1 The doctor’s eyes were filled with pity as I swallowed the painkiller. Three days left to live. After taking the pill, I walked to Lily Ashton’s room. Inside, my father was peeling an orange for her while my mother chatted at her bedside. The moment I walked in, the warm smiles on their faces froze, replaced by a chilling indifference. “What, done faking your little act and ready to cause more trouble for Lily?” my father’s voice was like ice. “Let me tell you, Keira, as long as we’re here, you won’t lay a hand on her.” “The Sterlings have always prided themselves on their principles,” my mother chimed in, pointing a finger at me. “I don’t know where you learned to be so rotten, so jealous you’d steal her spot in the chemo trial.” Her voice cracked with disgust. “I wish I’d never had you!” In a corner my parents couldn't see, Lily smirked at me, her eyes gleaming with triumph. I lowered my gaze. I’d heard these words a thousand times before. In the past, I would have fought back, screamed, tried to expose Lily for the snake she was, even though they never believed a word I said. But I was tired. I didn't have the strength to fight anymore. “Still, it’s good you’re here,” my father said, breaking the silence. “There’s something I need to discuss with you.” A hollow smile touched my lips. “Funny, Dad. I have something to tell you, too.” I took a breath. “Lily wants my company and the retail shops, doesn’t she? I’ve thought it over. They’re hers.” My father stared, stunned. My mother’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How did you know I was going to bring that up today? You… you agree?” I gave a slight shrug. Their shock was understandable. Lily had been coveting my assets for years, and my parents had tried everything—pleading, threatening, shaming—to make me hand over the business I’d built from the ground up. I’d never budged. But for a dying woman, none of it mattered anymore. Seeing the resolve in my eyes, my mother’s face finally softened into a relieved smile. She stepped forward, her hand patting my head in a rare gesture of affection. “You’ve finally come to your senses!” she cooed. “Lily was always brighter than you, even in school. And despite her illness, she has a much better head for business. We’ll rest easy knowing your company is in her capable hands.” The corner of my mouth twitched. I pulled the transfer agreements from my bag and handed them to Lily. As soon as Lily’s signature was on the page, my parents were all over me, grabbing my hands, calling me their good girl, their wonderful daughter. A bitter irony churned in my stomach. How pathetic. The only time my mother smiled at me was when I surrendered something to Lily. A question flickered in my mind. When they finally saw Lily’s true colors, after I was gone, would they feel a single shred of regret? That evening, I returned home to find my husband, Lucas, and our daughter, Chloe, laughing together in the kitchen. The cancer had made me move quietly, and the soft click of the door went unnoticed. They were so absorbed in their cooking. When Lucas turned, holding a freshly plated dish, the smile on his face froze for a split second before snapping back into place. “Keira, you’re back. I didn’t hear you come in.” My eyes fell to the plate in his hands. A vegetable stir-fry. Lily’s favorite. From the looks of it, he’d become a pretty damn good cook. Another bitter irony. I was on my deathbed before I learned that the man I’d spent five years with even knew how to cook. He’d always criticized my food, and under his influence, Chloe had started to do the same. I’d poured my soul into this family, and earned nothing but their contempt. The old me would have screamed, thrown things, had a hysterical breakdown. The new me just calmly walked past them and sat on the sofa, sorting through my purse. My silence seemed to unnerve Lucas. He hesitated, set the dish on the dining table, and walked over. “Keira,” he began, rubbing his nose awkwardly. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.” He paused. “It’s about your sister, Lily.” A cold dread washed over me. I had a very bad feeling about where this was going. His next words confirmed it, leaving me frozen in place. “Lily’s been so depressed since her chemo. Your parents… they think it would lift her spirits if I married her. You know, to bring some happiness back into her life.” A roaring filled my ears. It took a long moment for my own voice to break through. “And you agreed?” Lucas sighed, as if burdened by my lack of understanding. “Keira, I know she’s not your biological sister, but she’s family. Besides, it’s just for show, to help her recover. As soon as she’s out of the hospital, I’ll be your husband again. Chloe’s father.” Before I could answer, Chloe piped up from the kitchen. “Yeah, Mom! Godmother Lily has been really sad lately. You have to understand!” I stared at the two of them. The man I had loved for years. The child I had raised. I had given them everything, my conscience clear. And this was my reward. Betrayal. But it didn't matter anymore. If Lily wanted them, she could have them. She could have it all. I was done. Lifting my head, I looked Lucas straight in the eye. “Fine. I agree.” Surprise flashed across his face. “Really?” Without another word, he rushed to a drawer, pulled out a set of divorce papers, and slapped them on the coffee table. