Six months ago, my mother knelt on the floor, begging me to donate a kidney to my stepsister. Six months later, the night before my wedding, she knelt again, begging me to give up my fiancé to the stepdaughter she cherished so much. My own biological brother slapped me across the face: "Aubrey, how can you be so selfish? She's dying, don't you know that?" It's okay. In two more months, I'll be dead too, and everyone will finally be satisfied. 01 The night before I was supposed to walk down the aisle, my mother knelt on the floor and begged me, "Brie, postpone the wedding. Just let Liam go keep Chloe company for a bit, okay? Chloe has severe depression. When she found out you two were getting married, she got even sicker... Please, Mom is begging you." I didn't answer. Immediately after, my brother viciously slapped my face. He was fuming, the veins on his neck bulging from anger. I looked at them and smiled, "Is it true that whatever Chloe wants, you'll make me sacrifice? My kidney, and now even my future husband, right?" Tears welled up in my mother's eyes. "Chloe is still so young... she can't live without Liam. Mom promises you, once Chloe gets better, I'll have Liam come back and marry you, okay?" My brother gripped my wrist tightly. "Aubrey, stop being unreasonable. We're a family. Isn't it a good thing that Chloe stays alive?" Liam knocked and entered the room. His expression was unreadable, and he was still wearing the tuxedo he was supposed to get married in tomorrow. I could see the hesitation hidden in his eyes, but in the end, he just patted my head. "Aubrey, wait for me to come back." The three of them rushed out in a panic. Leaving me completely alone, like a bewildered clown. The wedding dress I was supposed to wear tomorrow was still laid out on the bed. I stared at the medical report in my jewelry box, the one I had just picked up yesterday. I thought to myself, It's fine. I'm dying soon anyway. Once I'm dead, everyone will be happy. Along with the kidney I donated six months ago, and my future husband, everything will belong to her. 02 My mother had already notified all our friends and relatives not to come tomorrow. The wedding was canceled. And Liam had notified his side of the family that the wedding was postponed. As the bride, I had absolutely no say in the matter. Just like six months ago, when Chloe needed dialysis and a kidney transplant due to uremia, the whole family was asked to get tested for a match. I had always been the most invisible presence in this house. But on the day the results came out, for the first time ever, my mother, my stepfather David, and my brother didn't stay at the hospital with Chloe. Instead, they cooked a lavish dinner for me at home. I had never been treated like this in my entire life, and I felt somewhat overwhelmed by the attention. But not a single person remembered that I was allergic to shellfish. My mother spoke ingratiatingly, "Brie, the results are back... You're a match with your sister. You can save her..." I stared at the seafood on the table and suddenly looked up at the three people in front of me. "Do you guys even remember that I'm allergic to shellfish?" My brother slammed his chopsticks onto my plate, his face full of suppressed anger. "Aubrey, our sister is dying, and you're making a fuss about a seafood allergy right now?" My mother burst into tears. "Brie, you have to save her. Don't forget, your stepfather David paid for your tuition and living expenses from childhood to college. You should know how to repay a debt." It was pouring rain outside that day. My mother knelt down and begged me, my brother glared at me with hostility, and David looked at me with pleading eyes. I smiled. "Mom, if I donate this kidney, can you promise never to ask me to give up my things for her again?" My mother hesitated for a moment, but then nodded vigorously like a woodpecker. "Mom promises you." I agreed. The three of them finally let out a sigh of relief. Looking at the heavy rain outside, my mother rushed to leave. "Chloe is terrified of thunder. She'll be scared without me. I'm going to the hospital to stay with her." Left alone in the house, staring at a table full of seafood, I suddenly remembered when my dad was still alive. My mom loved me, my brother adored me, and the whole family carefully protected me. When did everything start to change? It seems like it was twenty years ago, when my dad passed away from an illness, and my mom took me and my brother and remarried David. David was kind and amiable, and his daughter Chloe was lively, clever, and loved by everyone. In contrast, after my father's death and the sudden drop in our quality of life, I became quiet and withdrawn. I wasn't the kind of child adults found endearing. Sometimes, watching