Chapter 1
My sister went skydiving to frame me and my parents were furious. They punished me by hanging me from a helicopter, swaying in the wind.
"You must personally experience the pain Noella has gone through, to relieve us of our hatred.”
High in the sky, my hands were swollen and numb, my mouth was covered and the strong wind blowing in my face made it hard for me to breathe.
"How could you be jealous of your sister and intentionally harmed her? Consider this punishment as a stern warning for you."
The knot on my hand suddenly loosened and I fell straight into the sea. My body slapped against the surface of the water, causing a sharp pain in my internal organs.
Unfortunately, my hands and feet were tied tightly, so even if I struggled desperately, I could only let myself be eaten by sharks and my blood dyed the sea red.
Three days later, my sister, Noella Lawrence pretended to be reluctant and said, "We should bring Madeline back, even if she doesn't like me, she's still my sister after all."
But I was just a piece of flesh floating alone.
——
"It's been so many days, why hasn't Madeline come back yet?"
"Could it be that she was mad at us and didn't want to see us anymore, so she just found some yellow-haired guy to elope with?"
Noella had tears in her eyes and a choked voice.
"I'm really worried about her."
My father, Jacob Lawrence, put down his mobile phone and frowned.
"The sea area she fell into is not too far from the shore. She shouldn't have been unable to come back after three days. She must have lost her temper again and gone somewhere to fool around."
"It's okay to just fool around a little. But this time, she actually wants to harm Noella's life," said my mother, Lilliana Lawrence. Her face filled with fear.
"Luckily, Noella survived. Otherwise, I couldn't even imagine ... how would I live without her!"
"Besides, that scoundrel can swim. What could happen? She has been causing trouble for a few years. I wish she could ...."
Lilliana paused, looked at Noella lovingly and did not continue her words.
Jacob pondered for a moment and nodded. "Your mom is right. She can swim and she's tough. She will be fine."
"And you ... you suffered so much last time that you couldn't even sleep well. I've found a psychologist for you. The fear you suffer from is not a small matter."
Lilliana cupped Noella's little face gently and lovingly. She felt heartache seeing her beloved daughter suffer.
"Dear, you've been in a bad mood these past few days and you even have dark circles under your eyes. I'm really heartbroken."
Looking at this happy and contented family of three, to be honest, I envied them so much.
If only I was not the scourge and the fool they said I was.
At the last moment of drowning and suffocation, I felt lighter and lighter.
It was not until I saw my lifeless eyes and my body slowly falling that I realized belatedly.
I was already dead.
But on the other side, I clearly saw my parents in the helicopter, coldly watching me fall into the sea.
Lilliana gently comforted Noella.
"Don't be afraid, Dear. Your mom and I will teach her a lesson and will never let her off easily," said Jacob in cold tone while staring at the sea.
"This punishment is not enough. Let her soak down there for a while first. After we lift her and bring her home, we will have to lock her up and beat her so hard that she won't dare to do bad things again."
After a quite high of sea waves, it gradually calmed down.
Noella carried a hint of pity.
"Madeline didn't come to the surface on purpose. Is she angry with me because she has something against me? She knows how to swim."
"Mom, Dad, how about I jump down to save her? I can't bear to see her torturing herself ...."
She said what!
Hey ... she was the one who tied my hands and feet and even covered my mouth.
Even though I was a swimming champion, I could not save myself in this kind of situation.
My mother and father did not feel anything unusual. Following Noella's words, my mother sounded indignant.
"She has been scheming since she was a child. This time she must be trying to act miserable again. Does she think we will feel sorry for her if she does this?"
Jacob snorted coldly. "Dare to touch our Noella, I wish I could tear her into pieces! They are both daughters we raised in the same way, but how come Madeline has grown up into a scoundrel!"
Even though I had become a soul, I was deeply hurt by these words.
The feeling of being wronged but unable to defend myself kept lingering in my mind.
After so many years, I was so familiar with this feeling of being unable to defend myself.
Jacob just rubbed Noella's hair lovingly.
"Noella, you are too kind-hearted. She has hurt you so much, but you still care about her."
"It's because you are too kind-hearted that she bullies you over and over again."
