Chapter 2

Mom froze and gently patted my shoulder. "What nonsense are you talking about? How could you not need them? Sure, Jonathan is wealthy, but you can't look down on the Lane family's assets!"

I stared at my anxious parents in a daze. Never in my life had they shown me such concern.

Just because my birth had taken time and caused Adriana to be born weak, I owed her my entire life.

During our birthdays when we were still kids, Mom and Dad would surround her in the middle, singing her a birthday song. Only after they put her to sleep would they remember to wish me a happy birthday.

Other families with twins dressed them in matching clothes, but Adriana's outfits were always much more expensive than mine. I was mocked at school because of that.

I often felt like an outsider, watching the three of them as a happy, complete family.

Sometimes, I even wondered how wonderful it would be if I had been born second. I would have a weak body, but I would receive all the love in the world.

Yet even so, Adriana still felt it was not enough. She competed with me for everything.

When my boyfriend gave me an expensive perfume while he was still courting me, she wanted to take mine even though she already had a bottle.

After I got married, she became even worse, going so far as to try stealing Jonathan's love.

I cried and threw tantrums, but in the end, I only earned Mom and Dad's annoyance and Jonathan's neglect.

Everything I did was wrong.

In the past, I might have argued back, but after so many years, I was truly exhausted.

Seeing my silence, Mom and Dad stopped paying attention to me and gathered around the dining table to fuss over Adriana. Her plate was piled high with delicacies that the three of them had served her. I held my knife and fork, quietly cutting the vegetables on my plate.

Adriana looked at me smugly, her eyes showing no weakness, only provocation.

In the following days, Mom and Dad spoiled her even more than before. She practically lived like a princess.

…

At a banquet, Jonathan led Adriana to the center and personally got down on his knees to feed her small cakes.

The socialites glanced at them, then at me, their eyes full of mockery. I felt everyone's mocking gazes and lowered my head, swirling my wine glass without saying a word.

Suddenly, I heard the sharp sound of a slap.

"You bitch! How dare you spill wine on me?"

Looking up, I saw Adriana grabbing a young woman by the hair and kicking her in the waist and abdomen. At the end, she even picked up a glass and hurled it at her. The woman's face was instantly covered in blood as she wailed.

When I saw that woman's face, my pupils dilated in shock. It was Millie, the precious heiress of the Reed family, the wealthiest family in the capital.

Adriana rarely went out these past few years, so she did not recognize prominent figures.

I was about to step forward to stop her, but it was already too late.

Adriana was instantly surrounded by bodyguards. When the head of the Reed family saw the blood on his granddaughter's face, he flew into a rage. He declared in front of all the socialites that cooperating with the Lane family meant becoming enemies with the Reed family.

That day, Mom and Dad begged desperately, but Mr. Reed Senior remained unmoved. Instead, he threw us out directly.

Back home, Adriana sat on the couch, wailing. Though Mom and Dad were angry, their hearts still ached for her.

They humbly visited former business partners and were willing to cut profits in half just to secure cooperation.

Finally, the Reed family relented. The condition was that Adriana had to personally apologize and accept punishment.

Mom and Dad were not overjoyed when they heard this news. How could they bear to let their precious daughter be bullied like this?

I glanced at them indifferently and walked toward my room. However, Jonathan blocked me at the door.

"You should go accept the punishment in Adriana's place. You're twins who look almost identical. They won't notice the difference. It's just a small punishment. You won't refuse, will you?"

A small punishment? My heart turned bitter. Everyone knew Mr. Reed Senior was notoriously ruthless.

Anyone who offended him, even if they made it out alive, would end up with physical disabilities.

Jonathan had business dealings with him. He understood this better than I did and knew exactly what I would face, but he did not care. He only wanted to protect Adriana.

As for my life or death, it was unimportant. I kept my head down and said nothing, but Mom and Dad were thrilled, praising Jonathan for his cleverness.

"Elena, your sister's body is too weak to withstand punishment. Your body's strong, so go in her place. But you should still try to protect yourself. After all, you'll need to participate in the drug trials soon."

I looked at the four people before me wearily and forced a smile with a nod. "Alright, I understand."

As I turned away, I caught sight of Adriana's smug expression in my peripheral vision and could not help wondering. After I died, there would be no one left to bear everything for her. What would become of her then?

Behind me, Jonathan, Mom, and Dad surrounded Adriana with joyful laughter, as if they had finally solved a major problem.

I looked at my dark, oppressive room as a tear slid down my cheek. I hastily wiped it from the corner of my eye and decided to throw away everything in the room.

Since I was dying anyway, keeping these things would only be an eyesore to them. It was better to throw them all away.

There was not much in the room besides daily necessities and a few picture frames. There was a family photo of all four of us and my marriage certificate with Jonathan. I stared at them for a long time, then threw them into the trash without hesitation.

After cleaning up, I lay on the bed gasping for breath when suddenly, something metallic and sweet surged up my throat. I coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood that splattered across the white sheets.

Just then, Jonathan pushed the door open. I instinctively grabbed a pillow to cover the red stain.

"The Reed family's driver has arrived."