My twin sister, Serena, always claimed to be a modern-day feminist icon. Ethan Sterling, the sole heir to the Sterling empire in New York, had a horrific car accident and ended up in a vegetative state. The doctors said he wouldn't survive the year. To secure his legacy, his mother, Eleanor Sterling, approached my highly educated, gorgeous sister. She promised $30 million and a luxury penthouse in Manhattan if Serena married him and had his baby. Serena held her head high, looking down her nose. "Eleanor, pregnancy is just objectifying women," Serena scoffed. "You're not just humiliating me; you're humiliating yourself!" Everyone praised Serena for her integrity and pride. Eleanor's face flushed red with embarrassment. Right then, floating system comments appeared right in front of my eyes. [Serena, stop being so proud. Ethan is going to wake up in two months! And his mind is actually conscious right now—he can hear everything you're saying!] [Once he wakes up, you guys will have a marriage-first, love-later romance. By then, never mind $30 million—half of the Sterling fortune will be yours!] I immediately stepped forward and stopped Eleanor. "Mrs. Sterling, if Serena doesn't want to do it, I will." Marrying into a billionaire family didn't matter to me. What mattered was that I really, really needed that $30 million! 1 Eleanor's eyes lit up. "Are you serious, Chloe?" I nodded quickly. "Yes. Serena and I are twins. I was born just a minute after her, and I have a college degree too." "Chloe!" my mother interrupted, her face darkening. "Mrs. Sterling was looking for Serena. Why are you jumping around trying to show off?" Serena also frowned at me. "Chloe, I don't mean to judge, but just because you haven't found a job a year after graduation doesn't mean you should degrade yourself for some quick cash." The rest of our relatives pointed fingers and accused me of ruining the family's reputation. "Chloe is just nothing compared to Serena. Serena has always had high standards, unlike her sister." "Exactly. Serena got a top corporate job offer before she even graduated. Chloe just freeloads at home. Now she's trying to take a shortcut by having a baby for a rich guy." Their comments stung, clearly hinting that I was shameless. Terrified that Eleanor would misunderstand, I quickly explained. "I'm not lazy. I didn't look for a full-time job because my grandmother got sick and needed full-time care. Mrs. Sterling, please consider me. I'm very healthy." My parents had always favored Serena. When they moved to the city to work, they only took her with them. I was raised entirely by my grandmother, Evelyn. The year I graduated, I actually landed a job with a $150,000 salary. I thought I could finally bring Grammy over to enjoy life. But then, she was diagnosed with advanced cancer. My family refused to pay for her treatment or care for her. They even planned to dump her in a cheap nursing home to let her die. I couldn't watch her die. So, I came home, working odd freelance gigs while taking care of her. But $30 million... With that money, Grammy could get the best treatment in the world. Desperate, I grabbed Eleanor's hand and started listing my academic achievements. This made Serena unhappy. She walked over and yanked my hand away. "Chloe, stop it. Can't you see you're making Mrs. Sterling uncomfortable?" "Your gold-digging intentions are too obvious. I know you've wanted to marry rich since you were a kid, but look at yourself. How could you possibly be worthy of the Sterling family?" We share the exact same DNA. If I'm not worthy, how are you? Before I could snap back, Eleanor actually spoke up for me. "Our family doesn't care about background. But Chloe, did you misunderstand something?" "We only want an heir for Ethan. Even if you sign a marriage certificate with him, once the baby is born, you won't get a single penny of the Sterling estate. Are you still willing?" I nodded. "Yes, I am." Eleanor let out a sigh of relief, but then added, "The only reason I approached Serena was because of her high IQ of 120. We need to ensure the baby has good genes. If you want to take her place, you'll have to take an IQ test." I agreed immediately. As soon as Eleanor left, Serena burst into tears. "Chloe, your greed really disappoints me." "If it were anything else, I would let you have it. But Ethan is in a vegetative state. I don't want you to suffer for me. Let's reject Mrs. Sterling together when she comes back, okay?" Everyone rushed to comfort her, glaring at me like I was a selfish monster who stole her sister's spotlight. "Chloe is so thoughtless. How could she steal her sister's opportunity?" "Serena, a family of their caliber would never want Chloe anyway." Classic. With just a few words, she turned everyone against me. But I knew she was just playing the martyr. She wanted that $30 million more than anyone. In fact, right after Eleanor contacted us yesterday, I saw her searching on her phone for what she could buy with $30 million. I thought the IQ test results would take a few days, but that very night, Eleanor called me. "Chloe, your IQ is actually higher than Serena's. You scored a 130. Are you absolutely sure you want to have Ethan's baby?" I replied, "Absolutely." 