I was in the late stages of a terminal illness, with only days left to live. The doctors told me to notify my family and make arrangements for my funeral. But my brother, Liam, had believed Seraphina’s lies, convinced I had bullied her for three years in high school. He’d blocked me ages ago. While I was fighting for my life in the emergency room, Seraphina merely had a low-grade flu fever. Yet, Liam waited outside her film set all night, his face, usually so indifferent, etched with frantic worry. “Please, go see a doctor, okay? Even a small cold can be serious if you push yourself.” His fans on Ins gushed about his overwhelming devotion. As I was fading, barely clinging to life, I called the cemetery salesperson. “Everything’s arranged, right? No funeral, just cremate me directly.” “And the music sheets Liam wrote for me… burn them too.” I died on my twentieth birthday. Liam never knew. He never knew it was Seraphina who had bullied me for three years, and that she’d even swapped my terminal diagnosis records.
Dr. Miller sighed softly as he covered me with a white sheet. The piercing beeps of the monitor reminded me that, yes, I was indeed dead. A flash of white light, and I found myself outside Seraphina’s film set. Liam held her close, his heart aching, as she snuggled into his chest, a cooling patch on her forehead. She murmured playfully, “It’s just a little cold, you didn’t have to cancel work to be with me.” “No matter where you are, I’ll wait patiently for you. I’ll take good care of myself.” She nestled completely into his arms, her smile saccharine sweet. Liam repeatedly checked her temperature, finally relaxing when he saw she was truly fine. Seraphina took his hand, her voice tinged with feigned regret. “I prepared a special surprise for you, but I didn’t expect you to arrive even earlier than the gift.” Liam ruffled her hair, his voice dripping with affection. “Forget the surprise, I just want you healthy and happy, always by my side.” Seraphina’s fans excitedly captured their sweet interaction on their phones. They raved about Liam’s profound love. They felt so bad for Seraphina, who was sick but still had to work through the night. A bolder fan spoke up first, “Mr. Hayes, did you really give up a nine-figure deal for Seraphina? Just to be with her while she’s sick?” Liam held Seraphina close, his voice calm. “I was following up on a spiritual premonition from a renowned mystic. Heeding his warning brought me back. Seraphina will always be my top priority.” Seraphina blushed, saying, “He worries too much about me. The mystic told him he might suffer a painful loss, and he insisted on seeing me immediately.” “I won’t let Liam or my fans down. I’ll take better care of myself and work harder from now on. The flu is going around, everyone, please take care of yourselves too!” With that, she smiled and waved at each fan. Liam stated earnestly, “Even if the mystic hadn’t warned me, I would have rushed back the moment I heard Seraphina had a cold.” The fans burst into a chorus of admiration. “Seraphina is beautiful and hardworking, she’s definitely going to be huge!” “Mr. Hayes is handsome and powerful, and so selfless! Seriously envious!” “When are you two getting engaged? We’re all waiting for your good news!” Fans aimed their phones at the couple, snapping photos. “Mr. Hayes, giving up such a huge project, do you really not regret it?” Liam usually hated being posted online, but this time he stood calmly beside Seraphina. “I never regret my choices. Besides, my motivation for working is to give Seraphina a better life.” Someone in the crowd muttered with a frown, “Liam Hayes? I thought he had a sister, too. I saw her at the hospital today. Maybe I was mistaken.” His whisper was swallowed by the crowd’s noise. Just like me, I was always the overlooked one. Chapter Two Perhaps it was the bond of blood, but my soul was trapped beside my brother. After Liam carefully helped Seraphina into the car, his assistant, Sarah, hesitated. “Are you still planning to celebrate Mia’s birthday today, sir?” Liam’s movements froze, then his brows subtly furrowed. Today was my twentieth birthday. He’d rushed back to the city, but it was for Seraphina. He casually scrolled through my social media. I always posted my birthday wishes right at midnight, but this year, there was nothing. A flicker of irritation crossed his eyes. Seraphina peered over curiously. “You rushed back from abroad, working non-stop, and she didn’t even send a single message asking if you’re okay? What a terrible sister.” Liam irritably clicked off his phone. “She’s just used to being spoiled and throwing fits. Who knows what she’s mad about this year. I’m not celebrating her birthday anymore. First, we’re going to the hospital to get you checked out.” With that, he thoughtfully adjusted the AC higher and gently covered Seraphina with a blanket. Seraphina lowered her voice, feigning hurt. “Liam, she must be upset because she saw the news about you coming to be with me.” “After all, it’s her birthday today. I should apologize to her… I don’t want you two to be unhappy because of me.” Liam’s fist clenched and then relaxed. After