After getting reborn, the first thing Holly Webster does is to spend five billion dollars on an island that's completely alienated from the rest of the world.

The employee in charge of the procedures is flabbergasted, to say the least. After all, the particular island isn't well-known on the world map at all. Not only do people not know about its existence, but it's also excluded from the rest of the world. Not even the GPS navigation can form a route leading to it.

"Are you sure you want to buy this island, Ms. Webster? If you choose to move onto this island and live there, it'll be difficult for you to keep in touch with the outside world."

Holly nods immediately, her tone taking on a relieved edge.

"That's exactly what I want. I don't want anyone to get in contact with me."

The employee paused for a moment, clearly finding Holly Webster's request a little unusual. Still, out of professional courtesy, he asked no questions and simply walked her through the island purchase process in detail, including when she could move in.

Once Holly learned the whole process would take only a few days, she could finally breathe easy. She then swiped her card to complete the purchase and turned to leave.

She lifted her head to the deep blue sky overhead and let out a quiet breath.

She bought the island with the funds Oscar Moss had given her for their wedding.

As Burbank's richest man, generosity came naturally to him. He handed over five billion dollars for the wedding without batting an eye.

In her past life, she never even got the chance to spend that money before she died. This time, she was reborn at the perfect moment, right after their engagement.

Her past life had taught her not to shortchange herself.

Holly had stepped out onto the road when a black car screeched to a stop in front of her. The door opened, and Oscar hopped out, striding toward her quickly.

Normally calm and composed, he looked slightly flustered now. A flicker of worry betrayed itself in his usually cold, sharp eyes.

It was her first time seeing Oscar after her rebirth. Without thinking, she blurted out, "Mr. Moss…"

Yet, Oscar didn't even bother glancing at her. He grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the car.

"Holly, come with me."

Holly collapsed onto the back seat, her head hitting the cushion with a loud thud. Oscar lowered his head to look at his phone, completely oblivious to her. The car sped all the way to the hospital.

Before the car even came to a complete stop, he hurriedly grabbed her hand and rushed toward the transfusion room.

It wasn't until she sat across from the nurse, watching the needle pierce her vein, that Oscar finally deigned to explain. "Stella slipped from the stairs and won't stop bleeding. She doesn't need too much blood this time, so don't worry."

Before Holly could reply, a slap landed on her cheek.

"You brat, where have you been? Didn't I tell you to stay by Stella's side at all times and never leave her?"

Holly's cheeks burned as if on fire, the pain making her eyes water instantly. She looked at her furious mother, Mary Larson, but no words came out.

Her father, Frank Webster, wrapped an arm around Mary, his gaze burning with the same fury.

"Are you trying to scare us to death? If anything happens to Stella, I'll make sure you'll pay for it!"

Her elder brother, Colin Webster, didn't even bother looking at her.

"I think we should just tie her up with a rope. That will save us the trouble of her running off all the time."

This was her family. For Stella Webster, they would turn on her over just one lost hour. Oscar was the only one who offered her any support, yet even his words were filled entirely with concern for Stella.

"Stop arguing. Let's not disturb Stella when she's having her blood transfusion."

No one cared about Holly, for she was just Stella's moving blood bank.

Stella's illness was the only reason Holly was born. Diagnosed with hemophilia in childhood, Stella suffered from severe clotting disorders and depended on regular blood transfusions to survive.

Holly was brought into this world for a single reason—to be Stella's blood bank so she could survive.

Even her name said it all. Stella was named to shine like a star, a wish her parents placed carefully upon her, while Holly's name was chosen with little thought at all.

She had been giving blood since childhood, her wrists often riddled with needle marks from endless blood draws.

No one ever truly loved her. To her parents, she was a means to an end. To Colin, Stella was the only sibling who ever mattered to him. Holly had always been the extra one, the person who never needed to be there.

The only person who ever treated her well was Oscar.

The Moss family and the Webster family had been close for generations. Colin was six years older than Holly.

Raised in a family that overlooked her, Holly inevitably grew attached to the one who had ever shown her any warmth and care, Oscar.

She poured out her heart to him. Though surprise shadowed his face and no joy showed, he still accepted her feelings and promised to marry her.

No one could imagine the joy she felt knowing the one she loved felt the same way. It seemed all the luck of her life had been spent on winning Oscar's love.

Thus, even though her parents and Colin couldn't care less about her, she didn't mind.

It wasn't until later that she realized the truth. Oscar loved Stella, not her!

He only promised to marry her out of fear that if she married someone else, she might refuse to give Stella blood, putting Stella in danger.

