The Twin Divide: Trading Beauty for Brains

My sister, Chloe, and I are fraternal twins, but we couldn't be more different.

She was unattractive and overweight, but her intellect was unparalleled. I, on the other hand, was hopelessly dense but undeniably beautiful.

From the day we were born, Chloe excelled at everything.

At school, she was the teachers favorite, always taking the number one spot in our grade.

And I was the pretty but utterly foolish girl, consistently ranking dead last.

No matter how hard I tried, the information simply wouldn't stick.

Chloe only needed to skim her textbooks right before an exam to easily secure the top spot.

The teachers constantly marveled at her, calling her a one-in-a-million genius.

For me, the teachers only had sighs.

"They're twins, so why is Harper so slow? No matter how hard she tries, her grades just won't improve."

Because of this, our parents showed a glaring favoritism towards her.

Whenever our family of four went out, Chloe always walked in the middle, Mom and Dad holding her hands on either side. I could only walk silently behind them.

Occasionally, a neighbor would compliment my looks. My mom would gently pull Chloe close and begin to belittle me.

"What's the use of being pretty? She's got a head full of rocks. She comes in last on every test; she's completely clueless."

"Not like Chloe. She's top of the class every single time."

My dad would nod in agreement from the sidelines.

"Two daughters. One is a blessing, the other is a curse."

Once we started school, Chloe got first pick of all toys and clothes. I only got the hand-me-downs she rejected.

When I was eight, right before a dance competition on Children's Day, Mom bought me a pair of white embroidered canvas shoes, exactly as the teacher required.

But the night before the competition, Chloe snatched the shoes away without a word.

I cried hysterically.

Without the uniform shoes, I wouldn't be allowed to perform on stage. They all knew this.

My mom watched me coldly.

"Harper, you have to let your sister have her way."

My dad shoved me to the ground, his tone harsh.

"If you don't spend time studying, what are you doing dancing? Our family can't afford to support your dancing anyway."

The next day, without the shoes, I was cut from the performance I had practiced for over half a year. I had to sit in the audience alone and watch my classmates perform.

From that day on, I never looked forward to Children's Day again.

Later, Chloe stepped in dog poop by the neighborhood flowerbeds and tossed the shoes back to me in disgust.

Little me sat on a small stool, carefully scrubbing those shoes over and over again. I wore them for a long time, until they simply didn't fit anymore.

The meals at home were always tailored to Chloe's tastes.

Even though I was highly allergic to seafood, Chloe loved it, so we often ate fish and shrimp for two weeks straight, with no other dishes available.

"What allergy? You're just being dramatic. Eat it or don't, I don't care."

My mom scolded me while smiling and piling peeled shrimp into Chloe's bowl.

"Your sister thinks she's a princess, but she's got a servant's fate."

"Worst grades, highest demands."

My dad, half-drunk, slammed his hand on the table, his tone severe.

"I think you just have too much free time! Let's starve you for a couple of weeks, and I bet you'll eat it then!"

"After high school graduation, you're going to work in a factory to pay for your sister's college tuition!"

Chloe picked up a shrimp from her bowl, narrowing her slightly upturned eyes, and mockingly sneered at me.

"Harper, do you know why you're so dumb? It's because you don't like eating fish!"

She dropped a piece of fish into my bowl, a malicious smile blooming on her puffy, acne-scarred face.

"Eat more, maybe one day it'll finally click. I wouldn't want my dear sister to drop out and work in a factory at eighteen. That would be so sad."

"But if you do go work, maybe some old factory boss will take a fancy to you and keep you as his mistress. Then you'd have it made."

I picked the piece of fish out, my tone calm.

"If you're so jealous, why don't you go instead?"

Before Chloe could speak, my mom stood up and slapped me hard across the face.

"Get out if you're not going to eat! Stop talking nonsense, your sister is going to Stanford."

"And after she even took the time to tutor you."

When Chloe tutored me, she always taught me the most complicated methods. The more she taught me, the worse my grades got.

The worse I did, the more it highlighted how exceptional my twin sister was.

She didn't even like seafood originally.

It wasn't until I once ate seafood and broke out in red hives all over my body and face that Chloe suddenly developed a taste for it.

Chloe always got perfect scores in Biology.

She knew perfectly well that a severe allergic reaction could be fatal.

She just didn't care.

I probably knew the root cause of her hatred for me.

Growing up, every boy Chloe liked, without exception, ended up liking me.

