Chapter 1 Chapter 1

"Ms. Lassiter, we can wait a little longer for the kidney donor." I shook my head slowly in response to the doctor's attempt to reassure me. Waiting longer wouldn't make a difference. And all those things I used to fight over? They seemed meaningless now. Just as I completed the paperwork for my hospital discharge, my phone rang sharply. "Janelle, go to Navenmoor and get a beef barley soup. Now. Lou just woke up and wants some." I didn't get a chance to respond before Dad hung up. I would've argued with him in the past, but not anymore. … I entered Louella's hospital room with the beef barley soup. Mom was sitting beside the bed, gently giving her small sips of water. Dad's gaze was fixed intensely on Louella as though even the smallest sign of distress from her would alarm him. Meanwhile, I—their real daughter—felt completely out of place in that room. Louella was the one who saw me first. "Jan, you're here…" Dad's head snapped up immediately. He glared at me fiercely before snatching the soup from my hands. "You took your time. Were you trying to starve Lou?" Mom adjusted the container while muttering, "Can't you do anything right, Janelle? The soup is spilling everywhere. How's Lou supposed to have it now?" Without hesitation, she chucked the whole thing into the trash. I'd already told myself I wouldn't let these things bother me anymore, but I could still feel that familiar tightness in my chest—like something was squeezing the air out of me. My face must've gone pale, but nobody even noticed. "Oh, right. Your mom and I discussed it, and we've decided to transfer your shares to Lou as compensation." The moment Dad finished speaking, he and Mom handed me a Renunciation of Inheritance form. "Lou never would've gone through this if it weren't for you. If you really want to make things right, sign it now!" I looked down at the form in my hands and gave a hollow laugh. "Sure, whatever you say!" I signed the form and flicked it back to Dad. His stern face relaxed slightly when he saw my signature. "Since I've already given up my part of the inheritance, why don't we just go ahead and transfer the companies and properties I've invested in over the years to her, too?" The second I suggested it, Mom and Dad broke into smiles. Mom, who normally couldn't bear to touch me, actually grabbed my hand. "Jan, you're finally thinking straight! Once Lou's out of the hospital, we can all be a happy family again." Her hand was warm, but all I felt was the sting. She never smiled at me unless I was sacrificing something for Louella. I couldn't help but wonder—what would they do if they found out everything about Louella was fake? Would they regret the way they treated me? Louella noticed Mom holding my hand and instantly felt threatened. She made a light, deliberate cough. Mom and Dad, who had been standing right beside me, immediately rushed back to her bedside. … By nightfall, I dragged myself back home, completely worn out. I hadn't even managed to take a sip of water when Calvin Quayle's icy voice rang out. "After Lou recovers and gets discharged, she's moving in with us. We'll be taking care of her."

