Chapter 2

The electric currents coursing through my body, combined with the excruciating pain of my angina, made me question if I was still alive.

Only my mother's cold eyes in front of me forced me to cling to a sliver of consciousness.

Before the basement door was shut, I desperately clung to my mother's pants leg.

"Mom! I really can't hold on. My heart hurts so much. If this goes on, I'll die..."

"Please, can you send me to the hospital? I promise I won't fight Chloe for the heart. I'll just take my medication..."

I cried and begged my mother, but she was indifferent. She turned to patiently comfort Chloe, who stood by, watching the show.

"Be a good girl, Chloe. Don't be nervous during the surgery. I will be with you the whole time."

"After you recover, I will take you to travel the world and give you everything I own, okay?"

Chloe shot me a defiant glance, then asked my mother, "If all your assets go to me, what about Lily?"

"Lily? Ha." My mother scoffed. "She's lived a life of poverty for so many years. She's used to not having money. My love will be enough for her."

As she turned to take Chloe to the operating room, she suddenly received a call from Martha, my grandmother.

"Ellie, Lily should be having her surgery soon, right? Please make sure you take good care of her these past few days. Lily has suffered so much. We can't afford any more mistakes this time."

My mother mumbled a quick dismissal and hung up the phone.

I closed my eyes, using the last bit of my strength to speak.

"Mom... I really wasn't lying. I'm in too much pain..."

"If Martha finds out, she'll definitely blame you..."

After the Vance family found me again, my mother had always been cold towards me, all to manage Chloe's emotions.

At my mother's instruction, everyone in the Vance household kept their distance from me. Only Martha was happy about my return.

Even this donor heart was found with Martha's help, but she had no idea that my mother had already forced me to give it to Chloe.

After hanging up the phone, my mother glanced at me again.

At this point, I was in so much pain I'd almost lost all feeling. My face was a mess of blood and tears.

My mother looked at me, momentarily stunned, even wondering if the specialists' words were credible.

Chloe suddenly squatted down. Out of my mother's sight, a faint smirk played on her lips. Then, she brutally pressed both hands onto my chest.

The electrode pads on my chest dug in even deeper. The tearing sensation in my chest made me scream in agony.

But Chloe suddenly fell backward, landing hard on her backside.

Immediately, she burst into tearful sobs.

"Lily, I just wanted to comfort you. You know my heart isn't strong, yet you pushed me. Do you really need me to die for you to be happy?"

My mother's eyes instantly filled with pity. She pulled Chloe into her embrace, comforting her softly.

Chloe cried, shaking her head.

"I know my sister doesn't like me. She blames me for taking her place for so many years, but I really have been kind to her."

"Maybe you should just send me away, Mom. That way, I won't be in my sister's way anymore."

My mother snorted. "If anyone's leaving, it'll be her."

After soothing Chloe, my mother turned and yelled at me.

"How can you be so malicious?!"

"You always pick on Chloe. She only wanted to show you some care, but you deliberately pushed her over."

"If anything happens to Chloe, I will never forgive you."