On Christmas Eve, my stepmother prepared two apples for my sister and me. Mine was large, red, and beautiful. My sister, Bella, who was usually the spoiled favorite, received a small, lopsided apple. When she cried and threw a tantrum, she was scolded and told to let me have the better one "just this once." Then, my stepmother looked at me with a loving, almost hypnotic gaze. Her voice was soft, like she was coaxing a small animal into a trap. "Stella, honey, your sister has always been in poor health. If you had the chance, would you be willing to give your health and safety to her?" I agreed on the spot. But, terrified that she would change her mind and beat me later, I secretly gave the big apple to my sister to eat. My stepmother gave me a special apple for three days in a row. For three days, I gave them to my sister. On the third night, a mechanical voice rang in my ear: "Life force transfer successful. Stella has acquired five years of Bella's lifespan." From the master bedroom next door, my stepmother screamed in horror: "Why did Stella get it?!" Chapter 1 "Stella, I’ve prepared an apple for you and Bella for Christmas Eve," my stepmother said, handing us two gift boxes. My box was noticeably larger, wrapped beautifully with a silk ribbon. In contrast, Bella, who was usually showered with affection, received a plain, tiny box. Bella pouted immediately. She tore her box open, revealing a small, bruised, and lopsided apple. She froze. Then she snatched my box and ripped it open. Inside sat a massive, crimson apple—perfect and shining. "Mom!" Bella exploded. "Why are you being so unfair?!" My stepmother snatched the big apple from Bella’s hands and placed it firmly in mine. "Bella! Your sister always yields to you. Can’t you let her have this one thing on Christmas Eve? Is that how I raised you?" "I don't want it!" Bella slapped her small apple off the table and ran to her room. My stepmother didn't seem to care. She turned to me, her expression shifting to a loving warmth that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Stella, Bella has been sickly since she was a baby. If there was a way, would you be willing to share your own health and luck with her?" It was a strange question, but she always demanded I be good to Bella. Sharing some "luck" didn't seem like a big deal. I nodded without hesitation. "I am." Her smile deepened, looking incredibly satisfied. She lifted the apple in her hands. "Good girl. Now, eat the apple. Eat it all." Something about her expression terrified me. I was afraid that if I ate it, she might regret giving me such a nice thing and beat me later when Dad wasn't looking. I rolled my eyes, thinking fast. "Denise, I’ll eat it in my room." "Make sure you finish it, you hear?" Her phone rang at that moment, distracting her. "I will, I promise," I nodded vigorously. I was always obedient. I never dared to go west if she said east. So, she let me go without suspicion and answered her call. Back in my room, I didn't take a bite. Instead, I waited until Bella was getting ready for bed and snuck into her room. I pulled the warm apple from my hoodie pocket. "Bella, I didn't eat it. Here." Bella’s anger vanished instantly. "At least you have a conscience. Thanks, Sis." I patted her head. "Can you finish it all?" Bella’s health was fragile. She took a small bite and nodded. "Yeah. Wow, this apple is so good. I've never tasted anything like it. It melts in my mouth like cotton candy." I found it funny—how could an apple taste like cotton candy? I watched her eat the entire thing, bite by bite. I was surprised she finished it, and worriedly touched her stomach. Strangely, despite the size of the fruit, her belly didn't bulge at all. "I'm going back to my room. Don't tell Mom you ate it, okay?" Bella, being her usual proud self, nodded. "Of course. I ate it, so I won't tell. If I do, she’ll hit you." Maybe it was the lighting, but Bella’s face seemed to drain of color the moment she finished the last bite. It wasn't like her usual sickness. It looked as if her very essence had been siphoned away. "Sis, I'm sleepy," she mumbled, lying down weakly. "Okay, go to sleep. I'm leaving." I tucked her in. In that short span of time, she was already asleep. Her lips, usually pink, were pale despite having just eaten a red apple. It was like she had suddenly... withered. Chapter 2 When I left her room, Dad had returned home. He and Denise were talking in their bedroom. I thought about telling Dad, but I figured there was no point in mentioning that I gave the apple to Bella. Denise would just find a reason to punish me for it. I went to sleep. In the middle of the night, I realized Denise had come into my room and taken the empty gift box away. The next morning, I went to wake Bella, but she wouldn't stir. She had a high fever. "Denise! Bella is burning up!" Denise was making breakfast. Dad had already left for work. She rushed into the room, saw Bella’s flushed face, and panicked. She scooped Bella up, then turned and saw me standing there. "What are you standing there for?! Go get the documents!" She freed a hand and slapped me hard on the back. The force knocked me to the floor. My hand scraped the ground, stinging sharply, but her tone was far scarier. "Hurry up! Stop dawdling! If anything happens to your sister, I won't forgive you!" I was used to this. She always hit me on my back, my butt, or my legs—places where bruises could be hidden by clothes, places that hurt a lot but healed fast. Denise came into our lives when I was three. Bella was born when I was four. Dad was busy with work. It was just Denise, me, and sickly Bella. Whenever Bella got sick, Denise got anxious, and I became her punching bag. I told Dad once because it hurt so much. But there were no marks, and he didn't believe me. Denise punished me for days for being a "tattletale." Since then, I learned to be quiet. I scrambled up and ran to their bedroom to grab the insurance cards and medical records. I knew the drill. We went to the hospital so often the doctors knew us by name. At the hospital, Bella was put on an IV drip. The ward was empty; she was the only patient. Denise sat by the bed, crying, her