Miu Miu And Mistaken Love

01

My online boyfriend sent me a Miu Miu dress.

By some stroke of bad luck, my mother accidentally put the package into my younger sisters closet.

The good news was that I had just discovered my online boyfriend was actually Austin, the boy I had secretly loved for three years.

The bad news was that when my sister wore the dress, he mistook her for me and confessed his love to her.

Just as I was about to type out an explanation to him, a cascade of glowing bullet comments drifted across my vision:

This side character is so pathetic it is almost comical. Does she still not get it? He fell for her online persona, but he is a visual creature.

If it were not for the sisters gorgeous face, the male lead would have kept her as a virtual pen pal forever.

Let her speak! Once she makes a fool of herself trying to explain, the male lead will realize he actually loves the real-life sister, not some text-based avatar!

I deleted my half-written text and closed the chat window.

Under the warm glow of the streetlamp, the two of them looked like a picture-perfect couple.

I tossed my phone into my desk drawer and forced my eyes back to the math formulas in front of me. But the numbers blurred together, and my mind kept drifting back to my sister, Violet, and Austin.

They were saying their goodbyes downstairs. Austin stood under the light, his eyes tracking her figure until she safely crossed the threshold of our building.

Outside my door, my mother was already teasing Violet, asking when they had started dating and why she had kept it a secret. She claimed she was not a conservative parent; as long as it did not affect her grades, she would not stand in their way.

Violet covered her burning cheeks, her voice dropping to a soft, hushed tone as she glanced toward my room, worried she might disrupt my studying.

"He really just confessed to me today! I was completely shocked too."

"He said he has been watching me for a long time, and he even praised how beautiful I looked in this dress!"

She wrapped her arms around our mothers shoulder, leaning in close.

"Thank you for buying me this dress, Mom."

It was only then that my mother realized something was off. She had never bought Violet that dress. She had simply assumed Violet had purchased it with her own allowance.

Violet blinked in confusion, her gaze instinctively turning toward my closed door.

The bullet comments instantly erupted into a wave of adoration:

Violet looks so adorable and guilty. My heart is melting.

To be fair, that dress looks ten times better on Violet anyway!

Do not feel bad, Violet! Once Austin is officially your boyfriend, he will buy you a dozen more, dressing you up like a real-life Barbie to show up that bitter sister.

Violet quickly changed out of the dress. Despite her hair still being damp from the shower, she carefully hand-washed the garment, dried it, and folded it neatly.

She even tried to drag our mother into my room to apologize to me. But my mother did not believe she had done anything wrong.

"I cook and clean for you girls every single day, and now I am the one in the wrong?" my mother grumbled. "It was just a laundry mistake. We can just swap it back! Since when does a mother have to bow down and apologize to her own children?"

But this was not the first time. It was never a simple mistake.

Whenever a piece of clothing was new, expensive, or brightly colored, my mother would subconsciously place it in Violets closet. The worn, dark, or oversized hand-me-downs always found their way into mine.

When I first received the package from Austin, I had been so terrified of this exact scenario that I did not even throw it into the shared laundry hamper. I had hand-washed it myself and hung it up on my personal balcony.

Yet, when I woke up the next morning, the dress was gone.

When I asked my mother about it, she scolded me for being disorganized and leaving my things lying around.

I had sat at my desk, intending to message Austin to apologize and admit I had lost his gift, when his chat popped up first. His excitement practically radiated through the screen.

I found you.

I looked out the window. He was standing right in front of Violet, his smile incredibly tender.

A moment later, the door to my room opened. Violet stood there, holding the neatly folded dress out to me.

"I am so sorry, Sylvia. I did not know this was yours..."

I cut her off quietly.

"Just put it at the bottom of the wardrobe."

After all, I would never have the chance to wear it now.

02

The bullet comments flared up again, defensive of Violet:

Why is she being so cold? Violet did not do it on purpose.

