Chapter 1

1

During summer break, my sister's boyfriend convinced her to drag the whole family on a trip to the cartel-controlled borderlands of Northern Mexico.

I fought against it with everything I had. I told them those areas were lawless death traps where people disappeared every day.

But my mother didn't listen. She just slapped me hard across the face, screaming that I was a jinx and a total buzzkill.

Despite my warnings, the family headed south. On the very day we crossed the border, we were intercepted and detained by a brutal criminal syndicate.

When the cartel leader announced they only needed to keep one person as collateral, my parents didn't even blink. They clutched my sister tight and pointed their fingers directly at me.

I was left behind to be tortured and discarded like trash.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my sister first suggested the trip.

This time, I didn't protest. I acted like I was desperate to go along.

Just as I expected, my sister immediately blocked me. "What would you even do there? Stay here and keep the house clean while we're gone."

As I heard those words, a cold smile finally tugged at the corners of my mouth.

......

When my parents' fingers pointed at me in that basement, my heart didn't just break―it turned to ash.

I always knew they favored my sister. She was their golden girl, the one who could do no wrong.

But I never imagined that in a life-or-death situation, they would discard me so effortlessly.

They looked at me with less emotion than they would show for a stray dog on the street.

My mother's arms were wrapped protectively around Vesper. She screamed at the men holding the guns.

"You can't take Vesper! she's our precious girl, our pride and joy!"

My father nodded frantically in agreement. "Take Clara instead! Take Clara! She's the one you want!"

【Vesper】.

【Clara】.

Just the way they said our names told the whole story. In their hearts, our worth had already been decided years ago.

I had been the invisible child since the day I was born. Vesper was the princess, the one everyone adored and protected.

I was just the shadow following behind her, the servant at her feet.

Vesper had a closet full of designer dresses and dolls. I had socks with holes in them and shoes that never quite fit.

The mercenary's grip on my shoulder was so tight I could barely breathe.

Tears blurred my vision as I looked at my parents, still hoping for a shred of humanity.

"Dad, Mom, they said if you just go home and get a million dollars, they'll let me go!"

My father's eyes darted away, refusing to meet mine. He looked guilty, but not enough to save me.

Then Vesper started crying her crocodile tears.

"Clara, how can you be so selfish? A million dollars? Where are Mom and Dad supposed to get that kind of money?"

"They've worked hard their whole lives. How can you bear to torture them like this at their age?"

The moment she said that, my mother's face twisted into a mask of pure hatred toward me.

"Exactly! We don't have that kind of money. You're asking us to sell our lives for yours!"

"You've always been so selfish! Look at your sister, even now she's only thinking about us!"

"I knew it from the start. You're nothing but an ungrateful snake!"

Tears streamed down my face as I tried to scream back at them.

"I'm selfish? Who's the selfish one here? If you hadn't listened to your boyfriend's lies and dragged us here, we wouldn't be in this hellhole!"

Vesper's face went pale for a second. It was the truth, and she had no way to deny it.

Three days ago, I was on my knees scrubbing the hardwood floors when Vesper walked by in her stilettos.

She intentionally stepped on my fingers with her sharp heel. I felt the skin break and blood start to pool.

I cried out in pain, but my mother only looked over with a sneer.

"Stop making such a scene. Vesper barely weighs anything. How much could it possibly hurt?"

Vesper just smirked and sat down next to Mom, hugging her neck like a loving daughter.

"Mom, Kai told me that the resorts in Northern Mexico are so trendy right now. Summer break is coming up, so why don't we all go?"

My mother hesitated for a moment. "Mexico? Isn't it dangerous?"

I followed the news and knew about the violence near the border. I tried to warn them. "Vesper, it's too dangerous. People go there and never come back."

I should have kept my mouth shut. The second the words left my lips, my mother marched over and delivered a stinging slap.

"You little harbinger of doom! You jinx!"

"Always saying things to ruin the mood! No wonder I almost died giving birth to you. You've been a curse since day one!"

"Who starts talking about never coming back before the trip even starts? Only a miserable brat like you!"

I held my burning cheek and watched them excitedly plan their trip. I knew then that I was powerless.

In the end, we went because Vesper insisted on it.

And just as I feared, we were snatched by a cartel crew the moment we moved away from the main tourist area.

The leader gave us a choice: leave one person behind and pay a million dollars, or we harvest your organs to cover the debt.

Naturally, I was the one they threw to the wolves.

In that moment, the last bit of hope I had for my family shattered into a thousand pieces.

I finally realized that in their eyes, I wasn't just worth less than Vesper. I was worth less than their bank account.