This was the only useless advantage my beauty gave me.

For example, the transfer student she currently likedthe schools golden boy, Liam.

Chloe pursued him aggressively.

During morning study hall, she'd snatch my milk to give to Liam. When he played basketball, she'd bring him towels and water. She even skipped a math competition just to watch one of his games.

Even the school dogs knew Chloe liked Liam.

Behind her back, classmates laughed at her, saying she was aiming way out of her league.

Liam's grades were terrible, but his family was incredibly wealthy. His father had donated several buildings to the school, while my family was strictly middle-class.

Blushing furiously, Chloe shoved a love letter into Liam's hand and, dragging her heavy frame, stumbled away without looking back.

Without even a glance, Liam crumpled Chloe's letter and tossed it into the trash can by the door, his voice cool and clear.

"Forget your sister, she's too ugly."

He leaned in close to me, his hot breath brushing my ear. A wicked smile played on his thin lips, his tone suggestive.

"But you... I might consider you."

This was the first time Chloe's 'genius halo' had failed her, and it was in her pursuit of Liam.

I didn't like Liam, but I didn't want to reject him either. I just smiled alluringly.

"Why don't you write me a love letter then?"

"You must have a lot of guys writing you love letters, huh?"

Liam tapped his long, pale fingers against the desk, the amusement in his eyes clear.

"Teach me. How should I write it so you'll like it?"

His tone felt almost coaxing.

I looked up at his handsome, untamed features, a surge of uncontrollable malice rising within me.

"Have my sister deliver your love letter to me, and I might consider it."

He was clearly taken aback, seemingly not expecting me to say that.

I played innocent, blinking my eyes, and added.

"My sister really likes you."

"I don't want to hurt her, but if we're going to be together, we have to tell her. It's better if you're the bad guy."

Liam ran a hand through his messy hair, hiding the rebellious gleam in his eyes.

"You're the first person who's ever dared to make demands of me."

Then, he reached out with his long, bony fingers and lightly flicked my forehead, a half-smile on his face.

"Just wait, sweetheart."

This was one of the few chances I had to beat Chloe.

She had been winning her whole life, and I resented it.

As soon as I got home, Chloe couldn't wait to list my crimes.

"Mom, Dad, look! Harper doesn't study at school, she just spends her time trying to seduce boys. We might as well pull her out of school right now!"

Liam's love letter was spread out on the coffee table.

But my mom, uncharacteristically, turned gentle towards me.

"Harper, what do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."

My dad, smoking a cigarette, couldn't hide the greed in his eyes.

"Liam... is he the only son of the Sterling Group CEO? Harper, you need to seize this opportunity."

He looked at Chloe in dissatisfaction.

"Stop picking on your sister. The Sterling Group has no shortage of Ivy League graduates. You might have to beg your sister to get you a job in the future."

It turned out my parents didn't love one specific daughter; they loved the daughter who was useful to them.

The jealousy and anger in Chloe's eyes deepened.

I smiled gently.

"Anything but seafood."

From that day on, seafood never appeared on our dining table again.

No matter how much Chloe threw a fit.

"I need to eat fish for brain power! High school is so demanding, what if I can't get into Stanford?"

My mom just brushed her off.

"Your sister's allergy is severe. If something happens to her, our family is ruined."

The dynamic between Chloe and me at home completely flipped.

At school, Liam used every trick in the wealthy playboy handbook to pursue me.

Every day after school, his dark purple Lamborghini would be parked at the school gates, waiting to take us to a fancy French dinner.

Beautiful clothes and expensive gifts were constantly delivered to me.

Liam even woke up early to personally make me a "love bento" breakfast.

I became the center of attention for the entire school. The boys who hung out with Liam would respectfully call me "sister-in-law" every time they saw me.

Afraid of upsetting me, Liam made his disgust for Chloe painfully obvious.

When the class rearranged seats, students with good grades got to pick their desk mates first.

Chloe chose Liam. She was probably hoping he'd discover her inner beauty.

But Liam was utterly repulsed and even complained to his mother about Chloe harassing him.

The next day, everyone in the class was moved to single desks.

The whole class knew the reason, and rumors inevitably spread throughout the school.

The confidence Chloe had built up since childhood was being chipped away bit by bit.

On the night of her seventeenth birthday, seeing the fifty-thousand-dollar bracelet on my wrist, Chloe nearly lost her mind as she confronted me.