2 The next morning, the Sterling family sent a luxury town car to take me to the hospital. Blood work, physical exams, genetic screening—I went through everything. When the results came out, the doctor confirmed I was in perfect health and highly suitable for pregnancy. Eleanor pulled out the contract on the spot. On top of the promised $30 million and the Manhattan penthouse, the Sterling family would cover all of Grammy's medical bills. I was stunned. Eleanor gave me a warm, knowing smile. She obviously knew the real reason I agreed to this. Without hesitation, I signed my name. Eleanor said, "Since the contract is signed, you'll move into the Sterling estate. Ethan is in a coma, but the doctor says having someone talk to him might help him recover." I had no objections. After heading home to pack my bags, a black Rolls-Royce pulled up downstairs. Eleanor's assistant walked in and said politely, "I'm here to pick up Miss Vance." My sister's eyes lit up. She sat up straight, though her tone remained haughtily displeased. "Didn't Eleanor tell you? I haven't agreed to this yet." The assistant blinked, confused. Serena frowned, her voice dripping with self-righteous anger. "This is a marriage, not a transaction. You guys don't even have basic respect. Sending a random assistant to pick me up is incredibly insulting." "Unless Eleanor comes here personally, I am not going." My parents nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Our Serena cannot be bought with just $30 million." "If the Sterlings want her, they need to show some real respect." The assistant's expression grew increasingly bizarre. He looked at Serena, then at my parents, and finally turned to me. "Miss Chloe Vance... what is going on here? Are you the one coming to the estate or not?" I quickly rolled my suitcase over to him. "It's me. Let's go." Instantly, the living room fell dead silent. Serena's high-and-mighty expression froze on her face. She jumped to her feet. "What do you mean, Chloe? Why is the Sterling family picking you up?" I replied calmly, "Because Eleanor agreed to let me marry Ethan. We've already signed the contract." My words completely shattered Serena's mask. She couldn't pretend anymore. "Chloe, have you no shame?! The Sterlings wanted me to have Ethan's baby! How dare you steal my life?!" My mother rushed over and grabbed my arm, her face twisting in anger. "Call Eleanor right now and tell her you regret it!" My father's face darkened as he scolded me. "Serena is the one the Sterling family wanted. Don't let money ruin your relationship with your sister. Don't make our family a laughingstock." Before I could speak, the floating system comments exploded. [Chloe is so toxic! She just stole Serena's chance to meet Ethan! If Eleanor had just come back twice more, Serena would have agreed!] [I hate Chloe so much. Go die, Chloe!] [Don't panic, guys. In the original plot, Ethan falls in love with Serena at first sight anyway. Even if Chloe steals this spot now, it's useless. The moment Ethan sees Serena, he'll be completely mesmerized by her. Chloe is just cannon fodder.] I remained silent. Seeing my silence, Serena squeezed out a few tears. "Chloe, if you back out now, I won't blame you." "I know you've been jealous of me since we were kids. But marriage is not a game. You can't ruin your life for $30 million. Promise me you'll stop, okay?" Everyone was pressuring me to give up. Looking at the poorly concealed jealousy in Serena's eyes, I suddenly smiled. I looked her dead in the eye and said, "No. I think I'll go ahead and ruin my life." 3 When I left the house, my sister was still crying. My parents comforted her, saying, "Just let Chloe go. Ethan is basically on his deathbed anyway. Once she has a baby with a vegetable, let's see what kind of decent man would ever marry her in the future." They had no idea that the "dying" Ethan Sterling would wake up in two months. But I didn't feel any sense of triumph. I only had one thought. If Ethan was destined to fall in love with my sister... Then I had to get pregnant with his child before that happened. Eleanor arranged for my room to be right across from Ethan's. After unpacking, I walked into his room. The man on the bed had his eyes closed. He had a high, sharp nose bridge, and even after being in a coma for two months, he was still as breathtakingly handsome as a movie star. His eyelashes were exceptionally long and thick. I couldn't help but reach out, wanting to see if they were real. Before my fingertips could touch him, the door suddenly swung open. Eleanor stood at the door. She froze when she saw what I was doing. "What are you doing?" I awkwardly pulled my hand back and apologized. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see what my future baby's father looked like." Eleanor's expression softened slightly, and she sighed. "Ethan needs quiet. Try not to disturb him unless necessary." I nodded, but just as I turned to leave, I noticed a strange odor. Eleanor also wrinkled her nose and turned to call the nurse. "I'll do it," I offered. She looked at me in surprise. But I was already fetching hot water and a towel. I was used to this. Since Grammy became bedridden, I had been doing this for her every day. Changing Ethan's clothes and wiping him down was second nature to me. By the time I finished, the way Eleanor looked at me had completely changed. She thought for a moment and said, "The doctor mentioned that talking to Ethan is good for his recovery. If you're free, you can spend more time with him." I nodded obediently. From that day on, I visited Ethan's room every single day. I sang to him, clipped his nails, wiped his face and body, and whispered all the high-society gossip I could find. The system comments were throwing a fit daily. [I'm so mad! These are all the things Serena was supposed to do to bond with Ethan!] [Ethan's consciousness is awake! He can hear every single word she says!] [Oh no, with her being so attentive, is Ethan actually going to catch feelings for her?] [Relax. No matter how much Chloe does, she can't compare to a single glance from Serena. Ethan falls in love with Serena at first sight, remember?] I