Chapter 2

In the middle of the night, the abdominal pain became unbearable, and I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. It felt like I was back in my previous life. Curled up, eyes wide open, waiting for dawn, night after night.

There was nothing in my room. Parched, I stumbled downstairs in the dark, desperate for water. Only to find Jocelyn, my second sister, in the living room. Jocelyn was a professional e-sports player, so it wasn't unusual for her to be awake at two or three in the morning.

Clearly, Jocelyn noticed me too. She glared at me, her expression grim.

Jocelyn was the most quiet and reserved person in the Stone family. The original Kai had been home for half a year and never once seen her look at him kindly. I ignored her. It was probably just my presence that annoyed her.

I hunched over and made my way to the kitchen. Unbeknownst to me, Jocelyn was startled by my appearance. Under the dim night light of the living room, she clearly saw me, drenched in sweat from the pain, my lips deathly pale. Except for the abnormal redness of my scalded cheek, the rest of my face was frighteningly white. But I was already accustomed to the unnatural paleness caused by constant pain, so I didn't pay it any mind.

I leaned on the sink, trying to rest, but the next second, a metallic taste flooded my mouth, and I vomited blood.

"Ugh." I choked back tears from the sheer misery.

Movement came from the kitchen doorway. Jocelyn had followed me in. I quickly turned on the faucet to rinse the blood from the sink, then cupped my hands under the tap and drank a few gulps of cold water.

Then Jocelyn's deep voice cut through the silence: "If you're going to drink water, drink warm water. Cold water can upset your stomach."

I mumbled a soft "mm-hmm," keeping my head down, trying to get past her. The original Kai had barely exchanged a few words with Jocelyn, and I had no desire to get entangled with this family either.

But then Jocelyn grabbed my wrist. I turned my head to look at her, my voice hoarse. "Jocelyn, is there something wrong?"

Up close, Jocelyn could see the burns on my face even more clearly. She frowned, silent for a moment. "Why haven't you treated that burn on your face?"

I watched her, detecting what seemed like impatience on her face. I figured she just thought it was some pathetic ploy for attention. I pulled my wrist free, nodded vaguely. "Yeah, I'm heading back now."

Too close for comfort, Jocelyn flipped on the light, then frowned and stepped closer to the sink. Though the bloodstains had been diluted, she still keenly spotted the faint reddish streaks that the water hadn't completely washed away...

The next morning, as I went downstairs, I bumped into Chloe right at the bottom of the staircase. She was the one who held the most animosity towards the original Kai. She and Brandon were similar in age and shared the deepest bond.

Perhaps she was just too young, only understanding that the brother she'd doted on and protected since childhood had suddenly been replaced. That this 'new' person, who had just been found, was here to steal everything from Brandon. She took all her resentment out on her biological brother. She resented him for disrupting their original life, unaware that the original Kai was the most innocent one of all.

Chloe glanced at the obvious scald on my face, her eyes darting away. She deliberately didn't speak to me, waiting for me to greet her first. But I didn't even spare her a glance, simply walked around her and left.

Richard said, his face cold, "You're old enough to treat a minor burn yourself, aren't you? What kind of image does this present when you go out?" Richard was a traditional patriarch, more concerned with business interests than family bonds. He was probably just worried that I'd embarrass him if I went out looking like this. After all, the original Kai had only been home for half a year, had average grades, and offered no 'utility' to the family.

Eleanor wore a disapproving expression too.

I scoffed inwardly. If it had been Brandon, he'd probably have been rushed to the hospital the moment it happened. Yet last night, not a single person bothered to ask if I was burned. Or if I was still hungry after eating so little. Their favoritism truly knew no bounds.

"There's no first-aid kit in my room."

Now it was the Stone family's turn to fall silent. Of course, the master bedrooms in the Stone family mansion were fully equipped with everything. But after bringing the original Kai home, they'd put their biological son in a guest room. Guest rooms naturally had very few amenities. The original Kai even had to use a shared bathroom. Not one person had ever suggested moving him to a proper room.

Eleanor looked at her son's flushed face, so similar to her own, and a flicker of panic crossed her heart. If it were Brandon, even a tiny injury would have the whole family doting on him. But when it came to me, I suffered in silence. I was just not as 'lovable' as Brandon.

Chloe stubbornly said, "If you don't say anything, how are we supposed to know it's serious?"

A throbbing pain started in my upper abdomen, and I involuntarily hunched over. A metallic taste of blood flooded my throat again. I tugged on my backpack strap, my voice hoarse. "I'm going to school now."

Chloe frowned. It felt like a trick of her mind, but Kai's posture seemed...off...

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