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!"

Even in her wildest dreams, Holly never imagined that after giving so much of her blood to Stella over the years, not a single person would think to use Stella's to save her when her life was on the line.

Moreover, it was all Stella's fault that she got hit!

She had thought she saw everyone clearly by now and that no matter how they hurt her, it would never upset her.

Yet, as she heard their cold words, the pain struck her like a thousand arrows through her heart.

The unbearable pain that struck caused her to lose consciousness completely.

It wasn't until three days later that Holly regained consciousness. This time, she felt more exhausted than ever before.

The first person she saw after opening her eyes was none other than Oscar. It seemed he had stayed beside her bed for a long time, as there was a trace of weariness on his face.

When he saw her waking up, a soft smile lit up his cold face. "Holly, you're awake. Are you in pain anywhere? Do you feel like eating? The doctor said you lost a lot of blood and need to take it easy. Just tell me what you want to eat, okay?"

His concern made it hard to believe that he was the same person who had once coldly stopped Stella from donating her blood to Holly.

If Holly hadn't heard it with her own ears, she would still be oblivious, moved by his attentive care.

After Oscar left, she asked the nurse who was giving her an injection, "Who donated blood to me in the end?"

The nurse let out a sigh. After a long pause, she replied, "Well, your family was weird. We tried for ages to get them to let your sister donate, but they just wouldn't.

"Luckily, our hospital has the blood type on record. We managed to call back a doctor on leave, who also had the same rare blood type, to donate the blood and save your life."

The nurse then gave her a confused look. "Did they adopt you? The man who was taking care of you earlier. He's your brother-in-law, right?"

Holly froze, then let out a self-deprecating laugh. A lone tear silently slid down the corner of her eye.

During her entire stay in the hospital, her parents never came to see her once. Oscar was the only one taking care of her.

Holly knew this was the only way she'd give herself to him completely so that she would willingly continue being Stella's blood bank. Even so, he refused to make the act feel any more real.

At the hospital, Oscar was always distracted. He was either on the phone in the hallway, or he'd be staring at the screen with a faint smile.

She knew the person on the other end was Stella. He only ever wore that kind of smile around Stella.

On the day Holly was discharged, Oscar came as promised to take her home.

They were at the hospital entrance when he took a call. His expression changed instantly.

He was normally so unreadable, but now, his expression clearly showed fury.

His fingers gripped the phone so tightly they turned slightly pale. It was obvious he was struggling to tamp down his emotions.

"Holly, something urgent came up at work. Can you take a cab home by yourself?"

Holly nodded calmly, then told him to focus on his work and reassured him that he didn't need to worry about her.

Relieved, Oscar got into his car and sped away.

Watching his car fade out of sight, Holly smirked.

She knew why Oscar was angry, and she knew exactly what made him so desperately anxious now.

A moment ago, Stella had posted a photo of her and a handsome man on her social media.

The caption read, "A cute guy asked for my contact. Should I give it to him?"

Stella knew too well how to ignite a man's jealousy. In the past, Holly would also get jealous, but now, she remained calm.

There was something she had to do.

She pocketed her phone and hopped into a cab to head to the police station.