The moment my breath stopped. My mission in this parallel world was finally complete. My heart went to Mom, my kidney to Dylan, and my spleen to Michael. When I died, beneath the white sheet, both my legs were missing. They were amputated to save Dad when he nearly fell down the stairs. They knew nothing of this. So, when Mom didn’t see me after her surgery, her heart turned so cold she wanted to disown me. Dad immediately canceled my card. Then, a call from the crematorium reached Mom, who was busy preparing Chloe, my adopted sister’s, coming-of-age party. “Excuse me, but your daughter’s body is starting to smell.” “When will you transfer the cremation fee?” … When the call from the crematorium came, Mom was laughing and chatting with guests. In the lavish ballroom, Chloe, wearing a princess dress and looking utterly innocent, stood beside her. Mom had the phone on speakerphone, and the crematorium employee’s words clearly reached everyone present. Mom was startled at first, then her face morphed into a furious glare. “What nonsense are you talking about? My daughter is standing right here in front of me, perfectly fine! And her body is smelling? Scammers nowadays will do anything for money!” Chloe glanced at the phone screen, her expression subtly shifting. “Mom, that looks like Audrey’s phone number. It’s not a scammer.” My transparent body trembled slightly. Ever since I died, I’d been following my family around. They just couldn’t see me. But I never expected Chloe, who always bullied me, to remember my phone number. Mom’s face gradually twisted into horror, and the phone almost slipped from her grasp. Chloe calmly took the phone, her voice soft. “Audrey, stop with the pranks. Mom just had heart surgery, she can’t handle this kind of shock.” “Even though you weren’t there when Mom had her surgery, you’re still her biological child. She won’t blame you.” Mom exploded in a rage, snatching the phone back. “You have the nerve to play pranks? You didn’t even come home for your own mother’s surgery! How could I have given birth to such a heartless wretch? If you want to die, then die outside and don’t ever come back!” She hung up abruptly. Wiping away tears, she helplessly explained to the guests. “Audrey has always been rebellious and unruly, always trying to take Chloe’s things, forbidding us from being nice to her sister, or else she’d throw tantrums and self-harm.” “A kind person donated a heart to me for my surgery, and she didn’t even bother to visit me in the hospital. Her conscience is completely gone!” “Now, to ruin her sister’s coming-of-age party, she’s throwing a tantrum and running away from home, even hiring shady characters to threaten us and extort money.” “I truly wish I had never given birth to this daughter!” “If only Chloe were my biological daughter.” I heard those words, and tears streamed down my face. No, Mom. I was right there beside you when you had your surgery. I wasn’t threatening you, I just… couldn’t be a dutiful daughter to you anymore. Chloe’s coming-of-age party was grand. The gift wall was overflowing. Michael, my eldest brother, a busy lawyer, gifted Chloe a villa in the city, so she wouldn’t feel like an outsider anymore. Dylan, my second brother, who owned a Taekwondo studio, gave her a platinum credit card, with an unlimited spending limit. Dad gave her a 10% ownership stake in his company, so no one would ever look down on Chloe. Mom gave Chloe her most treasured artwork. I remembered that piece; I accidentally stained it a year ago. Mom was so furious she grounded me and didn’t let me eat for three days and nights. But now, that same artwork was so easily given to Chloe. I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe. Chloe and I were a year apart. After I was kidnapped at seven, Mom and Dad adopted six-year-old Chloe. Six months later, the police found me, and I returned home to find I had a younger sister. The System told me it was the butterfly effect of this parallel world, and Chloe was the variable. It also said I’d suffer a bit, but I didn’t care. Just being able to see my parents and brothers safe and sound again, I was content. To ward off disaster for them, I was more than willing. But the surging memories quickly swallowed me. Last year today was my coming-of-age party. Although Mom and Dad favored Chloe over me, they still arranged a grand party for me. But before it even started, Dad twisted his ankle going downstairs, breaking a bone and ending up in the hospital. Michael got into a minor car accident on his way there. Dylan’s phone was stolen while camping, and he lost contact. Mom was so anxious she had a heart attack. I stayed by Mom’s bedside. When she woke up, she displaced her anger onto me, throwing her phone at my forehead. She called me a jinx and told me to get out. Carelessly wiping away the blood streaming down my forehead, I quietly left the hospital room. I curled up on the cold floor by the door, and stayed there all night. My one-in-a-lifetime coming-of-age party, with no blessings, no gifts. All I remembered was Mom’s look of hatred and disgust, and the cold, dark night in the hospital hallway.