He loved Stella so deeply that he was willing to sacrifice his entire life just to keep her safe.

Holly had been a complete fool, left in the dark all along. In fact, she was quietly thrilled at the thought that she was about to marry Oscar.

How ridiculous.

The doors of the emergency room swung open. Stella was wheeled out by a bunch of nurses surrounding her.

Frank, Mary, Colin, and even Oscar immediately left her behind and crowded around Stella.

Watching them fuss over her with endless concern and attention, Holly felt nothing but disgust.

She let out a self-mocking smile and forced down the dizziness clouding her vision. After rolling up her sleeves, she then walked out.

Outside the door, she cast one last glance at the dazzling engagement ring on her ring finger, took it off, and tossed it into the trash without hesitation.

This lifetime, she wouldn't beg her parents for scraps of love, nor cling to Oscar, desperate for any signs of his love.

This time, she wanted no one.

If everyone adored Stella, but no one loved her, then she'd shower herself with love!

After every transfusion for Stella, Holly needed several days to regain her energy. This time, it was no different.

For the next few days, the Websters stayed at the hospital to take care of Stella, leaving Holly alone at home.

As Holly stepped out of her room with her mug, a box came flying toward her, striking her and leaving her seeing stars. She couldn't even see who it was.

The pain felt all too familiar. She didn't even need to think. Obviously, the newcomer was her dear mother, Mary.

"Holly Webster, what the heck are you doing? Why didn't you read our texts? Are you doing this on purpose? Ignoring us to make Stella mad? You ungrateful girl! We raised you in vain!"

As Mary hurled out insults, Holly wiped the blood from her forehead, took out her phone, and opened her chat app.

Only then did she notice the texts they had sent in the group chat early that morning. Apparently, Stella was getting discharged today, so they wanted her to make Stella's favorite chocolate cake to welcome her back.

Yet, Holly had just donated her blood. She barely had the strength to stand, let alone make a cake that took so much time and effort. Besides, she had been groggy all morning and hadn't even had a chance to read her texts.

Holly was about to explain when she spotted Oscar and Colin helping Stella into the living room carefully. They fussed over her endlessly, propping up cushions so she could sit comfortably and handing her a cup of water at just the right temperature, treating her like a princess.

Colin gave Holly a cold glance, his once gentle gaze instantly turning sharp and merciless.

"You really expect her to make a cake for Stella? Dream on. She just lazes around at home all day, clueless about the world, with no real hobbies. All she does is scribble some worthless drawings. How could she compare to Stella?"

Since the day Holly was born into this family, every year, she had spent half of it donating blood to Stella, and the rest was just for resting at home.

Hobbies? When would she even have the time for that, unlike Stella?

Those "worthless drawings" Colin mocked were the only dreams she had in her barren life, yet he reduced them to nothing.

She had heard these words countless times, yet each time, they stabbed at her heart with the same sharp pain.

Oscar cast Holly a sideways glance, then smoothed things over for her as he always did.

"Holly, are you too tired from donating blood yesterday? Do you feel unwell?"

In the past, it would have moved her deeply if he had spoken up for her like this. At least someone cared about her well-being.

Yet, reborn and knowing the whole truth, all she felt was bitter irony. The only reason he spoke up for her was to pretend he cared.

And because she loved him, he could deceive her effortlessly, trapping her in a love she couldn't escape.

This time, Holly refused to fall for his lies.

Hearing Oscar's words, Stella immediately pretended to be considerate and said, "It's fine. I don't need a cake. Holly should get some rest."

Colin gave Holly a disgusted look, obviously displeased with her attitude.

He snapped, "Stella, stop defending her! Whatever she does for you is her duty. After all, she only gets to exist in this world because of you. You're just too kind. Her life only means something when you're happy, get it?"

Those blunt words made Holly's heart shudder violently. For a moment, it felt as if countless sharp needles were stabbing mercilessly into her chest.

The blood running through her veins was the same as theirs. She was a human being with emotions and could feel pain as well.

Alas, no one cared. No one ever did.

At the dining table, everyone doted on Stella. Frank and Mary kept piling food onto her plate, and Colin even went so far as to carefully remove every fishbone before serving the fish to her.

They had prepared all of Stella's favorite food.

Holly kept her head down and ate her food quietly, only to find a piece of squid suddenly added to her plate.

She lifted her head to glance at Oscar beside her, then at the squid on her plate. A bitter smile curled her lips.

It was impressive that he still remembered to put on a show of caring for her, but if he truly loved her, how could he not know that squid was Stella's favorite while she was allergic to seafood?

