Chapter 2

That night, Mom didn't leave Kyla's side for a second, serving her every need.

Only when she was with Kyla did Mom show any motherly warmth.

I couldn't help but remember when I was fifteen, running a high fever, my whole body burning up.

Kyla was curious, so she put her hand on my forehead, but the heat made her snatch her hand back.

I curled up, feeling miserable, and Mom slapped me hard across the face without a second thought.

She snapped, "Don't you know your sister's health is fragile? If you're sick, stay away from her, you jinx!"

I was dazed and weak from the slap, and Mom spat on me before leaving with Kyla in her arms.

I could hear her yelling from far away, "Stay away from that jinx. I'll take you out for something nice to eat."

If Mom hadn't been afraid that my death would somehow affect Kyla's health, she wouldn't have even cared about me that day.

It was only when I was on the verge of dying that I finally understood, I was never loved. I was brought into this world for Kyla, just so she could live on.

The morning sunlight poured in, but I was still trapped in my memories, tormented by pain.

Kyla, lying in the hospital bed, blinked as tears rolled down her cheeks.

She softly called out for Mom. When she learned the surgery had been a success, they both smiled at each other in relief.

If I hadn't died, I'd probably just be an eyesore here.

Mom hugged Kyla with a big smile, telling her stories and making plans for where they'd go once Kyla got better.

Maybe Kyla felt a pang of guilt, because she lowered her head, looking ashamed.

"Mom, where's my sister? How is she? Is she alright? This is all my fault," Kyla whispered, her voice trembling with guilt.

Kyla was already delicate-looking, and with tears streaming down her face, she looked so pitiful, like she'd just been wronged by the whole world.

Mom ruffled her hair dismissively before speaking.

Mom scoffed, "You're just too soft-hearted. She never thinks about the fact that if it weren't for you, she wouldn't even have the right to be born.

"She's nothing but a heartless little wretch. Too scared to die, so she refused to donate her bone marrow. Like I'd ever let her get away with that. Don't worry about her. She needs to know her place."

Mom's words came one after another, all aimed at tearing me down, while Kyla masked her gloating with loud sobs.

"Mom, my sister just doesn't like me. How can you force her? How will I ever face her again?" Kyla whimpered, pretending to be wronged.

She was a venomous beauty, always playing the innocent. I stood there, fists clenched, unable to say a word.

The day before the bone marrow donation, Kyla faked being sick and drained 500ml of blood from me, way more than anyone should ever give. I cried and begged her to stop.

But she just grabbed my chin, smirking at me.

"What are you yelling for, sis? Your body and blood were made for me. It's just a bit of blood, so what?" she said, mocking me.

Then she tossed the blood bag onto the floor and started bawling.

"Sis, I just want to live. What did I do wrong? Why are you treating me like this?" Kyla wailed, acting all pitiful.

When our parents barged in, all they saw was me struggling with Kyla. I hated her for tormenting me, for trying to squeeze every last drop of blood out of me.

But to them, I was just acting out, refusing to save her, and I'd even trashed her life-saving blood bag.

In this family, that was unforgivable. Mom, still wearing her heels, kicked me over and over until I was barely conscious, then dumped me at the hospital without a second thought.

Later, just to get the bone marrow transplant done as fast as possible, Mom hauled me straight to the operating table without caring about my injuries at all. That ended up costing me my life.

Mom never loved me. She hated me, always sneering that I was nothing but a useless wretch.

I slipped off to the side, feeling hopeless, as my father rushed in.

He looked frantic, pulling Kyla close and fussing over her nonstop.

I kept hoping he'd say my name, but the whole family was laughing together, and none of them even remembered I existed.

A young nurse rushed in, her face full of panic.

"Dr. Kelley, what should we do with your daughter's body?" she said.

She looked totally panicked, barely able to get her words out, but Mom didn't even react. She just waved her hand like she couldn't care less.

"Just wheel it away somewhere," Mom said, not even bothering to look up.

My heart raced. I never imagined Dad and Mom could be so indifferent to my death.

The nurse blurted out in surprise, clearly caught off guard by Mom's response. Mom glared at her, sounding annoyed.

"Why are you making a fuss? Just put it somewhere, it's not a big deal. What's the worst that could happen?" Mom said, dismissively.

Mom was so casual about it that the nurse just walked out, stunned.

Dad looked genuinely taken aback, muttering under his breath, "Did she really just say 'body'?"

Mom snapped, "What nonsense are you spouting? She's been spoiled her whole life, always getting the best. How could she possibly be dead?

"The nurse must've messed up. That brat is still trying to compete for our attention. She wants us to come all the way over there. It makes me sick."

I just stood there, numb, letting out a bitter laugh.

Whenever they claimed they were saving treats for me, it always meant forcing me to choke down those nasty supplements and bitter medicine.

Just thinking about those blood-boosting things made me want to gag.

To Dad and Mom, it was all for my own good, meant to build me up and make me healthy.

But Kyla could have anything she wanted. Even if she wished for the stars in the sky, Mom would bend over backwards to make it happen.

If I showed even a hint of reluctance, Mom would slap me right across the face.

She always said I was immature, never considerate of my parents, and never cared about my sick sister.

But no one ever cared about me. I was a person too. I would feel hurt. I would cry and shed tears.

Dad and Mom just assumed the nurse had made a mistake, so nobody bothered to deal with my body. Kyla tried to speak up, acting all concerned.

Kyla said, "Dad, Mom, maybe you should go check on my sister. She didn't mean to cause trouble. She's still young, I should be the one to give in to her.

"Besides, she's already done so much for me. I don't want her to hate me even more."

Kyla's face was ghostly pale, tears pouring down as if she'd been wronged by the whole world. Mom scooped Kyla into her arms, her heart aching for her.

Mom said coldly, "If that brat ever dares to upset you again, I'll deal with her for good. You're recovering now, so whether she's around or not makes no difference.

"You're the real treasure in this family. Remember that. Don't waste your tears on her."

Dad was stomping his feet anxiously on the side. It was such a heartwarming scene.

I pressed my hand to my cheek, my heart twisting in pain. The sunlight hit me, but it brought no warmth at all, if anything, it just made me feel even colder.

Kids born without love were always wrong, no matter what they did.

In that moment, I just wished I could die cleanly, without any mess or memories. If I never knew, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much.

Mom softly comforted Kyla, but when it came to me, she used every insult she knew, cursing me with all the nastiness she'd learned in her life.

I silently let my tears fall, enduring her endless beatings again and again.

Maybe if I just died, everyone would be happier. That would be the perfect ending for them.