But this time, a solitary voice spoke up for me:

Let me put on some armor before I speak, but I have to be fair to the sister here. Violet might not have meant to, but her actions caused Austin to confess to the wrong person. Watching your three-year crush confess to your own sister is a nightmare for any teenage girl. It is completely normal that she cannot bring herself to smile.

One by one, the lights in the house went out. The living room, our parents' bedroom, and Violet's room fell dark.

Only after I clicked off my desk lamp did the darkness swallow me completely. The blue light of my phone screen reflected off the tears dampening my cheeks.

Austin and I had met through an online film forum. He had posted a query:

Can anyone help me find a movie? I only remember one scene set in a dimly lit library. The male lead is leaning against a bookshelf, reading a book.

I had stumbled across the post during my lunch break and left a brief reply:

It sounds like Love Letter by Shunji Iwai.

When I reopened the app later, I found he had left dozen of thank-you messages and had even tried to send me a digital tip.

I was quite active on the forum back then, using a profile picture of an apple and helping users identify obscure films for free. But Austin still sent me a private message, explaining that the movie was his late mothers absolute favorite. He remembered her watching it repeatedly when he was a child, but he had never been able to recall the title. He insisted on finding a way to show his gratitude.

Eventually, we exchanged contact details.

I was a quiet, reserved person, but Austins warmth was like a constant sun. He quietly monitored every thread I commented on, occasionally sending me silly emojis of clumsy golden retrievers, joking about how he had tried to search for a film as fast as he could but was still a few seconds slower than me.

He eventually noticed that my profile picture and username were both related to apples. He asked if it was my favorite fruit.

My favorite artist is Shiina Ringo, I had replied. And Ringo means apple in Japanese.

That was the first time I had initiated a personal detail. The moment I hit send, I flipped my phone face down on the desk, my heart racing.

I wrote in my diary that night: Revealing your personal tastes to someone is far more terrifying than any spam pop-up.

From the day he added me, his social media was completely open to me. He posted photos of his school crest, English test papers, and the view of the courtyard from his classroom window.

It was far easier to identify him than any movie. I quickly matched his posts with the boy I had been quietly watching at school.

The final confirmation came during a physical education class. Austin and a group of boys walked past my classroom window. One of his friends laughed and teased him:

"Since when did you change your profile picture to Isaac Newton? Is that your secret to topping the physics exams?"

Austin shoved him playfully, laughing. But as he passed my window, the cord of my white earphones slipped from my school uniform.

His voice carried clearly through the open window, hitting me with absolute clarity.

"I am just waiting for my apple to fall."

The thump of my own heartbeat drowned out the music playing in my ears.

That night, I opened my social media to him and accepted his gift of the Miu Miu dress.

There is a special screening at the archive cinema this weekend, he had written. If you are willing to go with me, wear this dress to school. I will find you.

The next morning, a hand lightly tapped my shoulder. I turned around, but the moment the boy saw my face, his bright expression stiffened into awkward embarrassment.

"Oh... sorry, I thought you were someone else."

Violet quickly stepped in, hooking her arm through mine with a bright laugh.

"You silly boy, this is my older sister!"

Watching their hands naturally clasp together, I forced a blank smile and quietly returned to my seat.

Since reading those bullet comments, I had stopped replying to Austins messages. He had endless things to talk about with Violet at school, and he did not seem to notice my silence at all.

Until one afternoon, Violet casually tossed an apple onto my desk.

"Why are you and Austin both so obsessed with apples? It is such a boring fruit."

Austin, who was standing nearby, froze instantly.

03

Before he could ask me anything, a burly man with heavily tattooed arms stormed into our classroom, heading straight for my desk.

"Are you Sylvia Carter? You are the one who scammed my money, right?"

He claimed to be my online boyfriend, pulling out a tablet to display several explicit, highly inappropriate photos of a girl who looked exactly like me. He claimed I had sent them to him and had recently demanded a large bank transfer from him before agreeing to meet him at a hotel.