There was plenty of evidence that Oscar didn't love her, but she only realized it now because she clung to every trace of warmth he showed her.

At the end of the meal, Frank and Mary suddenly brought up Oscar and Holly's wedding.

Stella put down her utensils, her eyes welling up with tears. "Dad, Mom, I feel really frail these days. I don't think I can attend Holly and Mr. Moss' wedding. But I really want to witness them getting married. Why don't we postpone the wedding until I feel better?"

Everyone in this family knew Stella's wishes were always granted, so there was no need for her to put on a shy, considerate act to show off how thoughtful she was.

Naturally, Frank, Mary, and Colin agreed readily, but Oscar paused and turned slightly to ask for Holly's permission.

"Is that okay, Holly?"

In Holly's previous life, Stella used the very same reason to postpone the wedding for years. As long as Stella refused to relent, Oscar would never marry Holly.

With that thought in mind, Holly gave a self-deprecating smile. "Sure, whatever."

Why would she say no? After all, they would never get married.

She put down her utensils and announced, "I'm full."

She then went upstairs without looking back.

Seeing Holly walk away with that newfound determination, for the first time ever, Oscar felt that she had changed. He couldn't tell what was different, but she wasn't the same as before.

…

In the days that followed, with the wedding indefinitely postponed, neither Holly nor Oscar had to worry about planning it anymore.

Oscar had plenty of time to take Stella on various trips. Stella made a point of inviting Frank, Mary, and Colin. However, she didn't invite Holly, claiming the latter needed to rest after just giving blood.

Right, they were a happy family. If Holly were to join them, she'd be in their way all the time. Why should she make herself miserable?

To flaunt her trips, Stella took photos at every stop and made sure to send them to Holly.

Against the picturesque backdrop, she stood in the center, smiling as those around her showered her with attention.

"Holly, a pity you can't be here. The scenery is just so gorgeous!"

"Dad and Mom said that if I really like it here, we can buy a house here so I can stay whenever I want."

"Holly, Colin said he'll go with me wherever I want to go."

"Oh, Mr. Moss also gave me a huge present here. Are you curious what it is?"

Holly deleted all the photos Stella sent, then switched off her phone to focus on packing up her things.

She just needed to hold on a little longer before she would finally be free.

Just then, a rustling sound came from downstairs. Holly froze as several scenes came to her mind.

She remembered that in her previous life, a thief had broken in, stealing the priceless jewelry and destroying all her paintings.

Immediately, alarm bells rang in her mind.

Money could be replaced, but her artworks were pieces of her soul.

With that thought in mind, she quickly gathered her artwork, called the police, and then quietly hid behind the door with a knife in hand.

With the advantage of having lived through it once before, this time, she was able to help the police catch the thief.

Yet, the thief was far stronger than she was. Even though she knew his next move, she couldn’t withstand his force.

This time, she suffered multiple injuries and even fell down the stairs, causing her face to be covered in blood.

By the time the Websters and Oscar rushed back, all they saw was the police car driving away and Holly sitting on the couch looking like a mess, while the living room was in complete disarray.

Looking shocked, Frank and Mary stammered, "D-Did you catch him yourself? Why didn't you call us? That thief is dangerous! Were you trying to get yourself killed?

Even the usually indifferent Colin looked surprised. "Exactly. Why didn't you call your family when a thief broke in? You're making it seem like we're bullying you!"

Holly was too exhausted to even speak. She sank into the couch, her hand that was gripping the dagger still trembling.

Noticing her shaking, Oscar hurried forward anxiously and held her hand. "Holly, are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital? What a fool. Why didn't you tell us about this?"

Holly yanked her hand free from his grasp and asked weakly, "Would calling you change anything? Would you have actually come back for me?

Everyone's expressions faltered as guilt flashed across their faces, but they forced themselves to say, "Why wouldn't we?"

Holly gave a bitter smile. In her previous life, she had believed they would come, so she called them one by one. In the end, not one of them answered her calls.

And because she had secretly called, the thief discovered her, and she ended up being tormented badly.

She later learned that that night, they had been setting off fireworks with Stella. They were enjoying peaceful moments somewhere else, while she had nearly died that very night.

Thus, this time, she didn't need anyone.

Seeing Holly so composed and self-contained, Oscar couldn't help but frown. Once again, he realized she had truly changed.

In the past, she would have been terrified, crying her eyes out, and feeling wronged that no one came for her.

But now it all seemed to have nothing to do with her.

Oscar was about to speak when Colin suddenly noticed the scattered luggage on the floor behind him.

"Why are you packing these? Where are you going?"