"Why?! Why does everyone like you?! Whether it's Liam or any other guy! You can't do anything! You just have a pretty face!"

"How are you better than me?! How do you deserve that bracelet?!"

I pulled her in front of the mirror. The girl in the reflection was twice my size.

Because of our parents' favoritism, I had been malnourished since childhood, while she was over-nourished.

My voice was very soft, carrying a hint of temptation.

"Sister, if you were a man, who would you choose?"

Chloe stared blankly at her reflection. Perhaps the contrast was too stark. She remained silent for a long time, said nothing, pushed open the door, and went back to her room.

The mechanical system voice I had been waiting for finally echoed in my mind.

"Host, Chloe has requested to exchange her intelligence for your beauty. Do you consent?"

I didn't hesitate.

"I consent."

Jealousy had finally driven her mad. This time, the winner would definitely be me.

Hard work layered on top of natural talentthat's the ultimate winning hand.

During the winter break of my junior year, my body swelled up like a balloon, and fields of acne erupted on my normally clear face.

At the same time, I experienced photographic memory for the first time.

For most multiple-choice questions, I only needed one glance, and the answer would instantly pop into my head. I didn't even need a pen to calculate.

When encountering unfamiliar concepts, flipping through the textbook allowed me to instantly grasp the key points.

I fell in love with the feeling of doing math problems, instead of getting dizzy and nauseous at the sight of them.

The old me would study the same type of math problem over and over, but the moment the parameters changed slightly, I couldn't find the right answer.

It was as if my brain was shrouded in thick fog; I could never untangle the logic of the problems.

My sister, just as the teachers said, was a one-in-a-million genius.

Her starting point was a destination most ordinary people could never reach in a lifetime, but she never valued that gift.

Chloe's body slowly became slender, and no matter how much junk food she ate, she didn't gain weight.

Her round face transformed into a delicate oval, her dark skin gradually became smooth and pale, and the angry red acne vanished one by one.

Throughout the entire winter break, I studied through the night, refusing to waste a single drop of my new talent.

Chloe spent day and night researching makeup and fashion, unwilling to waste a speck of her new beauty.

When school started, Chloe was even more beautiful than I used to be.

The love letters that used to pile up on my desk were now piling up on hers.

The boys who had once sworn undying love and eternal devotion to me in those letters now looked at me with unconcealed disgust and revulsion.

Some cruel boys even treated their past pursuit of me as a dark secret, insulting me without restraint.

"Damn, Harper from class three is ugly, stupid, and fat now. She looks like a warthog. I must have been blind to like her before, thank god she didn't accept me."

"Tell me about it. But her sister... talk about a glow-up! That's what you call inner beauty shining through."

"..."

There might be people in the world who don't like money, but no one dislikes beauty, especially hormone-driven teenage boys.

Liam was no exception.

His eyes drifted uncontrollably towards Chloe, and he only offered me perfunctory, brief responses.

Liam officially won Chloe over at the school's welcome back gala.

Chloe wore a pure, light pink tulle dress, dancing gracefully on stage and singing a popular innocent love song.

"Stand on tiptoe, lift the edge of your skirt, let my hands rest gently on your shoulders."

The moment her voice rang out, a warm white spotlight beamed down from above onto the center of the dark stage, highlighting her delicate features.

A low, raspy male voice chimed in at just the right time.

"Graceful steps, shallow breaths, how sweet is the waltz of love."

Liam wore a perfectly tailored black suit jacket over a white shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing a glimpse of his collarbone. His tall, slender silhouette was cast long onto the stage by the lights, his refined profile hidden in the shadows.

Liam naturally took Chloe's extended hand.

"Step by step, hold me tighter; spin by spin, I'm more certain, I want to keep spinning with you."

"..."

"Our future is the most beautiful existence."

As the song ended, Chloe leaned charmingly against Liam's shoulder, while Liam grinned mischievously, wrapping an arm around her incredibly narrow waist.

Chloe's gaze drifted down to me in the audience, seemingly showing off that she had beaten me once again.

I just lowered my head, pondering a problem that had stumped mathematicians worldwide for yearsSeetapun's Enigma.

Countless brilliant mathematicians had dedicated their lives to proving it.

Seetapun's Enigma... a world-class mathematical proof problem that had fascinated me even when I was a terrible student.

The passionate, vibrant youth was irrelevant to me. I only wanted to spend my life devoted to the quiet pursuit of mathematics.

