About a month had passed since we got to this new house. The days went by really slowly. I was stuck inside my room alone most of the time. Mike and Lisa didn't trust me at all, which was honestly smart of them. 

Every night we would have a "family dinner", even though we weren't even a family. I could tell Mike and Lisa had been growing apart, you might even think they hated each other. Mike slept on the sofa every night, after passing out from watching some sports game, and Lisa slept in the other bedroom the house had. While talking at one of our first dinners, I learned Mike was working as a custodian at a nearby high school and Lisa had gotten a job at a bookstore.

Each week, Lisa would bring me home different books from the store. They were all surprisingly entertaining and made the days go by slightly quicker. She mainly brought home romance stories, which made me miss Josh. I wished I could talk to him just one more time.

As time went on, Mike started coming home less and less. I wasn't sure where he went, but I didn't really care. Lisa seemed quite bothered by it, so I didn't ever bring it up. My best guess? He was having an affair.

One night at dinner, it was just Lisa and I. She had made a pot of chili and we were silently eating it until she finally said, "I have a surprise for you."

"Surprise?" I asked.

She nodded, "For your birthday tomorrow."

I felt a pang in my chest. I had lost track of time and forgotten my birthday was coming up. That meant Elizabeth's birthday was tomorrow too. I felt sad we had to miss yet another birthday together and knew it would be another reminder to the family of my absence. 

Lisa pulled a bag out from under the table and slid it towards me, "Go ahead. Open it."

I lightly smiled and pulled a single sheet of tissue paper out of the bag before reaching in and pulling out a bag with a wig in it. 

"What's this for?" I puzzled

She grinned, "A disguise! So you can go out. Of course, you'll still need to be with me but now you don't have to stay cooped up in here."

I jumped out of my seat and rushed over to hug her, "Thank you."

She laughed, "I'm glad you like it. I've also convinced my manager at the bookstore to let you come work with me! No interview needed, you start tomorrow."

I knew it was her fault I was trapped here and that I needed the disguise, but I was still thankful and excited. After a month trapped in this tiny house, I would do anything to go out. No matter what the reasoning or circumstances were.

---

The next morning Lisa woke me up early. She had laid out an outfit for me, one that I would never choose for myself but I guess thats the point. I got dressed and put the blonde wig on. Looking in the mirror, I was shocked that I really did look different. It was crazy what a new style of clothing and hair color could do.

Lisa and I walked to the bookstore. It was only a couple blocks away and Mike took the car to his job each day so we really had no choice. The outside of the bookstore was cute. It had a rustic feel to it and the inside was no different. I felt like I was Belle from Beauty and the Beast surrounded by all these books. It was like heaven. 

Before we went to the front desk, Lisa pulled me off to the side in one of the aisles of books. "If you try to pull anything, it will not be pretty. I've already warned all the other workers that you're mentally unstable and confused so if you try telling them some lies they'll come straight to me."

I sighed and nodded, "I understand. I won't say anything."

After a month of being a prisoner, I couldn't risk going back or things getting worse. I wanted freedom, even if this was extremely limited.

"Well hello, you must be Elizabeth." The manager calmly said as we walked to the front of the store.

I felt my heart drop and looked over at Lisa with a frown. Out of all the fake names she could have chosen, she had to use my twin's? I guess it was hiding in plain sight.

I nodded, "Yes. I'm so excited to be here."

She smiled, "From what your mother has told me about you, we're excited to have you! Plus, having a younger worker will help us connect with the youth in the area more."

After the awkward introduction, I spent the day following around the manager and learning what my responsibilities were. She taught me how everything in the shop worked and introduced me to other workers and regular customers. As the day went on, I began to feel more and more normal and hopeful. 

Maybe I could be happy in this life.  

A/N: I just finished writing up summaries of the last chapters! There will be 4 chapters after this one and I will try to get them up ASAP! Hopefully by the end of the month :) I love this story so much and I'm so grateful for all of you who take the time out of your days to read this and support me <3