Until I was found and brought back.

Watching their intimacy, I envied them desperately.

Seven years of hardship had left me unable to fit into that kind of family warmth.

In her princess dresses, graceful Emily was a sharp contrast to me—skinny, gloomy, and joyless.

She could cling to them, pouting and wheedling, just to get them to take her to an Italian restaurant for dinner.

I, on the other hand, couldn’t even bring myself to say that my underwear didn’t fit.

In fact, I had never worn real underwear.

At the foster home, I only used strips of cloth to bind myself.

At that age, my chest developed too quickly for my thin body, attracting mocking stares and inappropriate comments.

Frightened, I scavenged an old worn vest from an elderly lady at the shelter and used it as a chest binder.

When she saw my struggles, she felt sorry for me and even cut off my long hair, making me look like a scrawny boy.

Still, I clung to the belief that my family wouldn’t despise me—that they would love me.

I grew my hair out again, tried wearing dresses, imitating Emily, doing everything I could to be a “proper girl.”

But no matter how much I tried, they always favored Emily.

Later, they even accused me of bullying her, of competing for affection, of trying to drive her out of the family.

Their resentment toward me grew stronger with each passing day.

Until my fifteenth birthday, when the fragile bond we called “family” shattered completely.

That day, they took Emily out to celebrate early in the morning. Not one of them remembered me.

When they returned at night, they found me sitting alone in the dark living room.

Emily was the first to step forward, holding out a takeout box with a sweet smile:

“Happy birthday, sis. I brought you some cake!”

I opened the box and saw a mangled piece of peanut cake, smeared with traces of other frosting.

But Emily knew perfectly well that I was allergic to peanuts. She had done it on purpose.

I didn’t eat it. I just left it sitting there.

Her eyes reddened as she bit her lip and whimpered:

“I know, are you mad at me…?”

Immediately, everyone scolded me:

“Can’t you stop picking on Emily? She doesn’t owe you anything. Stop exploiting our guilt to push her away, what’s the point?”

“This is exactly what we feared. That’s why we took her out alone for her birthday. Can’t you just let it go?!”

I was so fed up I picked up the cake and shoved it into my mouth bite after bite.

“Mmm, so sweet. Thanks, sister.”

That night, I nearly died from my peanut allergy.

While I was rushed to the hospital, Emily slit her wrists at home.

She left behind a note:

【I’m sorry. It’s all my fault for stealing my sister’s life. I almost killed her. The only way I can make it right is by dying.】

That night, they were terrified. They hovered around Emily, begging her to live.

They even told me not to come back.

Because Emily told them I had said she should die.

So they abandoned me in the hospital bed, cursing me, telling me not to return, afraid she’d be upset again.

But they didn’t have to worry. I really did have lung cancer. I was going to die anyway.

No one would hurt their precious Emily again.

And as for these so-called family members—I didn’t want them anymore.

My phone chimed again. This time, it was a message from Linda.

【Sarah… how did you become like this?】

【For the past two years, I gave you everything. Whatever Emily had, you had too. Why?】

【Stop making trouble. Just take what I said before as angry words. Come home.】

I didn’t reply. A few minutes later, Robert sent me a message too.

【Watching Emily be so sensible… I regret ever taking you back from the foster home.】

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest, as if a piece of my heart had been ripped away, the cold wind flooding in.

I coughed violently, the taste of iron filling my throat.

With a splatter, blood gushed from my mouth.

Dr. Wilson had warned me my symptoms would worsen—coughing would turn into bleeding, chest pains would become common.

But I didn’t expect it so soon.

Tears burned my eyes as I pulled out my phone and messaged Linda:

【Can I really come back?】

【But Robert and Daniel don’t want me there.】

Her reply came quickly.

【Come back first. We’re family. What grudges can’t be let go overnight?】

I closed my eyes and replied:

【Okay.】

She gave birth to me—surely she must still love me.

If she knew I was really sick, she would hold me and ask if I was hurting.

If Robert and Daniel knew, they’d forgive me too, wouldn’t they?

They’d care for me, stop being angry.

Emily’s lies would no longer work.

Maybe, just maybe, I could follow Dr. Wilson’s advice and fight to live.

With treatment, I could live for many more years.

I was still young. I had never really felt my family’s love.

I didn’t want to die.

So, I went home.

When I stepped through the door, everyone’s eyes fixed on me.

Emily lay pale and weak on the sofa, barely breathing.

“Sis, you’re back. I came downstairs just to greet you…”

The bandage on her wrist was soaked with crimson, making her look fragile and pitiful.

Robert snorted coldly.

