Chapter 1

My sister, Sierra Reed, was standing at the college entrance with her suitcase. The moment she noticed me, her smile disappeared.

"Sierra!" I took an envelope from my bag. Inside was a bank card with all the money I'd saved over the years. "Take it."

Not even a second had passed before Sierra pushed it away, her face full of disgust and hostility. "I can earn my own living. I don't need your money!"

I awkwardly pulled my hand back.

It was the first day of college. Cars streamed past the entrance as parents helped their kids unload their luggage, filling the air with laughter and reminders.

But only silence hung between us.

"I've already saved enough to cover all four years of your tuition. This is for your living expenses…"

"I already said no need. Don't you understand?" She cut me off, glaring at me with red eyes. "If it weren't for you, I'd at least have a normal family. Our parents would come back, and we would live together. But you ruined everything."

My face paled at the hateful look in Sierra's eyes.

I wanted to tell her it wasn't like that. I wanted to ask her if she knew what I'd been through all these years and tell her that the happy family she'd imagined never existed.

But in the end, I didn't say a word.

Sierra noticed my hesitation and gave me a mocking smile. "I hate you. Don't contact me again. I'll pay you back every penny you've ever spent on me."

With that, she turned and walked away, dragging her suitcase into the crowd without looking back.

The September sun was glaring, and it stung my eyes. I stayed there for a long time, leaving only when a security guard gave me a puzzled look.

When I got home, I called my best friend, Helen Kerr.

"Do me a favor, okay? Sierra refused to accept my money. Could you send her my money every month under your name as her sponsor?"

Helen sighed. "Shannon, is this necessary? Sierra deserves to know what happened back then. At least let her know what you did for her and how much you suffered."

"She just got into college, and she has a bright future. There's no need to bring up that ugly past. I don't want it hanging over her during her college years."

"But…"

"I'm going to die soon." I forced a smile. "If she learns the truth, it'll only destroy her. Let's leave it at that. Send her the money on time every month. Don't tell her it's from me."

Helen stayed silent so long that I thought the call had dropped. When she spoke, her voice caught. "Okay. But this isn't fair to you or her."

After that, I sat on the couch and stared at the ceiling.

The doctor said my body had been worn down too badly, and there was nothing they could do. I could live for at most another six months.

Maybe that was for the best.

By the time Sierra graduated from college, I'd be long gone. Since she hated me so much, she'd probably forget about me quickly and start a new life.