After the first monthly exams of senior year, the two boys sitting behind me were arguing fiercely over whether the final multiple-choice question on the math test was B or D.

I listened while trying to derive a proof for Seetapun's Enigma.

It was great being smart; I could finally try to climb the peak of human intellect.

The boy who chose B started explaining his calculations step by step.

Hearing his error, I turned around and said.

"The answer is D. You made a mistake here, it should be..."

The boy who chose B looked at me like I was an idiot, while the one who chose D started groaning.

"I'm screwed! If you chose D, it means I definitely got it wrong! Help me, how did I pick the same answer as Harper, that idiot!"

Before I could say anything else, the math representative walked into the classroom carrying a thick stack of answer keys, passing them down from the first row.

I checked the answer key; it was B.

Looking closer, the error in the answer key's derivation was exactly the same as the boy's. It truly was a tricky question.

Noisy chatter erupted behind me.

"See, I told you it was B."

"It's all Harper's fault. Whatever she chooses is definitely wrong. She thinks she's Chloe, trying to teach us math. So ugly and stupid."

Who would have thought that just two months ago, they were my desperate suitors.

Math was still the best. Once you understood it, it never abandoned you. Much more reliable than men.

I didn't say anything; I just corrected the answer key with a red pen.

As the ancients said, never argue with a fool.

The monthly exam rankings shocked everyone.

Out of over a thousand students in our grade...

I shot up from the very bottom to the top thirty, while Chloe dropped from her perpetual first place to the four hundreds.

Her foundational knowledge from freshman and sophomore years was still there, but because she was busy dating and no longer had a brilliant mind, she couldn't effortlessly handle the high-intensity science and math problems of senior year.

As for me, my foundation from the first two years was too weak, so I had to slowly catch up. Fortunately, Chloe's brain was smart enough; one year was more than enough time.

A good brain is a terrible thing to waste. If she didn't want it, I did. Hehe.

Because of Liam, my parents' attitude towards Chloe and me did another complete 180.

I was used to being neglected since childhood, so I really didn't care.

Chloe, however, seemed to have recovered her lost dignity and worked even harder to maintain her beauty, to the point where she was constantly looking in the mirror.

Finally, during a math class, the math teacher, who had always considered Chloe his star pupil, couldn't take it anymore. He confiscated her mirror, his tone unprecedentedly serious.

"Chloe, if you keep slacking off like this, you'll have trouble getting into a state college, let alone the Ivy League."

"Do you remember when I said you had the potential for Stanford? Before, you could excel without trying hard, and I could turn a blind eye. But now, I really don't want to watch you waste your talent. Such talent is the best gift heaven could give you."

"One wrong choice could ruin your entire life. Do you understand?"

With that, the math teacher shot a meaningful glance at Liam, who was sleeping in the back row.

But Chloe just brushed him off.

"Mr. Smith, getting first place is easy. The material in the textbooks is too simple; I get it with one glance. Why waste so much time and energy studying? I promise I won't disappoint you on the APs."

Chloe's plan was probably to swap our intellects back right before the final exams.

She didn't know that swapping intellect and beauty required the consent of both parties.

The system only told me, not her.

And I would never consent.

Instead of letting her waste this brain on dating, it was better to let me prove mathematical theorems and make a small contribution to the advancement of human foundational science.

Chloe spread her hands, speaking brazenly.

"Please give me my mirror back. I guarantee you'll get your bonus for producing a top scholar. A genius like me doesn't need your discipline."

The math teacher's expression went from shock to bitter disappointment in just one second.

From that day on, he never offered her another word of advice.

She and Liam increasingly ignored school rules, appearing together in every corner of the campus.

Liam even started coming to my house openly.

My parents were delighted and thoughtfully prepared his favorite meals and snacks.

Liam enjoyed it; he said our home had warmth, unlike his cold, massive mansion where he was always alone.

The walls in our house were thin, and the soundproofing was terrible. I could always hear them flirting, constantly interrupting my train of thought while doing math.

Out of desperation, I packed my backpack and went to a nearby university library to study.

On the library shelves, there was the book I had been looking for, "Mathematical Thought from Ancient to Modern Times."

Unfortunately, the shelf was too high. I couldn't reach it even on my tiptoes.

I sighed and turned around, intending to find a librarian to borrow a step stool, but bumped right into the boy standing behind me.

A faint scent of pine wood reached my nose.

