Chapter 1

With a heavy thud, the judge’s gavel came down, and a huge livestream screen connected to the courtroom.

When Mdm. Langley, the old woman who had bought me a coffin and laid my body in it, realized what was happening, her unfocused eyes instantly welled up. She looked at the Spencer family standing at the plaintiff’s table and pleaded, “This girl is already dead. She didn’t even have a decent piece of clothing when she died. Please, I beg you! Just let her rest in peace.”

I sat all alone on top of my coffin. Hearing this stranger cry and beg for me made me feel bitter.

A stranger like her felt sorry for me, but my own family, bound to me by blood, only wanted me dead.

Just as Mdm. Langley was about to grab my sister Yara Spencer’s sleeve, Yara suddenly shoved her to the floor.

“Get away from me, you filthy hag! Don’t stain my clothes!

“Hahaha... Clara, you really are something! You’re trying to win pity points with your little coffin prop. You even hired an actress to play along?

“I’m telling you. No matter what tricks you pull, you’re bound to lose today’s trial!”

Yara had grown up with the fake daughter, Jade Spencer. They were very close. After learning that I refused to donate my kidney to Jade, Yara, who already disliked me, treated me with even more disgust.

My parents quickly backed away a few steps. They would not even look directly at my coffin or Mdm. Langley.

My mom even covered her nose and said, “She called me yesterday trying to set this up. She said she was dying and begged me to save her.

“Clara, did you really think I’d fall for your trick? If you want to die so badly, then go die somewhere far away. Don’t die here and make me sick.”

Something clenched painfully in my chest. It felt like acid was stuck in my throat and was burning its way down to my chest.

Every breath felt like it was tearing me apart.

At the same time, comments from viewers started appearing on the livestream screen.

[Wow, never thought I’d see this in my life! First time seeing someone fake their death in court.]

[I’m just saying, this girl really does look pale. It doesn’t look normal. Don’t you guys think so?]

[You’re an actor she hired, aren’t you? How much did she pay you to say her flour-caked face looks like a dead person’s?]

[Oh my God, it’s Clara! She was my classmate in high school. She’s dead? Good riddance! She used to pick on Jade all the time. Honestly, it was full-on bullying. I saw it with my own eyes!]

[Same here! I once saw Clara shove Jade’s head into a toilet bowl! And they’re supposed to be family! That’s just evil.]

Seeing this, the spectators at the trial grabbed the rotten vegetables and eggs they had brought and started hurling them at me.

In an instant, the smell of rotten eggs spread everywhere and overpowered the faint stench of my corpse.

“I didn’t know you suffered so much at school. Jade, why didn’t you ever tell me, your dad, or your sister?”

My family members at the plaintiff’s table all pulled Jade into their arms to comfort her.

Meanwhile, the judge’s cold, robotic voice echoed through the courtroom. “Spencer family, do you wish to proceed with the trial?”

I saw a flicker of panic in Jade’s eyes, but she quickly composed herself.

She tugged at my parents’ sleeves and said in a pitiful voice, “Mom, Dad, let’s just drop it. Clara must have her reasons for not wanting to donate her kidney. I don’t want to make things harder for her.”

My parents immediately wrapped their arms around her. Their gazes were gentle and comforting. They had never looked at me that way ever before.

“Jade, can you stop being so kind? Clara owes you. What’s so wrong about her giving you a kidney?”

“Yeah, people have two kidneys. Losing one won’t kill her.”

Hearing that, Jade’s eyes flashed with conceit.

Right after, the Spencer family all said, “Proceed with the trial! Hurry! We don’t want our precious Jade to suffer any longer.”