I stared at the screen, my heart dropping. I did not even recognize this man.

"That is not my account. You have been scammed."

But he refused to believe me, and the surrounding students began to murmur.

"I cannot believe she is actually like this."

"She is the complete opposite of her sister. Having a sister like that must be so embarrassing."

My desperate protests of "It wasn't me" were quickly drowned out by the rising tide of whispers.

The man sneered, leaning over my desk.

"Sylvia Carter, Class Two, Senior Year. How many Sylvias do you think there are in this school?"

"Either you come to a hotel with me right now, or you return every single cent I spent on you!"

As he reached out to grab my wrist, a hand suddenly shot out, intercepting him and shielding me behind a broad shoulder.

It was Austin.

The bullet comments reacted with sheer shock:

Why is the male lead protecting her? Did he figure out she is the online friend because of the apple?

If he actually falls for this side character, I am dropping this book.

Here we go again, slandering female characters with zero proof. There is literally no evidence she actually did any of that.

The homeroom teacher arrived quickly, and the police were called to escort the man out of the building. To minimize the disruption, the school administration asked Violet to contact our parents so I could be taken home for the afternoon.

Austin walked with me to a bench in the quiet courtyard.

Clutching my cold hands, I looked up at him, clinging to a desperate shred of hope.

"Do you believe me?"

He cracked open a bottle of apple juice and handed it to me.

"Violet cares about you very much. For her sake, I will help you find the truth."

His help had nothing to do with me. It was merely an extension of his affection for my sister.

04

The investigation concluded far faster than I anticipated.

Before my mother even arrived at the school, the female officer in charge of the case confirmed that the photos had been generated using AI. The identity registration of the scam account did not belong to me either.

As for who had set up the account to trick the man, the police were still running diagnostics.

"It is not your fault, Sylvia," the officer said gently, patting my shoulder. "I will speak to your parents and your school administration. Your classmates will understand."

The bullet comments echoed her words, drowning out the negative remarks.

But the moment my mother stepped into the office, she did not ask if I was alright. Instead, she raised her hand and delivered a stinging slap across my face.

"You embarrassing brat! I knew you were up to no good, staring at your phone all day!"

"I never told you that you could not date, but if you had met a decent boy like Austin, would I have ever stopped you? Instead, you go out and find this absolute garbage!"

I should have stayed quiet. With a woman like my mother, silence was the only defense. If I kept quiet, she would eventually run out of steam. If I argued, she would only become more vicious.

But the hollow ache in my chest had been building for too long. I could not stop the words from slipping out.

"Did I go out of my way to find garbage, or do you honestly believe I only deserve garbage?"

Why did she always put the expensive, beautiful clothes into Violets closet, leaving only the old, dull things for me?

Why was her profile picture always a photo of just her and Violet? When I finally asked her about it, she had scolded me for being overly sensitive before changing it to a generic landscape.

Why did she instantly assume Violets online match was a brilliant student like Austin, while mine must be some low-life criminal?

"If you are so innocent, unlock your phone!" my mother barked, snatching the device from my hand. She quickly swiped her own birthdate into the lock screen.

"Let us see exactly what kind of online friends you have been keeping!"

Just as she was about to open my chat history with Austin, the office door flew open. Austin ran inside, breathing heavily.

"We found the person who did it."

05

In the quiet hallway, Austin slipped a cherry popsicle into my hand, nodding toward my swollen cheek.

He had kept his promise to find the culprit.

While the police were analyzing the digital footprints, Austin had noticed that some of the photos posted on the scammer's social feed featured a background that matched the schools art building.

Focusing his search on the art and music classes, he had gathered the students and bluffed, claiming the police had already identified the owner of the IP address.

"The administration is willing to give the person a chance," he had told them. "If they confess now, we won't pursue legal charges."

Terrified, a girl from the music department immediately stepped forward. She confessed that she had a grudge against Violet, but when she went looking for Violets personal details, she had accidentally copied my student profile instead.

