laced with impatience. My heart lurched. It was actually Riley’s father, Alan Foster. “Is there anyone—” I started to shout. Before I could finish, he grabbed my collar and roughly dragged me back inside. His usually stern face was now even more forbidding. He said, “Sofia, don’t waste your energy. Just listen to George obediently, or you’ll be the only one who suffers.” “Dad, you’re finally here. She pushed me down earlier.” Riley walked over to his side, raising her arm with tears welling up in her eyes. Seeing the small scratch on her arm, Alan tenderly took her hand and coaxed softly, “She actually dared to hurt you! I’ll make sure she pays for this.” Sure enough, without another word, he shoved me hard into the house and found rope to tie my hands tightly. I knew there was no escaping today. “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get the silver bracelet, put it right on her!” Alan shouted at George, who stood there looking confused. My wrists were already red and raw from the rope. Just as the silver bracelet was about to slip onto my wrist, I suddenly lowered my head and rammed into his stomach. Alan roared, “You’re asking for death!” As soon as the words left his mouth, a sharp slap landed across my face, stinging fiercely. I covered my face but still said defiantly in a trembling voice, “Even if she and I swap souls, my parents will definitely notice. What parents wouldn’t recognize their own child?” Hearing my feeble questioning, Alan revealed a meaningful smile. Riley stepped forward and explained gently, “Haven’t you noticed we’re becoming more and more alike? We should thank George for telling me about your childhood, otherwise we wouldn’t have dared take this risk.” No wonder she’d been acting strange lately. Her hairstyle changed from loose shoulder-length hair to braids, she ate less than usual, and she even mimicked my shrimp allergy perfectly. It wasn’t that I hadn’t noticed her behavior becoming more like mine, but I just thought I was overthinking it. Turns out, they had quietly prepared everything long ago. George peeked through the door crack at the outside, then exchanged a glance with Alan. He said, “Sofia, it’s just wearing a silver bracelet. Your body will still stay with your parents. Stop struggling, okay? You alone can’t fight all of us.” The coldness emanating from him made me shiver involuntarily. Large tears rolled down from the corners of my eyes as I pleaded, “I don’t want to, George. For the sake of us growing up together, please don’t be so cruel to me. I can teach her to study, help her get into a good college too.” George walked over to Alan and took a red cord, holding it in front of me. He said, “Stop stalling. Look at this. If you still want them to stay alive, you’ll have to willingly put it on.” My ears buzzed as I stared blankly at the red cord, biting my lip until it bled. That was the red cord my mother Melody Jackson and I had worked so hard to buy, meant to ensure his lifelong prosperity. [Sofia, George is truly vicious, actually threatening you with your parents’ lives.] A thunderclap exploded, and my sanity instantly shattered to pieces. I looked at George in disbelief, my mind completely blank. Looking at his familiar face, I couldn’t understand how he had become so terrifying. My heart turned to ash as I slowly, voluntarily, extended my hand. “Sofia, are you home? Look who’s here.” The deafening shout made George’s hand jerk violently, and the silver bracelet fell to the floor in his panic, breaking in half. [Sofia, you’re safe now. The system in the silver bracelet has been disabled. Don’t be afraid.] The door was pushed open, and my teacher Nathan Ward entered, followed by many others. At the same time, George quickly untied the rope around my wrist and hid under the bed. “Why are there so many people here? Sofia, look, Cyrus Meyer from New York University leadership has come to see you.” Nathan beckoned me forward to greet everyone. I invited everyone to sit down and poured coffee for them. After everything was arranged, I stood beside Nathan. Nathan said, “This girl is really excellent—good grades and very sensible.” Cyrus took a sip of coffee and smiled kindly, “Yes, our school needs exactly this kind of talent.” George stepped forward and stood in front of Cyrus: “I want to report Sofia for cheating on her exams. Her grades are fake.” He pointed at me with confidence: “To ensure fairness and justice, we believe New York University should revoke her admission.” I stared at him in shock, my heart feeling as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand. Seeing his soul-swapping plan fall through, he was now trying to destroy me. Nathan set his cup on the table, his expression serious: “Don’t talk nonsense. Sofia’s grades have always been excellent. How could she possibly cheat on exams?” Cyrus was also skeptical: “Making such accusations without evidence is slander—it can ruin someone.” George said, “If I weren’t absolutely certain, how could I stand up and say this? I originally wanted to keep this secret for her, but she’s gone too far. When Riley had a bad day during the exam, Sofia actually mocked her. Someone like her doesn’t deserve to go to college.” Riley pitifully grabbed George’s hand: “Forget it, don’t say anymore. Just consider it as me taking the exam for Sofia. I’m happy if she can go to college.” George comforted Riley, but his eyes harbored anger: “You’re so kind, but Sofia is truly vicious—she doesn’t deserve your kindness. Ever since you moved here, she’s thrown stones at you on the street and written curse words on your clothes. Which of these things did we wrongly accuse her of? Even during the SAT, she threatened your father’s life to force you to write her name on the test paper.” My heart raced violently, and tears streamed down uncontrollably: “You’re lying! You were the ones who threatened me to take the exam for Riley, and I refused. My grades have always been good since childhood—why would I have her take the exam for me?” George’s face turned menacing as he glared at me viciously: “I knew you wouldn’t admit it. I’ve kept all the letters you asked me to give to Riley. You never thought you’d be exposed one day, did you?” He left for a moment and returned with a stack of letters, handing them to Nathan and Cyrus. He pointed to the handwriting: “Mr. Ward, you must be able to recognize Sofia’s handwriting. Whether she’s lying or not, you’ll know at a glance.” Every word in the letters contained my threats against Riley. The last letter expressed my gratitude to Riley for taking the SAT for me. Nathan’s expression toward me changed. [George is so disgusting. That handwriting was clearly Riley’s imitation.] [Don’t panic. Get out the homework that Riley and George wrote.] I rushed into the bedroom and searched every corner, but couldn’t find the homework we’d done together. Yesterday, George had borrowed those notebooks under the pretense of studying them carefully. Now only my notebooks remained on the desk, even the paper matching exactly what was used in the letters. Seeing me standing there in a daze, they instantly understood—what George said was probably true. Cyrus slammed the table so hard that the cups jumped. His eyes widened as he roared, “You’ve gone too far!” Then, in his fury, he moved to tear up my acceptance letter on the spot. Riley choked back tears: “Don’t blame Sofia, everyone. She was just confused for a moment. I’m satisfied that the truth has come to light.” Cyrus angrily held my acceptance letter, about to set it on fire. [It’s over. Sofia really won’t have school this time!] Just as the flame was about to reach the acceptance letter, I spoke up to stop him: “I have evidence that can prove they’re lying!”
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