Chapter 1

"Mr. Carter, I've decided to hand over my patent to the state and join the medical academy."

The principal, Daniel Carter, stood up excitedly.

"That's wonderful, Gianna! Your patent will surely save hundreds, if not thousands, of patients. However, this is a top-secret national laboratory, so you'll need to disappear for at least three years.

"The departure is in ten days. Are you sure you don't want to discuss this with your boyfriend or family first?"

"No need."

Gianna Ramsey forced a bitter smile. That house had long ceased to be a place where she belonged.

Last year, Maya Bernard, a scholarship student whom the family had been supporting, moved in after her parents died in a car accident. Gianna's father had taken her in.

Unlike Gianna, who only knew how to quietly get things done, Maya was skilled at winning people over. It took less than a year for her to become the family's darling. Not only did her father treasure her, but even Gianna's fiancé since childhood and younger brother had grown fond of her.

When Maya shattered the portrait of Gianna's late mother, her father merely said it was time to let go of the past and removed the entire portrait. Maya had even wanted to take the heart stent patent Gianna had developed in memory of her mother for herself.

To force her into agreement, the childhood sweetheart who had once loved her even threatened to break up. Blood ties and lifelong promises couldn't even compare to a few sweet words from Maya.

Now, Gianna was tired of fighting. She simply chose to walk away to free herself of this torment.

She returned home. Unlike her lonely existence, the dining room was bustling with laughter. The family was celebrating Maya's one-year anniversary of joining the Ramsey household.

Yet no one remembered that it was also Gianna's birthday. Since her mother's passing, no one had ever given her a birthday gift or celebrated with her.

She watched as her boyfriend, Ezra Griffith, and her younger brother, Gabriel Ramsey, sat on either side of Maya. Their gazes seemed soft as they handed her presents. There was no flicker of emotion on Gianna's cold face.

She was about to walk past the dining room when her father, Christopher Ramsey, called out, "Did you talk to the principal about transferring the patent to Maya like I told you?"

Gianna shook her head. "The patent is no longer mine."

Everyone assumed she had finally given in.

Ezra was overjoyed as he hugged Maya tightly. "This is amazing! It's a national-level patent. With this, you won't have to worry about getting into a good school or finding a job. Congratulations!"

Gianna watched indifferently before turning to leave.

Then, Maya cut a slice of mango cake and brought it to her. "Gianna, thank you for everything you've done for me. This is for you."

As she turned her back to the others, the obedient mask she wore had slipped, revealing a face full of provocation. It was the look of a victor.

Gianna's expression remained icy as she spat, "Take it away."

Maya had accompanied her two days ago to pick up their medical examination reports. No one else knew about her mango allergy—except Maya. She knew very well what she was doing.

"Gianna, why are you throwing a tantrum at her? I was the one who told you to give her the patent. If you're upset, take it out on me." Ezra stood up while staring at Gianna coldly.

Maya wiped away her tears and said with a trembling voice, "Ezra, don't blame Gianna. If anyone is at fault, it's me. Nothing in this house was ever truly mine, to begin with.

"I know Gianna has always thought I was dirty. I'm sorry, Gianna. If you don't like me, I can move out today.

"I never wanted to be a parasite. I just wanted to repay Christopher for his kindness. I'm really sorry..."

"Maya, this is your home! If anyone dares to drive you away, I won't stand for it." Gabriel immediately grabbed her hand.

Christopher slammed his utensils down in anger. "Everyone was enjoying themselves, and the moment you walked in, you ruined the mood. When will you ever learn?

"How did I end up with a daughter as petty and disrespectful as you? Eat the cake. Now. And apologize to Maya."

Gianna looked into her father's eyes and saw only disgust. Even though she had already decided to leave this god-forsaken house, her hands trembled involuntarily. It felt as if an iron grip was squeezing her heart.

Through clenched teeth, she forced out, "And if I don't?"

She barely finished speaking when a sharp slap landed across her face. Then, in his fury, Christopher grabbed the slice of cake and shoved it into her mouth.

The attack came so suddenly that before Gianna could react, her lips went numb. Her breathing turned shallow, and her legs gave out beneath her. She quickly collapsed to the floor.

Maya gasped in feigned concern. "Gianna, what's wrong? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

"Leave her. She's just putting on a show. Let's continue our meal."

…

Voices swirled around her in a chaotic blur. Gianna crawled back to her bedroom, barely able to move.

She yanked open a drawer, grabbed her medication, and swallowed it dry. Then, she dialed for emergency assistance with the last of her strength. Lying on the floor, she stared blankly at the ceiling with a numb expression.

