After the crash, the heart transplant meant to save my life was given to my best friend, Sarah Johnson, by my own parents.

The doctor told me to stay in the hospital and wait for another donor.

But I refused.

I asked the doctor to prescribe me a high dose of painkillers.

The price was death by complications in three days.

For these last three days, I decided to let go of everything.

When Mom and Dad belittled me to favor Sarah, I just nodded.

When my husband demanded I get an abortion so he could marry Sarah, I agreed to that, too.

None of them realized anything was wrong.

They just praised me, "Emily is finally starting to be sensible."

But Mom, these are the last three days I'll ever be "sensible."

Because in three days, I’ll be dead.

＊＊＊

After taking the painkillers, I had three days left to live.

When I got home, my husband, John Miller—who had never done a chore in his life—was actually in the kitchen making soup.

His face darkened the moment he saw me.

"I thought you said your injuries were severe enough to need a heart transplant?

And here you are, walking back in on your own.

Couldn't keep up the act?

You're so fake!"

In the past, if John spoke to me like that, I would have screamed back at him.

But now, I just walked calmly past him and started packing my things.

John brought the soup out of the kitchen and started ordering me around.

"Sarah was only in that accident because she was with you.

You need to serve this soup to Sarah with both hands, bow down, and apologize!

Emily, Sarah is your best friend, and she's the most pitiful person in this world.

You dragged her into that crash. Making amends is the least you can do!"

Looking at John's sneering face, I felt something surge in my throat.

I tasted it carefully—it was blood.

These painkillers were effective. They didn't just block the pain; they even dulled the metallic taste of the blood.

"Did you hear a word I said?"

John snapped, impatient with my silence.

"Okay."

I answered calmly.

John froze, stunned.

Maybe it was because we had fought so many times over Sarah in the past that my quick agreement took him by surprise.

But the shock only lasted a second before his look turned even more repulsive.

"You'd better not be playing games. If anything happens to Sarah, I'm divorcing you!"

"Suit yourself."

I actually laughed.

"Emily, you...?"

John was even more shocked now.

I couldn't be bothered with him anymore. I grabbed the thermos and walked away.

Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. I wiped it away indifferently.

It didn't matter. In three days, I'd be leaving this world anyway.

......

Inside the hospital ward, Dad and Mom were fussing over Sarah with concern written all over their faces, as if Sarah were their real daughter.

The moment they saw me walk in, the tenderness in their eyes instantly curdled into disgust.

"What are you doing here?"

"If you hadn't insisted on going to that art exhibition to buy paintings, Sarah wouldn't have been in that crash and needed a heart transplant!"

"And you had the nerve to claim your injuries were severe enough to need the heart? Look at you, aren't you fine? You little liar!"

Mom and Dad took turns berating me.

Behind them, Sarah looked at me with a smirk.

But I was already numb to it all.

My only regret was not seeing through Sarah's schemes sooner.

Sarah and I had been best friends in school.

Because she came from a poor family but had top grades, I begged Dad to sponsor her and even brought her into our home to live with me.

She was sweet-talking and well-behaved, so my parents quickly grew fond of her.

But they didn't know that Sarah's greatest talent was quietly stealing away the things people cherished most.

By the time I realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

My favorite dolls, my room, even the house I loved—my parents had given them all to her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Even my ex-boyfriend had broken up with me because of her.

"Sarah is your best friend. We're raising her like our own daughter. Isn't it good to have someone else around to keep you company?"

"Emily, grow up. It's not like our family lacks property or houses. What's the big deal if we give one to her?"

"Emily, let's break up. You're a wealthy heiress, but Sarah... she's the one who truly needs my care."

Memories flashed through my mind. I looked at Mom and Dad, speaking with the last shred of hope I had left.

"Mom, Sarah insisted on coming with me. You can't blame me for the car accident."

Mom stared at me furiously, looking at me as if I were a murderer.

"If I don't blame you, who should I blame?

Who knows if you were really going to an art exhibition or some shady place?

Was Sarah wrong to care about you?

If I had known you'd be this ungrateful, I never would have given birth to you!

Kneel down right now and apologize to Sarah!"

Something in my heart let go, and the last trace of affection I held for my parents vanished.

Since Sarah wanted everything I had, she could have it.

Including my family—I didn't want them anymore either.

I knelt and knocked my head against the floor, my voice raspy from the blood in my throat.