stared at the last comment, deep in thought. If nothing I did could ever compete with my sister, then I'd just have to change my strategy. That night, as I wiped Ethan's hand by his bedside, I spoke up. "You know, my sister Serena has always been a fake. She is terrified that I might be better than her." "The year our parents finally saved enough money to buy a house in the city and brought me over, I scored first in the entire grade on our very first monthly exam. I beat her by dozens of points." "Serena couldn't handle the humiliation of being compared to me. So, she convinced our parents that I was mentally unstable and had them commit me to a psychiatric facility." Suddenly, the heart monitor beside the bed spiked. My hands froze. The system comments went wild. [What is Chloe doing?! If she says this stuff, how is Ethan supposed to love Serena?!] [Ethan really heard it! He's feeling sorry for Chloe!] [Chloe is so manipulative! Does she really think she can make Ethan hate Serena like this?] So he really could hear me. Over the next few weeks, I told him more about my past every day. How Serena ripped up my academic awards and claimed I did it myself to frame her. How she spent thousands on designer bags while I couldn't even afford lunch... And every time I spoke about the unfair things I endured, his heart rate monitor would fluctuate slightly. A month passed. The day my IVF procedure was successfully confirmed, I held the pregnancy report in front of Ethan's face. "Ethan, you need to wake up soon. I'm pregnant with your baby." 4 Even as I said it, I felt a bit embarrassed. But then, out of the corner of my eye... Ethan's finger twitched. I immediately called Eleanor and the doctors. After examining him, the doctor called it a medical miracle. Ethan's brain activity was recovering rapidly, and he was responding to external stimuli. At this rate, he would wake up very soon. Eleanor's eyes welled with tears. She grabbed my hand tightly. "Chloe, the moment you got pregnant, Ethan started recovering. You are our family's lucky charm!" That very day, Eleanor moved me into a much larger suite, hired a personal nutritionist, and assigned two private nurses to cater to my every need. Even Grammy received specialized, top-tier care at her hospital. Somehow, the news reached my sister's ears. Not long after, Serena burst into the Sterling mansion, dragging our parents with her. I was sitting by Ethan's bedside talking to him when Serena rushed in and slapped me twice across the face. The impact sent my head spinning, and my ears rang loudly. Serena glared at me, screaming, "Get out of the Sterling house right now, Chloe!" "Ethan is finally waking up! Why are you still clinging to him? The Sterling family wanted me from the start! I should be the one marrying him!" I let out a cold laugh. "Serena, didn't you say pregnancy was just objectifying women? Didn't you call it degrading? What happened? Are you not afraid of being degraded anymore?" Serena's face flushed with rage and embarrassment. My mother rushed forward and slapped me again. "How dare you speak to Serena like that! This marriage belonged to her. You stole it from her, and you still have the audacity to talk back?" My father shoved me hard. "Cancel the contract immediately and give the position back to Serena!" The push sent me stumbling against the edge of the bed. I instinctively shielded my stomach. Before I could steady myself, a booming voice echoed from the doorway. "What do you think you are doing?!" Eleanor rushed in, immediately ordering the guards to support me. But my parents completely ignored my pale face, rushing to curry favor with Eleanor. "Eleanor, we've talked some sense into Serena." "She is willing to marry Ethan now and have his baby." Serena lifted her chin, resuming her arrogant, pure facade. "Eleanor, I'm not doing this for the money. I just can't bear the thought of Ethan waking up only to find someone completely unworthy standing by his side." "Perhaps if I marry him, my presence will help him recover even faster." Eleanor looked at her coldly. "But I am perfectly satisfied with Chloe." "Ethan's recovery is thanks to her daily companionship. As for you... our family cannot afford such a high-and-mighty presence." "Security, throw them out." Serena's face turned pale. As the security guards grabbed her arms, she shrieked. "Wait!" She whipped a piece of paper out of her bag. "Eleanor, do you really want a certified lunatic to give birth to the Sterling family heir?" When I saw the document, the blood drained from my face. It was the psychiatric diagnosis certificate from when I was wrongfully committed years ago. Eleanor took the paper, her expression darkening with every second. Serena sneered at me, triumphant. "Mental illness is genetic. The child she births might turn out to be a complete psycho." The room fell dead silent. After what felt like an eternity, Eleanor closed her eyes and turned to me. "Chloe, I'm sorry. We can't keep this baby." The system comments rejoiced. [I knew Chloe couldn't beat Serena!] [The baby is going to be aborted, and she'll be kicked out of the Sterling house!] [And now, it's time for Ethan and Serena to fall in love at first sight!] My face was stark white. I opened my mouth to explain to Eleanor, but Serena grabbed my arm tightly. "Chloe, don't tell me you're going to claim you're not crazy. Eleanor, you know how crazy people are—they always claim they're sane." With that, Serena dragged me toward the exit to get the abortion. Eleanor didn't stop her. Just as I was being dragged out, a raspy, weak voice cut through the room. "Wait..." Ethan was awake.
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