Chapter 1

My sister Rebecca's engagement party was coming up.

My mother Linda smiled warmly as she helped me try on my bridesmaid dress, telling me I was the most beautiful girl in the world.

But the next second, I heard her vicious calculations from the depths of her mind:

"The waistline of this dress is perfect—it'll cover the incision nicely. Next week, after we harvest her kidney for Rebecca, Rebecca can marry into the Harrison family in style. As for whether this one survives the operating table... well, that'll be up to fate."

In that moment, I felt like I'd plunged into an icy abyss.

So I was never the beloved younger daughter. I was just a spare blood bag they'd carefully raised for eighteen years to use for Rebecca!

Since you showed no humanity, don't blame me for tearing down this facade of a family.

Spotlights shone on the enormous floor-length mirror.

I stood on a raised platform wearing a pure white bridesmaid dress.

Linda knelt at my feet, several pins clenched between her lips, her hands deftly adjusting the fabric at my waist.

She looked up at me, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes filled with love and tenderness.

"Our Cassie is so beautiful. When your sister gets married, you'll definitely be the prettiest bridesmaid there."

She reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear, her fingertips warm against my skin.

I looked at our reflection in the mirror—at the face that resembled hers—and started to form a happy smile.

But then, abruptly, a cold, sharp voice echoed in my mind.

*[This waistline is perfect. Next week after the surgery, we'll slap some gauze on the wound, and this dress will hide everything.]*

*[As long as she doesn't die on the operating table, Rebecca's illness will be cured. The wedding money and villa from the Harrisons will be secured.]*

*[Even if this worthless girl does have an accident, trading one cheap life for our family's prosperity for the rest of our lives—totally worth it.]*

My smile froze instantly on my face.

All the blood in my body seemed to drain away in that instant. My hands and feet turned ice-cold, like dead flesh.

I stared hard at Linda in front of me.

Her lips hadn't moved at all. She still wore that motherly smile.

But that voice—it was unmistakably hers, with a chilling calculation that made my skin crawl.

"Linda..." I heard my own voice trembling.

Linda immediately stood up, gripping my hands with a face full of concern. "What's wrong? Is the dress too tight? Why is your face so pale?"

*[Did this girl figure something out? No way. I need to watch her closely these next few days. Can't let anything go wrong now.]*

I bit down hard on my tongue until I tasted blood, barely suppressing the fear rising in my chest.

"I'm fine. Maybe I didn't sleep well last night. Just a little low blood sugar." I forced out a weak smile.

Linda breathed a sigh of relief and patted the back of my hand.

"That's good. The SATs are coming up soon—you need to take care of yourself. Your sister is counting on you to be there when she gets married."

I lowered my eyelids, hiding the coldness in my eyes.

Be there when she gets married?

More like hand over my kidney. Maybe even my life.

This was my last day as their obedient daughter.