The System suddenly appeared, asking me if I regretted it. “If you hadn’t come to this world, in your original world, you would be living a wonderful life, your family had already paved the way for your future.” I came from another world. There, I grew up loved and cherished. But later, for various reasons, they died tragic deaths. I suddenly became an orphan. The System gave me a chance to see my family again. It brought me to this parallel world, to live another life. But it also told me that in this world, my family would also meet tragic ends. Unless someone took the fall for them. Now my mission was over, and they were finally safe. I shook my head, denying, “No regrets. Being able to see them again, to protect them as they once protected me, I’m content.” “I just wish for them to be safe and happy. Even if they hear the news of my death, with Chloe by their side, I’m sure they won’t be too sad.” The System seemed to sigh, “Why are you so silly? Never mind, I’ll apply to headquarters to get you a special benefit.” The System told me to stay in this world for now, waiting for its message. So I lingered, staying with my family. Then I saw my high school teacher come to the house, complaining that I’d skipped class. Dad frowned deeply, and Chloe by his side seemed to hesitate before speaking. “Dad, last Wednesday, I think I saw Audrey and a guy with bright dyed hair go into a hotel.” I froze. Last Wednesday… I was already lying in the funeral home, waiting for cremation. How could I have gone to a hotel with a guy? She was clearly making things up. Even though I was gone, why was she still trying to throw dirt on my name? My family wouldn’t believe such a cheap lie. But I never expected Dylan to immediately burst out cursing. “Going to bed with just any guy at such a young age, how trashy!” Michael, impeccably dressed in his suit, looked displeased and disappointed. He turned to Chloe, admonishing her. “Sister, no matter what you saw, don’t follow your sister’s conduct. Girls need to have self-respect.” I stood there, dumbfounded and incredulous. Chloe pursed her lips, smiled shyly, and pulled out her report card. “Brother, I don’t understand those things about Audrey. I just want to focus on my studies.” Seeing her top grades in every subject, even Mom and Dad, who had been scowling, broke into relieved smiles. Chloe struck while the iron was hot, proposing that she wanted to skip a grade. Dad looked troubled. “The spots in the honors class for seniors are already full.” Dylan looked at Chloe, his face full of concern. “That’s easy, isn’t it? Someone’s just hogging a spot and doing nothing with it, kick her out, and then little sister can go to school!” A sharp pain pierced my heart. I could only look at Mom and Dad with pleading eyes. Mom and Dad knew how much I suffered to get into that honors class. At least, don’t be so cruel to me. But in the end, they disappointed me. Mom and Dad hesitated for only a moment, then nodded under Chloe’s eager gaze. “Then let’s process Audrey’s withdrawal and give her spot to Chloe.” I slumped to the floor, tears splattering onto the back of my hands. Chloe took my spot, beaming as she went to school. In the evening, she came back with injuries. Mom, Dad, and my two brothers looked grave and worried. Chloe, her tears streaming down her face and looking incredibly fragile, refused to say anything. It wasn’t until Dad threatened to call the police that Chloe stammered out a classmate’s name—Riley. I huddled in the corner, slowly lifting my head. Riley. She was my best friend in high school. The next day, Mom, Dad, and my brothers took Chloe to school and summoned Riley and her parents to the dean’s office. Riley was expressionless and refused to apologize. Dad was so angry he was about to call the police right there. Unexpectedly, Riley insolently threatened. “If you dare to call the police, don’t blame me for exposing your daughter’s pregnancy!” Everyone was stunned, looking at Chloe. Chloe was mortified, crying that it wasn’t her. Mom immediately hugged her, comforting her. “Don’t cry, Mom believes you, you wouldn’t do something like that.” Dad also scowled fiercely, glaring at Riley. “You’re an adult now, spreading rumors carries legal responsibility!” Michael acted immediately, directly informing Riley’s parents that they would pursue legal action. Dylan, hot-tempered as ever, stepped