Chapter 1 Chapter 1

When I found out I was going to die, I accepted it with ease. My mate, Simon Knightley, came to me with a sullen expression and said, "Zora, Laila has been in poor health since birth. She's an Omega with the weakest healing ability. "One of her kidneys is failing, and she needs a transplant to survive." He pulled out a Mate Bond Breaking Agreement to dissolve our mate bond. After hesitating for a long while, he gritted his teeth and said, "Your kidney is the best match for Laila. But if you refuse to donate your kidney, you'll have to sign this agreement to break our mate bond. "Laila doesn't have much time left… And she wants to experience the marking ceremony before she dies. After talking to your parents, they agreed that I should be the one to do it. "I love you, Zora. We're only doing this to make sure Laila doesn't die with regrets. "Once she's gone, we'll get back together. Okay?" I stared at the agreement in Simon's hands. Ever since Laila Thorne's kidney failure, everyone in my family had been expecting me to donate my kidney to her. But what they didn't know was—I only had one kidney left. When they found out I refused to donate, they were utterly disappointed. They kept saying how ungrateful I was. "Zora, your sister's dying. All she needs is your kidney to survive. How can you just stand by and watch her die?" My parents wouldn't listen to my explanation. Instead, they kicked me out. "An ingrate like you doesn't deserve to be part of this family. If you won't save Laila, then get out!" And now, even my mate was forcing me to either donate the kidney or he'd mark Laila instead. But I was dying anyway. At this point, what difference would it make? "I agree," I said airily. Stunned, Simon jerked his head up. "Really? That's amazing! Laila has a chance now!" He tore the agreement and hurried me to the healing hut. Mom and Dad also received the news. They arrived soon after, and Mom threw her arms around Laila and wept. "Laila, you have a chance now! You'll be able to stay with me forever…" Afraid that I'd change my mind, Dad quickly had the healer bring over the surgical consent form. Once I signed it, my parents finally relaxed. "Zora, you've finally matured," Dad said. "You're starting to care for your sister. Don't blame us for being biased, okay? Laila's been through so much—she needs our love. "But we won't mistreat you either. You'll still get your part of the inheritance." I shook my head, swallowing the bitterness in my chest. "Just give it all to Laila. I won't need it anyway." Momentarily stunned, Mom patted me and chided, "What nonsense are you talking about? Of course, you'll need it! "Even if your mate is the top warrior in the Lunaris pack and can give you a comfortable life, you can't just disregard your family inheritance." Slowly, I slipped into a daze. Ever since I failed to show up for Dad's kidney transplant surgery five years ago and Laila donated hers instead, my family hadn't been this kind to me. And it was precisely because she had saved Dad that my parents insisted I owed her and that I had to treat her even better. From then on, Laila got the best of everything. She also started targeting me by falsely accusing me, making Mom and Dad resent me even more. Eventually, no matter what I did, it was always wrong. I used to defend myself. Now, I just stayed quiet. Then Mom rushed to Laila's side, and Dad and Simon followed close behind. They all surrounded her, and it was the perfect picture of a loving family. Only I stood alone in the corner, like an outsider who didn't belong.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