my brother, my mother, David, and Chloe, they looked like a real family of four. I felt like the odd one out. Whatever I liked, if Chloe liked it too, my mother would give it to her. Even my brother, as the days went by, grew to favor the stepsister who shared no blood with him. She would affectionately lean on his shoulder and eagerly hop onto the back of his bike after school, completely ignoring me, standing anxiously behind them. Back then, Chloe told me, "Aubrey, your mom and brother are mine now. You're so unnecessary." While I stood there in a daze, my eyes turning red, she ran up to my mother, hugged her, acted spoiled, and then turned around to stick her tongue out at me. 03 Remembering this, I lay down on my wedding dress on the bed. My body suddenly ached violently—a pain that drilled deep into my bones, making large tears stream uncontrollably from my eyes. I curled up on the wedding dress I had spent so long picking out, crying like an abandoned puppy. The next day, I packed my things and went back to the small apartment Liam and I shared. I texted Liam: "Liam, I think we need to talk." Soon, a message from Liam came through. It was a selfie of him and Chloe. He was smiling, looking just like the young, carefree college boy he used to be. His brow was relaxed, his expression at ease. I knew Chloe had sent it. I called my mother. She answered, but just brushed me off in a hushed voice, "Liam is here with Chloe. She's much more stable now. Okay, I have to go, I need to bring Chloe her soup." I threw my phone aside and looked at the whimpering puppy nearby. He jumped onto my lap, sniffed me, and rested his head on my legs. I don't know if dogs can smell sickness, but he seemed a bit downcast. I patted his head. "Buddy, Mom has to go take care of something. I'll be back to get you." I drove to the hospital. David and my mother were sitting nearby with loving expressions, peeling an apple for Chloe, while my brother and Liam were right beside her, helping her rank up in a video game. Fighting through the physical discomfort, I twisted the doorknob and walked in. Chloe's face immediately darkened. She grabbed Liam's arm, her eyes welling up with tears as she feigned being wronged. "Aubrey, can you let me have Liam? Just for a little bit?" Liam quickly stood up and gently brushed her hand away. "Brie, I was actually planning to head home soon." David looked a bit embarrassed, but he still put on a placating smile. "Brie, Chloe hasn't fully recovered yet. Once she's better, the whole family will attend your wedding." At this, Chloe seemed to suffer a severe shock. She clutched her head and started screaming violently. My brother hugged her, patiently coaxing, "Don't be scared, Chloe, don't be scared. Your brother is here. I'm right here." My mother shoved me towards the door. "Why are you here? Don't you know seeing you triggers her?" I stared straight into my mother's eyes. "Mom, do you even remember that I'm your biological daughter?" A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes, but then she coldly pushed me away. "Aubrey, stop being immature. Don't forget, David paid for your college and your master's degree. You need to be grateful." Desperately, I grabbed my mother's hand. "Mom, I can give all the money back to David. Can you just..." She slammed the door shut without another glance. I numbly finished my sentence to the closed door: "Can you just... not treat me like this?" Liam eventually pushed the door open and stepped out. Guilt hid in his eyes. "Brie, there's nothing going on between Chloe and me. Her depression is really severe." I looked at the man I had loved for seven years, ever since our freshman year of college, and finally let out a long sigh. "Liam, the summer of our first year of grad school, when Chloe insisted on coming to our city for an internship... when I checked the pet camera at home, I saw everything you two did every single day." He turned pale, his fingers gripping my sleeve tightly. "Brie, we didn't do anything." I nodded. "You're right, you didn't do anything. You played video games together, binge-watched shows together, walked my dog together. Even when she badmouthed me, or when she secretly kissed you while you were asleep on the couch, you didn't push her away." "Brie, we're getting married." "Liam, we're not getting married anymore. I wanted to play dumb, but it seems playing dumb can't cover up certain facts. Chloe is indeed more likable than I am; everyone loves her. I can't pretend anymore. Just like all those times she sent you cute selfies—even though you never replied, you fell for her, didn't you?" As I turned to leave, Liam suddenly hugged me from behind. "Brie, I'll go home with you. We've been together for seven years. Seven years..." Right