A social media influencer has gone viral after she revealed she had been pretending to be her dead twin sister for multiple years in front of her grandparents to protect their feelings. Influencer Annie Niu, 34, known for her lifestyle and food-related videos, took to TikTok to state she had finally told the dark truth to one of his ageing family members who had very little time to spare. Ms Niu said her twin sister succumbed to viral meningitis five years ago after which the family decided to keep the news under wraps, fearing it might be detrimental to the health of the grandparents.
In one of the video clips, Ms Niu said she had finally lifted the lid over the secret. "POV: You finally told your family that your twin sister passed away five years ago, and they took down every single family photo that had her in it," she wrote in the video, which has amassed millions of views.
As per Ms Niu, she had been making holiday calls pretending to be her twin to keep the illusion alive, particularly for her grandmother who was on her deathbed this year when the truth was finally disclosed.
She added that it was her father who came up with the idea to keep the news to themselves.
"I think it's because he didn't want to withhold this information but he also didn't want to cause them any more heartbreak," she explained to her followers. "And God forbid they are 92 and something happens," Ms Niu explained.
Internet reacts
The revelation has stirred a mix of emotions among social media users, with many expressing empathy for Niu's plight, understanding the burden of carrying such a secret. However, some were confused by the family's choice to hide the truth for so long.
"I hope nothing but the best for this family moving forward from this loss," said one user, while another commented: "She's not totally wrong. My family went through some crazy hoops so my grandmother wouldn't know bad news."
A third user, who didn't agree with the family's method commented: "They had no right to deny them that information. They didn't get to say goodbye, they didn't get to send her off. Their reasoning is fickle and selfish because it's what they wanted and not about the grandparents."
While the grandmother passed away knowing the truth, the grandfather is yet to receive a similar closure.