The boy was wearing a white uniform from the Third High School. His bangs hung down, but they couldn't hide his deep, sculpted features. The top button of his collar was undone, revealing a pale, defined collarbone.

He reached up and easily pulled out "Mathematical Thought from Ancient to Modern Times."

Realizing this might be the only copy I could find in the city, after hesitating, I shamelessly asked.

"Excuse me, when you're done with this book, could I borrow it?"

I was prepared to be rejected.

Since I became ugly, most boys treated me terribly, as if my uglinesswhich had nothing to do with themhad somehow deeply offended them.

But the handsome boy simply chuckled, revealing slightly pointed canine teeth.

"I'm borrowing it for my dad. He's the head of the math department at the local university."

"You go to the Second High School? You really like math?"

I gave a noncommittal response.

The boy's striking eyes narrowed slightly.

"Then leave me your contact info. When my dad's done, I'll bring it to you."

I pulled out a sticky note and wrote down my name and phone number.

A faint smile touched his thin lips as he asked.

"Harper, will you be reading in the library all night?"

I pointed to a seat by the bookshelves where my copy of "Mathematical Logic Theory" lay open, and nodded.

He casually picked up my scratchpad.

After staring at it for a long time, he looked shocked, stuttering as he spoke.

"H-Harper... are you... are you trying to prove Seetapun's Enigma?"

"This is the research topic for the Ph.D. students my dad supervises! My dad said his dying wish is to see Seetapun's Enigma proven!"

"Since this conjecture was proposed in the 1990s by the British mathematical logician Seetapun, countless mathematicians have tried and failed to prove it. My dad has been researching math for almost thirty years and hasn't made much progress. Are you seriously a high school student?! Please accept my worship!"

I scratched my head in embarrassment. Having been considered an idiot for over a decade, this was the first time someone looked at me like I was an academic god.

Why did this feel so bizarrely satisfying?

Before I could speak, the boy closed my scratchpad and dragged me towards the library exit without explanation.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?"

I tried to pull my hand away.

The boy looked at me with pure reverence.

"I have to introduce you to my dad. If he finds out I missed the brightest rising star in American mathematics, he'll disown me! No, he'll probably deport me and ban me from eating barbecue forever!"

"It would be terrifying!"

With that, he ran a hand through his hair, his sharp, attractive eyebrows furrowing.

Then, as if remembering something important, he extended his long, jointed hand towards me.

"Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. Hi, Harper. I'm Julian Hayes."

I laughed at his words. Coincidentally, I also needed an experienced math professor to guide me, so I stopped struggling and got onto the back of his bicycle.

At the Hayes' house, Professor Hayes and I hit it off immediately.

After a fierce discussion, Professor Hayes realized my proof was only missing one crucial step.

But no matter how hard we racked our brains, we were completely stuck on that step.

I didn't know how much time had passed until Julian brought out bowls of tomato and egg noodles from the kitchen, and I realized I was starving and dizzy.

While eating, Professor Hayes slapped his thigh and made a major decision: he decided to transfer Julian from the best high school in the city to my school.

His justification:

"Sacrificing one unimportant brat to protect the rising star of American mathematics is totally worth it."

I found out later that Julian had already won a gold medal in the Physics Olympiad and had early admission to MIT.

On the way home, Julian tilted his defined jawline, his tone excited.

"Harper, do I really have the honor of being your classmate?! When your paper wins international awards, can you mention me in the acknowledgments?! My dad is mad that I studied physics instead of math, and he absolutely refuses to put me in his acknowledgments."

Who knew that a cool, handsome academic god was actually a needy chatterbox in private.

I chuckled.

"I'll write it, absolutely. If anyone tries to stop me, I'll fight them."

Seemingly surprised by my quick agreement, Julian grabbed my hand and insisted I swear on it.

It wasn't until I raised three fingers and made a solemn vow that he finally relaxed and draped an arm over my shoulder in relief.

"If you make it big, don't forget me!"

"If I get incredibly lucky and publish a world-class physics paper, I'll put you in my acknowledgments too!"

When I got home, it was only eleven o'clock, not too late. I decided to read "Mathematical Thought from Ancient to Modern Times" for two hours before bed.

But Chloe lost her mind, insisting the sound of me turning pages was too loud and keeping her awake, demanding I stop studying immediately.

Ironically, when I was stupid, her favorite thing was watching me stay up late studying and achieving absolutely nothing.