Chapter 1

Gradually regaining consciousness, Michelle felt a buzzing pain in her brain, as if it was about to split open.

Yesterday, she caught a cold and to make matters worse, her boss was pushing her for drafts, demanding they be turned in before midnight. She had no choice but to down two cups of Americano, not daring to take any cold medicine, and began to work on the draft.

After finally finishing, Michelle quickly swallowed a few cold tablets and collapsed into bed without even taking a bath.

When she woke up, her head was aching severely, and she thought she might have a fever.

As she was thinking, she felt a soft little thing snuggling in her arms, also nuzzling against her neck.

The little thing murmured unclearly, its voice sounding somewhat weak: "Mommy, Lizzy is uncomfortable."

Michelle: ????

The word "Mommy" fully awakened Michelle, and she was completely shocked.

When did she have a child that could already talk?

A person who has been solo for twenty years, unexpectedly becoming a mom one day?

Moreover, she was somewhat exhausted by the call of "Mommy"...

Ignoring her own headache, Michelle hurriedly lowered her head to look at the little thing in her arms.

The child in her arms had her eyes closed, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and her little face was somewhat pale, obviously very unwell.

Michelle reached out and touched the child's forehead; it was somewhat hot, and suddenly she became worried.

Although she was somewhat stunned by the scene in front of her, she knew that a child running a fever was no small matter - she had heard that many children, after running a fever, ended up brain-damaged, becoming mentally disabled...

Moreover, catching a cold and running a fever could potentially lead to sudden death.

She didn't know this child, but as a human being with normal conscience, she couldn't let the child continue to be sick.

Michelle gently pushed the child away, intending to get up and trying to understand the current situation.

The child, sensing Michelle's intentions, clung to her even tighter.

The child was talking nonsense: "Mommy, don't leave Lizzy... Lizzy is uncomfortable..."

Michelle: "...."

Once again, she was shocked by the term "Mommy."

But Michelle had to get up first to figure out what was going on, and then take the little thing to the hospital.

She couldn't continue sleeping deeply with the child.

So Michelle coaxed the child stiffly: "Lizzy be good, I will bring you a cup of hot water, and after drinking some hot water, your pain will go away."

The child in her arms tried hard to open her eyes, tilted her little head back, and looked at Michelle with round, big eyes.

She blinked, looking pitifully at Michelle, saying: "Mommy will come back, you can't leave Lizzy behind."

Seeing the child's face clearly, Michelle was startled.

Just now, the child's face was buried in her chest, so she didn't realize the child looked so much like her.

Now, looking at the child's facial features and face shape...

They were almost identical to how she looked when she was young.

Suppressing the shock in her heart, Michelle smiled somewhat forcibly: "Mm, I will be back very soon and won't leave Lizzy behind."

Hearing Michelle's promise, the child was willing to let her get out of bed.

Michelle got up, put on slippers, and left the room without looking back.

If just now she was shocked at suddenly becoming a "mother", now she basically believed that the child was hers, since they looked so alike.

However, Michelle found everything at the moment to be very fantastical.

She guessed... she might have amnesia.

Had she lost several years of memories of falling in love, getting married, and having a child, and now it was thirty or fifty years later?

Michelle: "...."

So where did her damned husband go???

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Lizzy gazed intently at Michelle, her eyes tracking her mother until she disappeared beyond the doorway and out of sight. Tears welled up in the little girl's eyes, a mix of hurt and abandonment. She suspected that, just like always, her mother was off to work again, leaving her alone at home. And Lizzy despise being left alone. The house would wrap around her, filling her with a suffocating fear of imaginary monsters lurking in corners.

Adding to her misery was the throbbing headache she had. Overwhelmed, she silently cried into her pillow. When Michelle returned, she found her daughter snuggled beneath the covers, silent tears streaming down her face. The pitiable sight made her heartache.

"Why is she crying?" she wondered aloud. Setting a cup down on the bedside table, she took a seat and gently caressed Lizzy's fevered forehead. The heat seemed worse than before, intensifying her worry. "Is it the sickness? Should I take you to the hospital?" Michelle whispered.

For a moment, Lizzy looked dazedly at her mother, her tears momentarily forgotten. Realization dawned on her. "Mommy didn't abandon me!" After a pause, she declared, "Mommy, Lizzy feels better! I don't want to go to the hospital."

As Michelle searched for her ID and insurance cards, distracted by the mounting bills and alarming debt notices she stumbled upon, her confusion deepened. In her daze, she saw that the birth year on her ID was earlier than she remembered. Consumed by her own perplexing situation, she took a moment to address Lizzy. "Sweetie, what's your full name?"