My eyes stung. Rubbing my eyes roughly, I turned to leave, but Simon stopped me at the door. "Laila has to stay at the healing hut for treatment, and she won't be able to finish her Werewolf Academy thesis," he said. "Aren't you working on the Belladonna Cure thesis? It's exactly the same as Laila's. Why not let her refer to yours?" A pang of bitterness hit me. I knew there was more to his words. Laila's health had always been fragile, so I had always done her Werewolf Academy homework for her. She had even asked me to cheat for her in exams. She didn't want my grades to surpass hers, yet through plagiarizing my work, she became the top student in the Werewolf Academy. In truth, she hadn't even started her thesis yet. She was just waiting to copy mine. Noticing my silence, Mom spoke in a low voice. "You know how bright Laila is. It's just her health… You're her sister. Help her out, okay?" I had heard this over and over again for the past five years, and I should've been used to it by now. But every time those words echoed in my ears, my chest tightened. I forced a smile and nodded. "Alright. I'll go get it now." This was the last time. I wondered if Laila could still graduate smoothly without someone to plagiarize from after I was gone. "I knew you'd say yes!" Simon exclaimed. "So when I left home, I brought your thesis with me." He quickly pulled it from his bag and handed it to Laila. Laila stuck her tongue out at me, a smug smile on her face. Gently stroking her hair, Simon bent down and whispered something in her ear. She flushed and shot him a glare. I said nothing and watched their intimate interaction. If my wolf hadn't been killed by wolfsbane, it would've been howling with rage inside me. I turned and left the healing hut. Laughter echoed behind me, but no one stopped me this time. Perhaps they hadn't even noticed I had left. I went back home. As I gazed at the cozy interior, I suddenly made up my mind. I wanted to clear all my belongings. Since no one seemed to care about me at all, I'd just discard everything about myself. After all, I didn't want my things to be a burden. I packed everything—including my clothes, daily necessities, my pictures, the gifts I'd bought for my family and Simon—and threw them in the trash outside. I was completely exhausted, and my breathing grew labored. The wolfsbane had taken hold of my body, and with every movement, a wave of excruciating pain shot through me. I was really dying. It took hours before I regained some strength. Just as I got into bed and was about to sleep, Simon barged in. Flanking a crying Laila, Mom and Dad hurried after him. "Zora, you promised to give Laila your thesis. How could you collude with others and accuse your sister of plagiarism?" Simon questioned, his eyes thick with disappointment. "Zora, I understand that you're upset about me borrowing your thesis." Laila sobbed. "But how could you ask your supervisor to publicly criticize me online? I've been swarmed with insults! You're so cruel!""Zora, we're family. How could you do this to your sister?" Mom chimed in disapprovingly. Turning back to Laila, Mom patted her back gently and cooed, "Don't cry, sweetheart. You'll hurt yourself. I'll make your sister apologize to you!"

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

So it turned out after getting my thesis, Laila flaunted it on the academy's forum. Unfortunately, my supervisor saw the post. He had always held high expectations for me, even offering to help revise my thesis before. So the moment Laila uploaded it online, he sensed something was off. He questioned her about the details, but she couldn't answer a single thing. The people online immediately realized something was wrong. How could someone fail to answer questions about their own thesis? Accusations of plagiarism came flooding in. "Laila's been so devastated that she fainted from crying several times," Simon boomed. "Zora, you're her sister. How could you do this to her? Apologize to her now!" Ignoring how pale I looked, he dragged me out of bed and shoved me in front of Laila. My thoughts wandered. Why had he grown so close to her? Five years ago, after my family disowned me, I had trudged through a downpour, drenched to the bone. Then Simon appeared. The moment I saw him, my wounded wolf stirred with hope. I could feel that he was my predestined mate. He brought me home, gave me clean clothes, a steaming cup of coffee, and sat beside me as I poured out my heartbreak. He pitied me, swearing he'd treat me well for the rest of my life. Back then, he had loathed Laila. He never met her, but he despised anyone who hurt me. But when had things started to change? Was it when Laila began hovering around him, acting sweet like a lover? Was it when she clung to him during our dates, or when they started texting each other over the phone for long hours? My lover had become the knight of the person I resented most. I thought I could handle the pain, but it still hurt. Now that I was dying, I could've just let them have whatever they wanted. "It's my fault for putting you in this mess. I'll clear your name by telling them that I was the one who plagiarized your work," I said. The moment I apologized, they were stunned. They hadn't expected me to be this obedient. "You've really started to care for your sister," Mom said, her gaze turning complicated. "I'm glad that you two are finally looking out for each other.""Zora, you've finally matured," Dad chimed in. "If you keep this up, your mom and I will surely dote on you!" Guilt flickered in Simon's eyes. "You're my mate, so I'll surely take care of you," he said, trying to comfort me. "Even if you can't continue your studies at the Werewolf Academy, you can still live comfortably." I tried to smile through the pallor. However, the future Simon spoke of didn't exist for me anymore. At this point, their love and affection were luxuries I could no longer afford. Laila turned on the camera and began recording. "This thesis was written by me at home…" she sobbed. "I never thought my sister would claim it as her own." As she spoke, she turned the camera toward me. Dad, Mom, and Simon all watched closely, as if afraid I might slip. Forcing a smile, I said, "Laila's right. I plagiarized her work and told my supervisor it was mine. I'm sorry." Everyone exhaled in relief. Laila quickly uploaded the video to the academy's forum. Soon, waves of criticism and insults crashed down on me. Pretending to be noble, she stepped in at the perfect time to defend me. "Guys, stop it. No matter what, she's my sister. I've already forgiven her." While no one else was looking, she turned to me with a cold, victorious glare and hissed, "You have no right to compete with me. Mom, Dad, and even Simon are all mine. You don't deserve to be loved by any of them."