She figured that ruining the older sisters reputation would destroy Violets standing just as effectively.

Upon hearing this, Violets face flushed with anger. She lunged forward, intending to kick the girl, but Austin quickly held her back.

"Let the teachers handle it, Violet. Do not get suspended over this."

Violet turned to our mother, her voice trembling with indignation.

"Mom, you have to apologize to Sylvia. You hit her without even knowing the truth!"

My mother shifted uncomfortably, her gaze darting around the room as she muttered defensive excuses.

"I was just terrified for her!"

"And besides, even if she did not do it this time, she is always staring at her phone. A young girl hanging around online is bound to meet some shady characters eventually."

Austins expression hardened.

"Mrs. Carter, Violet and I met online too."

Violet looked up at him, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes. Yet, she did not speak up to correct him.

This is so painful to watch, a bullet comment read. Violet has realized that Austins confession was meant for her sister.

But she still hasn't told him the truth. She is not returning him to Sylvia.

Why should she? He is the male lead. And honestly, even if Sylvia reveals the truth, Austin will still choose Violet in the end. Want to bet?

I reached into my pocket, unlocked my phone, and turned the screen toward the room.

"Do you want to see my online boyfriend?"

06

"Your online boyfriend..." Violet whispered that night. "It was Austin, wasn't it?"

She had crept into my room with her pillow, lying down beside me as if she had not spent the afternoon pretending to have a sprained ankle to distract everyone from seeing my phone screen.

Seeing my silence, she offered a small, bitter smile.

"Do not look at me like that, Sylvia. It is Austin we are talking about."

"When a boy with those bright, adoring eyes looks at you like you are his entire world... anyone would want to steal a little bit of that magic, even if it does not belong to them."

She had known the truth since the day of his confession. The specific details and memories he had mentioned during his speech were things she had no recollection of.

But because she liked him, she had continuously made up excuses to keep the illusion alive. She had claimed her old phone was broken, which was why she no longer used the 'apple' account, and she had pretended our entire family was obsessed with apples.

She had resolved that if anyone else had been the owner of that account, she would never have let go of him.

"But that person was you, my own sister."

I stared at her, unsure of what she was trying to achieve.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated with a message from Austin.

Can we meet outside the archive cinema tonight? There are some things I need to clear up.

Violet sat up, as if she had anticipated this. She reached into her bag, pulling out the Miu Miu dress with one hand and her makeup bag with the other.

"Go on, Cinderella," she said softly. "Let me help you put things back where they belong before the clock strikes midnight."

The bullet comments were stunned:

The classic plot of the sister stepping aside is actually happening.

Violet has her own pride. She could never live a lie forever, pretending to be someone else just to keep a boy.

Honestly, I am not sure which one he will choose now.

"Do not worry, he will fall for you," Violet whispered, applying a light coat of lip gloss to my lips. But as she leaned back, a flicker of sadness crossed her eyes.

As we walked out, my phone kept chiming with notifications. Austin was going back through every single post and comment I had ever made on the forum, liking them one by one.

The steady hum of the notifications sounded like the steady, nervous beat of a heart.

I practically ran to the entrance of the cinema, a bright smile on my face, ready to explain everything. But before I could speak, Austin quietly interrupted me.

"Thank you, Sylvia."

"But... I think I have my answer now."

He had not called me here to verify if I was his online partner.

A boy as clever as Austin had noticed the discrepancies long ago. Violets confession had merely confirmed his suspicions.

He had asked to meet me tonight to answer a single question: If I had been the one standing under the streetlamp that night, would his heart have beat the same way?

Seeing me in the dress, he realized the spark simply was not there.

He pulled out his phone and transferred five thousand dollars to my account.

"I am truly sorry for taking up so much of your time. I hope we can still be friends."

He looked at the Miu Miu dress, his voice dropping.

"But... I would appreciate it if you did not wear that dress again."

"It looks beautiful on you. But I want the memory of that dress to belong only to Violet."