Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Josh and I had been together for seven years. Finally, we were getting married. Sitting at the vanity, I layered on three coats of powder before my pale and sickly face looked anything close to normal. Footsteps echoed behind me. In the mirror, my mother's reflection appeared. "Grace." My back stiffened for a moment before I forced a smile, one that barely qualified as such. "Mom… you're here." Without warning, she pulled out a paring knife and pressed it against her throat. "Can you let Carrie marry Josh instead?" she pleaded. "The fortune teller said this is the only way she'll ever recover. She's been in love with Josh for so long. Marrying him is the only way she'll get better." Afraid I might refuse, she pressed the blade harder against her skin, drawing a thin line of red. "If you don't agree, I'll die right here. Then you won't get married either." I stared at her, unable to wrap my head around it. "So, whatever Carrie wants, I have to give it to her? My liver, my wedding, my dress, my ring… even my fiancé?""Yes." Her answer was firm and unwavering. "If it weren't for George, we would've been homeless long ago. This is the least you can do for Carrie." I had heard those words so many times. Ever since she remarried George Brooks and brought my brother and me into their home, she never let me forget—I owed Carrie. Growing up, I had to give her everything. My mother and brother's love. The toys and dresses I liked. Even my test scores. Now, all I had left was Josh. Why should I give him up too? I fought to steady my voice. "And if I refuse?" For a second, Mom looked stunned, as if the thought had never crossed her mind. Then, the dressing room door burst open with a bang. Nick stormed in, his expression cold. He snatched the knife from my mother's hands and, without hesitation, slapped me across the face. "Grace, you ungrateful wretch. How could you talk to Mom like that? It's just a wedding—are you going to die without it?" Dazed, it took me a moment to process the sting in my cheek. Then I lifted my head and let out a soft, bitter laugh. "What if I said I really would die? What would you do then?" My mother's voice sharpened. "Don't talk nonsense!" She didn't see the tears I was holding back. She continued scolding me, as if I were being difficult on purpose. "You've been competing with Carrie since you were little. Now you have to copy her even in illness?" Disappointment clouded Nick's face. "Why are you being so unreasonable? She's our sister. Shouldn't we want her to live a happy, healthy life?" His grip tightened around my arm, his fingers digging into my skin. He shot my mother a look. "Do it. The ceremony's about to start." My vision blurred as I looked at him. My throat tightened. I felt it hard to breathe. When we were little, Nick used to say he'd protect me. That he'd take Dad's place and spoil me like a princess. That he wouldn't let anyone hurt me. But now, his face was filled with nothing but disgust—like he wanted to strangle me himself. My mother stepped behind me, fingers reaching for the zipper of my wedding dress. I clutched at the fabric, my voice hoarse as I begged her not to.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

But Mom still ripped my wedding dress off me. Clutching it in her arms, she hurried off to find Carrie while muttering to herself, "Carrie has lost so much weight recently. I wonder if she'll even be able to fill out this dress. If I had known, I would've made Grace eat less." Only then did Nick let go of my wrist. He paused, staring at my thin, bony arm. "Why have you lost so much weight?" My nose burned. Two years ago, Carrie and I were in a car accident together. After that, my mother spent all her time cooking elaborate meals for her. I only got the leftovers. Carrie and I had completely different tastes. The food she loved was everything I couldn't stand. But if I so much as hesitated, my mother would break down, lamenting how hard things were for her. So I forced myself to swallow bite after bite. That's when the anorexia started. The weight dropped off quickly. But they were all so focused on Carrie that no one noticed. That dress would barely fit her. I let out a quiet laugh. "What does it matter to you?" I said softly. "As long as your precious Carrie is healthy, that's all that matters. If I died, you'd all finally have some peace.""Stop being so dramatic!" Nick snapped before slamming the door on his way out. Before leaving, he threw one last warning at me. "Josh agreed to this too, so stop making trouble. Stay here. Don't even think about ruining their wedding." I laughed at myself. So even Josh wouldn't stand by me in the end. The door creaked open again. My mother entered, beaming, holding a pink bridesmaid dress in her hands. "Grace, Carrie still needs a bridesmaid. Hurry up and change into this." She glanced at my face and frowned. "And wipe off that bridal makeup. Don't steal Carrie's spotlight." Seeing me sit motionless, she took matters into her own hands, forcing the dress over my head as she chattered about the wedding details. "And don't keep staring at Josh later. He's your brother-in-law now, you two need to keep your distance." How ridiculous. I had to keep my distance? A laugh