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Chapter twenty-six

Extra Pages: Faking It with the Bad Boy

C hapter 1: Third Generations

"My parents are doctors. Third generation. The Chen Family Medical Legacy," I always say when someone asks about my background. The words taste bitter, like over-brewed tea. It’s a story I’ve been told my entire life, one I should probably feel proud of. But it’s complicated.

The Chen family didn’t start out as medical legends. It all began with my great-grandparents, who left everything behind in China to come to the U.S. for a better life. They arrived with little more than determination and dreams. Life wasn’t easy—two jobs, sometimes three, just to make ends meet—but they believed education was the golden ticket.

My great-grandfather was the first to break through, earning his way into medical school. He became a small-town physician, working tirelessly to help others while lifting our family out of poverty. It wasn’t just a job to him—it was a calling. Helping people gave his life meaning.

His children followed suit, my grandparents each becoming doctors in their own specialties. For them, it wasn’t about survival anymore; it was about making a difference. They wanted to give back, to heal, and to inspire. My parents carried that same fire, climbing even higher in the medical field—respected, admired, practically heroes in their own right.

And then there’s me. Sophie Chen, the odd one out.

Read More: Don't Let it Pass (Sophie's Generations)