When I woke up again, I found myself thrown into a small room in the basement where the servants lived. The floor was wet, with water seeping through, and the paint on the walls was peeling off.

In this cold, damp space, every brick and every drop of water seemed to mock my fate.

Ever since my sister’s death, I had become nothing more than an invisible ghost in this house.

I watched as Leisha, with her smug face drenched in jewels and riches, basked in the luxury of the bedroom that once belonged to me.

Meanwhile, I struggled to scrape together even the most basic funds for surgery and medical treatment.

And Leisha? She could just wait patiently for me to donate my kidney to her!

I stumbled and scraped together all the money I had saved over the years from a life of frugality.

Those bills, stained with sweat and tears, were handed over for the first installment of my treatment.

After the treatment, I spent two days in the hospital.

But when I returned home, there was no concern over where I had been or if I was safe. Instead, I was greeted with even more vicious insults and shoves.

"Where the hell have you been, you worthless brat? Were you out there messing around somewhere?"

My mother screeched, her eyes sharp like blades, threatening to cut me into pieces.

"If you dare go out and bring shame to our family name…" She didn’t even finish her sentence.

Leisha, ever the opportunist, added fuel to the fire, "Oh, Mom, just look at her, so weak. She looks like a rabbit about to breathe its last. Who knows what disgraceful thing she might have done..."

Before her words even ended, I saw my mother’s face change drastically. She rushed into the gym and grabbed a baseball bat.

Without warning, she swung it hard at my back.

"Aah! It hurts! Please, Mom, let me explain..."

But wishes and reality often diverge drastically.

She didn’t give me a chance to explain or defend myself. The bat continued its relentless assault on my back, my hips…

Every blow was accompanied by a sharp, ear-piercing crack.

Every wound felt like a volcanic eruption, scorching and unbearable.

When the last strike landed heavily on the back of my neck, I completely blacked out, feeling my body floating as if I had finally escaped all the restraints and pain.

But my ears still rang with my mother’s furious, almost deathly shriek, "Useless disgrace, a total embarrassment!"

She ordered them to throw me back into the basement where I always stayed.

Just before I drifted off, I think I heard my mom's voice again.

“Lock her up until it’s time for her to give Leisha the kidney transplant!”

But what they didn’t know was that this time, after being locked away in that damp basement, I truly died.

My soul drifted lightly through this world, like a wisp of smoke, silent and unseen.

I watched my mother and Leisha laughing together by the seaside, the sunlight bathing them in a warm, golden glow as if blessing them with its light.

Meanwhile, I was nothing more than a speck of dust in a forgotten corner of the world, untouched by even the faintest ray of sunshine.

"Sweetheart, do you like this necklace? Go ahead, buy it," my mother said, her face filled with affection for Leisha.

The necklace, glittering with diamonds, sparkled even brighter under the sun.

"Thank you, Mom!" Leisha replied, delighted as she took the necklace, but then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she added, "Oh, by the way, Mom, what do you think Sarah is up to now? Should we video call her to show her the beautiful seaside?"

Her innocent suggestion carried a hint of mockery.

Hearing those words, I felt a sharp tug at my heart, but the worst was yet to come.

"Call her? Why bother with that useless thing? Just mentioning her reminds me of my poor Laura, skipping school with her and getting killed because of her! The only reason I let her stay in this house is because she's my own flesh and blood. Otherwise, I would have..."

My mother’s voice dripped with disdain and indifference.

"Compared to that dead girl, you’re a blessing. I’m so grateful I chose to adopt you," she continued, each word piercing through my soul like an arrow, echoing in the emptiness around me.

"If I’d known back then, I wouldn’t have given birth to her—such a curse…" she added.

My vision blurred. Though as a soul I couldn’t shed tears, my heart hurt so bad it felt like it was being stabbed over and over.

Memories flooded back, crashing over me like waves.

I thought back to when Laura talked me into skipping school. We were climbing over the wall when her foot slipped. That was when the awful accident happened that killed her.

I remembered myself, small and frail, with a desperate, helpless gaze.

I remembered the cold shoulders of my family as they placed all the blame on me and the realization that I would never again feel the warmth of a mother's embrace in this life.

