Chapter 2

I made my way home, feeling completely drained.

Alex was busy cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

All this time, I'd never seen him cook before.

When he saw me walk in, he looked a little flustered for a second.

But then he quickly composed himself and greeted me like nothing was wrong. "Hey, you're back. I made your favorite chicken soup. Want to come try it?"

I couldn't help but give myself a wry smile. The one who actually loved chicken soup was never me. It was always Tina.

I was actually allergic to chicken.

Tina once said to me, dripping with malice, "I don't even like chicken soup that much, but just knowing it makes you miserable? Suddenly, it tastes amazing."

I shook my head, wanting to go to my room and rest.

But Alex stepped in front of me. He rubbed his nose, looking uneasy and unable to meet my gaze.

After a long pause, he spoke hesitantly, "Mia, I want to discuss our engagement with you.

"Your parents have been really worried about Tina's illness lately. They said her only regret is never having experienced being a bride, so we were wondering if we could help make her dream come true."

I was frozen in place, and his words hit me like a truck. For a long moment, I couldn't wrap my head around what he'd said.

When I stayed silent, Alex let out an annoyed sigh and spoke up. "Don't be so selfish. Tina is your sister, and she's sick as hell. Are you really still hung up on all that petty stuff from before?"

"Alright," I said.

Alex was about to keep lecturing me, but when he heard my answer, his eyes lit up and he finally relaxed.

He said, "You really agreed? That's great. I'll tell them right away.

"Don't worry, Mia. You'll always be the one I love most. Once Tina gets better, I promise I'll make it up to you with a grand wedding."

Watching him so eager, I couldn't even bring myself to smile. The bitterness in my mouth felt like poison, spreading through my whole body.

When we were really close, I used to complain to Alex about how unfair my parents treated me. He'd always be the first to cry, even before I did.

With red eyes and childish tone, he'd promise, "I'll protect you from now on. I'll make up for all the love your parents never gave you, and I swear I won't even spare your sister a glance."

He always said Tina was the person he hated most in his life, no contest.

But now, here he was, practically over the moon, all because he got to be with Tina.

The overwhelming emotions hit me so hard that my vision kept fading in and out, and I lost consciousness without warning.

When I woke up, I found myself dumped carelessly on the couch, with Alex pacing nearby, looking restless and worried.

When he saw me wake up, he looked seriously annoyed.

He snapped, "Don't you know you have low blood sugar? You should really be more careful. I promised Tina I'd bring her some chicken soup, and now you're pulling this stunt. Seriously, what's the point?

"Tina's so kind. She insisted I stay here and look after you, but look at you, you're totally fine. Mia, I never realized you could be so scheming."

I wanted to tell Alex I wasn't faking it, that maybe it was a side effect of the meds.

But then I thought, what was the point? Even if I was bleeding apart right in front of Alex, he'd probably just assume I was trying to get his sympathy.

I swallowed the bitterness in my heart and spoke calmly, "Aren't you supposed to go see Tina? I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

Alex cleared his throat and spoke up, sounding all confident. "Tina feels like the surprise was way too sudden, almost unreal.

"After talking it over with your parents, we figured it'd be best if you came with me and told Tina the good news yourself."

I wasn't sure if the painkillers had stopped working, but the pain in my chest flared up again, and it was so sharp that I could barely catch my breath.

As expected, Tina always knew how to hit me right where it hurt the most.

I gripped the edge of my shirt tightly and nodded.

As soon as we stepped into the hospital, Alex immediately forgot about me and focused entirely on Tina.

The heartache in his eyes for Tina was so obvious that it almost stabbed me right in the chest and made me want to cry.

Tina gave me a smug, taunting look, her eyes full of disdain.

But the words she spoke sounded so innocent and vulnerable. "Mia, thank you for giving me your shares in the company and letting Alex help me fulfill my wish. Don't worry, once I'm better, I'll give everything back to you."