"Sarah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you come with me just to buy a birthday painting for Mom. I shouldn't have failed to shield you when the crash happened. It's all my fault!"

Mom froze, a flicker of guilt passing through her eyes.

But Dad just scoffed.

"If you had been this obedient from the start, Sarah wouldn't have gotten hurt!

Sarah is an orphan, and she's sensible.

Now that she's been injured in this accident, I'm thinking we should just sign the legal adoption papers and make her our real daughter."

Hearing Dad's words, Mom snapped out of it, and the guilt in her eyes vanished.

"Yes, that way we gain a daughter, and you get a sister to keep you company! Emily, what do you think?"

Mom looked at me, her gaze leaving no room for argument.

I smiled.

"Okay!"

This time, even Dad was surprised.

"You... you agree?"

"I agree."

Two days remained until my death.

The next morning, I sat up in bed.

A large stain of dried blood covered my pillow, likely from last night.

I opened the door; Mom and Dad were already back from the hospital.

I walked over to the dining table, sat down, and started eating breakfast.

Mom got angry when she saw I had only taken a single slice of bread.

"Why aren't you drinking this shrimp bisque?

Sarah specifically asked us to go out and buy this for you!

She said shrimp bisque is your favorite!

Can't you just stop trampling on Sarah's kindness for once?"

I looked up at Mom calmly.

"I'm allergic to shrimp. Sarah is the one who loves shrimp bisque."

Mom froze again, her face flushing red.

She must have forgot the time I ate shrimp as a child and had to be rushed to the ER.

I honestly couldn't figure it out either—why would my mother care so much about a girl she used to not know, to the point of forgetting her own daughter's allergies and preferences?

After a few seconds of silence, Dad forced a break in the awkward tension.

"Alright, enough! Emily, hurry up and eat. Sarah is waiting for you at the hospital!"

I finished eating in silence and went to stand up, but the metallic taste of blood surged in my throat again.

My vision went black, and I passed out.

When I woke up, I found I was still at home.

Instead of concern from Mom and Dad, I was met with even darker expressions.

"Emily, you're nothing but a liar!"

Mom scolded, pointing a finger at me.

I was dazed.

"I told you she was faking it. Look, she woke up on her own, didn't she?"

Dad said from the side, his face grim.

"Emily, Sarah just had a heart transplant and is in pain all over. Can you stop faking sickness for attention and causing us trouble?"

Hearing Mom's words, I finally snapped back to reality.

The doctor had told me the painkillers he prescribed would block all pain for these three days.

On the surface, I looked perfectly fine; even a checkup wouldn't show anything wrong.

In reality, it was accelerating the failure of my internal organs.

I wanted to open my mouth to explain, but then I felt it was pointless.

Maybe if I died, they'd actually be happy, thinking this burden was finally gone so they could give all their love to Sarah.

I didn't say a word, just nodded.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I know I was wrong. Go be with Sarah. Don't worry about me."

Dad looked at me with confusion.

But in the end, they turned and left.

A few hours later, the phone rang. It was the doctor who had prescribed the painkillers.

"You left in such a hurry last time. There was a test result I didn't get a chance to tell you about—you're pregnant, Ms. Watson!"

I froze, my hand instinctively moving to cover my lower abdomen.

"Ms. Watson, it's not too late to turn back!"

The doctor sounded urgent.

"I can help you fight for a heart donor and replace the other failing organs. There is still hope!"

The doctor gave me a few more instructions before hanging up.

My mind was a mess. I was just about to leave the house to find John and tell him I was pregnant.

But as soon as I opened the door, I saw John supporting Sarah, with Mom and Dad right there.

When John looked up and saw me, he froze for a second before his expression returned to normal.

As for Sarah, a flash of smugness crossed her eyes when she saw me, followed immediately by feigned surprise.

"Emily! I've really missed you these last two days! Don't take the car accident to heart; I wanted to be there with you myself!"

In the past, hearing words like these would have made me argue with her, only to earn harsher scolding from Mom and Dad.

But now, I just looked at John expressionlessly, completely ignoring Sarah's "performance."

"I have something to tell you."

John nodded.

"I have something to say as well, so let's just say it here!"

A bad feeling suddenly rose within me.

The next second, John spoke up.

"Emily, let's get a divorce!

I've thought about it for a long time.

Sarah needs looking after right now, and I can't be in two places at once.