Just ten more days and she could leave this cold, heartless house. She could finally bid her farewell to these vile people.

She could go to a place where no one knew her name. As for these estranged blood relatives and a love built on deception—she wanted none of it.

Chapter 2

At some point, Gianna drifted into unconsciousness. When she was half-awake, she had a dream. She dreamed of middle school, the time when her article was published in a medical journal.

Excited, she had brought the magazine home, eager to share it. But no one in her family understood it. They glanced at it briefly before tossing it aside.

Only her mother, Naomi Goodwin, had read it carefully. Finally, she stroked Gianna's head with loving eyes and praised her.

Curious, Gianna had asked, "Mom, do you understand medical journals?"

Noami had shaken her head, yet her voice was as gentle as the first spring water as she said, "I don't understand what you wrote, but I recognize your name at the top."

The moment from that afternoon stayed with her for a long, long time. Now, her articles had appeared in major journals over and over again. But the one who used to stroke her head and praise her was gone.

"Mom..."

When Gianna woke up, traces of dried tears clung to the corners of her eyes.

The first thing she saw was a young man with a worried expression. This young man was Adam Holt, a junior of hers who was currently interning at the hospital.

"Gianna, don't you think your family members are too cruel? The paramedics told me you were on the brink of death, and they were still having dinner, completely ignoring you."

"You've been unconscious for two days, and not a single person came to check on you."

Gianna remained expressionless as she listened to his angry accusations. Her complete lack of reaction made Adam's heart ache. No grief was greater than a heart that had turned cold. This must be what that felt like.

"Gianna, I bought you some soup. Try to eat a little."

Before Gianna could refuse, Adam had already scooped up a spoonful of chicken noodle soup and brought it to her lips.

With no choice, she opened her mouth and swallowed. Then, Adam's figure slowly overlapped with someone from her memories.

When Naomi had just passed away, Gianna had clung to her portrait like someone possessed. She refused to eat, drink, or go to school. In a fit of rage, Christopher had beaten her mercilessly with a belt, leaving her covered in bruises.

Even Gabriel had been so terrified that he crouched in a corner, too afraid to make a sound. It was Ezra who had rushed into the Ramsey residence, shielding her with his small body.

He even took her home and fed her with his own hands. Back then, Ezra had been the light in her dark world. She had never imagined that the person who once swore to stay by her side forever would one day fall in love with someone else.

"Gianna, who is he?" A cold voice snapped her back to reality.

Ezra stood at the hospital room door, his face dark with anger. After falling for Maya, he had already made up his mind to end things with Gianna. Yet now, an inexplicable pain stabbed through his chest when he saw Adam gently feeding her soup.

It felt as if something that should have belonged to him had been forcefully taken away. Adam was about to explain, but before he could say a word, Ezra stormed forward and slapped the bowl out of his hands.

The porcelain shattered upon impact, sending shards flying. Gianna couldn't dodge in time, and a long, deep cut appeared on her arm.

In an instant, blood began pouring down. A sharp wave of pain immediately made her shudder.

Even so, Ezra never spared her a single glance. His dark eyes remained locked onto Adam as he coldly commanded, "Get out."

His tone was as if Gianna were nothing more than his possession—something no one else was allowed to touch. But just then, his phone rang. His expression changed drastically the moment he answered it.

"Maya is blaming herself a lot for what happened to you. Her depression acted up, and she attempted suicide by overdosing on pills. I need to go be with her while they pump her stomach. I'll check on you later, okay?"

There wasn't a trace of hesitation in his voice. It wasn't a question. He was simply notifying her that he was leaving.

Gianna clutched her bleeding arm, staring at his indifferent face. Then, she let out a bitter, hollow laugh while saying, "Sure."

What was there to be sad about? In just eight days, Ezra didn't have to put on this act anymore.

Chapter 3

When Ezra met Gianna's hollow gaze, his own eyes flickered with unease. But the thought of Maya lying in a hospital bed as well made him grit his teeth. He simply turned and left.

Adam stood there, stunned. He had admired Gianna for a long time, harboring quiet feelings for her.

But he had always heard that she had a childhood sweetheart, a boyfriend she was deeply in love with. So, he buried his emotions, keeping them to himself.

There had been a time when he envied that man, even though they had never met. Yet, never in his wildest imagination did he think that, in Gianna's most vulnerable moment, this man would abandon her to be with someone else.

Her wound was still bleeding. But she sat there as if she couldn't feel any pain, and her eyes were void of light.