Noella pouted her lips, which were clearly full of grievances, but she opened her mouth and said,
"It's okay, Dad. I'm not angry with Madeline. I sincerely want to help her change for the better. I don't want her to ruin herself with her own hands."
Again, there was a hint of pity in my parents' eyes.
"Why are you always so sensible, Noella?"
She was gently and lightly coaxed as I struggled and suffocated underwater.
Until I sank to the bottom of the sea.
From the depths of the blue sea, the helicopter disappeared from my sight.
With my only hope of survival, it left my world forever.
I wanted to cry, but my tears dissolved into the ocean without a trace.
Chapter 2
"Mom, Dad, please bring Madeline back. She's my biological sister after all. I am really worried about her after not seeing her for a few days."
"There are so many temptations out there. I'm just afraid that she'll go astray. If she gets involved with someone shady, it would hurt our family's reputation and it wouldn't be good."
Noella was lying on the hospital bed, with a pale face and tears still welling up in her eyes.
My mother suddenly frowned and fell silent for a moment, then quickly softened after looking at her beloved daughter.
"You're still thoughtful. When I bring her home, I will make sure she apologizes to you properly, so as not to disappoint you for still caring about her despite being angry."
But no one answered the phone and no one received a response on WhatsApp. Noella looked at the screen full of self-talk, her face hurt.
"Madeline must be mad at me. She doesn't answer my calls or reply to my text messages. What should I do, Mom, Dad? I don't want her to hate me."
My parents looked at the missed call on her phone screen, their faces filled with anger.
Lilliana gently coaxed.
"Noella, don't be sad. She dared to be so bold as not to pick up your call and even reply to your message. When I find her and bring her back, I must make her kneel down and apologize to you."
Jacob quickly called a private detective and asked him to find me at all costs.
After hanging up the phone, he said in a cold tone, "She doesn't know she's wrong and she's even worse. When I find her, I'll make her pay the price."
But as soon as he turned his head, he suppressed his anger and spoke softly to his beloved daughter.
"I know that you are kind-hearted and always consider others, Noella, but some people are not worthy of your efforts."
"From now on, I only hope that you can protect yourself. As for Madeline's matter, I will take care of it and never let her hurt you again."
Noella nodded with innocent look and teary eyes while holding the pillow.
"Mom, Dad, I still want my sister to be well."
These words pierced into my heart and I just find it ridiculous.
Three days ago, Lilliana and Jacob took us skydiving on a helicopter and Noella smiled and asked me to take some nice photos of her.
She stood at the cabin door and handed me the camera, then she immediately jumped headfirst, leaving behind a scream of terror.
"Madeline, why did you push me?"
"Mom, Dad, help ...."
I instinctively reached out to pull her, but my father, who looked nervous, pulled me away.
Watching Noella who was free falling, the tension on his face was about to overflow. In extreme anger, he screamed and roared, then he slapped and punched me.
"You scoundrel, why did you want to harm your sister? Do you know how important Noella is to me? If anything happens to Noella, you will die!"
I had no time to care about the punishment they inflicted on me in anger until I saw Noella's parachute open and then I breathed a sigh of relief.
But what followed was even more brutal violence from my parents.
After losing consciousness, I was locked up for a day and a night. Then, Jacob decided to hang me from a helicopter as a punishment.
Noella pretended to be sad, but her actions were extremely fierce.
She tied my hands and feet tightly and covered my mouth, leaving me powerless to resist.
"Madeline, I'm doing this for your own good. After suffering, you won't dare to do bad things next time and you will become a good person!" She warned me as looking up with a bright and cruel smile.
I finally realized later ....
A child who was not loved by the parents or family was not qualified to tell the truth.
Unfortunately, I no longer had the chance to wake up.
Chapter 3
"Mr. Lawrence, it seems Miss Madeline has not left the beach .... We have checked the surveillance cameras at the entrance and exit, but we didn't hear any sound from her."
Jacob frowned slightly and unconsciously retorted. "How is that possible? Where else can she hide?"
After hearing the noise, Lilliana also joined in.
"Go and check if there are any hidden backdoors nearby. She must have had a plan long ago. Maybe she went missing this time to elope with a thug she knew."
