Everyone Loves My Sister

Josh and I had been together for seven years. Finally, we were getting married.Sitting at the vanity, I layered on three coats of powder before my pale and sickly face looked anything close to normal.Footsteps echoed behind me. In the mirror, my mother's reflection appeared."Grace."My back stiffened for a moment before I forced a smile, one that barely qualified as such."Mom… you're here."Without warning, she pulled out a paring knife and pressed it against her throat."Can you let Carrie marry Josh instead?" she pleaded. "The fortune teller said this is the only way she'll ever recover. She's been in love with Josh for so long. Marrying him is the only way she'll get better."Afraid I might refuse, she pressed the blade harder against her skin, drawing a thin line of red."If you don't agree, I'll die right here. Then you won't get married either."I stared at her, unable to wrap my head around it."So, whatever Carrie wants, I have to give it to her? My liver, my wed

Wait? Time was a luxury I didn't have.I clenched the medical report in my bag, crumpled it into a tight ball, and tossed it into the trash.It didn't matter. No one would care anyway.I just had to disappear quietly.Once I was gone, everything that had belonged to me would be Carrie's.Maybe then they'd finally be happy.Two years ago, I had driven Carrie to a competition. At an intersection, we argued.I told her firmly that it was a no-left-turn lane.She insisted I was just jealous, that I wanted her to be late. Before I could react, she lunged at the wheel, yanking it hard. We crashed straight into oncoming traffic.When my mother and Nick arrived, they didn't even bother asking what had happened.My mother screamed at me."How were you driving?! Look at Carrie's leg! Do you have any idea how important this is for a future dancer?! Why wasn't it you who got hurt instead?!"Nick's expression was cold."Grace, how can you be so cruel? Were you trying to kill Carrie?"

I pressed a hand to my burning cheek.For a moment, I said nothing, just stared at my mother in despair."Fine. I'll donate my liver to her."The moment the words left my mouth, my mother's face lit up. She couldn't even hide her eagerness, already thinking about rushing back to take care of Carrie. She turned to the waiter and said, "Excuse me, can you reheat all the dishes and pack them to go?"She muttered to herself as she counted the dishes, "Carrie loves eating here."I forced a bitter smile.Carrie got to come to expensive restaurants like this all the time, while I was here for the first time in my life. I had thought the dish names sounded so elegant, like poetry. But before I could even savor them, everything was packed away.The waiter returned with neatly wrapped takeout bags. My mother, Nick, and George all stood up at once. Not a single glance nor a single word was spared for me.The three of them left the private dining room together, hurrying off as if afraid Ca

The moment Josh spoke, Carrie let go of him and screamed like she had lost her mind.He held her tightly, his voice soft as he tried to calm her down.George arrived almost immediately. His smile was polite, but his eyes were cold."Grace, Carrie's condition is still unstable. Can you wait just a little longer? Once she gets better, I promise I'll make it up to you and Josh with a proper wedding."I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, my mother walked over and yanked at my arm—the same one that had been injured before. The force of it sent a sharp pain through me."Grace, George has always treated you like his own," she said, her grip tightening. "Carrie is your sister. Can't you just wait? Do you have to provoke her like this?"My arm throbbed, the pain spreading to my abdomen. Years of being cast aside surged up inside me all at once. Tears burned at the corners of my eyes, and before I could stop myself, I asked, "Mom, is Carrie the only one you care about? Do you

In college, during my freshman year, I met Josh.One day, both he and Lucas cornered me at the school gate and confessed their feelings. Without hesitation, I chose Josh.Not long after, Lucas transferred to another college.For a while after that, he kept texting me—telling me about Toben Lake, how breathtaking it was, asking when I would come visit.But Josh was possessive, jealous. He didn't allow me to reply.And so, over time, Lucas and I lost contact.I still remember the last message he sent me:[Your number will always remain in my phone, no matter what.]I looked at Lucas now and blurted out, "You should cut down on smoking. It's bad for your liver."Carrie developed liver disease from smoking.My mother and Nick had forced me to donate more than half my liver to save her.If not for that, I wouldn't have ended up with liver cancer.Wouldn't have ignored my symptoms.Wouldn't have let it drag on until it was too late.Lucas took the cigarette pack and lighter fro