Chapter 1

Six months after I died, my fiancé proposed to my sister.

My parents and brother actually called me, asking me to come home for their wedding.

The only one who knew I was dead was my best friend. On the day of the wedding, my best friend sent them a row of funeral wreaths and my death certificate.

I saw it. For the first time in over twenty years, their cold, heartless faces finally showed a flicker of panic.

*****

The day Elias Cooper and my sister, Naomi Reed, got married, they each called me—just to get me to come back and give her my blessing.

But I didn't answer.

Undeterred, they sent me a text message instead.

My father, Griffin Reed, said, "Hannah, Elias doesn't love you. Don't be so stubborn, and stop making a fuss."

My mother, Maria Reed, said, "Hannah, Naomi can't handle any drama right now. You've been gone for six months. If you keep being this way, just don't come back."

My brother, Joseph Reed, said, "Hannah, don't push it. If you don't want me to kick your ass, get back here."

After sending these messages, they threw themselves right back into the wedding preparations.

I floated above them, watching them all rush around for the big day—didn't feel a thing.

Maybe it was because I had never felt a shred of family affection from them.

So even after I died, I never expected them to care that I'd been missing for six months.

*****

I was born because Naomi needed cord blood.

So at forty, Maria went through hell just to have me for Naomi's sake.

As long as Naomi needed something, I didn't have the right to say no.

It could be as big as a kidney or as small as a pencil—if Naomi wanted it, it was hers.

That even included my spot at Starity University, and my husband, Elias.

Elias was a classmate I met after I got into Starity University on my second try.

We were in the same class, and we hit it off because of our shared interests.

We were so in love, so sweet together.

No one cared what I did, so after graduation, we got married.

If I hadn't run into Naomi on the street that day, I probably would've lived the rest of my life peacefully.

The first time Naomi saw Elias, her eyes lit up. I knew that look.

Since we were kids, if Naomi liked something, her eyes would shine like that. That twisted possessiveness always hung over me like a nightmare.

I knew right away—she had her eyes on Elias.

And in the days that followed, she went out of her way to seduce him.

From the moment Elias said, "I don't think your sister is as bad as you say," I watched as the two of them got closer and closer, more and more intimate.

They even had their fun in the apartment I rented.

*****

Before it all exploded, my parents handed me Naomi's report.

Naomi had kidney failure.

Griffin looked troubled as he said, "I know it's a lot to ask you to donate a kidney to your sister, but if you don't, Naomi will die."

Maria's eyes were already brimming with tears as she pleaded, "Your sister is still so young. You're sisters. You have to help her. If your dad or I were matches, we wouldn't be asking you."

I looked at the report, then at my parents—the ones who brought me into this world.

I asked, "Did Joseph get tested for a kidney match too?"

Joseph was my brother, and just like Naomi, he was the apple of our parents' eyes.

Growing up, whatever Naomi had, Joseph had too, and vice versa. But me? I was always left with nothing.

My parents fell silent, their eyes refusing to meet mine.

I smiled bitterly. My heart was numb.

Their attitude made it obvious—they never even considered asking Joseph to donate his kidney.

In this family of five, if someone had to be sacrificed, it was always going to be me.

And if anyone were going to get anything good out of it, it sure as hell wouldn't be me.

I refused my parents' request.

They immediately started scolding me.

They called me immature, ungrateful, and accused me of not caring about my sister.

I walked ahead while they trailed behind, hurling accusations. They didn't even care how the passersby were staring at us.

It seemed they wouldn't give up until I agreed to donate my kidney.

I ignored them completely, letting them make as much of a scene as they wanted.

The commotion didn't stop when I got home.

I opened the door.

All three of us saw Elias and Naomi wrapped in each other's arms the moment we walked in.

Actually, I'd already seen the chat logs between Elias and Naomi.

The stuff they wrote was so filthy, it made me want to throw up for days.

Now seeing it live, I thought I'd scream, lose it, pull off the covers they were using to hide themselves, and drag the neighbors over to see.

But in reality, I was completely calm.

I even managed to smile and say to my parents, "You still want me to give her a kidney after this?"

My parents looked embarrassed, but it only lasted a second.

They quickly regained their composure and told Elias and Naomi to put their clothes back on.

Under Griffin's direction, the five of us sat down on the couch.

The four of them sat together on one side, while I sat across from them.

Looking at them, all smiles and acting like one big happy family, I almost felt like pulling out my phone and snapping a "family portrait" for them.

In my marriage to Elias, I was just the extra.

In my family, I was the unnecessary one too.

It was Griffin who finally broke the silence.

He said, "Well then, you and Elias should just get divorced as soon as possible. You two have no house, no car, no kids—it is what it is. Nobody's losing out here."

Maria hesitated for a moment, but then boldly voiced what she really thought. "Hannah, Elias and you just weren't meant to be. But no matter what, he'll always be part of the family."

The message was loud and clear.

They'd already accepted Elias and Naomi being together.

I wasn't surprised.

When I was scrolling through Elias and Naomi's chat logs, I accidentally found their family group chat.

The group had Griffin, Maria, Naomi, Joseph, and Elias. The only one missing was me.

It had been set up since last year.

In that chat, the five of them would regularly update Elias and Naomi about my whereabouts.

Sometimes, just to make sure Elias and Naomi could go on their dates undisturbed, Joseph—who couldn't stand me—would tell me to go shopping. My parents, who never liked me, would invite me back for dinner, all just to get me out of the way.

For half a year, I truly believed I was finally getting some real love from my family.

Turned out, it was all just a lie.