We can always remarry once Sarah gets better.

Your health is fine right now, so I think you can manage on your own."

My hand, resting on my lower abdomen, slipped down.

It took a long time before I could speak.

"Even if I'm carrying your child, you still want a divorce?"

John froze for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes."

I looked at Mom and Dad.

"Do you agree with this too?"

A trace of guilt flashed in Mom's eyes, but she still nodded firmly.

"Emily, Sarah has had a hard life. It's only thanks to us that she's brightened up a bit. But you're different; you have everything, so don't compete with her."

"Just let John marry Sarah. We'll still be a family anyway, so nothing really changes in essence!"

My heart froze instantly.

In their eyes, the living, breathing life inside me was far less important than an outsider.

"Fine." I said calmly.

"We'll go tomorrow."

I tried to walk around them to leave, but John blocked my path again.

"Emily," John paused. "Can we not keep the baby? I want to give Sarah some security..."

I finally couldn't control my laughter, my hands trembling.

Seeing my silence, Mom hesitated and wanted to speak, but I beat her to it.

"Fine, I'll get rid of the baby."

The moment the words left my mouth, Mom, Dad, and John all froze, then let out a long sigh of relief, their eyes filled with gratification.

"Emily, you've finally learned to be sensible! If only you had been like this sooner!"

I smiled, but my heart was nothing but ashes.

One day remained until my death.

The lights in the hospital operating room were blinding.

I could feel something draining away from my body.

John and my parents were all waiting for me outside the operating room.

When I came out, Mom tried to support me, but I dodged her.

"Emily, you..." The guilt in Mom's eyes could no longer be hidden.

"I'm fine. You should go and stay with Sarah."

John stopped me.

"You just had surgery, you need someone with you! You were in that car accident with Sarah before, and now you've just had surgery again. Why don't you stay in the hospital too?"

Dad nodded as well.

"Right. And we've thought about it—we'll put Sarah's legal adoption papers on hold for now. We can talk about it after you recover."

I looked at Dad but said nothing. I just wanted to get away from them.

But just as I turned to leave, I heard Mom scream.

"Emily! Why are you bleeding?"

I was confused.

Suddenly, my nose felt itchy. I touched it—my hand was covered in blood.

Immediately after, a wave of intense dizziness hit me, and I fainted again.

When I woke up, Mom was looking at me in confusion.

"Aren't abortion surgeries supposed to be painless nowadays? How could you faint?"

I turned my head to look at the ceiling.

It seemed they really were dense. They didn't even know I was about to die.

But it was normal that they didn't know; they had never really cared about me anyway.

And now, I just wanted to leave quietly, all by myself.

I struggled to sit up, gasping for breath as waves of pain began to radiate through my body.

It seemed the painkillers were wearing off, and the complications were coming soon.

"I'm fine now. Sarah still needs someone over there. You should go."

The pain made my voice weak.

Dad patted my head.

In the past, I used to crave the warmth of Dad's large palm, but now, that warmth no longer belonged to me.

I pulled away.

Dad's hand froze, and he awkwardly lowered it.

"Then... then we'll get going. You rest first, and we'll come see you this afternoon!"

John nodded too.

"Don't worry, we'll be quick. I'll make you some soup tonight to help you recover."

I didn't respond to them, just leaned against the headboard and looked out the window.

Eventually, they left.

I forced myself to leave the hospital and took a taxi to the seaside.

Mom and Dad used to take me to the seaside every year.

But after Sarah moved into our home, she said she had never seen the sea, so Mom and Dad left me behind and took Sarah to the beach instead.

When I asked about it, they always made excuses.

"You've already been to the seaside many times.

Sarah has had a hard life and hasn't seen anything, so don't fight with her over this!

In the future, when we're gone, Sarah will be the only one left to keep you company.

We're doing this for your future!"

But Mom, Dad... she only wanted to take everything I had.

I still remembered her words whispered in my ear before the car accident.

"Emily, do you believe that your family will belong to me forever?

Just stay alive and watch how I take everything away from you!

Who asked you to always show off your family background to me back then?

You brought this on yourself!"

I couldn't understand why my kindness was twisted like this by Sarah.

But now, none of it mattered...

I summoned my last ounce of strength to sit on a large, unnoticed rock.

I smiled faintly, feeling the pain in my body grow sharper, and slowly closed my eyes.

In the next life, I hope I never have to suffer like this again...