then, Chloe's face appeared in the window, and she violently slammed her head against the wall. A loud thud echoed. Her forehead started bleeding, and she glared at me with a ferocious expression. "Aubrey, why do you have to fight me for everything?" Liam hesitated. He let go of my hand, his gaze darting away, and reached for the doorknob to go back inside. I knew, in that moment, our seven-year relationship was over. My mother and brother's scolding reached my ears again—the filthiest, most vulgar curses they reserved for me, the outsider, the intruder, when they were at their most furious. My brother forcefully pinned me against the wall, glaring at me fiercely. "Aubrey, can't you just act your age? Are you a fucking idiot? Do you have to turn the whole family upside down?" I looked at my brother and my mother and said, "Don't worry. Liam belongs to your Chloe now." 04 Liam didn't chase after me. I drove home in a daze. I packed all my belongings, took my dog, and left the apartment we had shared for seven years. It's laughable. Even after seven years together, all my belongings in that place fit into just a few large boxes. I was going to find Sarah. She was my best friend, who, out of disgust for city life, had run off to the open plains of Wyoming to live freely for years. When I called her, she was out tending to her sheep. "Sarah, I'm driving out to stay with you. I've always said I wanted to see the plains." "What's wrong, Aubrey?" "Nothing, Sarah. I'm already on the road." I drove non-stop. When Sarah picked me up at the rest stop, she gave me a massive hug first. "Aubrey, why are you so thin? You're just skin and bones." I told her honestly, "Sarah, I think I'm going to die." Sarah's eyes widened. "Don't joke around like that. It's bad luck." I hugged her tightly. "Bone cancer. Late stage. Not much time left." Sarah tried to shove me back into the car like a madwoman. "I'm driving you to the fucking hospital right now." I shook my head. "Sarah, I'm tired. I want to see the plains, see your sheep. I can't handle the treatments anymore. I want to leave beautifully, without regrets." I left my car at the rest stop and got into Sarah's pickup truck. I rested in the backseat, holding Buddy. Liam's call came through. I popped out my SIM card and threw it out the window. Sarah asked, "Does Liam know?" "He doesn't deserve to know." "What about your mom and brother?" "Maybe a long time ago, they stopped being my mom and brother and just became someone else's." We pulled up to her cabin just as dawn was breaking. The sun was slowly rising in the distance, casting a faint glow that pierced the darkness. It was Buddy's first time seeing such vast, open land. He ran and jumped like crazy, tongue hanging out, radiating pure joy. I thought, If I die, it'll be good for Buddy to stay here. He can run free and worry-free. Sarah lit a cigarette. The smoke rings scattered in the wind, and her eyes looked a bit red. Finally, she stubbed out the cigarette and stomped on it hard a few times. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! Aubrey, are you an idiot?" I didn't know what to say, but she pulled me into the cabin and then turned her back to me, her voice choking up. "Aubrey, that bastard Liam promised me he'd take good care of you. Is this how he takes care of you?" I gently tugged her sleeve. "Sarah, let's not talk about him, okay?" 05 When I lay in bed with Sarah, she held my hand tightly the whole time. Her hands had gotten a bit rough, but the way she rubbed my palm gave me the most reassuring feeling. I leaned on her shoulder. "Sarah, am I weak for choosing to hide? I just don't want to see them anymore." "No, Aubrey. You can never wake someone who's pretending to be asleep, and fighting won't change your mom and brother's favoritism. Running away is better." Pain wracked my body again. I turned pale and took some painkillers out of my bag. Buddy lay nearby, whimpering softly. When Sarah fed me the pills, her hands were shaking. I forced a smile. "Sarah, I need your help with one more thing. "Sarah, my mom always said I spent a lot of David's money on tuition and living expenses growing up. I've saved up quite a bit over the years. This $50,000, can you transfer it to their account for me? "Sarah, you're my best friend, and I feel so guilty burdening you right before I die. There's $15,000 left on that card. Just consider it my final gift to you, okay?" Sarah looked at me and let out a heavy sigh. "Aubrey, you should use this money to get treatment." I shook my head. "Sarah, I don't have time." She didn't say anything else, just turned her back to me and kept wiping her tears. I hugged her from behind. "Sarah, I'm so sorry. I know this is hard on you. If you feel it's bad luck having me here, I can go die