Chapter 2

Everyone seemed satisfied with my answer.

My birthday celebration ended almost immediately. Mom and Dad hurried Claire into taking me upstairs to rest.

Only after hearing their thoughts did I finally understand what they had been doing to me all these years.

They had been giving me injections that slowly weakened my legs.

They wanted me dependent on them.

They wanted me too weak to leave.

And when the time came, they wanted me compliant enough to hand over a kidney to Ryan.

I used the excuse of taking a shower and locked myself in the bathroom.

Then I pulled up the story file the System had originally sent me.

In the novel, Ryan was the one with severe kidney disease.

The original Aidan Pettigrew discovered the truth by accident after being confined at home. He found Ryan's medical records and realized why the family had brought him back.

From that point on, he became exactly the monster they remembered.

He tried again and again to ruin Ryan.

After one final kidnapping attempt, Dad had him sent to prison.

The family called him an ungrateful wretch they could never win over.

In the story, Aidan had screamed at them, "Dad, if none of you ever loved me, why did you bring me home in the first place?"

For the first time, Mom had looked almost guilty.

"Aidan, you were our last hope. I only wanted Ryan to have one healthy kidney. If you need someone to hate, hate us."

At the end of the novel, Aidan smiled bleakly one last time. Then he died in a police shooting.

Both of his kidneys were used to save Ryan.

It suddenly hit me that both of my lives had ended exactly the same way.

These two kidneys of mine sure were popular.

A violent knock sounded against the bathroom door.

"Aiden? Are you okay?" Claire asked anxiously.

I knew she was afraid I might be contacting someone outside the house.

I wiped the cold water off my face and opened the door.

Claire scanned the bathroom.

Only after she found nothing suspicious did her shoulders relax.

She helped me onto the bed and dried my wet hair.

For a brief moment, the quiet intimacy almost made me forget everything I had heard.

Then she spoke.

"Aiden, the doctor says the fluid around your kidney is getting worse. They recommend removing it..."

I looked straight at her.

Under my stare, Claire looked a little guilty. She turned her head away.

"They only need to remove one."

I shook my head.

"I don't feel sick. I'm not agreeing to surgery."

Her face tightened.

"The doctor already made the recommendation. At this point, whether you want the surgery isn't entirely up to you."

She sounded increasingly impatient.

"Aiden, why do you have to fight us on everything? You're already this sick. Are you really going to keep dragging everyone down?"

[Damn it. Doesn't he understand that his only real value is that kidney?]

[If he pushes me too far, I'll have him strapped down and wheeled into surgery. And if something happens to him on the table... well, accidents happen.]

I looked at the elegant, gentle woman in front of me and felt something inside me collapse.

I had been the one who stayed beside Claire after Ryan broke up with her.

I was the one who told her that her entire life didn't have to revolve around Ryan.

I told her she could become her own sun.

And somehow, even after becoming that sun, she had still chosen to orbit him.

To Claire, I had never been a person.

I was a container carrying the kidney Ryan needed.

Mom and Dad, who had apparently been listening outside the door, walked in.

They made the decision for me.

"Enough. Claire is right. You're having the surgery the day after tomorrow.

"This family can only handle one invalid, and that's you. We can't afford a second.

"Once the kidney's out, you'll stay home and behave yourself."

Mom looked at me with gentle affection.

It would have been comforting if that affection had belonged to me.

[Once Ryan gets Aiden's kidney, he'll finally recover. He'll finally get to chase his dreams.]

I lowered my head and hid my expression, my fists clenched tight.

So Ryan deserved his dreams.

And the price was breaking both of my wings.

Everyone in this family was waiting for my kidney.

I closed my eyes.

Then I nodded.

"Fine. I'll do it."

If the only choices were staying here to be humiliated and controlled or ending this nightmare myself, I would choose myself for once.

I should have had the chance to shine too.