Adam's lips trembled with sorrow. He couldn't fathom just how deeply Ezra had hurt her to turn someone who was once so bright and cheerful into this hollow shell.

"Gianna, I'll go get some gauze to treat your wound."

After he finished bandaging her arm, Gianna asked him to help her with the discharge paperwork. Before she left, Adam gently reached out and stopped her. He knew the Ramsey household was no longer a place for her.

If she didn't mind, she could stay here for a few more days as he was willing to take care of her. But Gianna only smiled and shook her head. She didn't want to drag Adam into this.

It was enough for her to be the only one hurt.

…

Gianna returned to the Ramsey residence. Just then, a string of messages from Christopher popped up on her phone.

"Maya just got her stomach pumped. She needs someone to take care of her, so we won't be coming home tonight.

"I left some food for you in the kitchen. Eat when you get home."

She walked into the dining room and saw a few scattered vegetable scraps, chunks of fatty meat, and a bowl of cold soup sitting on the dining table. It wasn't food left specifically for her. It was Maya's leftovers.

Gianna's face remained expressionless. She was long used to this. The moment Maya moved into the Ramsey residence, Christopher had doted on the scholarship student.

He said Maya had grown up in the mountains with poor nutrition, so whenever there was good food, it should go to her first. Gianna, being older, was expected to be understanding.

She was supposed to willingly give up everything. She never liked to fight over things, so she could only watch as Maya took everything from her. That included her old bedroom, which Maya now occupied while she was forced to sleep in a drafty attic on a hard wooden bed.

Perhaps, in Christopher's eyes, a sweet-talking, people-pleasing girl like Maya was what an ideal daughter should be. Just then, the door swung open. Gabriel walked in, carrying a bag.

Seeing Gianna, he paused for a moment before his expression twisted into a frown. He acted as if he had spotted something filthy and unlucky.

"I came back to grab some toiletries for Maya.

"Oh, and Ezra told me to pass on a message that things are over between you two. There are no hard feelings, so just move on. Maya's depression has relapsed, and he can't leave her side right now.

"This was something you gave him. He asked me to return it."

Gabriel pulled out a tape recorder and handed it to Gianna. It was the first gift she had ever given Ezra.

She couldn't afford anything expensive when she was younger. She had saved up her breakfast money for six months just to buy this tape recorder, filling it with all of Ezra's favorite songs.

She still remembered how he had hugged her with tears streaming down his face, promising he would cherish it for a lifetime. Yet now, not only had he broken that promise, but he wouldn't even go out of his way to return the gift to her himself.

Chapter 4

A mocking glint flashed in Gianna's eyes. Her heart was already dead. She had long since stopped expecting anything from Ezra.

She merely calmly uttered two words in response. "Got it."

Gabriel stared at her in disbelief.

"Ezra took such good care of you all those years, and that's all you have to say? Gigi, ever since Mom passed away, you've been acting so strange.

"Maya nearly died because of you this time, and you haven't even shown a shred of concern for her.

"I get it now. You blame Maya for stealing the family's attention from you. Deep down, you probably wish she were dead, don't you?

"She's already suffered so much, and yet you're still jealous of her. When did you become so vicious?"

Hearing this, Gianna suddenly felt like laughing. If Maya had really wanted to die, then how did she manage to control the dosage so precisely—just enough for the Ramsey family to find her in time?

Maya had been using these underhanded tricks for years, slowly but surely stealing all of their love away from her. She was used to it by now.

Besides, even if she explained, it would change nothing. Just like what was happening right now. She hadn't even said a word, yet accusations were already being thrown at her, one after another.

Even silence was a crime.

Just as she was about to step out, Gabriel's voice, which was cold as ice, stopped her in her tracks.

"Do you wanna know something? I wish it had been you who donated blood to me that day, not Maya."

"You're my real sister, but you hid away like a coward when I was in life-threatening danger. I hate you."

With a loud slam of the door, Gabriel walked out without looking back.

Half a year ago, Gabriel had been hit by a car driven by a drunk driver. He suffered massive blood loss and was in critical condition. The hospital's blood supply was running low, and there was still a shortage of nearly 50 ounces.

Christopher and Gianna had both stepped up to donate. But Christopher barely managed 10 ounces before he started shouting that he couldn't take it and demanded the doctor remove the needle. Gianna, on the other hand, had already lost consciousness by the time they drew 30 ounces.

Thinking of her brother lying in that hospital bed, Gianna gritted her teeth and forced herself to endure. She let the doctors draw the full 40 ounces of blood needed from her body.