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. Oh, Lucas. Your eagerness is so naked, you don’t even try to hide it. I picked up the pen and signed my name. A look of profound relief washed over Lucas’s face, replaced by a somber, heartfelt expression. “Keira, once Lily is better, we’ll get remarried. I promise. I’ll never let you down.” He signed his name, then looked at me with a heavy sigh. “You’re so much more mature now, Keira. I know I haven’t always been fair to you, and I’m sorry. After Lily recovers, I promise, you won’t have to worry about a thing ever again.” “That’s right, Mom!” Chloe added, puffing out her chest like a little adult. “You’re being so good to Godmother Lily. I’m proud of you!” Looking at them, my heart turned to ash. A tiny, foolish part of me had held on to a last sliver of hope for Lucas and Chloe. Now, it was gone. There was nothing left to hope for but death. I stood, intending to go to my room, but a wave of dizziness crashed over me. My vision swam, and the world went black. In that final instant, I saw the panic on Lucas’s face. I woke to a biting cold. Opening my eyes, I found myself still on the floor. Lucas and Chloe were standing over me, their faces etched with disappointment. “See, Dad? I told you she was faking it,” Chloe said, her voice sharp. “Mom, can you please stop being so childish? You’re going to make us late to see Godmother Lily at the hospital!” Faking it? Then Lucas spoke, his voice heavy with disapproval. “Keira, can you stop with the dramatics? I already told you, even though we’re divorced, you’re the one I love. You don’t need to pull these kinds of stunts to test me.” Their words hit me, and I finally understood. The pain medication they’d given me didn’t just block the pain for three days; it made me appear completely normal. Healthy, even. But the side effect was brutal. After three days, my organs would fail. The drug was working perfectly. I pushed myself up. “It must be low blood sugar. It’s nothing. I’ll go to the hospital with you. There are some other transfer documents Lily needs to sign.” Lucas nodded, unsurprised. My parents must have already told him. At the hospital, Lily was watching TV in her room. Her face was still pale, but her energy was clearly returning. The smug triumph in her eyes, however, was impossible to miss. “Keira, you’re here!” she chirped. “Thank you for trusting me with your business. I promise I won’t let you down!” “That’s right, Keira,” my mother added with a beaming smile. “You can just relax at home and collect the dividends. Isn’t that wonderful?” I pulled the last of the paperwork from my bag. “In that case, let’s have her manage my entire estate. Then I won’t have to worry about a thing.” The room fell silent. Everyone stared at me. “Keira, are you serious?” Lucas grabbed my arm, his eyes wide with shock. “You’re giving everything to Lily?” Now it was my turn to be confused. They had always taken Lily’s side, given her whatever she wanted, and scolded me when I refused. Now that I was giving her everything, why were they acting so surprised? My father was the first to recover, his face glowing with pride. “The girl has finally grown up! Our love for you wasn't wasted after all.” “Keira, learning to accept your sister is a wonderful thing,” he continued. “Now you two can live in harmony. We can finally grow old in peace.” Peace? Dad, Mom… you’ve been fooled by her act for so long. Do you really believe she’ll take care of anything that was mine? My head swam again. A strange tickle in my nose. I touched it and my fingers came away stained with blood. “Keira, your nose is bleeding. The weather hasn’t even been that dry,” my mother noted. My hand froze. I couldn’t stop myself. I looked at them, my voice quiet. “Dad, Mom… if I were to die from an illness one day, would you regret any of this?” My mother’s expression didn’t even flicker. She just gave me a dismissive smile. “You look perfectly healthy. How could you die from an illness? Don’t say such morbid things.” “Exactly,” my father added, his gaze shifting worriedly back to Lily. “Lily is the one we need to worry