An influencer's decision to pretend to be her late twin sister for five years when calling her grandparents has sparked a lot of discussion. This story reveals the complex emotions and cultural considerations involved.

Uncovering the Truth Behind the Deception

Section 1: The Initial Decision

Back in December 2022, TikTok star Annie Niu went viral with a video explaining a heart-wrenching situation. After her twin sister passed away due to meningitis, she and her loved ones made a difficult decision. Instead of telling her grandparents the truth, Niu would have to call them every holiday and pretend to be her late sister. This choice was made with the best of intentions, as they didn't want to cause the elderly grandparents any unnecessary heartbreak. It was a decision that would have a profound impact on Niu's life for the next five years.During these five years, Niu continued to carry out this pretense, not revealing the truth to her grandparents or her extended family. It was a heavy burden to bear, but she did it out of love and respect for her family.

Section 2: The Breaking Point

Five years later, the family finally decided to break the news to Niu's elderly grandmother. It was a difficult moment, as they knew it would be a shock to her. "You finally told your family that your twin sister passed away five years ago and they took down every single photo that had her in it (which is pretty much every photo in the house)," Niu captioned a clip posted on Dec. 13. This act of removing the photos was a tangible sign of the family's grief and the need to come to terms with the loss.While some followers may not have understood the full context of the situation, Niu continued to share her story in follow-up posts. She explained that her father had made the decision not to tell the grandparents immediately, fearing that the news might be too much for them to handle. And when her grandmother passed away this past July, on her deathbed, her father finally told her the truth. "I think it's because he didn't want to withhold this information but he also didn't want to cause them any heartbreak. And, God forbid, they're 92, something happens."

Section 3: The Aftermath

Even after her father broke the news to her grandmother, Niu's grandfather still doesn't know the truth. Her aunts also decided to "take down every single photo" in his house that contained her late sister. This decision has left Niu feeling a mix of emotions. "So imagine my surprise when I take my kids to go visit my grandpa and I look on the walls and none of our photos are there," she said.Many commenters have had further questions about the family's decision to hide the sister's death from her grandparents. One commenter wrote, "Didn't they ask where she was for five years? I'm so sorry and so confused." This shows that the situation is not straightforward and has raised many questions among those who have followed Niu's story.Back in 2022, Niu told her followers that shielding the elderly from "terrible news" is "really common in Asian culture," and that "you can't guarantee" they won't die when being told the sad news. This highlights the cultural differences and the challenges faced when dealing with difficult situations.Niu also shared her own perspective on the matter. "My grandparents basically raised me and my sister so we were very close to them and we're probably going to just continuously make up excuses for why she isn't visiting them," she said. "… I dream about her almost every single night so I treat it as I'm spending half of my life with her still, because I see her every night." This shows the deep emotional connection that Niu still has with her sister and the impact that her loss has had on her life.