Chapter 1

Three days after being kidnapped, my sister and I were finally found.

My mother, a renowned surgeon, prioritized every available medical resource to perform a full-body scan on my sister, who had merely been frightened. She didn't spare a single glance for me, even as I suffered a cardiac arrest.

When I begged for her help, she only snapped at me with cold fury.

"Serena almost had a heart attack from the shock. Can't you be more mature for once? Stop making up these pathetic excuses just to grab attention!"

In the end, I lay quietly in the corner and took my final breath.

It was only later, when it was far too late, that my family―who had always despised me―began to feel the crushing weight of their regret.

1.

My heart ached with an intensity I couldn't describe, as if a giant hand had ripped through my chest.

The fluorescent lights above were blinding, and my mother's anxious face seemed burned into my vision.

Yet, all that concern and frantic worry was directed entirely at my sister.

To her, I wasn't even worth a second glance.

It had always been this way.

I felt a surge of melancholy, and as the pain grew, my spirit felt strangely light.

When I opened my eyes again, I was looking at my mother's face.

She was dressed in her white coat, hovering nervously by my sister's hospital bed.

Serena seemed to be having a nightmare; her pale skin was damp with cold sweat, and her brows were tightly knit.

My mother gently stroked her forehead, her eyes filled with aching tenderness.

"My darling Serena, wake up soon. Mommy missed you so much…"

I felt a hollow ache. My mother had never shown me such warmth.

My father stood nearby, his expression darkening as he gritted his teeth. "It's all Elara's fault. She couldn't even protect her own sister. When I get my hands on her, she'll regret this!"

"She's never been half as capable as Serena. What a total disappointment."

Elara was my name.

True to its meaning, they had always viewed me as an unnecessary, lingering surplus.

Listening to my parents air their grievances, the familiar, suffocating bitterness rose in my throat.

Mom, Dad, I know you never liked me. You won't have to be annoyed by my existence anymore.

Because I was already dead, trapped as a wandering soul unable to move on.

As the chief surgeon, my mother personally conducted a full examination on Serena. She checked the reports over and over until she was certain Serena was truly fine, finally letting out a long, shuddering sigh of relief.

Seeing my mother finally relax, a young intern hesitated before speaking up. "Chief, shouldn't we also examine the other patient who was brought in at the same time? She looked like she had sustained serious injuries…"

My mother's warmth vanished, replaced by instant irritation. She didn't even turn to look. "Why bother with her? Elara has been acting out and begging for attention since she was a child. She's probably just trying to play the victim again!"

"I won't give her the satisfaction. Don't waste any more hospital resources on her!"

A bone-deep chill washed over me.

Even though I knew my mother favored my sister, I was still her daughter.

We were both her flesh and blood, yet the disparity was cruel.

My mother pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed my number.

But I had already stopped breathing in some cold, forgotten corner of the warehouse…

A nurse, who had been tasked with handling my remains, noticed the phone ringing. She picked it up before she could even say a word.

My mother's furious voice erupted from the speaker. "Elara, where are you? Stop hiding in some dark hole! Don't think you can just run away from the mess you made. You put your sister in this condition―why haven't you come to apologize? You have no manners! Don't force me to deal with you!"

The young nurse tried to explain, her voice trembling. "The patient has already passed away. No one has come to claim the body, so we are preparing to move her to the morgue…"

My mother, convinced I was still playing a sick game, scoffed. "Enough, Elara. Do you really think I'll let you off the hook just because you hired someone to act for you? Stop using such low-class tactics to get my attention!"

With that, she hung up, clearly fuming. "That girl is just so incredibly immature," she muttered.

Just then, Serena slowly opened her eyes. She rubbed her drowsy lids, sat up, and feigned innocence. "Mom, Dad… am I… am I really safe?"

She buried herself in their arms, acting as if she had barely survived a brush with death.

"Where's my sister? Is she okay?" She added, putting on a perfect show of concern.

I had to admit, Serena knew exactly how to manipulate people.

Seeing her act this way only made my parents love her more and hate me with renewed vigor. "If Elara were half as sensible as you, Serena, I wouldn't have to live with this constant headache!"

My father rolled his eyes. "Don't even bring up that heartless brat. She's probably off somewhere enjoying herself, without a care in the world!"

A flash of triumph crossed Serena's face, but she quickly suppressed it, knitting her brows to look like a compassionate victim.

"Mom, Dad, please don't be angry at my sister. I think she's just having trouble accepting that I won the piano competition. She didn't mean to be cruel…"

Listening to her spin such a web of lies, I could only scream in silent, powerless rage.

I wanted to tell them the truth―that the kidnapping was all Serena's plan, designed to get rid of me for good.

But I knew my parents would never believe me.

In their eyes, Serena was the perfect child, while everything I said or did was inherently wrong.