somewhere far away by myself." "Aubrey, you asshole. I have money too. I have flocks of sheep and cattle. I can pay for your medical bills. Let's get you treated, okay?" I rubbed her hair, my eyes red. "Sarah, do you know that just standing up straight is agony for me right now? I want to die beautifully. I don't want chemo, I don't want to lose my hair, and I definitely don't want to die in the same city as them." 06 Sarah stopped forcing me to see a doctor. That day, she sat out on the plains holding my medical report for a long time. Even from inside the cabin, I could hear her crying uncontrollably. She transferred the money from the card to David's account for me. My mother rarely called Sarah, but she did this time. "Is Aubrey still throwing a tantrum? She went to stay with you, right? Well, that's a relief. Tell her we got the money. It's perfect timing, we can use it for Chloe's medical bills." Sarah couldn't hold back her sarcasm. "Ma'am, if Aubrey was dying, would you stay by her side like you stay with Chloe?" My mother's voice grew sharp and intense. "Sarah, tell Aubrey to stop being so petty and holding grudges against Chloe." Sarah shot back, "Ma'am, isn't one of Aubrey's kidneys enough to repay you for raising her?" My mother paused, didn't reply, and hung up the phone. I knew. I knew her too well. Only when she was dealing with Chloe was she a true, loving mother. Towards me, besides pressuring me to grow up faster and not be petty with my sister, she had nothing else to say. Even when I got into a top-tier university, she just glanced at the acceptance letter indifferently and said nothing. All because Chloe's grades weren't even good enough for a community college. She was afraid I would trigger Chloe. It's fine. I'm used to it. Sarah drove me around the plains in her pickup truck. The grass was lush. When we parked, we sat in the back of the truck, watching Buddy run wild. I leaned against Sarah. "Sarah, when I die, scatter my ashes here. The grass here will definitely grow even thicker next year." Sarah didn't answer. She took a piece of candy from her pocket and put it in my mouth. "Come on, let's not talk about that, okay?" But Sarah still cried. "I asked a doctor. If the patient's will to live isn't strong, the disease progresses very fast... You donated a kidney just six months ago... You only got sick a few months ago, didn't you?" I patted her back. "Sarah, I really have no strength left." Sarah hugged me tightly, and I suddenly remembered many things from childhood. "Sarah, do you remember? When my dad died, kids used to bully me and call me fatherless. You were the only one who stood up for me and protected me." Sarah just choked back tears and didn't speak. Her tears fell on my forehead, but I kept talking: "You protected me before, and I have a gift for you before I die. "Sarah, I put your name down as the beneficiary of my critical illness insurance. You have to live a good life." Sarah broke down. "Aubrey, you've even planned things for after your death?" I wiped her tears. "Silly, don't you love these plains the most? Whenever you come here, you'll definitely be able to see me, and my puppy. Buddy is a very, very good dog, he's just a picky eater. He doesn't like dry kibble, only the dog food I make him. I'll teach you how to make it over the next few days. I feel safe leaving Buddy with you, and he'll be happy here." I looked at Buddy panting and smiling at me in the distance. It's nice. Just stay here from now on, good boy. Sarah hugged me tightly, pleading earnestly, "Aubrey, please don't do this. Don't do this. Let's go get treatment. I don't want your money. I'll take you to get treated, okay? What's the point of having that money if you're not here? I can't take care of your dog by myself if you're gone." 07 Why waste money on someone who's already dying? I looked at Sarah and said seriously, "Sarah, I don't want to waste any more time. Can you just let me have some dignity in my final days?" My nose started bleeding. She panicked, trying to stop the bleeding, then suddenly stood up. "Why isn't it the bad people who die?!" She drove us back to the cabin. The moon was bright, the stars were sparse, and the lambs were settling down to sleep. I turned on my phone. I saw text messages from Liam. He knew my backup number. Those texts were manic—one moment saying we should break up, the next begging me not to leave. I didn't even have to think; I knew those were Chloe's doing. Then, a familiar number popped up on the screen. I answered it anyway. It was my brother. His tone was awkward, but he still spoke. "Aubrey, Chloe really likes Liam. Could you..." I didn't even wait for him to finish before agreeing immediately. "I agree, brother. I haven't bothered Liam. If Chloe has what