I Could See Their Hidden Motives

Three months after my biological parents brought me home, I came down with a dangerously high fever. When I finally woke up, something was different about my eyes. I could suddenly see the "ultimate beneficiary" of every gift I received. My birth mother came into my room with a bottle of supplements and took my hand, guilt written all over her face. "I know I haven't treated you fairly since you came home. I've spent too much time worrying about Cassidy. I want to make that right." But hovering above the bottle was a line of glowing blue text. [Ultimate Beneficiary: Cassidy Lynch.] She was the daughter my parents adopted. [Hidden Purpose: Get Evelyn healthy enough for next week's bone marrow procedure.] A chill ran through me, but I kept my expression blank and pretended I hadn't seen a thing. Over the next few days, my family treated me so well that it was almost unsettling. The designer dress my brother gave me came with its own label. [Beneficiary: Cassidy. [Purpose: Make Cassidy look polished and elegant by making Evelyn look tacky beside her at the family reception.] Then my father transferred shares in the family company into my name. Another label appeared. [Beneficiary: Cassidy. [Purpose: Put Evelyn as the company's legal representative so she takes the fall when a 600 million-dollar tax fraud scandal breaks.] Then tonight, my brother, who had never been able to stand me, suddenly pulled me into a tight hug, his eyes red with tears. "We're sending Cassidy abroad tomorrow. From now on, you're the only sister I care about." At that exact moment, a huge scarlet warning flashed above his head so violently that my eyes began to ache. [Ultimate Beneficiary: Cassidy. [Final Purpose: Keep Evelyn unsuspecting long enough to get her signature on the organ donation paperwork tomorrow.]