It was the sixth year since I'd been kicked out of the Johnston family as a "fake" heiress, and I barely survived by selling my blood.

I'd just clutched the few bills I'd gotten in exchange, about to call the doctor to buy medicine, when a bodyguard kicked me hard in the back of my knees.

As my knees slammed onto the ground, a woman's hysterical scream rang in my ears.

"Ungrateful wretch! How dare you show up here? Still trying to harm Lucy?"

A heavy slap landed on my face, and only then did I see that it was my mom, frantic to find a blood donor for her precious "daughter", Lucinda Johnston.

My brother, Maddox Johnston, looked at our emotionally shattered mom and ordered his bodyguard to throw me out immediately.

He glanced down at the cash in my hand and sneered, "Seems six years still hasn't worn away your vanity. Selling your blood for dozens of bucks?

"In half a month, Lucy graduates and goes abroad. She won't need the family's sole attention anymore, and you won't be able to bully her then.

"When that happens, I'll tell Mom and Dad the truth and bring you home. You'll still be our family's princess."

"Go home... Princess?" I muttered the words. Then, I shook my head and laughed.

The ALS was progressing too fast, and I wouldn't last a month.

Besides, the moment he publicly branded me a fake heiress for that impoverished student Lucinda, I already lost my home.

—

My fingers went weak, and the bills I couldn't hold were swept away by the wind.

Instinctively, I dragged my uncooperative legs, stumbling toward the money.

The people around looked at me like I was some freak.

But I didn't care.

All I knew was that if the money was gone, the special medicine I'd finally saved enough for would be out of reach again.

My full attention was on the fluttering bills. I didn't even hear the curses from passersby.

But those disgusted remarks made Maddox's face darken completely.

He couldn't stand it anymore, roaring, "Isabel! You stoop this low just to make me feel sorry for you?

"So what if you were sent away to be raised by someone else for a while? That family isn't poor. Who are you putting on this disgusting act for?"

That familiar voice struck my heart like a hammer. It hurt—for just one second.

That family he mentioned casually was the hell I never wanted to look back on.

A wave of bitterness rose in my throat, but I just paused briefly, gathered a little strength, and kept moving forward.

My walking posture was truly strange. Maddox's expression softened slightly. Frowning, he finally sensed something was off.

He strode toward me, about to speak.

But Lucinda suddenly appeared, covering her mouth in surprise.

"Oh, Isabel, you got the hospital to fake an ALS diagnosis, but now you're faking how you walk too?"

As she spoke, she handed a medical record to Maddox, her voice pitiful.

"Maddy, I know Isabel just wants to come home sooner. It's my fault for being in the way. Maybe you should send me abroad early."

Maddox stared at the medical record, his fists clenching tighter, and his teeth grinding audibly.

"I almost got tricked by you again, Isabel. After all these years, you're still a liar. Now you're faking illness too?

"Don't end up killing yourself with this act before you even get home!"

With that, he flung the medical record hard at me. Then, he turned and walked away with Lucinda without looking back.

Only when Lucinda glanced back and flashed me a victory sign did I slowly snap out of it.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. I was truly his blood-related sister, but that didn't make any difference.

Whenever it came to Lucinda, I was always the one in the wrong, the liar in his eyes.

But none of that mattered anymore. All I wanted now was to get the medicine to make my body hurt a little less.

I picked up the money and got on the bus to the hospital.

The road was jammed for a long time. In the long line of vehicles, many trucks displayed banners reading "The Johnston Family's Aid for Poor Regions".

Checking my phone, I learned that it was medical supplies donated by Maddox being transported.

Suddenly, the doctor called me.

He sighed on the other end, his voice full of regret, "Ms. Johnston, no need to come. Mr. Johnston personally claimed that you're faking illness. No hospital is allowed to prescribe medicine to you. He said it would be wasting medical resources."

But the doctor knew my condition clearly. And he'd already promised to reserve the medicine for me.

No matter how I begged, he wouldn't relent. In the end, he just hung up directly.

I stared blankly out the window at the Johnston family's aid banners, feeling nothing but bitter irony.

Back when Maddox sponsored Lucinda, he never hesitated to spend money on things for her.

Every year on the list of donors to poor regions, the Johnston family always ranked at the top.

But now, when I just wanted to buy medicine with my own money, in Maddox's eyes, it was "wasting resources".

The last flicker of hope died out. I got off the bus at some random stop.

My legs had completely given up. After only a few steps, I collapsed with a thud, kneeling on the ground.

That helpless, out-of-control feeling was suffocating. I truly felt like a complete failure.

Suddenly, all the pent-up emotions broke through at once. Sobbing, I hit my own legs with my fists, again and again.