about. Once she’s better, we need to make sure she eats well and gets her strength back.” “I think so too!” Chloe chimed in. “Mom is super healthy. Godmother Lily is the one who needs us.” The last ember of hope inside me died. There was nothing left. I looked down at Chloe and forced a smile. “Chloe, haven't you always wanted your godmother to be your real mom?” I said softly. “I’m making your wish come true. From now on, Lily is your mother. Aren’t you going to call her ‘Mom’?” A delighted gasp escaped Chloe’s lips. “Really?!” I nodded. “Once you call her Mom, you can eat her cooking all the time. She can be with you whenever you want. Isn't that what you've always dreamed of?” Chloe jumped up and down with excitement. “Yay! Mommy, you’re the best in the world! Thank you!” She pulled her hand from mine and threw her arms around Lily. My parents and Lucas watched the scene, their faces beaming with approval. I turned and walked away. I glanced back one last time. My parents were cooing over Chloe with Lily. Lucas was standing beside them, a gentle smile on his face. Not a single one of them noticed I was gone. I closed the door to the hospital room and left. With only one day left to live, I had nowhere to go. My life had been a frantic rush, with never a moment to myself, never a chance to just… be. I booked a ticket to Brighton, a city by the sea. I watched the waves crash under the night sky and thought about hiking a cliffside trail. But my body wouldn't let me. Just as the world started to tilt and fade, I dialed a number I hadn't called in almost five years. Then everything went black. When I woke up, I was in a hospital. My eyes darted to the clock. Six hours left. Sitting beside me, her eyes red from crying, was Jenna. My childhood friend. She had begged me not to marry Lucas, insisting he wasn’t worthy of me. I hadn’t listened. We’d had a terrible fight, and she didn’t even come to my wedding. I knew I shouldn’t have bothered her now, after all this time. But besides her, there was no one else in the world. “What the hell happened to you, Keira?” she choked out, her voice thick with tears. “Weren’t you so happy after marrying Lucas? The perfect little family? Why are you like this? Why is the doctor saying your organs are failing?” I was on a ventilator, but I managed a weak smile. We’d made a pact as kids. If one of us was at the end, the other would handle everything that came after, no matter what. I couldn’t speak, so I mustered the last of my strength and pointed a trembling finger at my handbag. Jenna understood. She retrieved several folders from the bag. She studied them for a moment, then gave a solemn nod and placed them in her own purse. I was relieved to see our bond was still strong enough to communicate without words. Three hours left. I refused any further intervention. After another period of unconsciousness, I woke up to Jenna showing me her phone. It was a text from Lily. [Keira, I won. I got everything.] [Did you really think you could compete with me? It’s your own fault for being so pathetic. Your parents always liked me better anyway.] [Just disappear quietly. I’ll take good care of your mommy and daddy for you. And your husband and daughter, too. ;) ] Jenna started sobbing, cursing Lily under her breath. I sighed, a wave of self-mockery washing over me. In my entire life, I had only one regret: convincing my father to sponsor Lily Ashton. I first saw her at a rundown orphanage. I was a young volunteer, tagging along with my teacher. It was snowing heavily that day, and all the other children were huddled inside for warmth. But Lily was out back, by the dumpsters, picking meat off discarded bones. I couldn’t stand to see it. I begged my father to help her. After that, Lily and I became inseparable. The next year, she transferred to my class. Her charm and intelligence quickly won over the teachers and students. I was so proud every time someone praised her. Then, slowly, things started to change. My friends began to drift away from me, gravitating toward Lily. The boys who’d had crushes on me grew distant, only to make grand declarations of love for her. Even my parents started inviting her over constantly, for dinner, for sleepovers, until finally, they split my bedroom in two and gave her half. I was too naive, too blind to see it then. Lily’s greatest talent was using the praise of others as a weapon to steal everything that was mine. