Chapter 2

On the drive home, Richard was behind the wheel.

He'd always been a man of few words, but today he kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror.

"Cassie, take tomorrow off from school and go to the hospital for a full physical. You're about to start college—need to make sure you're healthy."

His tone was casual, like he was discussing something trivial.

I leaned against the car window, watching the scenery fly past, saying nothing.

Linda immediately chimed in. "That's right. Your sister coughed up blood again today. She's getting an IV at the hospital. If you were half as precious as your sister, I'd feel so much better."

*[Tomorrow once the compatibility results come back, we'll schedule the surgery immediately. Richard's already bought the drugs off the black market. She won't have a choice.]*

I suddenly gripped the seatbelt tighter, my knuckles turning white.

Eighteen years.

I'd finally seen this so-called family for what it really was.

The living room walls were covered with Rebecca's glamour shots from childhood to now.

She wore princess dresses and tiaras—the treasured jewel held in the palm of the entire family.

As for me? I didn't have a single solo photo. The only picture I appeared in was a group shot from middle school graduation, pressed under the glass of the coffee table at the very bottom.

All my life, if Rebecca coughed once, Linda would be frantic with worry. If Rebecca had a fever, Richard would drive across half the city in the middle of the night to buy her the strawberries she wanted.

And me?

When I had a 103-degree fever and was barely conscious, Linda just tossed two fever reducers on my nightstand.

"Be good, Cassie. I have to go to the hospital to be with Rebecca. Take your medicine and sleep it off."

I used to think they favored Rebecca more because she wasn't healthy.

I tried so hard to be good, studied so hard, did all the housework—all just to earn even a single look of approval from them.

Now I understood.

I was never their daughter at all.

I was just a "spare blood bag" they'd carefully raised and were ready to slaughter at any time—all for Rebecca.