a long moment, he gave a repressed “Hmm.” A flash of resentment crossed Seraphina’s face, but she quickly composed herself, forcing a smile as she pulled out her phone. After seeing a text from her assistant, a cruel glint flashed in her eyes. She then called my phone. She called many times, but the call never connected. When the phone finally announced it was off, Liam said coldly, “Don’t bother. If she wants to act out, let her. You don’t need to humble yourself for her.” With that, he urged the driver to speed up. I watched Liam calmly. Aside from a faint annoyance, there was no concern on his face. I should have faced reality long ago. Liam hated me so much because of Seraphina, how could he possibly care about me? Even if he was in the city, he wouldn’t celebrate my birthday, too proud, too cold, or too annoyed to even utter a simple greeting. Ever since Seraphina barged into his world, I was forced to get used to his favoritism and targeted hostility. He always said I was difficult and willful, always making trouble for Seraphina. He said I was petty and jealous of Seraphina’s success. My piano room, once mine, became Seraphina’s exclusive domain. The custom gifts meant for me were engraved with Seraphina’s name. Even when I was sick and bedridden, he only believed Seraphina’s words, convinced I was scheming and faking my illness for sympathy. I always silently wished, foolishly hoping he could go back to how he used to be. But I was wrong. Because of Seraphina, his misunderstanding of me grew deeper and deeper, to the point he didn’t even want to acknowledge me as his sister anymore. I would never get his apology. I was dead. We would never see each other again in this life. Chapter Three Liam took Seraphina to the best private hospital. Even the hospital room was decorated to her liking in advance. Because, in Liam’s eyes, Seraphina was the person he owed the most. In high school, everyone mocked me for being an orphan with no parents. And the one who led the bullying against me for three whole years was Seraphina herself. After high school graduation, I left the city, thinking I had finally escaped. But I never expected that in just three short years, when I saw Seraphina again, she was already my brother’s girlfriend. I tried to let go of the past, to stay out of their way. But Seraphina wouldn’t let me. She twisted the truth in front of Liam, claiming I used my position to bully her for three years in high school. From then on, Liam never gave me a kind look. He kept saying I had to pay for what I’d done. So he arbitrarily cut off all my funds, and even tried to strip my right to study abroad. In Liam’s eyes, I had become a barbaric, wicked person. While Seraphina, in his eyes, was a rare and precious gem. He pitied Seraphina’s past, and out of guilt, he became even better to her, practically spoiling her to the moon and back. Which was why he was still by Seraphina’s side, dark circles under his eyes. Even though the doctor repeatedly stressed that Seraphina just had a common cold. Seraphina was about to say something when the door to the room suddenly burst open. It was Caleb, Liam’s old friend, who was also an investor in Seraphina’s new show. “Unbelievable, your social media buzz is even higher than my new show.” “Why don’t you let me piggyback on your traffic? This show will definitely be a hit.” “Mr. Hayes, sacrificing a nine-figure project for your beloved, tsk-tsk…” Liam shot him a displeased look, motioning him into the hallway with his eyes. “My feelings for Seraphina don’t need media hype to prove.” “Seraphina doesn’t need that kind of buzz. If she wants it, I’ll pour money into promoting her, not put her under public pressure.” “I, on the other hand, want to ask you, why are you putting so much work pressure on Seraphina?” Caleb looked at him incredulously. “Out of respect for you, everyone on set has been treating Seraphina like she was royalty, waiting on her hand and foot. The overtime was even her idea.” “I was wondering, she was perfectly fine all day, why did she suddenly fall apart right after midnight?” Liam scoffed, “Seraphina always tries to be strong. She never complains when she’s upset.” “It must be your set’s grueling schedule that wore her out.” Caleb shrugged, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Mr. Hayes, you’re truly a devoted man. I’m almost envious of Seraphina.” “You’ve never cared this much for Mia.” Seeing Liam’s face instantly darken, Caleb wisely stopped talking, hesitating for a long moment before finally speaking. “Today is Mia’s birthday, you know. I verified the on-site audio, and she was indeed at the hospital today.” After Liam watched the hospital surveillance video on Caleb’s phone, the anger in his eyes intensified. The Mia in the video looked terribly frail, blood stained her sleeves, her eyes lifeless, leaning weakly against the wall. Liam didn’t even finish watching before he impatiently closed the video. “So what if I didn’t celebrate her birthday? She even resorted to faking self-harm!” It wasn’t like that! The video had been maliciously edited! I hadn’t harmed myself. The blood on my sleeves was from