Chapter 1

My sister and I were finally rescued after being kidnapped for three days.

My mother, a renowned surgeon, reallocated every medical resource in the hospital just to give my terrified sister a full-body checkup.

She didn't care that I was having a fatal heart attack and needed immediate resuscitation.

When I begged her to save me, she only screamed in my face.

"Your sister almost had a heart attack from fear! Can't you be more mature? Stop making up these lies just for attention!"

In the end, I lay alone in a cold corner until my heart stopped beating.

But later, the family that had always despised me began to regret it, one by one.

1.

The pain in my chest was unbearable, as if a giant hand was tearing my entire body apart.

The overhead lights were blindingly bright, and my mother's frantic face was the last thing I saw.

Unfortunately, all her anxiety and worry were for my younger sister.

I wasn't even worth a second glance.

It had always been this way.

The pain grew sharper, yet my soul felt lighter and lighter as I drifted away.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw my mother's face.

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

My sister, Tessa, seemed to be having a nightmare, her pale face covered in a thin layer of cold sweat.

Mother gently stroked Tessa's forehead, her eyes filled with heartache.

"Sweetheart, please wake up. Mommy misses you so much..."

I felt a pang of hollow sadness. Mother had never shown me such tenderness.

My father stood nearby, his face darkening with rage as he gritted his teeth.

"This is all Avery's fault. She couldn't even protect her own sister. Just wait until I get my hands on her!"

"She's useless compared to Tessa. A total waste of space!"

Avery is my name.

Just like my name suggests, I was nothing more than an extra, a surplus in their lives.

Listening to my parents express their disgust for me made that familiar ache spread through my chest.

Dad, Mom, I know you've always hated me. You won't have to worry about me anymore.

Because I'm already dead. I'm just a wandering ghost who hasn't moved on yet.

Mother, the Chief of Surgery, personally conducted every test on Tessa.

She poured over the reports until she was absolutely sure Tessa was fine before she finally let out a breath.

The intern standing nearby finally spoke up in a weak voice.

"Chief, what about the other patient who was brought in with her? She looked like she was in really bad shape..."

The tenderness on Mother's face vanished, replaced by instant irritation.

"Why bother with her? Avery has been faking it for attention since she was a kid."

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

A chill ran through my spectral form, from head to toe.

I knew she loved my sister more, but I was still her daughter.

I was her own flesh and blood, wasn't I?

Mother pulled out her phone and dialed my number.

But I had already stopped breathing in a cold, lonely corner that no one cared about.

The nurse preparing my body for the morgue noticed the call and picked up.

Before the nurse could say a word, Mother unleashed a torrent of angry questions.

"Avery, where the hell are you? Don't think hiding will save you from this!"

"You traumatized your sister. Get over here and apologize right now! Don't make me come find you!"

The young nurse tried to explain, "The patient has passed away. No one has claimed the body, so we're moving her to the morgue..."

But Mother thought I was playing some sick game. She let out a mocking laugh.

"Enough, Avery! Do you think hiring an actor to play a nurse will make me forgive you?"

"Stop using such pathetic ways to get my attention!"

She slammed the phone down, her face flushed with anger as she muttered about how immature I was.

Tessa finally woke up, rubbing her eyes and sitting up with a dazed expression.

"Mom? Dad? Am I... am I safe?" she whispered, acting like a confused victim.

She threw herself into their arms as if she had just escaped death itself.

"Where's Avery? Is my sister okay?" she asked, feigning deep concern.

I had to admit, Tessa knew exactly how to play them.

Seeing her like this made Mother even more sympathetic to her and more hateful toward me.

"If Avery were even half as sensible as you, I wouldn't be this angry all the time!"

Dad chimed in, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Don't even mention that ungrateful brat. She's probably out enjoying herself somewhere!"

A flash of triumph crossed Tessa's face for a split second before she resumed her act as the misunderstood victim.

"Don't be mad at her. I think she's just upset because I won the piano competition. She didn't mean it..."

Listening to her lies, I could only watch in helpless, silent rage.

I wanted to scream the truth at my parents.

Tessa had planned the entire kidnapping herself just to get rid of me.

But I knew they wouldn't believe me.

In their eyes, Tessa was the perfect child, and I was always the one in the wrong.