Chapter 2

The moment my soul floated out of the rubble, I finally saw what was happening outside.

The sky was an ashen gray, and everywhere people were crying, and sirens were blaring.

Richard was sitting by the tent at the relief camp, holding a bottle of water and gently feeding Joanna.

Joanna was wrapped in a thick blanket; except for some dust on her face, she was almost untouched.

"Dad, Hannah's still in there. Shouldn't we get someone to save her?" Joanna whispered.

She sobbed quietly, stealing glances at Richard, trying to read his expression.

Richard tightened the bottle cap, his brow furrowed.

"The rescue team's already gone in, but the aftershocks are too intense. That whole area's collapsed," he said grimly.

He paused, his tone turning cold. "That's just how things turned out for her. She picked the lot herself. It's nobody else's fault."

I floated above, watching everything unfold with a cold gaze.

Just half an hour ago, I was bustling around the kitchen for him, making his favorite dish, spaghetti.

When the earthquake struck, my first instinct was to push him out of harm's way, only to be crushed by the falling cabinet myself.

But right after that, he immediately turned to protect Joanna instead.

Turns out, when it comes to absolute favoritism, blood and all the effort you put in mean nothing at all.

My mom, Linda Foster, rushed over as soon as she heard the news. She stormed into the tent, wrapped Joanna in a fierce hug, her cries gut-wrenching and desperate.

"Joanna, you nearly scared me to death. If anything had happened to you, I don't know what I would've done," Linda sobbed.

Only after checking Joanna over and seeing she was unharmed did Linda finally remember to ask, "Where's Hannah?"

Richard avoided Linda's gaze.

"It was an emergency. We could only save one. I had them draw lots, and Hannah drew the short straw," he said.

Linda paused for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief.

"If it was decided by lots, then that's just fate. Hannah's always been a survivor. She'll be fine," she said.

She didn't even ask for more details, nor did she blame Richard for not saving their own daughter.

To them, my life never mattered as much as Joanna's.

"Mom, my leg hurts. Is it broken?" Joanna suddenly frowned and fussed, sounding spoiled.

Linda immediately got anxious. "Doctor, come check on my daughter."

A bunch of doctors and nurses hurried over.

But in reality, it was just a little scrape on Joanna's knee.

Meanwhile, trapped beneath the ruins, a steel bar had pierced through my thigh. I'd lost so much blood that my body had already gone cold.

I watched as the three of them hovered around Joanna, showering her with concern and tending to her every need.

In that moment, any lingering attachment I had to this family completely faded away.

The system's mechanical voice buzzed in my head.

[Host, do you wish to leave this world right now?]

I glanced at those three familiar figures and shook my head.

"Hold on. I want to see the look on their faces when they find out the secret hidden in that wad of paper," I said.

The system fell silent for a moment.

[As you wish.]

The rescue team leader rushed over, drenched in sweat.

"Professor Foster, we've detected signs of life in Area B. It's right near the place you just left," he shouted.

Richard's expression changed instantly.

It wasn't a surprise. It was panic.

He instinctively stepped in front of Joanna, shielding her.

"No way. That area just collapsed. There's no way anyone could've survived," Richard protested.

The team leader wiped the sweat from his brow, sounding urgent. "Our equipment picked up a faint signal. Someone might be trapped deep down. Isn't that your daughter? We're about to start digging."

Linda looked over, her gaze conflicted.

"Hannah's still alive?" she asked.

Just then, Joanna suddenly clutched her chest and started coughing violently.

"Dad, Mom, I feel so awful. Am I hurt inside? Is it internal injuries?" she whimpered.

Linda's attention snapped right back to Joanna.

"Richard, Joanna's not feeling well. We need to get her to a proper hospital right away. The facilities here are way too poor," she said.

Richard glanced at the rescue team, then at Joanna, who looked pale and shaken.

He clenched his jaw and turned to the team leader. "You all keep digging. Joanna's always been frail, and she's really shaken up. I need to get her to a hospital in the city first," he said.

The team leader stared at him in disbelief.

"Professor Foster, your own daughter is still trapped under the rubble. If we dig her out and need your signature or your blood, what are we supposed to do if you're gone?" he demanded.

Richard waved his hand impatiently. "I'm a mathematician, not a doctor. There's nothing I can do here. If Hannah's lucky enough to survive, she'll make it. If not, my being here won't change a thing," he said.

With that, he scooped Joanna up in his arms, grabbed Linda's hand, and headed straight for the ambulance.

I floated above, watching the whole thing play out, and honestly, I couldn't help but find it ridiculous.

This was my father, willing to give up on his own daughter's last hope of survival, all to protect his own selfish motives.

Maybe, in his heart of hearts, he figured it was best if I just died. After all, the dead keep secrets best.

The ambulance sped off, sirens blaring.

The team leader watched the car vanish in a trail of dust, then spat hard on the ground. "Damn expert. He's worse than an animal."

He turned around and yelled to his crew, "Come on, guys. Give it everything you've got. If her dad won't care, we will. We're getting her out, no matter what."

The excavators roared as they worked, lifting one concrete slab after another.

I watched as my body was slowly unearthed.

My face was as pale as paper from blood loss, and my hand was still tightly clutching that wad of paper.

"We found her," one of the team members shouted. "Quick. Get a stretcher."

The doctor rushed over and quickly checked for a pulse at my neck.

After a few seconds, he shook his head, regret written all over his face.

"Her pupils are dilated. No breath, no heartbeat, she's gone," he said.

A hush fell over the scene, the silence almost suffocating.

The team leader took off his helmet, eyes rimmed with red, and muttered a curse.

Just then, Joanna called the team leader directly.

Joanna sounded frail and a little scared on the other end.

"Captain, it's Joanna. Did you get my sister out?" she asked.

The team leader, barely keeping his temper in check, replied, "Yeah, we got her out."

Joanna's voice suddenly turned sharp. "Is she just faking it? Hannah always pulls this kind of stunt to get attention. When we drew lots earlier, she had to fight me for the red one. She only stayed behind because she lost.

"She's probably just hiding in there on purpose because she's mad Dad saved me instead."

The team leader gripped his phone so hard his knuckles turned white, veins bulging. "Hey, kid, maybe try having a little decency," he growled. With that, he hung up.

But Richard's voice still came through, since the line was still open.

"Ignore that girl. If she dares to play dead to scare people, I'll give her a good talking-to when I get back," Richard barked.