She Took My Identity, My Future, and My Name

After the college entrance exam results were released, I scored over 700 points—top of the province. A once-in-a-lifetime achievement.

But my father didn’t congratulate me.

Instead, he said, “Your cousin looks a lot like you. Let her go to university in your place.”

My cousin, who never cared about school, who spent her days drinking and running with shady crowds. She didn’t even show up for the exam—she was blackout drunk that morning.

Still, my father insisted: “She needs a good university to change her path. Otherwise, she’s finished.”