Her mother's odd behavior didn't go unnoticed, but Lizzy obediently replied, "Mommy, I'm Lizzy Xia." Michelle blinked. The name was the same as a character in the novel she'd been writing just before she slept. The absurd thought that she might have somehow slipped into her own story filled her mind, leading her to question everything she thought she knew about her reality.

In her own universe, Michelle was a ghostwriter, known for emulating other authors' styles. Gifted in the art of imitation, her ability to emulate any author's style earned her a reputation. Consequently, many online writers who found themselves at an impasse, but didn't wish to abandon their stories, sought her expertise.

Two days ago, she'd taken on a manuscript from an author who felt their characters had gone astray and no longer wished to continue the narrative. As Michelle emotionlessly recalled the plot she'd drafted the night before, she remembered the original author's outline: the male protagonist and the female lead had been childhood sweethearts. While he was infatuated with her, her heart belonged to another man. Just as she was about to get engaged to her lover, the love-struck protagonist discovered a secret about him: he had a daughter from an external affair. Employing dubious means, he ensured that the daughter and her guardian made a sudden appearance in front of the unsuspecting lover.

Upon learning of her fiancé's secret child, the female lead was both shocked and heartbroken. In a fit of fury and disbelief, she thought: "How could he do this?" Acting impulsively, she called off the engagement. However, as the dust settled, her heartache became evident, revealing her undying love for her fiancé and a yearning to reconcile. But the male protagonist, seeing an opportunity, seized the moment. With the blessing of both families, he married her, giving rise to a twisted tale of possessiveness, deep-rooted love, and relentless pursuit.

Being a professional, Michelle usually refrained from commenting on the plots she was given. Now, as she tried to process the surreal realization that she might have somehow 'transmigrated' into the story herself, she felt mentally drained. As she assessed the situation: with Lizzy still by her side, it implied that the female lead and her lover were still in the midst of their romance. The heavy debt "Michelle" had accrued was almost certainly a ploy by the male protagonist. Now, with Lizzy falling ill and no funds to seek medical treatment, Michelle had no choice but to approach Lizzy's father for help.

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Michelle sighed internally. Despite the surreal circumstances, she felt the plot was solid – just perhaps with a few 'bugs' in the story, literally.

As Lizzy watched Michelle frantically rummage through drawers and cabinets, memories of the landlord's recent visit for rent flashed through her mind. She realized that they were strapped for cash. She felt guilty for falling ill at such an inopportune time; medical care wasn't free, and she berated herself for being so "disobedient". Worried that her Mommy might be upset with her, she observed her with caution.

Her head throbbed. Recalling her Mommy's words, "Lizzy, drinking some warm water will help with the headache," she reached for the cup of warm water and drank most of it. Perhaps it was just psychological, but her headache seemed to lessen.

Looking up at Michelle, Lizzy ventured cautiously, "Mommy, Lizzy drank water. Lizzy's head doesn't hurt anymore. So, Lizzy doesn't need to go to the hospital, right?"

Michelle still struggled to accept being addressed as "Mommy" by the little one, especially when her childlike voice emphasized it for the third time. The title left her feeling slightly vexed. However, hearing Lizzy's brave attempt to downplay her discomfort tugged at her heartstrings. How could one with a cold and fever not experience a headache? Just the previous day, while working on a manuscript, she'd been plagued by such a fierce headache she'd contemplated banging her head against the wall. The child's thoughtful gesture, trying to ease others' worries, astounded her.

Turning around, Michelle approached the bed and knelt beside Lizzy. Her smile was gentle and reassuring. "Lizzy, let's play a game, okay?" she began. "From now on, you can't call me 'Mommy'. Call me 'Sissy'. Is that okay?"

Lizzy pouted, clearly not thrilled with this new game. But being the obedient child she was, she complied, softly uttering, "Sissy."

Michelle was pleased. As she caressed Lizzy's soft hair, she reveled in its silky texture. Seeing the young girl's face – a mirror of her own from childhood – Michelle warmed to the idea of having a little sister. Becoming a mother was overwhelming, especially when she still felt like a twenty-year-old at heart.

Having come to terms with the bizarre reality that they might have been characters in a book, Michelle steeled herself to care for Lizzy. She decided that she couldn't risk the child's fever potentially causing irreversible damage. Perhaps it was time to seek out the 'second male lead' – who, if the story was to be believed, might be on a date with the female protagonist.

Michelle mused, "After all, that's how the plot goes, isn't it? (^_^)"