Chapter 2

The next morning, before the sun was even up, the house was already buzzing with activity. Makeup artists, stylists, and event planners were weaving in and out, packing our modest home to the rafters.

No one knocked on my door. I felt like I was stranded on a forgotten island.

I changed into a crisp white dress—the one I bought with my own savings for my eighteenth birthday. Back then, I still had hopes for the future.

I sat at the dressing table, looking at my pale face in the mirror, awkwardly trying to put on some makeup. I just wanted to look presentable when it was time for me to go.

But no amount of foundation could hide the fact that I was fading away, and my lipstick did nothing to bring color back to my lips.

Forget it. This was the best I could manage.

From the very bottom of my drawer, I took out a beautifully wrapped little box. Inside was the engagement gift I'd bought for Sophie, using the money I'd saved up from my part-time job. It was a pair of uniquely designed cufflinks. I knew Sophie's fiancé, James, loved collecting them.

I figured this was the last thing I'd ever be able to do for her.

I still wanted to talk to her. To tell her that her big sister wasn't jealous—she was just sick. And that it hurt so much.

I opened my door, and the living room was livelier than before.

Sophie was already done up, wearing that champagne-colored gown, standing with James, chatting. James looked sharp and confident in his perfectly tailored suit, handsome as ever. They truly looked like a match made in heaven.

My mother was holding a bowl of yogurt, grinning from ear to ear. "James, dear, make sure Sophie eats this before you head out. She needs to keep her strength up."

Meanwhile, my father was busy playing the perfect host, chatting up James' parents.

No one noticed me. I clutched the small box, took a deep breath, and walked over.

"Sophie." My voice was barely a whisper, but in the middle of the noise, she was close enough to hear.

She turned around, and the moment she saw me, her smile vanished. She frowned and snapped, "Emily? What are you doing out? I thought we told you to stay—"

"I..." I held the gift out to her, my hand trembling—not just from the weakness, but from the nerves. "This is for you. A little something for your engagement. I hope you... I hope you'll be very happy."

Sophie froze for a second, not taking the gift. Beside her, James glanced at me, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

My mother spotted me and stormed over instantly. She grabbed my arm and yanked me aside, her voice a low, furious hiss. "Emily, what on earth are you playing at? Are you doing this on purpose? Do you want to jinx the whole day? And what's with this pathetic box? Are you trying to ruin Sophie's engagement?"

"I wasn't..." I whispered.

My mother interrupted, "'I wasn't' what? Look at your face! You look like a ghost. I gave you money, didn't I? Get out of here! Now! Beat it!"

Her words were like a barrage of daggers, each one sinking deep into my chest. The box slipped from my fingers and hit the floor with a dull thud. Every eye in the room turned toward us.

Sophie looked absolutely mortified and completely fed up. "Emily, can you just not for once? This is a huge day for me."

My father stepped over too, his expression darkening. "Emily, go with your mom. Don't embarrass us here."

So that was it. In their eyes, my very existence was an embarrassment.

I stared at the little box on the floor. It sat there, still and silent, just like my pathetic, unwanted feelings. I didn't bother picking it up. I just looked at them one last time—my mother's fury, my father's disappointment, and my sister's irritation. And James—whose eyes were filled with nothing but confusion and indifference.

I got it now. It was time for me to go.

I didn't say another word. I turned around and walked back to my room, and this time, I turned the key in the lock.

Outside, the house quickly snapped back to life, the celebration resuming as if I'd never even been there. I sat on my bed, listening to the car engines turning downstairs and the sound of their laughter fading as they drove away.

Sunlight streamed through the window, warm and gentle.

I reached under my pillow and took out my diary along with the diagnosis. Flipping to the very last page, I summoned every last ounce of strength to scratch out one final line: [Dad, Mom, Sophie. If there's a next life, let's not be a family again.]

I set the pen down and placed the diary and the medical report neatly on the nightstand. Then, I lay back, curled onto my side in a fetal position. Outside, the sunlight was warm and gentle against my face.

I closed my eyes. In that fleeting moment, the agony in my stomach finally, blissfully, vanished into thin air. The world went dead silent. I could no longer hear the distant hum of traffic or the rustle of leaves in the wind. Everything sank into endless darkness and silence.

So, this was what death felt like. The pain was gone. It was wonderful.