it takes, Liam is hers." My brother's voice carried a hint of impatience. "What do you mean by that?" The pain in my body left me weak. I laughed softly. "Brother, do you remember when dad was still around? You used to carry me on your back and run everywhere. Brother, I gave all the money back to David. Can he give my mom and brother back to me?" My brother's voice suddenly filled with alarm. "Brie, what's wrong? Where are you?" I suddenly felt a sense of release. I whispered, "I gave my money, my kidney, and my boyfriend to the family. We should be even now, right? Mom won't call me ungrateful anymore, will she? Brother, will you still be angry that I don't care enough about my sister? Everything is hers now." "Aubrey, where are you?" "If I had a choice, I wouldn't have wanted to be Aubrey at all." I hung up the phone. The physical pain hit me again. I watched Sarah feeding Buddy not far away. No, I couldn't let her worry anymore. I forced myself to stand up and walked toward them, step by step. But I still passed out. 08 When I woke up, my vision had already started to blur. I knew my cancer had spread throughout my body. I even felt a cold dampness beneath me. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I had lost control of my bladder. The cancer spreading, the lack of strength, the blindness, the incontinence—all of it stripped away any remaining dignity I had. When Sarah came in to change my clothes and the sheets, she didn't say a word. In less than a month, she had become gaunt and haggard from taking care of me. Expressionless, she led my brother into the cabin. My brother's eyes were red, and he even had a black eye—clearly Sarah had hit him to vent her anger. I was stunned for a moment. "I really don't have anything else to give Chloe. Can you please stop pushing me? Can't I even die in peace?" The man, nearly 6'3", suddenly knelt on the floor and cried like a child. He wiped his nose and tears, shuffling closer to the bed on his knees. "Brie, let me take you home, okay? We'll go home and get treatment. I promise I won't go spend time with anyone else. You're my biological sister, how could I..." I pushed him away. "Please, stay away from me." He reached out to touch me, but I subtly dodged him. He looked stunned, his eyes red as he asked, "It hurts a lot, doesn't it? Is it really painful? Brie, come home with me." I suddenly broke down. The facade I had maintained all these days morphed into a ferocious expression. Like a madwoman, I cursed at him, "I'm dying! What are you pretending to be the good guy for now? If you really think of me as your sister, then don't ever let me see you again." Sarah took him outside, and I finally regained some peace. Sarah wiped her eyes. "He found us himself. I chased him away. Don't be angry." I didn't know what Sarah said to him, but he never appeared in front of me again. The pain returned day after day, to the point where even painkillers were useless. I gritted my teeth and endured the agony, only daring to whimper softly when Sarah left the cabin. Buddy no longer loved running outside; he clung to me more and guarded me constantly. Enduring the pain and the unbearable soreness in every joint, I got up and played frisbee with him one last time. I threw the frisbee high and far, but Buddy didn't budge. He just lay beside me, hugging my calf. I rubbed his head. "Do you want to make mom happy? Go on, fetch it. Good boy." Only then did Buddy run off into the distance, but he kept looking back with every step, terrified I would disappear. Let it be like this, Buddy. You have to learn not to look back. I lied to Sarah, telling her the painkillers were working and that I could slowly stand and walk. She finally cheered up. She truly believed my condition might be improving. My brother didn't visit me again, but I could still see lots of snacks and nutritional supplements left outside the cabin, along with a set of Barbie dolls I had dreamed of having as a child. I remember back then, David only bought one set of four dolls. Two for me, two for Chloe. But Chloe wanted all four. Without a word, my mother put all the dolls in Chloe's room. She even scolded me in front of David: "Do you know how hard David works to pay for your schooling? And you still want to play with dolls? When you grow up and make your own money, buy your own. Don't fight with Chloe." Sarah hesitated. "Maybe he really regrets it. Should we..." I shook my head. "Sarah, even if he genuinely wants to treat me well now, it's too late. I don't need it at all anymore. Besides, I don't want him living in the shadow of guilt. Let him go. Tell him not to come back, just pretend I'm living well somewhere far away." Sarah sighed and said nothing more.
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