A moment later, a girl with a camera ran over. She helped me up and guided me to a bench by the roadside.

Handing me a tissue, she asked softly, "What's wrong? Is there anything I can do to help?"

I was stunned, my whole body stiffening.

I never thought that the care and concern I'd longed for all these years would come from not my family but a complete stranger.

Six years ago, Maddox felt sorry for Lucinda, that poor student. So, he faked a paternity test and handed it to our parents, saying, "Lucy is your biological daughter, my real sister."

The "truth" hit me like a bolt of lightning. I cried until I broke down, begging him to confess to Mom and Dad.

But what I got in return was a hard slap.

"Can't you be sensible for once? Lucy's an orphan. She'd be bullied to death at school! Only if everyone knows she has a family will no one dare touch her!

"You've had love from Mom, Dad, and me all these years. Is it too much to let Lucy borrow your identity for a while?"

From the first day Lucinda came home, she started framing me at every turn, saying I called her "country bumpkin" and insulted her with money.

Maddox would punish me, and my parents would just stay silent about it.

It didn't change until that day, when Lucinda came home from school, her clothes almost torn to pieces, and humiliating words branded on her body.

She knelt in front of me with a thud.

"I'm sorry, Isabel! I'm just a country bumpkin, and I shouldn't have taken Mom and Dad away from you. I shouldn't stay! I'll go die right now!"

With that, she turned and jumped into the swimming pool. That day, my whole family was furious.

Maddox, in particular, immediately bribed a couple to pretend to be my "biological parents" and kicked me out of the house.

"Don't think you're so superior. Go out there and suffer a little. Tame your temper. When you learn to stop bullying Lucy, I'll bring you back."

From then on, I fell into an endless hell.

At the restaurant run by that couple, the work of ten people was all piled on me alone.

The skin on my hands never had a chance to heal.

Every time the man got drunk and became violent, the woman would drag me in front of her as a shield.

Slaps, fists, and wine bottles all landed on me.

The worst times, I was nearly beaten to death.

Gradually, they noticed something was off with me.

Speech slurred, couldn't hold my tableware steady, no strength for work, walking posture twisted...

After I was diagnosed with ALS, they threw me out like trash without hesitation.

With no ability to work, I could only make a living by selling blood, barely staying alive.

But now, the medicine I'd been longing for, the one I'd finally almost managed to get, was completely cut off by a single sentence from Maddox.

By the time I finished haltingly recounting those six years of mine, the girl was already covering her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

Wiping her tears, she said to me gently, "I'm a new blogger, and I help strangers fulfill wishes. Do you have a wish?"

A wish?

I lifted my head, looked up at the stars in the sky, and thought seriously.

Then, I told her, "I want a coffin."

Living had been too painful. After I died, I just wanted to rest peacefully.

The girl agreed right away.

In the end, she carefully asked for my permission before posting my story online.

Staring at the sallow, emaciated face and tattered clothes on the screen, I suddenly couldn't remember the self who once loved to dress up and look pretty.

A thought popped into my head out of nowhere—when I died, I wanted to leave this world looking nice.

I counted the money in my hand. I was still dozens of dollars short for a decent burial outfit.

Dozens of dollars. I could probably scrape that together by picking up plastic bottles.

My muscles had atrophied almost completely. I couldn't walk far at all, so I slowly hobbled to the mall entrance and asked someone to write a few big words on a cardboard sign: "Could you give me your empty plastic bottles? Thank you!"

There were still many kind people. By the end of the day, the bag in front of me was stuffed full, and I sold them for a few bucks.

I never expected, though, that the video the girl posted would go viral online. Countless people were moved, and waves of follows and comments poured in.

The next day, as soon as I got to the mall, the bottles filled up quickly. Just as I was struggling to lift the bag, someone suddenly kicked it hard, sending it flying.

"Isabel! What's the meaning of that video you posted online? Deliberately playing the victim to get netizens to attack Lucy? Trying to drive her to the edge and torment her?

"Delete it now! And clarify the truth!"

Hearing Maddox's words, I sneered, "Truth? Isn't ... this ... the truth?"

Speaking was already a struggle for me, and I could barely control my expressions.

Maddox rubbed his brows in disgust.

As if hearing a ridiculous joke, he scoffed, "Is there any point in putting on this act? Making such a big fuss—you just want me to bring you home early, don't you? You can't even wait half a month, huh? You insist on going against me, don't you? Let's see how it goes then."

He nodded as if he had thought something through, but the look in his eyes was dark and unreadable.

After Maddox left, I didn't dwell on it. I kept collecting bottles and selling them for money.

