My adopted sister, Rita Lawson, and I get ambushed by a rival family at the same time. But she pushes me away at the most critical juncture, leading to me getting kidnapped. After my kidnappers feed me poison, they leave me to rot in the wild.

When I finally get home, I find out that Rita pretends to be poisoned, so my dad has already given her the only antidote.

With tears streaking down her cheeks, Rita tells my parents that she's chosen to ingest poison for me, and yet I abandoned her and fled on my own.

Of course, everyone believes her.

My parents tell me, "Rita got poisoned just to protect you. You must transfer your businesses to her."

My husband, Enrico Fulci, says to me, "Someone needs to take care of Rita. Let's get a divorce, Elisa."

Even my own daughter, Ivana Fulci, asks me, "Mamma, when are you going to be as gentle and understanding as Zia Rita?"

Faced with everyone's accusations, I drink a serum that I've bought from the black market in order to suppress the poison in my system. It can allow me to live like a regular person.

But in return, the poison within me will erupt three days later, causing my instant death.

Using the three days I have left, I hand my businesses, my husband, and my daughter over to Rita. Everyone is pleased, thinking that I've finally learned my place.

But what they don't know is that Death will come for me after 72 hours.

The people in the black market weren't lying. The drug worked fast.

By the time my adopted sister, Rita Lawson, was wheeled out of the ER, the excruciating pain in my body had finally subsided.

My parents, Mattia Neri and Ausilia Amodeo, hovered anxiously by her bedside, showering her with concern.

Mamma even had tears in her eyes.

Rita, pale and weak, reassured them, "I'm fine. As long as Elisa is okay, I don't mind drinking poison."

Papa's face twisted with anger. "You're still defending her? If it weren't for the antidote our family had, you'd be dead right now!"

I stood at the elevator door. My heart was breaking.

They didn't have to worry. She wouldn't die. I would be the one dying.

Papa spotted me first. He immediately stepped between Rita and me. "How dare you show your face here?"

Mamma wiped away her tears. "If you're here to cause trouble, just leave. Rita almost died for you. Can't you show some decency?"

Rita, who was still pale, gave me a faint smile, but there was a glint of triumph in her eyes that I knew all too well.

She said softly, "Mamma, Papa, don't say that. Elisa came because she's worried about me."

"Worried about you?" Papa snorted.

"If she really cared, she wouldn't have hidden behind you during the abduction! If you hadn't rushed to drink that poison, it'd be her lying here! And she even dared to leave you and run off on her own!"

So this was how the story had been twisted.

Rita and I were both attacked by a rival family.

However, at the critical moment, she shoved me aside, which led to my abduction. I was forced to drink the poison.

I passed out from the pain and woke up in the middle of nowhere, with no memory of what had happened in between.

The old me would have fought to explain myself.

However, now, it didn't matter. Mamma and Papa wouldn't believe me anyway. They only believed Rita's side of the story.

I forced a smile. "Mamma, Papa, I didn't come here to argue."

Mamma finally looked up at me with a wary gaze. "Then, why are you here?"

"To give you a gift." I pulled a folder from my jacket pocket and handed it to Papa.

"I'm transferring the Brynley casino, the smuggling route at the port, and my shares in Jesselyn's three nightclubs to Rita."

The doctors and nurses immediately disappeared from sight.

Papa stared at the folder, as if he suspected it might explode.

Rita's breath hitched for a moment, and a flush of excitement spread across her pale face.

"W-What did you say?" Mamma asked, incredulous.

I smiled. "You've always said my businesses should go to Rita. Well, I'm giving them to her now."

Rita reached for the folder but quickly pulled her hand back. "Elisa, a-all this is your hard work. I can't take them—"

"You can!"

Mamma seemed afraid I might change my mind, so she snatched the folder and handed it to Rita. "They were always meant to be yours."

A bitter feeling washed over me.

Yeah, Rita had always wanted everything that was mine—my room, my parents, and my husband. And now, my businesses. Everything I had.

Once Rita had the folder, Mamma finally softened her gaze on me. "Forget it. We're all family. You've been abducted, and you must be shaken up. Go home and rest."

I forced a smile and cast one last long look at Mamma and Papa. "Addio, Mamma, Papa."

I had a lot to do. This might be the last time I saw them.

Mamma gave a perfunctory nod as I stepped into the elevator.

Just as the doors were about to close, I heard Mamma's voice. "She's finally come to her senses."

Papa said, "She should've done this earlier. Rita is much more suited to running those businesses."

Rita softly replied, "Mamma, Papa, don't worry. I'll handle them well."

The elevator doors slammed shut, sealing their smiles for Rita outside.

They were so worried about Rita when she almost died. How would they react if I actually died?

I pulled out another document and called my husband, Enrico Fulci. "Hello? I need to talk to you."

When I got home, Enrico had a few large suitcases packed with his things beside him.

He looked me up and down. He seemed to be checking if I was injured.

Thanks to the effects of the drug, I felt perfect at that moment.

"Are you going out for a mission?" I asked in surprise.

Enrico hesitated for a moment before replying, "Rita needs someone to take care of her, so…"

Rita again! It was always her!

Looking at the man I still loved, I couldn't hold back my frustration. "Enrico! I'm your wife!"

He sighed. "Elisa Neri, even though Rita is adopted, she's still your sister. You're family."

"Si, she's my sister, but what about you? You're just her brother-in-law. What right do you have to take care of her? What will people think of you?"

"Your Papa…" Enrico gritted his teeth and finally got the words out. "He wants us to divorce, so I can marry Rita and take care of her as her husband."

I could barely believe my ears.

Mamma and Papa actually wanted Enrico and me to divorce for Rita.

I came here today to talk about divorce, but I never imagined it would be under these circumstances.

