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?"

Oscar whipped his head around, his gaze turning anxious. "Holly, what's going on?"

Holly's heart skipped a beat. In her rush to deal with the burglar, she had completely forgotten that her luggage was still in the living room.

Her hand hidden in her sleeve clenched slightly, and then she put on a calm smile and said, "Seeing you all travel made me want to get out and clear my head, so I packed my things in advance. I can leave right away after picking a destination."

Frank and Mary scowled instantly. "What are you talking about? Didn't we tell you to stay close to Stella?"

"Exactly! What if you're not around when Stella needs a blood transfusion? Remember why we gave birth to you. Pack away your stuff. You're not going anywhere!"

As Holly seemed fine, Oscar heaved a slight sigh of relief. "If you want to go anywhere next time, we'll come with you. It isn't safe to go anywhere alone, get it?"

Holly laughed inwardly. They would never be at the place she wanted to go.

…

A few days later came Stella and Holly's birthday. They were three years apart but shared the same birthday.

Yet all these years, there was always only one cake and one candle to blow out every time they celebrated their birthday.

Back then, Holly was naive enough to believe her parents when they said there was no need to buy two cakes when their birthday was on the same day. However, with their wealth, they could easily buy two cakes.

It was never about the cake. They simply never cared about her feelings, nor did they want her birthday to steal even a fraction of Stella's spotlight.

As usual, the birthday venue was decorated in Stella's favorite color—pink. There were pink roses, pink balloons, and a pink cake.

Everyone had prepared gifts only for Stella.

Under everyone's attention, Stella stood in the center of the spotlight, receiving all the birthday wishes meant for her.

"Happy birthday, Stella!"

Stella unwrapped her gifts with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling happily.

Meanwhile, Holly stood in a corner, like she didn't belong there at all.

"Huh? Mr. Moss, why did you prepare two boxes as my present?"

Surprised, Stella held up the gift boxes and gave them a little shake in front of Oscar.

Everyone watched curiously, but he took one box and handed it to Holly.

"This is for you."

Stella's expression darkened at once, but after personally opening both gifts, her smile quickly returned.

Oscar had gifted her a priceless necklace designed by a renowned jeweler, while Holly's gift was merely the free item that came with it.

Everyone chuckled softly.

"Oh, a free item. It suits her."

Yes, Holly herself was nothing more than Stella's extra, so Oscar's gift was painfully fitting.

Holly said nothing, but when everyone wasn't looking, she tossed the gift into the trash can quietly.

As the party came to an end, Stella suddenly offered to drive everyone home, as she had just gotten her driving license. Right after saying that, she hurried to the garage excitedly.

Frank, Mary, and Colin naturally indulged her wish. Thus, they waited by the door for her to drive the car up.

Holly stood at the very back, staring at her own feet. She was busy calculating how many more days it would take to finalize the island purchase and when she could finally leave.

She was completely unaware of the car behind her that was coming closer with each passing moment.

Brakes screeched, and she was instantly thrown to the ground.

As her consciousness began to fade, she heard Stella feign panicked cries. Darkness soon consumed her completely.

…

When Holly woke up, she was already at the hospital.

As the adrenaline faded, the pain hit her all at once. She struggled to open her eyes and found herself lying on a hospital bed in the operating room.

Her body felt weightless, as if she were about to drift out of herself and float into the air.

Was she feeling this way because she was about to die?

The pain was unbearable. Holly shut her eyes weakly, allowing darkness to consume her vision slowly.

Outside, the doctor was talking to the Websters.

"Please make a decision soon. The patient is losing a lot of blood and needs a transfusion, or her life is at risk. The hospital's blood supply is low for now. Your other daughter has the same blood type. Why isn't she donating?"

The Websters blurted out immediately, "No! Stella can't donate her blood!"

Holly's consciousness was fading, and the voices around her grew faint.

In the final moment before losing awareness, she heard Oscar's voice, cold and decisive.

"Stella can't donate her blood!"