eyes swollen. I heard her muttering through her sobs: "Bella, just wait... just wait two more days... just wait... don't scare Mommy..." I didn't understand what she meant by "wait." That night, despite her grief, Denise gave me another apple. It was identical to the first one—huge, red, and beautiful. She pulled it from her bag, shoved it into my hands, wiped her tears, and forced a smile. "Stella, here. You didn't eat breakfast. Have an apple." I held the apple, sensing she intended to watch me eat it. Her expression was intense, terrifying. Luckily, Bella woke up, and Denise rushed to call the doctor. Bella saw the apple. "Sis, why do you have another big apple?" Her voice was weak. I looked at the fruit, then at my sister. "Do you want it? Denise gave it to me." She wanted it. She ate it quickly, just like the night before. Again, her stomach didn't bulge. After eating, she fell into a deep sleep immediately. This time, she didn't wake up for the rest of the day. Chapter 3 Denise was so worried she couldn't eat. Her mood was explosive. Any small movement I made resulted in a curse or a slap on the back. Dad came to the hospital that night and took me home. Denise stayed overnight. The next morning, Dad dropped me back at the hospital. "Stella, stay with your sister for a bit. I have an emergency at work. Your stepmom will be here soon." He was rushing. It should have been his job to stay while Denise went home to change, but he had to go. "Okay, Dad." Then, Dad pulled out a red apple. "This is a reward from your stepmom. She said you’ve been working hard helping with Bella." The third apple. "When did she buy this?" I asked. "She gave me one yesterday and the day before." Dad looked puzzled. "I don't know. She always manages to find high-quality stuff. Just eat it. I didn't have time to get you breakfast." Right then, Denise called Dad. I could hear her asking urgently if he had given me the apple. "Yes, yes, I gave it to her. Don't worry, it's in her hand right now," Dad reassured her. She told him to make sure I ate it. He agreed, but the moment he hung up, he pushed me into the ward. "Watch your sister. Don't go out until Denise gets here. Call the nurse if anything happens." He was in a rush. "I know. I'll watch her," I promised. Dad left. I sat there holding the apple. It smelled incredibly sweet. I swallowed. I actually wanted to eat it this time. While I stared at it, Bella woke up again. "Sis?" Her voice was barely a whisper. She looked even worse than before—like a ghost. All her vitality was gone. I forgot about the apple and grabbed her hand. "Bella, do you hurt anywhere? I'll get the doctor." "Don't go," she stopped me. Her hand brushed against the apple on the bed. Her eyes lit up. "It's that yummy apple." This time, I didn't want to give it to her. "Bella, let's not eat this. I think... I think the apples are making you sick." She didn't believe me. "Mom gave them to us. Why would she give us something that makes us sick?" She sat up, struggling, and grabbed the apple with both hands. This one was the reddest of all. It looked like the poisoned apple from a fairy tale. I felt a sudden panic. "Bella!" She looked at me blankly, but didn't stop. She took a bite. She kept eating, entranced. I tried to take it away, but she held on with surprising strength, chewing mechanically. I was terrified. I ran to get the nurse. By the time the nurse arrived, the apple was gone. Fortunately, Bella didn't faint this time. She finished her IV drip and was discharged that afternoon. Denise was ecstatic. She cooked a huge dinner and kept piling food onto my plate, smiling at me like I was her favorite person in the world. That night, as I was drifting off to sleep, a voice spoke clearly in my ear. "Ding! Life force transfer successful. Stella has acquired five years of Bella's lifespan." It sounded like the automated voice at the vending machine Dad used. The moment the voice faded, a scream tore through the apartment from the master bedroom. "Why is it Stella?!" Denise shrieked. Chapter 4 Even through the wall, I could hear the horror in her voice. Hearing my name made my heart pound with fear. The bedroom door slammed open. Before I could sit up, Denise was at my bedside, hauling me up by my collar. "Stella! Did you eat the apples?!" Her face was twisted, monstrous. She was on the edge of insanity. I was shaking. I nodded frantically. "I ate them..." "You ate all three?!" She choked me, shaking me violently. I couldn't breathe. My vision started to go black. "What are you doing?! Star did nothing wrong! You're choking her!" Dad rushed in, prying her hands off my neck. Denise collapsed, wailing. "Her! Bella! My Bella!" She scrambled out of the room and ran to Bella's bedroom. Dad smoothed my collar and patted my back. "Stella, what happened?" I shook my head, coughing too hard to speak. From the other room, Denise screamed. "Bella!" "Bella, don't scare Mommy!" The grief in her voice froze us both. Dad dropped me and ran. Bella had gone into shock. The ambulance came. Denise cried until she nearly passed out. She rode in the ambulance. Dad and I followed in a taxi. At the hospital, Bella was still in the ER. When Denise saw me in the hallway, her eyes were filled with pure hatred. "Stella! You didn't eat the apples, did you?!" She lunged at me like a wild animal. I scrambled back, terrified. "Dad!" Dad blocked her. "Calm down! What apples? What is wrong with you?" Denise looked like she wanted to tear my throat out. I was cowering in the corner, sobbing. "I'm sorry, Denise. I didn't know... Bella didn't have an apple, so I gave mine to her. She's sick... I wanted her to have the good food." It wasn't the whole truth—I gave them to her because I was scared of Denise—but I couldn't say that in front of Dad. Denise went rigid. Her face contorted into a mask of despair and fury. "You... it really was you. I gave those to you! You ungrateful wolf!" Her eyes were bloodshot, practically bleeding. She stared at me, unblinking. "You! You!" "Stella!" She screamed my name like a curse. Then, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387648", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel