Chapter 2

Mom's hand trembled as she repeated her actions, and an eerie silence fell over the dining room.

Soon, her eyes reddened, and she sat down beside me, starting to wipe her tears.

My father, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

"If you're sick, go see a doctor. What's the use of coming back to tell us?"

His eyes were full of disdain.

"You're a grown-up now, but you still don't know how to handle things. Don't scare others into getting sick after you've recovered."

Mom wiped away tears that no longer existed.

"Yes, listen to your father."

Lily put on her professional smile and poured me a drink as if nothing was wrong.

"Sister, try this good wine your brother-in-law brought back."

My aunt muttered in disgust, "Don't tell me you came back to borrow money! How unlucky!"

After that, everyone fell silent again.

I coldly looked at everyone.

"I didn't come back to borrow money from you."

I looked at Lily.

"I wanted to ask my sister if she could donate a kidney to me."

The table went quiet again.

It seemed like a century had passed before I heard Dad slam the table hard.

"Nonsense!"

His face turned red with anger.

"It's New Year's Eve! What nonsense are you talking about!"

"Don't you know how risky a kidney transplant is?"

I squeezed out a bitter smile.

"It's risky, but it could save my life. Isn't it worth it?"

He was stunned for a moment, then said firmly and resolutely, "It's impossible. I won't agree to it. Even a one in ten thousand risk is unacceptable."

Although I already knew the answer in my heart, I still wanted to hear it with my own ears before giving up.

I turned my gaze to Mom.

Mom was crying harder than before.

I looked at her full of expectation, thinking that maybe she would comfort me like she comforted my sister.

But even though she was shedding hot tears, her words were ice-cold and cutting.

"Life and death are destined, child. You... just accept your fate."

Her tone was full of sadness.

"You're sick yourself, and you want to harm your sister. You're killing me!"

"Do you want me to lose two children at once? Ah! How can you be so cruel!"

Hearing this, I finally woke up. Mom's tears were never for me.

I lost interest and stopped looking at her, turning my gaze back to Lily.

But now her eyes were full of anger.

"Emma, are you crazy? Do you have to make trouble on New Year's Eve?"

She stood up as she spoke, her hands on the edge of the table, clearly angered by me.

"You've always resented Mom and Dad for losing you, haven't you? You think they've mistreated you? That's why you've been causing trouble for the family since you came back, you can't stand to see us happy."

She cried, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm about to get married, how can you be so selfish and vicious?"

Mom and she cried in each other's arms, while others looked at me with vicious and resentful eyes.

"I'm telling you, I won't donate. I'm selfish, don't blame Mom and Dad."

Lily raised her head, looking like she was making a great sacrifice.

The others didn't speak for a long time, so long that Mom's face looked like she had never cried at all.

I stared at the people in front of me and said, "You really won't donate to me?"

Lily tidied her hair and said firmly, "No! Absolutely not!"

"Think whatever you want, but don't take it out on Mom and Dad. They're innocent."

I sneered, wondering how I had become such a villain.

They sat together as a family, and Mom started crying again. My aunt comforted her in a low voice.

"What sin have I committed to deserve this!"

I coldly watched her pretending to be sincere.

"Indeed, it's not worth it for an ungrateful person like me."

Dad angrily stood up.

"We shouldn't have found you back in the first place, you ungrateful wretch."

I questioned him.

"Then why did you bring me back? For your face?"

He slapped me, and my face immediately turned red and stinging.

"Get out!"

Dad took some cash and threw it at me.

This New Year's red envelope was probably prepared for my sister's fiancé, their golden son-in-law.

My sister's fiancé was a great help to our family business.

How could Mom and Dad sacrifice their precious daughter for me?

"The Thompson family doesn't have a daughter like you."

I steadied myself and asked again.

"Are you severing ties with me?"

Mom looked at me but didn't say anything. Everyone was looking at Dad.

"That's right, I'm severing ties with you. I believe that since we found you and brought you back, we haven't mistreated you in any way."

"We've fed you well, clothed you warmly, but you... you're ungrateful. Now you even want to ruin your sister's bright future."

Fed well? Clothed warmly? I smiled bitterly. More like not starved to death, not frozen to death.

"Then I can't let you down."

I stared hard at my father.

"Dad, you have to keep your word."

Father eagerly expressed, "I keep my word. From today on, you are no longer Robert Thompson's daughter! You have no connection with the Thompson family anymore."

I couldn't be more clear-headed.

"Fine, from now on, we'll go our separate ways."

Lily hugged Mom and said with a sob, "Get out quickly, you unlucky thing."

I laughed suddenly, took out my test results, and mixed them with the money around.

"I won't take this money. You might need it more than I do."

Walking out the door, the festive atmosphere of the New Year was on everyone's face! Breathing in the fresh air outside, I felt alive again.

Since I came back, I've been trying to please everyone in the family, but except for the initial joy they showed in front of the media when they first found me, they've been ignoring me ever since.

I thought they cared about their reputation.

But they weren't like that with Lily. Lily was the daughter they carefully nurtured, their pride and joy.

And I was just a child who grew up in the gutter, dispensable to them.

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