A few more bags of bottles, and I'd have enough for the burial outfit.

But that afternoon, the girl blogger called. She was crying, her voice full of apology.

"I'm sorry. I might not be able to help you with your wish anymore. My account got banned, my home was vandalized, and my grandma got so upset she's in the ICU... I need to raise money for her treatment."

She sounded on the verge of breaking down.

"I'm sorry, really... Everything was going so well. I don't know why it all changed in just an hour..."

My mind went blank, buzzing.

I had never thought that Maddox would go this far for Lucinda.

Suppressing me was one thing, but why did he have to hurt an innocent person?

I immediately hailed a taxi and told the driver to take me to the Johnston's villa.

Grabbing a bottle, I summoned all my strength and threw it at Maddox, yelling, "Why did you do this to that girl?"

Maddox turned, his gaze heavy as it landed on me.

He said, "Then do you know how much trouble you've caused this time? Lucy saw those comments attacking her. Her depression flared up, and she nearly killed herself!

"In half a month, I'll explain everything to Mom and Dad. And I'll make it up to you in every way possible. When it's all over, your accomplice's situation will naturally get better."

Hearing his words, I laughed until tears fell.

By the time everything was over, I'd already be dead. What was the point of belated atonement?

Just then, the villa door opened.

"Lucy, we're back! Look what we brought you..."

It was Mom and Dad. Their smiles died the second they saw me.

They stared for a long beat, struggling to reconcile the beggar clutching a sack of recyclables—someone who clearly didn't belong in a luxury villa—with their daughter.

Mom's eyes reddened instantly, her composure shattering.

"What are you doing here? You've nearly tormented Lucy to death!

"Get out! Just get out!"

Dad comforted her while glaring daggers at me, ordering me to leave.

But I kept my gaze fixed on Maddox.

I wasn't staying a second longer than necessary—I just needed him to agree to let that girl go.

After a few seconds of tension, Lucinda emerged from her room, weeping and acting frail as usual.

"Mom, Dad, don't blame Isabel. I'm the one who feels guilty. If I hadn't shown up, Isabel would still be your precious daughter."

She bowed deeply to me.

"I'm sorry, Isabel. I deserve this depression. I know you won't be happy until I'm dead. I just hope you'll take care of Mom and Dad for me."

With that, she turned and ran straight into the traffic outside.

Her acting was as terrible as ever, but somehow, it terrified the three of them.

Mom and Dad screamed her name in panic.

Maddox didn't hesitate. Amidst the blaring horns and cursing drivers, he sprinted after her.

Just in the nick of time, he tackled her out of harm's way.

Mom and Dad hugged Lucinda, weeping with relief that their darling girl was safe.

Maddox watched Lucinda catch her breath, visibly shaken, before turning on me and slapping me hard across the face.

"Isabel! You knew Lucy was unstable. Did you come to the house today just to trigger her?

"You're vicious to the core!"

Maddox looked at me with utter disappointment.

Even Dad, who had been quiet, shouted in anger.

"After everything our family did for you, I can't believe we raised a child who only knows how to cause pain!"

My face burned, and my ears rang from the slap. I waved my hand numbly.

"I didn't. I've never hurt her..."

But they looked at me with the same hatred they had six years ago when they kicked me out—like they wished I were dead.

I couldn't get another word out to explain or defend myself.

I just stared blankly at Maddox.

"If I die, will you leave that girl alone?"

He sneered, mocking me.

"If you actually die, I'll give her all the resources she needs. I'll make her famous."

His indifference made me feel strangely light, as if death wasn't so scary anymore.

"Then keep your word," I whispered, looking down.

As I turned to leave, I saw Mom point at me, looking uneasy.

"Maddy, look at her. Something's wrong. She's not actually going to die, is she?"

Maddox glanced at me and dismissed it immediately.

"Impossible. She values her life too much. It's all an act to make us feel sorry for her."

Then, the three of them turned their attention back to Lucinda.

Mom and Dad brought out souvenirs from their trip, trying everything to cheer her up.

Maddox seemed distracted, though, glancing back at my retreating figure every now and then.

But eventually, Lucinda's sweet voice drowned out his unease.

The four of them laughed and chatted, enjoying a happiness that hadn't belonged to me for a long time.

I sold the two bags of bottles I was carrying and finally scraped together enough for a new outfit, but I never made it to the store.

Two weeks later, after successfully sending Lucinda abroad, Maddox was finally ready to tell my parents the truth.

But just as he was about to speak, a trending news story caught his eye.

"The viral sensation—the girl battling ALS—didn't make it. Her decomposing body was found by a passerby in a patch of tall grass."