burst out of me before I could stop it. My mother shot me an annoyed glance. "You've grown so moody lately. You're nothing like Carrie. She's so much more likable." Mom dragged me into the wedding hall. Josh stood at the altar, dressed in a crisp suit, speaking with the officiant. Carrie clung to his arm, her eyes full of admiration and devotion. When he saw me, he gently pulled away from her and started toward me. Carrie hesitated, then grabbed his sleeve, looking up at him with teary eyes. Josh reassured her softly. "Don't worry. I promised you—I'll marry you." Satisfied, she gave me a triumphant glance before letting go. Josh stopped in front of me. I handed him back his promise ring. "Congratulations, brother-in-law." At nineteen, Josh had fought underground matches to buy this ring, swearing he would marry me someday. I wondered if that nineteen-year-old version of him would want to beat his future self to a pulp. With a soft clink, the ring hit the floor. Josh's brows furrowed. He looked at me, as if struggling to explain—or maybe just delivering a verdict. "Grace, don't be difficult. You're the one I love. But Carrie needs this wedding more than you do. I'll make it up to you later.""No need." I smiled faintly. "Unlike my dear sister, I don't like secondhand trash.""Grace—" Before Josh could finish, Nick's voice rang out from across the room. "Josh, the ceremony's starting!" Josh hesitated, then turned back to me. "Wait for me, Grace. I'll explain everything after this is over." He held my gaze for a moment, then took Carrie's hand and walked away. I stood there, alone. A chill ran down my spine, and I shivered.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Wait? Time was a luxury I didn't have. I clenched the medical report in my bag, crumpled it into a tight ball, and tossed it into the trash. It didn't matter. No one would care anyway. I just had to disappear quietly. Once I was gone, everything that had belonged to me would be Carrie's. Maybe then they'd finally be happy. Two years ago, I had driven Carrie to a competition. At an intersection, we argued. I told her firmly that it was a no-left-turn lane. She insisted I was just jealous, that I wanted her to be late. Before I could react, she lunged at the wheel, yanking it hard. We crashed straight into oncoming traffic. When my mother and Nick arrived, they didn't even bother asking what had happened. My mother screamed at me. "How were you driving?! Look at Carrie's leg! Do you have any idea how important this is for a future dancer?! Why wasn't it you who got hurt instead?!" Nick's expression was cold. "Grace, how can you be so cruel? Were you trying to kill Carrie?" They didn't even look at me after that. They just scooped her up and rushed her into the ambulance, leaving me behind. I stood there, watching the ambulance disappear down the road, wanting to call out. I was hurt, too. My right arm wouldn't move. My head throbbed painfully. But I knew what they would say if I spoke up. "It's just a scratch. Stop being so dramatic." That accident left Carrie with a three-centimeter scar on her leg. I, on the other hand, had a shattered arm and twelve stitches in my head. But Carrie fell into depression over that scar. So my mother made her nutritious meals every day. Nick bought her gifts, constantly trying to cheer her up. I spent those days alone in my room. My arm was filled with metal pins, and my head was wrapped up like a mummy. I had to eat whatever leftovers my mother made while cooking for Carrie. Mom always told me, "Grace, you should be grateful. If it weren't for George, you wouldn't even have food to eat." But now, I was finally going to die. And I wouldn't need anything from them ever again. … I stood in the crowd, watching Carrie walk down the aisle in the wedding dress I had chosen. Step by step, she moved toward Josh. They exchanged vows, sealed their promise with a kiss, and slipped rings onto each other's fingers as the guests cheered. Carrie turned to glance at me, a triumphant smirk playing at her lips. On stage, my mother and George held hands as they gave a speech. Her voice trembled with emotion as she declared, "I would give up everything for Carrie's happiness." I suppose I was just a part of that sacrifice. At the very moment she finished speaking, a bitter taste surged up my throat. I barely had time to cover my mouth before I was choking on blood. Ignoring the murmurs around me, I rushed to the bathroom, retching into the sink. Nick stormed in after me, his voice sharp with irritation. "Grace, do you have to ruin everything at such an important moment?" I couldn't answer. I turned on the tap, splashing cold water on my face as my stomach convulsed again. Nick's expression shifted, stiffening as he hesitated. "You're pregnant?" I froze. Before I could respond, his face darkened. "That child has to go. It'll upset Carrie. And don't forget, you're supposed to donate part of your liver to her. Grace, we're going to the hospital. Right now. Do you hear me?!" His voice cracked as he shouted. I didn't have the strength to argue. He grabbed my wrist, dragging me out of the bathroom. I stumbled, bracing myself against the wall. When I lifted my head, Josh was standing there, watching me with an unreadable look on his face.