forward and kicked Riley. “My sister is so well-behaved and sensible, how could she be pregnant? If you keep throwing dirt on her name, believe me, I’ll kill you!” I bit my lower lip hard, watching this scene, my heart aching. Was I not their daughter too? Why, for the same thing, did they believe Chloe but not me? Riley was enraged and cursed back furiously. “I never said *she* was pregnant! Does your family only have one daughter?” “Can you deny that your sister, Audrey, isn’t at school because she’s hiding away to have the baby?” “If you blow this up, don’t blame me for spreading the shameful news of Audrey’s pregnancy out of wedlock all over the school!” “And you, you like to complain, right? Next time I see you at school, I’ll beat you up!” Chloe’s eyes welled up with tears at this, looking incredibly wronged. “No, you can’t! Don’t tell anyone! I won’t make you apologize, just don’t ruin my sister’s reputation! If you want to hit me, hit me, I don’t care.” Mom and Dad grew even more concerned when they saw this. Their gaze towards Riley became even colder. “Chloe, the good are often taken advantage of. This kind of morally corrupt student is absolutely not suitable to be your classmate.” This farce ended with Riley being forcibly withdrawn from school. To protect Chloe, Mom and Dad pulled strings to have Riley expelled, completely disregarding my reputation. Sure enough, after Riley was withdrawn, the news of my pregnancy out of wedlock spread throughout the entire school. I let out a bitter laugh. Good thing I was already dead. Otherwise, such gossip would have been enough to drive me to death. And those who caused all this were the very family and friends I once trusted the most, those I was willing to give my all for. But a question still lingered in my heart. Why would Riley say I was pregnant? I followed Riley and found that she was secretly meeting Chloe. Chloe, shedding her innocent little rabbit image she presented to the family, leaned against a wall, smoking, and handed Riley a wad of cash. “Well done. This money should be enough for your mom’s surgery.” Watching Riley walk away, I felt a knot in my chest. So, she did it for her mother’s surgery.
But what about Chloe? She already had all the love from my family; what else could she possibly want? After floating home, I became even more quiet and withdrawn. Before, no matter if Mom and Dad could hear me, I would tirelessly share interesting things. Now, I would just curl up in a corner, a silent observer. Chloe had a heart episode. It was said she was provoked at school. Dad investigated and found that my supposed pregnancy out of wedlock had also caused Chloe to be talked about behind her back. And Dad had never hidden the fact that Chloe was adopted. This also led to Chloe being excluded and targeted. Chloe on the bed was pale as a sheet, yet she looked so strong it hurt to watch. I inexplicably remembered when Mom had a heart attack before, Chloe innocently said. “Mommy’s heart is broken? Then I’ll give my heart to Mommy, and Mommy won’t hurt anymore, right?” At that time, when Mom heard it, the pity on her face was almost uncontrollable. And I, being oblivious, just quietly peeled an apple and offered it to Mom. Mom pushed me away, and the apple rolled a few times on the floor, covered in dust. “Look at your sister, and then look at you. You have no conscience at all!” But Mom, I truly was willing to give you my heart. And her heart condition? It was fake. I guessed Chloe faked her heart episode, perhaps to pull another trick. Sure enough, after listening to Chloe’s tearful complaints. Mom and Dad immediately made a decision. They would publicly announce that Chloe was their biological daughter. And I was the adopted one. Michael casually fiddled with the watch I’d given him, fully agreeing. “Chloe is excellent in every aspect. I have no objections.” Dylan’s face, however, was full of sarcasm. “I have no objections either. Audrey did such disgraceful acts, I stopped wanting to acknowledge her as my sister a long time ago. It’s Chloe who makes us proud, always top of her class.” Chloe covered her face with a pillow, feigning embarrassment. “Dylan, don’t say that.” On the sofa, the family of four was warm and harmonious, but I felt a chill. Their faces, in my eyes, began to look strange and distorted. It seemed my existence in this family had long become