Chapter 1

My adoptive mother, Grace Carter, probably never imagined that the daughter she'd loved for 17 years wasn't hers by blood.

When she received the paternity test results, she hugged her real daughter, Rachel Carter, and broke down in tears. "My sweet girl, you've suffered so much all these years."

Rachel wanted me thrown out of the house, but Grace refused.

Rachel sobbed that I had stolen her identity for 17 years and that not only did I owe her, but the Carter family owed her too.

Then Grace pulled me into her arms and cried for a long time. "Emily, go stay at the apartment for a few days. When Rachel calms down, I'll come get you."

It took me a long moment in her arms to really wake up to the truth.

Just a little while ago, she was holding my hand, crying just as hard, before firmly telling the doctor to take my kidney and give it to Rachel. She cried and said, "This is what you owe Rachel. Think of it as paying her back, okay?"

Rachel and I had been in the same car accident. The truck had slammed into the passenger side, flipping the car. We were both rushed to the hospital.

At one in the morning, there was only one doctor on duty who could operate.

There were two options. First was me, with severe injuries and only a 30% chance of survival.

Second was Rachel, whose injuries were mild and who had a 99% chance of making it.

Naturally, the doctor chose me, since Rachel didn't need emergency surgery at all.

But Rachel grabbed my adoptive parents and snarled, "You have to save me first. I'm your real daughter."

And just like that, my adoptive parents gave her the chance instead of me.

*****

Back then, they held my hand and said, "Emily, hang in there. Another doctor is on the way."

Halfway through Rachel's surgery, the doctor realized her kidneys had been badly damaged from years of unhealthy habits. A transplant would be her best shot. And me? Because they'd delayed my treatment, I was already at death's door.

By some twisted coincidence, our kidneys were a perfect match.

My adoptive father, Richard Carter, said, "We can't lose both daughters. Emily, I'm so sorry."

Grace added, "It's just one kidney. You'll be fine. Think of it as paying back the Carter family for everything we've done for you."

And just like that, I became Rachel's donor.

Ten minutes after they took my kidney, I didn't make it off the table.

Outside, Grace wailed like the sky had fallen. "Emily, sweetheart, I'm so sorry..."

Richard lit a cigarette with trembling hands. "She owed this to Rachel and to all of us. Consider it paid."

Owed? What exactly did I owe you all? I never did a single thing wrong. Did I fight her for her birthright? Why did you all insist on pinning that on me?

I should've had a bright future. Rachel ruined my chance at the SAT, and my life went downhill from there. All I could do was leech off your family. You two said I owed her, so I shouldn't blame her.

She stole my fiancé and made me the laughingstock of the entire city—no one dared marry me. You two said I still owed her and should forgive her.

Now you two expect me to give up my life for her too. Why should I? Who gave you two that right?

I tore myself out of Grace's arms. Her embrace made my skin crawl.

Grace asked, "Emily, what's wrong? Are you upset because we asked you to stay at the apartment for a few days?"

I shook my head. "I'm not going to the apartment."

Grace said, "Emily, I know asking you to stay there felt unfair, but Rachel, she..." She frowned, as if she were scolding some ungrateful, headstrong daughter who didn't know what was good for her.

I didn't have the patience to argue, but under the Carters' roof, I had no choice but to bend a little. "The Harris family won't let me stay there. They'll either drag me back or use me as leverage against the Carters. If it really comes to that, I'd rather just go back to the Harrises. I don't want to cause more trouble for you all."

Grace's expression finally softened, a trace of relief showing through. "Emily, with a family like the Harrises, how could we possibly let you go?"

I didn't reply. Whether I go or not was never up to her.

The Harris family was a pit of misery.

My birth mother, Melissa Harris, had switched me at the hospital because she didn't want me to suffer with the Harrises. I knew Grace resented her for it, and because of that, she sometimes couldn't quite look me in the eye. But her education and manners kept her from openly taking it out on me.

Still, the truth was there. From the moment Rachel stepped through the Carter family's front door, I stopped being their cherished daughter.

Downstairs, Richard and my biological parents were busy bargaining over my "price."

After raising me for 17 years, even a dog would've earned some affection.

The Carters wanted to keep me, and naturally, the Harrises wanted to squeeze them dry. "Emily grew up well in your home. I understand you're afraid she'll suffer if she comes back to us. So, give us 300 thousand dollars, and she's yours."

Richard was already pissed about having his daughter stolen. Hearing that, he slammed the table over. "You stole my daughter, and I haven't even asked you for compensation. And now you want me to pay you?"

The moment my birth father, John Harris, heard the word "compensation," he kicked Melissa without a second thought. "It was all this damn woman's doing. If you want money, go after her."

Melissa was so scrawny she looked like a withered branch—there was no way she could take a hit like that. At a time like this, all she could do was sit on the floor and wail.

"One hundred and fifty thousand dollars, not a penny less. Mrs. Carter, you're so hung up on Emily—I'd say this is a fair deal." John pressed.

In the end, they pushed the price down to 100 thousand dollars.

My good-for-nothing brother sneered, "Any less than that and I won't even have money to get married. Just treat it like buying a dog. I heard rich folks like you spend tens of thousands on cats and dogs. Don't tell me, for you, Emily's worth less than a dog?"

"Why would the Carters want to keep this dog anyway?" Rachel jumped in. Clinging to Richard's sleeve, she burst into tears. "I had suffered 17 years as a Harris. They hit me and cursed me every single day. And look at Emily—she lived like a princess with the Carters. She stole everything from me. I want her to suffer as a Harris too, to live a life worse than death. She owes me. You all owe me."