Chapter 5

Harper hid behind the door, a chill running through her body. After school, Harper watched Kai stumble out of the school gates, worried he might collapse halfway. After all, they'd been sharing homework for half a year. On a strange impulse, she followed him.

Before she knew it, she'd followed him to the hospital. She was actually about to leave, but a powerful wave of emotion stopped her. Only to hear that Kai had stomach cancer. No wonder... he was coughing up blood.

Harper felt a pang of guilt, even wanting to slap herself. She'd bullied him for half a year. She was a terrible person! Beyond that, there was a dense, overwhelming ache in her heart...

When I got home, I planned to pack a few simple outfits and move into the school dorms. But I found my things had already been moved.

Maria said, "Kai, Eleanor has moved you to a different room." "It's on the same floor as Brandon, the one on the far east side. She said it was so you and Brandon could build a stronger bond."

Maria looked at me with pity. The Stone family's favoritism truly knew no bounds. Brandon had practically the entire third floor to himself, yet they'd given me just one room, the farthest east one. Hah. I found it laughable, for the original host. Was this arrangement meant to warn me that my status in this family would never measure up to Brandon's?

But it didn't matter anymore. Anyway, I was moving into the dorms. At most, I'd only be in this world for another six months. The daily, unrelenting pain reminded me. The original host's desire to escape this family, to escape this world, was overwhelmingly powerful.

At the dinner table, I informed Richard and Eleanor that I intended to live in the dorms. The family, who had just been chatting and laughing, instantly fell silent.

Eleanor frowned. "Why on earth would you want to live in the dorms? Don't you like the room I arranged for you today?" She then had a sudden realization, assuming Kai had complained to Maria, and said impatiently: "Don't be so envious. Brandon has lived in his room for sixteen years." "You've only been here a short while, don't compare yourself to Brandon about everything. If you really want, we can get a decorator to renovate your room in a bit."

Richard's face was even more sour. "Why can't you be half as considerate as Brandon? What will people say if they find out that my prestigious Stone family sends its son to live in the dorms? It would make us a laughingstock!"

Chloe, remembering the girl who had helped him today, suddenly felt annoyed and spoke without thinking. "Could it be so you can sneak off and date some girl?"