Chapter 1

1 Ashley and her friends made a bet. They dared to unplug my sick sister, Emily's, ventilator.

They laughed, watching her struggle in bed, betting on how long she could last.

But Emily couldn't hold on.

She fought for five minutes before finally suffocating.

When she died, her eyes were wide open, tears streaking her face.

I held Emily in my arms, crying as I called Ashley to confront her. She just excitedly asked, "How long did she last? If it's over five minutes, I win! You can't let me lose face!"

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my skin, wanting to tear her apart right there and then.

With Emily gone, I had no reason to stay with Ashley.

But later, she cried, begging me not to leave.

A joke. A life stood between us. How could I ever go back?

......

It was two days later when we finally buried Emily. I used every ounce of strength to host the friends who came to pay their respects, but crumbled the moment they left.

Ashley hadn't called, not once.

She was busy celebrating at a villa with her rich friends.

A 2 billion dollar deal was enough to solidify Ashley's position in her family's company.

Ironically, it was a deal I'd worked tirelessly to secure, but all the credit went to Ashley.

They praised her for keeping me, their "lucky charm."

The villa was brightly lit, as if it were daytime.

No one remembered that in a dark corner, my sister had lost her life.

The party was in full swing, everyone's faces flushed with drunkenness, not a trace of guilt or unease.

Ashley held up a sparkling diamond ring as she slipped it onto the finger of her childhood sweetheart, Chloe. Chloe beamed, lifting her hand before kissing Ashley on the lips.

The crowd roared, urging them to kiss more passionately.

I watched it all, my eyes burning.

Someone spotted me at the door, awkwardly calling out, "Em... uh, Jennifer!" The word "girlfriend" died on his lips.

Ashley's furrowed brow relaxed slightly as she turned to look at me.

"Skipping the celebration? Getting a little too big for your britches, are we?"

I hadn't even accused her of being with another woman while we were dating, but she was already finding fault with me.

Chloe clung to Ashley's arm, snuggling against her shoulder.

"Don't blame Jennifer, Ashley. She's from a simple background, she's probably not used to this kind of thing."

Yes, I came from a modest family, and so did Emily.

But even ordinary people don't deserve to be humiliated and mocked.

I scoffed. "Right, you're from a wealthy family, you're high-class. And that makes it okay to make out in front of everyone?"