Chapter 8: The Lucky Penny Reveal

A couple days later, someone with the same profile picture as my grandma suddenly added me.

It was the lucky penny again. For a second, I thought maybe I was being pranked, or worse, hacked.

“Sweetheart, it’s Grandma.”

I thought it was a mistake, maybe a scammer.

Until Grandma called me.

The real, unmistakable sound of her voice, warm and a little raspy with age. “Sweetheart, Grandma sent her phone for repairs last month, just got it back. Did you miss Grandma?”

My fingers froze on my phone. I quickly opened Messenger.

Crap—two identical avatars, both the lucky penny.

I never set a remark for Grandma, and she’s always online, always changing her nicknames and bios.

But she never changed this lucky penny avatar—she says it brings good luck.

So I’ve always recognized her by her avatar.

So the one with the same avatar who chatted with me, even sent me money—

Who was it?

The only person I added and deleted in the past month was Natalie.

I deleted her so fast, I didn’t even notice her avatar.

A vague suspicion crept into my mind, but I couldn’t be sure.

I had Derek bring his girlfriend over to confirm in person.

Nickname, avatar, transfer records—all matched.

Hahaha.

No way. I must be dreaming.

I carefully typed: “Are you Natalie?”

She replied instantly: “Yes, sweetheart.”

Sitting there were not just me, but also Derek and his girlfriend Aubrey.

I felt like all three of us needed heart medicine right then. The shock was so real, I actually felt dizzy. Part of me wanted to laugh, part of me wanted to crawl under my bed and never come out. Natalie—no, my "grandma"—had played me for a fool, and somehow, I didn't even mind. But now that the game was up, I had no idea what Natalie—or my real grandma—would do next.