irrelevant, even superfluous. For the first time, I began to waver. Was everything I gave worth it? After all decisions were made, Chloe wore a sated smile. But at dinner, Michael suddenly suggested bringing me back. The entire family’s forks froze. After a while, Dylan nodded. “Good idea. That girl’s been out causing trouble for so long, she’s probably suffered quite a bit.” I could hardly believe my ears and stood up from the corner. Were they concerned about me? Nearly half a month had passed, had my family finally remembered me? I wiped away my tears and floated closer. I knew it, they couldn’t be that heartless. But before I could even smile, I heard Dylan continue. “Let’s give her an excuse to come back. Have her return as soon as possible these next few days. Once she’s back, we’ll lock her up.” I stumbled slightly, my spiritual body feeling unstable. Lock me up? What did that mean? Soon, Michael clarified it for me. “Dylan suggested this. Chloe’s college entrance exams are coming up soon, and I’m worried that if Audrey keeps not showing up, she’ll cause trouble on the day of the exams and ruin Chloe’s future.” “So, we’ll just coax Audrey back home, lock her up, and prevent her from affecting Chloe’s exams.” As his words fell, the light above flickered for a moment, then returned to normal. I collapsed to the floor, my face numb. Mom hesitated. “What if she comes home and insists on taking the college entrance exams? After all, it was originally her year to take them…” Dylan eagerly interrupted. “Mom, have you forgotten she’s pregnant? That bastard child, we don’t even know how far along she is! Do you want her to go to the exam hall with a big belly? Haven’t we lost enough face already?” Ultimately, the entire family reached an agreement. For the first time since I disappeared half a month ago, they actively called my phone. The call connected quickly; it was an unfamiliar man’s voice. “Hello, this is Evergreen Funeral Home. Are you Audrey’s family? You finally picked up! Please come over as soon as possible!” Dad’s hand, holding the phone, trembled. “What?” Michael and Dylan, hearing this, also uncharacteristically looked flustered and helpless. Chloe subtly raised an eyebrow, a hint of malicious glee in her eyes. Only Mom, exploded in a rage. “Audrey, have you made enough trouble? Isn’t half a month of messing around outside enough? Do you really want me to disown you?” I calmly lowered my gaze, my eyes hollow. Then disown me. Anyway, I had nothing left. I was only grateful now that I was dead, so I didn’t have to live and endure this endless torment. Dad looked at Mom, bewildered. “What in the world is going on?” Mom explained the call on the day of Chloe’s party, then her face tightened with gritted teeth. “How could she be dead? If it were an accidental death, the police would have notified us. This is just her retaliating against us, playing a deliberate prank.” I gave a sarcastic smile. Of course, I didn’t die by accident; it was a premeditated suicide. Because heart donation could only be done after death. At that time, I was naive enough to think Mom wouldn’t accept my heart. So I signed an anonymous donation agreement and arranged for a one-stop service with the funeral home. I was supposed to die quietly, and my parents would discover it later and report my death certificate. But I never expected Dad to cancel my card, which led to my body not being cremated for so long. The funeral home had a thirty-day free storage period. If cremation wasn’t done after that, they would call the police to handle it with the family. Mom took the phone, her face cold. “Audrey, you were shameless enough to get pregnant out of wedlock, bringing endless shame to our family, and now you’re still so inconsiderate, playing such a cruel joke. I’m truly disappointed in you.” On the other end of the line, there was a long silence. The funeral home employee asked, bewildered. “Who’s pregnant? This 19-year-old female body has no reproductive function whatsoever. Are you even Audrey’s family?” “Tomorrow is the final deadline. If you don’t come to pay the fees and claim the body, we’ll have to contact the police to issue a public announcement for identification.” This time, the employee’s tone was very stern, and he hung up after speaking. Mom’s cold expression froze, and she stood motionless.
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