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

If this had happened to the old me, Calvin's suggestion would've set off into a full-blown argument. And he knew exactly how short my fuse was. So the second he dropped this decision on me, he made sure to drag Mom and Dad into it. "Amanda and Hector aren't getting any younger. Taking care of Lou is getting harder for them. It's time we stepped up and—" Before Calvin could finish, Nathan Quayle rushed to my side, pulling at my arm, his voice desperate. "Mom, just let Aunt Louella stay with us! If you don't want her living with you guys, I'll give up my room. Mom, please say yes..." I'd never seen him behave this way since the day he was born. He'd always taken after Calvin, keeping that same stony expression and brushing off my affection with little more than a grunt. But now? Nathan was ready to sacrifice his own comfort for Louella. My nails bit into my wrist, leaving behind angry red marks. I drew a sharp breath and quietly peeled Nathan's hand away. "Fine, I'll agree with your suggestion. If there's nothing else, I'm going to rest." Without another word, I turned and retreated to the bedroom. As I was half conscious, I heard the door creak open. A rush of cold air swept in. Then came a thud—something had landed by the bedside. But exhaustion pinned me down, my eyelids too heavy to lift. Through the haze, Calvin's voice reached me. "Jan? Janelle!" When I didn't respond, he shoved my arm hard. Pain flared through me, jolting me from sleep. I glared at him. "What?" My hoarse voice didn't get Calvin's attention. Instead, it only earned me a scolding. "How do you even have time to sleep with so much to do at home? I made Lou some nourishing soup. I'll take Nate and drop it off first. Remember to clean up the kitchen." How ridiculous. After all these years of marriage, I never knew Calvin could even cook. I'd been the one taking care of him all this time, and half the time, he wasn't even satisfied. I was still lost in my bitter thoughts when Calvin's impatient voice snapped me back. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up!" I knew Calvin's temper. He was obsessive, especially when it came to Louella. Arguing wasn't worth the energy, so I forced myself up. Once he saw me obey, he left with Nathan without another word. The second they were gone, I collapsed back onto the bed. … Early the next morning, a loud clattering outside startled me awake. The moment I walked out of the bedroom, Calvin's urgent voice cut through the air. "There's an emergency at work. After you drop Nate off, take some breakfast to Lou." With a sharp slam, the house went quiet again. Just as I was setting the food container down on the table, a rush of dizziness hit me out of nowhere. Everything went black, but not before I caught sight of Nathan running toward me. Maybe, deep down, he still cared about me a little. … In the end, it turned out I'd overthought everything. I was still on the ground when I opened my eyes, the chill sinking deep into my muscles and bones. "Dad, if I hadn't gotten out fast enough, Aunt Louella's breakfast would've gone straight to the trash.""Good job, Nate! Your Aunt Louella would be thrilled if she knew," Calvin said, running his fingers through Nathan's hair in approval. Louella was all they talked about. No one even glanced my way as I lay there on the floor. A sharp, stabbing pain kept tightening in my chest, and the metallic taste of blood clung to the back of my throat. I pushed myself up, my legs wobbling beneath me. The movement made just enough sound for them to look my way.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Calvin gave me a cold glance as I stood up. "What? Done pretending and finally decided to get up? Janelle, if you didn't want to deliver the food, you could've just said so. You don't have to put on this whole act." Nathan, standing nearby, chimed in without missing a beat. "Mom, you always told me to be honest and never lie, so why are you lying?" Coming from a child his age, those words should have sounded innocent. But instead, they sent a chill straight through me. "Alright then. Since you're obviously fine, we're heading to the hospital." Before I knew it, I was alone in that massive house. My head was throbbing after I blacked out earlier. The dull ache came back even worse this time. As I was out of options, I chugged a whole bottle of painkillers just to make the pain a little more tolerable. A foggy numbness spread through me, and I just dropped onto the couch. … "Daddy, do you think Aunt Louella likes roses? Should we cover the whole house in flowers?" Nathan's voice—which was bright and excited—cut through the haze in my mind, dragging me awake. The sunlight outside was just as bright as I remembered. I'd somehow spent a full day and night on the couch. It seemed like Calvin and Nathan never even came home last night. I managed to get to my feet and was heading to the kitchen to make myself something to eat when Nathan stopped me. "Mom, have you forgotten? Aunt Louella's getting discharged today, so we're all celebrating together!" Celebrating? I had no idea. Nobody had bothered to tell me. Calvin's face went tight at Nathan's words. He gave him a sharp glance before finally turning to me. "The celebration is at the Aurielle Hotel. I'm picking Lou up soon. You can get there on your own." After telling me, Calvin and Nathan went back to decorating the house. I never knew Calvin, who never seemed to care about romance, could make a place feel so warm and welcoming. Guess I just wasn't the one who could bring that out in him. As for their little family celebration, I wasn't about to tag along, so I shut it down. "I'm not feeling well." Calvin, who obviously did not want me to kill the vibe, just gave a quick nod. After breakfast, I dragged myself back to bed. I was getting worse, and the only thing that helped even a little was staying flat on my back. I was barely awake when my phone rang. Still half out of it, I answered without thinking. Calvin was talking, but I couldn't make out a word. My hand moved before my brain did, and I hung up on him. I lost track of time. Out of nowhere, a huge bang tore through the silence of the room. The noise yanked me awake. With bloodshot eyes, I looked towards the bedroom door. Calvin's face flushed with anger. When he saw me propped up in bed, he marched straight over and ripped the blankets off me. "Who the hell do you think you are, Janelle? The whole family's sitting around waiting for you, and you're just lounging in bed like it's nothing? If you've got a problem, then spit it out! "Did you seriously have to pull this crap? Did you know Lou got readmitted to the hospital because we wasted time waiting on you?" His words hit me like a punch. What crap was I pulling? I'd already told them I wasn't going to that celebration. What kind of game was he trying to play? Before I could figure out what was going on, Calvin grabbed my wrist and jerked me hard. The pain exploded through me—like I'd been shoved into a furnace. My back was pure fire. I could feel my shirt clinging to my back, damp and warm. And I could feel blood seeping through.