Chapter 3

3.

When I woke up, I was lying on the sofa. Xavier was standing over me, looking incredibly irritated.

Seeing me open my eyes, he scoffed.

"You really need to watch your blood sugar. I told you I had to take that soup to Tiana. Was it really necessary to pull this stunt right now?"

"Tiana is so sweet, she insisted I stay here and watch over you. And look at you, you're fine. Honestly, Vivi, I never realized you were this manipulative."

I wanted to tell him I wasn't faking. I wanted to tell him it was the side effect of the heavy meds.

But I realized there was no point. Even if I were bleeding out on the floor, he would just see it as another way to get attention.

I swallowed the bitterness and spoke calmly.

"Go see Tiana. I'm fine. You don't need to stay."

He cleared his throat, suddenly sounding very self-important again.

"Tiana thinks this is all too good to be true. She's worried it's a dream. Your parents and I think you should come to the hospital with me. You should tell her the news yourself."

Maybe the painkillers were wearing off, because a sharp, stabbing pain erupted in my chest. It was so intense I could barely breathe.

Tiana really knew how to twist the knife.

I gripped my shirt tightly and nodded. "Okay."

As soon as we got to the hospital, Xavier's entire focus shifted to Tiana.

The look of pure devotion in his eyes made my own eyes sting.

Tiana looked at me with a smug, mocking expression. She looked like she had just won the lottery.

But her voice was like honey.

"Vivi, thank you so much for the shares and for letting Xavier help me with my wish. Don't worry, once I'm healthy, I'll give it all back."

My mother frowned and waved her hand dismissively.

"Why are you thanking her? Those things belong to you anyway. As long as you're okay, your father and I would give you the stars if we could."

My father gently tucked her blanket in.

"Your mother is right. You're the smart one, Tiana. The company will thrive under you. Your sister can just sit back and live off your hard work."

Tiana's eyes never left mine. She was waiting for me to snap. She wanted me to scream and cry so she could play the victim again.

But I didn't give her the satisfaction.

"You're right, Tiana. It's all yours. Actually, I have some real estate and a few shops in my name. I'll transfer those to you today, too."

"I'm sure you'll make much better use of them than I ever could."

My mother's face softened. She actually looked proud of me for once.

"Finally! You're acting like a proper sister. I've told you before, you were always too independent and selfish. It's not that we didn't love you, it's just that you were so stubborn that we had to focus on Tiana."

"See how nice this is? Now we can finally be a happy family."

My father nodded in approval.

I hesitated for a moment, then gathered my courage.

"Mom… if I were really gone one day, would you miss me?"

The smile on my mother's face vanished instantly.

"Vivi, stop it. You're doing it again. Your sister is sick, and you're still trying to compete for attention? Why do you have to ask such nonsense just to prove a point?"

A wave of coldness washed over me. Her non-answer was the only answer I needed.

I looked at Tiana, who was once again surrounded by their love. My parents looked at her with adoration, and Xavier looked at her with worship.

I turned and walked out of the room. I truly hoped they would stay this happy once they found out the truth about Tiana.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I knew by heart.

But the second it picked up, the world went black again.