They Only Cared When I Was Dying

Chapter 1

4,137 words

I’d activated a Sickness Transmigration System. I woke up in the body of Kai Stone, the biological son of the affluent Stone family, who’d only been found and brought home half a year ago.

Everyone adored Brandon, the adopted son of the family.

My three sisters were terrified I'd try to take what they believed belonged to Brandon, so they constantly threw sarcastic jabs my way.

My biological parents were scared my presence would upset Brandon, so they bent over backward, desperately trying to make it up to him.

But they never once considered my feelings.

Then, I was dying.

Later, they found the diary I'd hidden beneath my pillow.

They shattered.

0I’d activated a Sickness Transmigration System. On my very first day here, I was drenched in hot soup. The freshly made, steaming soup ran down my cheeks, over my neck, the vegetables rolling off my shirt and onto the floor. It burned.

I stared at the girl in front of me, my face devoid of emotion. My dark eyes held not a single flicker.

Everyone else was startled by her outburst too.

Eleanor gasped, "Chloe, what are you doing?!"

Chloe's face showed a hint of regret, but the words that burst out were full of blame. "Well, he's always got that lifeless expression! Brandon tried to talk to him, didn't he hear?"

Brandon, hearing this, looked guilt-ridden. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was because of me that..." He looked at me with an apologetic expression. "Chloe didn't mean it. Kai, can I apologize to you for her?"

Chloe immediately bristled. "Who does he think he is? He doesn't deserve an apology from you! Brandon, why are you even bothering with him?"

I let out a faint, cynical smile. I wondered what the original occupant of this body was to them, really.

I watched Brandon, surrounded by my three sisters, impeccably dressed in a pristine white shirt, his hair perfectly styled. Meanwhile, I was stained yellow with hot soup, the greasy smell clinging to me, even without looking down.

I ignored Brandon. I picked up the last carrot piece that had landed on my lap, swallowed it with the soup clinging to my lips. It didn't taste like anything I'd ever eaten before.

I stood up to leave. "I'm full. I'll head back to my room now. Thank you."

Turning, I met Maria, the housekeeper's, worried gaze and offered her a small smile.

The dining table fell into a tense silence. Richard and Eleanor's expressions were strained.

Isabelle, the eldest sister, finally spoke, her voice low. "Chloe, you really went too far this time. Kai didn't do anything."

In my original world, I was already dead. Late-stage stomach cancer, I died at eighteen. I was tortured to death by the pain. Completely alone.

Aside from that carrot, I hadn't eaten anything solid for almost three months. Perhaps the System pitied my wretchedness, so it brought me to this world. This body also has stomach cancer. But it hasn't reached the terminal stage yet.

The System told me the original boy had taken sleeping pills and ended his life today. Frequent abdominal pain coupled with coughing up blood had alerted him that something was terribly wrong with his body. But he was scared to speak up, afraid of bothering the Stone family, of making the relatives who already disliked him hate him even more, so he chose to simply leave this world.

He was such a fool. The Stone family was ridiculously wealthy; with proper treatment, he could've had a chance. This family is truly ironic. My own flesh and blood, home for half a year, and they hadn't even noticed I was sick.

Perhaps he was luckier than me. At sixteen, he was brought back home by his biological parents.

Perhaps he was even unluckier than me. He left before ever experiencing a single ounce of unconditional love.

The System fell silent.

"My arrival seems to have worsened the body's symptoms?" Feeling the metallic taste of blood in my throat, I asked the System.

The System replied, "Yes. Just like your original body, you might... by 18."

"But if you cooperate with treatment..."

I cut in, my voice flat. "No treatment."

It doesn't matter. I'm going to die anyway. Besides, I don't want to live.

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