When she woke up, she found herself in an unfamiliar, worn-out hospital room. There was no one by her side.

She later learned that Christopher, in an effort to strengthen the bond between his son and the newly adopted scholarship student, had told everyone that it was Maya who had donated blood to save Gabriel.

After being discharged, Gianna dragged herself to find Gabriel and explain the truth. But all she got in return was a slap across the face.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he shouted at her, demanding to know why she had been nowhere to be found in his most desperate moment.

Why had Maya been the one to donate so much blood for him, nearly losing her life in the process?

Swallowing her pain, Gianna told him to check the hospital's transfusion records. That was all it would take to see the truth, but he never checked. To this day, he still refused to.

Instead, he blindly believed that 20% of the blood in his veins belonged to Maya. In his mind, his real sister was nothing but a heartless monster who had stood by and done nothing.

No matter what she did, and no matter what she said, he would always see her as cruel and selfish.

Well, it didn't matter anymore. She was done explaining. She was done with all of it.

Gianna sat on the couch in the empty house, staring into the void. There was no warmth here, and there was certainly no trace of home.

Outside the window, the wind howled like a ghost's wail. She closed her eyes and pressed her hands over her ears.

However, she couldn't escape it. The crushing weight of the suffocating air pressed down on her, threatening to break her completely.

No one in this house cared about her and needed her. So, she might as well disappear forever.

Chapter 5

Gianna's phone rang. It was a notification for a social media post by Maya.

"Thank you all for your concern. I'm fine now. And thank you, Ezra, for always being there for me when I need you. I will spend the rest of my life repaying you."

The attached photo showed Maya lying in a hospital bed, her fingers intertwined with Ezra's as he sat beside her. They looked like the perfect couple.

Gianna only gave the post a brief glance before locking her phone and tossing it aside. After all, she and Ezra were over.

Whether Maya was flaunting or trying to provoke her, it didn't matter. She felt nothing about this. There was neither joy nor sorrow.

Gianna then cooked herself a warm meal for dinner and then went to bed. With the house completely empty, she slept soundly for the first time in years.

The next morning, Gianna brewed a cup of hand-ground coffee and settled into a wicker chair in the courtyard. She stretched while listening to the morning radio.

After years of being weighed down by family burdens, she was finally enjoying life—perhaps for the first time. She should have lived for herself long ago.

After breakfast, she returned to her room, intending to gather the gifts Ezra had given her and return them. But she realized something as she sorted through her things. In all the years they had been together, Ezra had barely given her anything.

The few gifts he had given were nothing but cheap trinkets. Even so, she had once cherished each one, locking them away in a drawer as if they were treasures.

Now, as she took them out, she saw that time had worn them down. The edges had yellowed, and mold had crept in. It was just like Ezra's feelings for her—decayed beyond repair.

Gianna shook her head. Ezra had always been a clean freak. He wouldn't take these things back even if she returned them.

She tossed everything into a metal bin without hesitation, along with every photo they had ever taken together. She then lit a match. Flames quickly roared to life, devouring every trace of the past.

When it was over, she left to complete her leave-of-absence paperwork at school. She planned to travel for the next few days to clear her mind.

As she scrolled through travel guides, a familiar figure arrived. It was Ezra. Unlike Gianna, who was relaxed and carefree, he looked anything but.

After hearing from Gabriel that Gianna had shown no expression upon receiving the returned gift, Ezra hadn't been able to sleep all night.

No one knew how much Gianna had once loved him better than him. He couldn't believe that was her reaction.

But the moment he saw the charred remains of gifts and photographs in the metal bin in the courtyard, his world seemed to collapse. Did she just discard the things she had once treasured like trash?

"Why did you burn the gifts I gave you… and our photos?" His voice trembled slightly.

Gianna lifted her gaze, meeting his pale face. "They were moldy from being kept too long, so I burned them."

Ezra was stunned at first. Then, as if coming to a sudden realization, his expression darkened.

"You knew I would come, didn't you? That's why you put on this act—to play hard to get and make me come back to you.

"Gianna, why are you always so unreasonable?"

He wanted to turn and leave, but something caught his eye. It was the leave-of-absence paperwork sitting on the coffee table. His mind immediately went blank.

"You're taking a leave from school? Just because we asked you to give the patent to Maya? Say something. Where are you going?"

A sudden wave of unease crashed over him. He gripped her arm tightly, demanding an answer.

Gianna was right there in front of him. He could still see her, and he could touch her. Yet for some reason, a suffocating fear gripped his chest.

It was as if at any moment, she might disappear forever.