The scene of them at the seaside, enjoying their happy vacation, stood in stark contrast to me, who had silently followed behind them, enduring the pain, always seeking approval and love but never receiving a moment of genuine care or tenderness.

Memories of similar scenes in real life resurfaced again and again.

Every time my mother happily took Leisha out to play, I was left alone, anxious, and uneasy at home. Each time I came back from school, hoping to share my day, all I got were cold words or complete indifference.

All these moments intertwined, proving that even in death, my existence was still denied and forgotten.

The sound of waves crashing against the shore reached my ears, clear and sharp, but I could no longer hear any warmth from this world—only the echoes of struggle and weeping deep within me.

Mom still didn't seem to realize I was dead.

She still thought I was the stubborn girl I used to be, always opposing her.

But she had long forgotten that for many years, I had stopped arguing with her, never once provoking Leisha, and instead worked tirelessly in what was supposed to be my own home, doing chores like a servant.

All of this, because I hadn't stopped Laura from climbing over that wall.

I felt so guilty, so I endured everything, believing that no matter how badly my mother treated me, I deserved it.

I kept telling myself that Mom was just heartbroken over Laura's death and that if she hated me, I should understand her more.

But with Leisha's arrival, Mom grew more and more distant. The woman who once held me close now hurt me repeatedly, with a cruelty I could never have imagined.

Even in death, I couldn’t escape her grasp, watching her grow closer to a daughter not of her blood.

“Leisha, once we get back, the test results should be ready. If a transplant is possible, I promise I’ll get you a healthy kidney, my sweetheart!”

Mom stroked Leisha’s hair affectionately, while Leisha, unable to hide her smile of delight, hugged Mom tightly, though her eyes were filled with disdain.

Maybe she was thinking the same thing I had wondered all those years: If Mom could treat her obedient biological daughter like a sinner, how could she ever truly care for an adopted daughter without blood ties?

I watched from above as the two of them enjoyed their carefree lives until my mother received a call from the hospital. The compatibility test had been successful—I could donate my kidney to Leisha.

Mom told Leisha to call me and tell me to get ready for the surgery as soon as they got back. But no matter how many times Leisha tried calling, no one answered.

Of course, that was because I was dead. How could I possibly pick up the phone?

"Mom, Sarah isn't answering! Do you think she doesn’t want to donate her kidney to me? Mom, I’m so scared..." Leisha whimpered, pretending to cry on my mother's shoulder, her face wet with fake tears.

"That useless thing can't even answer a phone! Who knows where she's gone? When I get a hold of her, I swear I'll make her pay!" Mom's voice echoed angrily through the seaside villa, her frustration growing with each unanswered call, each one only adding more fuel to her fiery rage.

"She's probably tired of living!"

Leisha stood to the side, her brow furrowed. "Mom, do you think Sarah might actually be angry and refuse to donate her kidney? After what happened before..." she trailed off, her words cut short by a harsh glare from my mother.

"Angry? What right does she have to be angry? Hasn’t this family treated her well enough? She’s living in a mansion—what more could she want? If it weren’t for losing Laura..."

My mother suddenly stopped, as if realizing she was about to dig up those painful memories. But she quickly reverted to her cold, angry self.

"Anyway, if she dares delay your surgery, I’ll make her regret it! Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll make sure you get your treatment! You’re my only precious one!"

Leisha gently tugged at my mother's sleeve.

"Mom... you promised me, you're the best! I love you so much, you'll always be my real mom!

"What if Sarah's got something going on she can't tell us about? Why don't we try giving her another call?" Leisha said, pretending to care.

"Something she can’t tell us?" My mother practically scoffed.

"What could she possibly be doing, other than causing trouble? She always thinks she's so smart, so pitiful. Hmph!"

At that moment, watching everything unfold from above, I felt a coldness and despair unlike any I had ever known. I had thought that at least in death, I could escape the accusations and hatred. But even that last glimmer of hope had dissolved into nothing.

By the time the housekeeper arrived at the front door, the sun was already setting.

No matter how hard she knocked, there was no response.

Finally, using the spare key, she unlocked the door, only to be hit by a nauseating smell of decay that made her immediately cover her nose and step back in shock.

Trembling, she dialed my mother's number.

"Ma’am, Sarah is dead! Oh..."