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Laila and I were twins, but ever since we were kids, she'd always resented me. She hated sharing her things with me. So she stole our parents' attention, my toys, my dresses—even though she had the exact same ones. She wanted anything I laid my eyes on. Back then, Mom and Dad treated us equally. I had everything Laila had, and they often lectured her for taking my things. But since what had happened five years ago, they poured all their heart and soul into Laila. They thought I was selfish for not visiting Dad when he was hospitalized. So whenever we got into an argument after that, they always took Laila's side. "How could you bully your sister?" was what they often told me. After feuding with her for so many years, I was indeed the one who lost. I could no longer be at odds with her anymore. "Yeah, you won," I said softly. The kidney transplant surgery would take place in two hours, and I was about to die. Given how deep the wolfsbane was already in my system, my soul would also be shattered by the time the Dragonbone scalpel sliced open my body. What would be left was only my lifeless body. By then, would Mom, Dad, and Simon weep for me? Perhaps not. For an eyesore like me to leave, they'd probably be overjoyed. After all, Laila was the apple of their eye. Before surgery, Mom, Dad, and Simon huddled around Laila, comforting and encouraging her. "Laila, don't be scared. We'll be waiting for you outside," Dad said in a tone so gentle that I'd never heard before. "The surgery will definitely be successful. You'll become healthy in no time.""After your recovery, I'll make you your favorite dishes," Mom chimed in lovingly. Simon suddenly pulled out a dazzling moonstone necklace. "I bought the necklace you fancied at the auction last time. After the surgery, I'll put it on for you!" They were all so focused on Laila that none of them remembered that I was also about to undergo surgery. I thought I was used to being neglected. But as I neared the end of my life, the sight before me still broke my heart. I couldn't help but blurt my thoughts, "Would you be sad if I died during surgery?" Mom and Dad were stunned. As if they only recalled my existence now, diffidence flickered across their faces. But once Mom heard what I said, she snapped, "What nonsense are you talking about? It's just a simple kidney transplant surgery. Stop jinxing yourself!" Dad also shot me a disapproving glance. "Don't say that! How could you curse yourself like that? Get sufficient rest after the surgery, and you'll recover in no time. After all, you're much stronger than Laila.""I'll cook you a seafood feast after the surgery's over. You love seafood, don't you?" Gazing at me affectionately, Simon held my hand and said, "Don't worry. I hired the best healer to perform the surgery. You'll definitely be fine. Once it's over, I'll buy whatever you want for you." Bile rose in my throat. He bought Laila's favorite necklace in advance, yet when it came to me, he'd only make such empty promises. I bet he'd be delighted after I was gone. He could finally be with Laila. My gaze lingered on Mom, Dad, and Simon before I entered the operating room. When the Dragonbone scalpel sliced open my skin, the last shred of healing ability I had was completely destroyed. The wolfsbane gnawed at my bones and tore my soul apart. I stopped breathing entirely as I reached the end of my life. The moment before I took my final breath, I wondered if Dad would weep for me if he found out I was the one who donated my kidney to him five years ago, and it was Laila who took the credit. Would he feel bad for me, who was always on the receiving end of Laila's slandering and bullying? Would Mom and Dad ever regret looking down on me? It didn't matter. Even if they would, I wouldn't be around to see it. If there were a next life, I never ever wanted to meet them again.