The buzzing in my ears was overwhelming, and I almost lost my balance.

Enrico quickly supported me. "Elisa, don't worry. It's just while Rita is recovering. We'll remarry once she's better. You know that I love you. After all this is over, I'll still be your husband and Ivana's Papa. We'll still be a family."

Ivana…

I snapped out of my daze.

Right, Ivana Fulci was my daughter. I still had her.

"Mamma," Ivana's voice rang out just in time.

"Ivana—" I turned to her, about to pick her up, but she spoke with confusion in her eyes.

"Mamma, Papa's doing this to help Zia Rita get better. Why don't you understand? Didn't you always tell me not to be selfish? Mamma, Zia Rita is such a good person. Don't you think what you're doing is selfish?"

As I looked into her innocent eyes, everything seemed to go dark.

Not just my parents, but even my husband and child had been fooled by Rita's facade. They had all abandoned me and chosen to stand by her.

It was as though I were the villain for not divorcing Enrico.

Any lingering attachment I had to Enrico and Ivana was slowly fading away.

If they all cared so much about Rita, what would they think when they learned the truth about her?

At this thought, I smiled and spoke to the two people in front of me. "Fine, I agree to the divorce."

Ivana immediately cheered and ran over to hug me tightly. "Mamma, you're the best!"

Enrico looked at me in surprise, then quickly pulled the divorce papers from his bag and handed them to me. "I thought I'd have to spend days convincing you. I didn't expect you to be so sensible."

See? Agreeing to the divorce was the sensible thing to do.

I glanced at the divorce papers but didn't sign them immediately.

Enrico asked anxiously, "Elisa, is there anything you're unsure about? Don't worry, we'll definitely remarry—"

I cut him off before he could finish. "Is there no asset division?"

Enrico froze, then hesitantly replied, "If you want my assets—"

"Quite the opposite."

I pulled out the divorce papers I had prepared and showed them to him. "I can leave with nothing. Just consider it… compensation for Rita taking the poison for me."

After I signed the divorce papers, a single drop of blood suddenly fell onto the table, less than an inch away from the papers.

Enrico frowned. "What's wrong with you? Why is your nose bleeding? Did you get injured during the abduction?"

The rare show of concern almost made me spill the truth.

"Enrico, actually I—"

Suddenly, his phone rang, cutting me off. It was a video call from Rita.

Perhaps seeing the concern on his face, she asked him what was wrong.

"Elisa suddenly got a nosebleed. I'm not sure if she's injured. I'm thinking of taking her to the hospital for a checkup."

Rita's soft voice came through. "The air's been really dry lately. I had a nosebleed yesterday too."

Enrico immediately became anxious. "How are you now?"

"I'm fine. The doctor said it's just the dry air. There's a humidifier in my room now."

I silently watched them talk.

When Enrico noticed my gaze, he awkwardly ended the call and said to me, "The air's been pretty dry lately. You'll get better soon."

I'd get better soon?

I wished I could believe that.

However, I knew that the nosebleed was a sign my body was falling apart. The drug just numbed the pain so I couldn't feel it.

I walked into the bathroom and bent down to wash my face.

As I looked up at the mirror, everything suddenly went black. I stepped on something and almost lost my balance.

To steady myself, I reached out to grab whatever I could. Bottles and jars from the countertop crashed to the floor.

It took a while before my vision cleared again.

Enrico and Ivana rushed in at that moment.

The floor was a mess.

Ivana spoke first. "Mamma, you agreed to sign the divorce papers yourself. Why are you throwing a tantrum? Zia Rita is still in the hospital because of you. She's the one who should be mad!"

Enrico's expression darkened. "Elisa, I've already told you. This is a temporary divorce. We'll remarry once Rita gets better. And Ivana's right. You agreed to the divorce and to leave with nothing. So why are you throwing things around now?"

Throwing things around?

Having a tantrum?

So they thought I was upset about the divorce.

I didn't bother to explain. "I don't have a husband or a cent to my name now. Is it wrong for me to throw a few things?"

I ignored them and stayed in the guest room to rest.

…

In the middle of the night, my phone suddenly woke me up. Rita sent me a video recording.

The thumbnail showed Enrico and Ivana huddled together in the frame, with Rita's pale face in the upper right corner.

I played the video, and Ivana's voice immediately came through. "I miss you so much, Zia Rita! Can I visit you tomorrow?"

Enrico gently scolded, "Rita still needs to rest. If you go, you'll just tire her out more."

Rita replied, "Ivana's such a good girl. She wouldn't tire me out."

Enrico's expression softened. "Alright, I'll bring her to visit you, then."

Then, Rita shyly asked, "Enrico, you said you'd give me a grand wedding. Is that true?"

"Certo. Once you're better, we'll have the wedding ceremony."

Ivana leaned in again. "Zia Rita, I want to be the flower girl at your wedding."

The video ended there.

Then came Rita's message.

"Scusa, Elisa. Besides your business and parents, now your husband and child are mine.

"You can just die in peace.

"I'll inherit everything you have."

Couldn't she wait? I wasn't even dead yet.

I had 48 hours left. There was still something I needed to do.

After some hesitation, I dialed a number I hadn't called in five years.

The moment the call connected, the receiver was filled with curses from the other side.

"You actually called me? I thought you'd never speak to me again when I told you to break up with Enrico! What's wrong? Finally remembered I exist on your deathbed?"

She was my childhood best friend, Gianna Baxter, the Principessa of the Baxter family.

When I was dating Enrico, we had a huge argument. She said he wasn't good enough for me, and if I married him, she'd never talk to me again.

At my wedding, she publicly said that I could only choose between Enrico and her.

I smiled faintly. "Gianna, I really am going to die."