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. My room was gone. My family was gone. Everything I had was hers. I asked her once, why she did it. Her answer chilled me to the bone. “Keira, did you really think I’d be grateful? How could I be? I couldn’t stand watching you flaunt your perfect life in my face. I wanted to take everything from you. I wanted to see the despair on your face when you had nothing left.” I used to believe I could drive her away, that I could make my parents and Lucas see her for who she was. But I was a fool. I underestimated her cunning, and I fatally misjudged how deeply she had charmed my family. I had lost. Utterly and completely. Nine minutes left. My consciousness was fading, my vision blurring. But I could still make out the screen of Jenna’s phone. A new message from my mother. [Keira, have someone repaint your old house pink in the next few days. Your sister loves pink.] [Also, your sister will be discharged in about two weeks. When she is, you need to move some of your things out to make room for hers.] Even in my final moments, all she could think about was Lily. I truly meant nothing to her. So be it. I could hear Jenna crying, screaming my name, but the sound was distant, muffled. I’d been fighting for so long. I was so, so tired. Finally, I could rest. November 24th. Keira Sterling died at Brighton General Hospital. She was 29 years old. Lily was watching television in her hospital bed when the door to her room burst open. She looked up and saw a man standing there. Her biological father. “What are you doing here?” she snapped, her eyes flashing with a mixture of disgust and fear. Rick Ashton let out a cold laugh. “What, you think you’d have landed this rich family if I hadn’t dumped you at that orphanage? I’m broke. Transfer me a hundred grand. Now.” Lily shot up in bed. “Why should I? You haven’t done a single thing for me since the day I was born!” Rick casually sat down on the sofa. “Cut the crap, Lily. I know all about your dirty little schemes. You give me the money, and we can all play nice. If not… well, you know what I’m capable of.” Lily’s hands clenched into tight fists. After a long moment, she relaxed them. “Fine. Just give me some time. I need to get out of the hospital before I can get the money.” He sneered. “Born for the gutter but caught a princess’s disease. It’s just early-stage cancer, what a waste of money. You have two days. If I don’t see the money in two days, I’m going to pay a little visit to your rich ‘daddy.’” He stood, kicked the door open, and left. Lily swept a glass off her nightstand, sending it shattering against the floor. She was breathing heavily, her eyes burning with pure hatred. Why? Why did everyone else get to have a happy life while she was stuck with a parasite for a father, left to rot in an orphanage? Why was she the one who had to endure that life of scorn and pity? She had worked so hard to usurp Keira’s place, to drive the precious Sterling heiress out. She would not go back to that hand-to-mouth existence. Never! Lily got out of bed. Since tricking Keira out of the chemo spot, her recovery had been swift. She would be discharged soon. But now, she had a new plan. She would sell off all of Keira’s properties and businesses immediately, transfer the money to an overseas account in installments, and then leave the country for good. Her scumbag father would never find her. The idiotic Sterlings would never find her. Yes. This had to happen, and it had to happen fast. She told the nurse she was going for a walk, went downstairs, and hailed a cab to the bank. Her heart pounded with excitement as she handed the debit card to the teller. In moments, all of Keira’s money would be hers. She would finally be free. But the teller looked up, a strange expression on her face. “Ma’am, the name and identity on this card do not match your own.” The teller looked at her again. “Are you sure this is the right card?” Lily froze. “How is that possible? My family already transferred ownership of this account to me when we signed the paperwork!” She leaned in. “Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?” The teller shook her head. “Ma’am, the account is still legally under the name Keira Sterling. Furthermore, a protective hold has been placed on this account.” Lily’s mind went blank. A protective hold? Impossible. How? She had watched Keira sign the transfer agreement with her own two eyes! She’d read it over and over before signing it herself. Had Keira pulled some kind of trick afterward? Wait, the company and the shops! Lily stumbled out of the bank and called a contact she knew. She sat on a bench outside, waiting anxiously. A few minutes later, her phone rang. “Lily, I checked. All those retail locations and the company you mentioned… the legal owner is still a Keira Sterling. And two days ago, her lawyer, acting on her behalf, filed for a comprehensive asset protection order on all of them.” A roar filled Lily’s ears, and her world exploded into white noise.
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