Jacob nodded seriously.
"Yes, I'm not sure what she looks like yet. She must be playing tricks on us. Keep investigating!"
After saying this, he let out a sigh.
"They are sisters. Noella is well-behaved and sensible, but that one always gives me a headache and annoyance."
Lilliana also shook her head.
"What an ingrate! If it weren't for Noella back then, she would never have ...."
Noella tugged at her mother's hand.
"Mom, she will be sad if she hears this."
Looking at Noella's struggle of pretending to be kind, I really wanted to laugh.
It seemed that she had always been the weaker one since she was a child.
My mother was right. I was born entirely because of Noella.
Aplastic anemia required hematopoietic stem cell transplantation using the umbilical cord blood of the second child.
I came into this world with a mission. My parents had no time to pay attention to me and only my nanny accompanied me as I grew up.
It seemed that in my memory, my parents appearred very rarely.
But as soon as I saw them, I would be sent to the operating room.
They taught me. "You were able to come into this world thanks to youe sister. You must spend your whole life repaying her!"
When I was a child, I did not like them and would cry and say they were all bad people.
They just frowned and angrily rebuked me for growing into an impolite daughter.
In a few years later, Noella recovered and was discharged from the hospital. She pursed her lips as soon as she saw me.
"Now that Mom and Dad have other healthy children, don't you love me anymore?" asked the little Noella.
My parents were busy hugging and comforting her, then waving their hands in disgust, telling me not to stand there and make my sister unhappy.
My little self inexplicably felt a bit of envy.
Perhaps it was the isolation and neglect from my family that made me work extra hard to please myself.
However, no matter what I did, they did not seem very happy.
I did not quite understand why Noella always framed me for no reason, but when she made a scene in front of our parents, she pretended to be weak and said,
"It's okay, I'm the older sister. I should give in to my younger sister."
I wanted to explain, but every time I opened my mouth, Jacob and Lilliana would punish me.
"Noella is a well-behaved girl, she would never lie to anyone. You have been impolite since you were a child and you tell lies all the time. This must be your fault!"
Time after time, my parents looked at me with more and more disgust.
Then, I was accustomed to being silenced by the accusations.
Countless insults and indignation were thrown at me.
But I still humbly hoped for a hint of love to tilt towards me.
I was a child who really lacked of love from the people who should have loved me dearly.
"According to the latest report, an unidentified female corpse with a blurred face has been salvaged from the East Blue Sea. It is speculated that the death occurred three days ago. Citizens with clues can call the hotline below."
"The body was wearing a gray sweater, jeans and a visible scar on her forehead."
All of a sudden, a glass fell, the shards and water splashed onto the floor.
"I'll clean it up, Dad."
Noella quickly stood up and after taking two steps, she suddenly slowed down.
Usually, Jacob would stop her at the first moment, so that she would not have to worry about these trivial matters.
But this time, he did not.
He stared blankly at the TV.
Seeing that the situation was not right, Noella turned back to her father and gently tugged his clothes while asking, "Dad, are you ... worried about Madeline?"
Strangely, her father who always paid attention to her, suddenly ignored her and rushed out of the house.
The car drove very fast and after it disappeared from sight, hatred flashed in Noella's eyes.
Then, she dialed the phone and called her mother.
It was rare that the phone did not connect and a busy tone came. Noella angrily stomped her foot.
"Can't you die farther away? Even a dead person wants to steal my parents' favor for me?"
On the other side, Jacob's car sped to the funeral home, where a few people gathered to identify the body.
Coincidentally, Lilliana was also there.
The shroud was lifted, revealing the incomplete body in front of everyone.
Half of the face was missing, the teeth were clearly exposed and the eyelids could not cover the eyeballs.
Even I myself could not help feeling nauseous for a moment.
It really ... was so tragic.
Jacob and Lilliana, who had seen the body clearly, looked frightened and held each other's hands tightly.
Until the staff took out the torn half piece of gray cloth.
Lilliana suddenly went limp and fell onto her husband.
Jacob also looked dazed and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.
On the day I was hung in the helicopter, I was wearing this outfit.
A grey sweater given to me by my sister.