the fresh blood I’d coughed up during an attack. I spun around in distress, but Liam couldn’t hear my voice at all. Caleb was still trying to reason with Liam. “No matter what, Mia is still your biological sister. Seraphina will be family once she marries in. There’s no need to make things so tense.” Liam looked at my disheveled figure in the video, his expression complex, his throat subtly bobbing. My heart ached beyond words. Even outsiders cared about me, but Liam instinctively suspected the worst. Chapter Four Liam’s face remained impassive. After Caleb left in a hurry, he began pacing back and forth in the hallway. He pulled a small velvet jewelry box from his coat pocket. Inside was a sapphire necklace. So, he had prepared a birthday gift for me. Once, Seraphina had stolen my mother’s heirloom, which was also a sapphire necklace. But Liam had scolded me, saying it was just a necklace, and that my bullying had driven Seraphina to depression and almost suicide, and I owed her for the rest of my life. Now, the sapphire in his hand was even larger and brighter than the one I had lost. Unfortunately, items imbued with meaning are uniquely irreplaceable. He repeatedly caressed the gem, carefully putting it away. Only then did his emotions completely calm. He went back into the room, grabbed his car keys, and was about to head home to find me when the sleeping Seraphina woke up. “Liam, where are you going?” Tears welled in her eyes. “I’m scared being alone in the hospital. Can you stay with me, please?” Liam stepped forward, holding her in his arms to comfort her. “Just get your IV first. I’ll be back soon, I won’t abandon you.” Seraphina’s hand, gripping his sleeve, refused to let go. She cautiously probed, “Is it because of Mia?” Liam nodded. “She’s the only person in this world I’m related to by blood. I can’t fail Mom and Dad’s last wishes.” Seraphina lowered her head, looking wronged. “It’s fine, I understand. I’ll wait for you to come back.” Liam still left. The moment he closed the door, I clearly saw Seraphina clench her fists in resentment, her eyes filled with venom. I followed Liam back to the empty house. Seeing no shoes by the entrance, he impatiently burst into my room. The room had been tidied meticulously. Even the sheet music he’d personally written for me, which I used to cherish the most, was gone. Liam sat dejectedly at the piano, staring at the stickers we’d put on the keys together. Through the moonlight, I seemed to see the Liam from years ago. Back then, he taught me to play piano, wrote music for me. As long as he was there, my face always held a content smile. After Seraphina appeared, I never played the piano again. Liam’s fingertips brushed the keys. He looked at his dust-covered fingers and murmured, “Mia… why did we end up like this?” His figure looked especially forlorn in the moonlight. He stood up, took one last look at my room, and fled as if escaping. From childhood, Liam never initiated an apology to me. When he made mistakes, he would always avoid and gloss over them. I used to think he was just too proud, and as his sister, I shouldn’t hold it against him. Seeing Liam scroll through my Ins again, I scoffed at his terrible memory. He probably forgot he couldn’t see my updates, not because I wasn’t contacting him, but because he had blocked me. I sat in the corner of the sofa, calmly watching his panicked expression. What if he knew I was dead? What if he knew that Seraphina was the one who bullied me, that she had swapped my terminal diagnosis records, indirectly causing my death? Would he still stubbornly believe he was right, and run away like before? Unfortunately, he would never have the chance to apologize to me. It wasn’t until dawn that a sudden ringtone startled Liam awake. I leaned closer. It was Kyle, the cemetery salesperson. “Are you Mia Hayes’s brother?” The voice on the other end sounded uncertain. Liam frowned impatiently. “Yes, I am. What dramatic stunt is she pulling now?” “I’m Mia Hayes’s agent. Cremation requires a family member’s signature. Do you have time to come over?” Liam’s expression froze. He gripped his phone, suppressing his anger. “Tell me the truth, how much money did Mia give you to go along with her act?” Before the other side could speak, Liam frantically hung up. He took a few deep breaths. “Mia is so afraid of dying, how could she ever actually die? Right! It must be another one of her pathetic attempts to get me to celebrate her birthday!” He hastily grabbed his coat. “Seraphina is still waiting for me at the hospital. I need to go be with her…” “I won’t fall for it again.” My heart turned cold. It seemed in his mind, Seraphina was always the most important. But his panicked retreating figure betrayed him. Maybe, just maybe, he’d be moved by our blood relation. I was a little curious about the day the truth would finally come out. Chapter Five The moment Liam opened the hospital room door, Seraphina threw herself into his arms. “Liam, I waited for you all night! What took you so long?”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296764”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic
Leave a Reply