“For your mother’s sake, I’ll let you stay. But from now on, don’t go near Emily.”

Daniel threw the shredded rag doll at my feet, sneering:

“If you bully Emily again, this doll is what’ll happen to you.”

I put down the bag of medicine and picked the doll up with aching care.

It had been sewn for me by an elderly woman at the shelter, using scraps of clean cloth.

As a child, I had envied girls who owned Barbie dolls. I never had one.

So she made me a doll of my own.

Through seven years of wandering, it was my only companion.

Now, she was dead, and the doll was torn apart.

The only person who had ever truly loved me was gone.

The only companion I had left was gone too.

Pain clenched my chest and I doubled over coughing again.

Daniel frowned, a flicker of impatience in his eyes.

“Can you stop pretending already? Fine, I’ll buy you a new one.”

Not the same. How could it ever be the same?

No new doll would be the one she sewed for me.

Tears spilled over, falling onto the doll’s torn fabric.

Finally, Linda spoke up.

“Enough. Don’t blame Sarah anymore. She always treasured this doll.”

“I promise you, I’ll sew it back together.”

Her warm hand brushed my head, and in that moment, my coughing actually stopped.

Love really could ease pain.

Mom, love me. Please, love me.

If you love me, I’ll endure treatment. I’ll try to live longer.

And so, I settled back into the house again.

My allowance was set to the same standard as Emily’s.

The allowance was enough for me to buy my own medication at the hospital.

After I brought the meds back, I carefully put them away.

I didn’t want to bring up my lung cancer on my own anymore—I was afraid they’d think I was faking it.

Even when I coughed, I tried to hide it from them, but they still showed their disgust.

Dr. James Wilson said the medication could hold things down for now, but I should be admitted as soon as possible.

I promised him that when the time was right, I would tell my family and ask them to accompany me for inpatient treatment.

When they truly loved me—when they truly accepted me—I would tell them.

I hid the bottles behind the bookshelf in my bedroom.

Half a month later, to celebrate Emily Carter’s recovery, my parents ordered a huge cake.

Linda Miller said it was also to make up for the fifteenth birthday I had “missed.”

But Dr. Wilson had told me I shouldn’t eat sweets—

they would only trigger more coughing.

“Thanks, Mom. I’m happy, but I really can’t eat the cake…”

Before I could finish, Emily bit her lip and dabbed at the bandage on her injured wrist, tears brimming.

“Sis, you still haven’t forgiven me after all.”

I raised a hand. “No, that’s not—”

Emily cut me off.

“I really didn’t know you had a peanut allergy before. I specifically told them not to put peanuts in the cake today.”

Pointing at two little fondant girls holding hands on top, she said,

“Look, I even had them make us as sisters—so we could be ‘good’ again.”

“If you won’t eat it, it means you won’t forgive me…”

Her voice trembled, and tears gathered again.

Daniel Miller glared at me.

“Emily already apologized like this—are you really going to keep acting superior?”

Robert Miller frowned and pressed me:

“You’re eating the cake today. Don’t make Emily sad.”

I looked to Linda for help.

Even her eyes showed disappointment as she tried to persuade me:

“Sarah, if you won’t eat it, that really is you being unreasonable.”

“Your sister’s still recovering. She came with me to the bakery to watch them make it. It’s from the heart.”

I let out a bitter laugh and nodded.

“Fine. I’ll eat.”

With Emily’s hand over mine, we cut the cake together. She smiled and passed me the largest slice.

“Sis, you have to finish it, okay? That’ll make Emily happy!”

The sticky frosting slid down my throat, and an itchy sweetness clawed at it. I instantly felt unwell.

“Pff—”

I couldn’t help it. Cream sprayed from my mouth as a violent cough seized me.

The whole cake was spattered with my saliva.

Daniel shouted, “Sarah Miller, what the hell is that supposed to mean? Trying to gross everybody out?”

Linda’s voice was heavy with disappointment. “Sarah, this really wasn’t necessary. Your sister stood over that cake for hours—it’s her hard work…”

I couldn’t respond. The coughing wouldn’t stop.

Eyes burning red, tears streaming, I could only run back to my room for my meds.

The instant the cool liquid medication touched my tongue, the irritation in my throat finally eased.

When I came out, the three of them were still standing around the cake, staring coldly.

“Sis, you really won’t forgive me?” Emily asked through tears.

Robert finally exploded:

“Eat. Since you contaminated the whole cake, you’ll finish all of it.”

“Otherwise, don’t you ever set foot in the Miller house again!”

Daniel lifted the entire cake and walked it to me.

He stuffed a fork in my hand with a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes and said: