Chapter 2

I found myself drifting in these thoughts when the words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Garrett froze for a second, then a mocking smirk twisted his lips.

"Worried about you? Nia, you are really vicious. Since it's Lidia's birthday and everyone's celebrating her, you just had to choose this moment to fake a suicide attempt for attention?"

A bitter ache spread through my chest.

Today was my birthday too.

But they'd all forgotten.

"If it's such a special day for her, why are you still wasting your time on a nuisance like me?"

"As if I have a choice," Garrett scoffed.

"Lidia was worried you might be home alone and scared, so she specifically sent me back to check on you. I didn't want to deal with you, but when Lidia heard about your suicide attempt, she passed out cold. When she came to, the first thing she did was beg me to look after you. If it weren't for her kindness, you think you'd deserve even a second of my attention?"

At the mention of Lidia, the ice in his eyes seemed to melt away, replaced by a tenderness I'd never seen before.

I should have been used to his favoritism, but my heart still ached painfully.

When I first came back, my brother hadn't liked me.

I clung to him relentlessly, following him around like a lost puppy.

No matter how much he pushed me away, I kept coming back.

After three months, I finally broke through his walls.

He'd make sure the kitchen prepared my favorite meals. When I was sick, he'd personally bring me hot water, his brow furrowed with concern.

Watching his favorability rating climb toward fifty, I couldn't help but puff out my chest in pride.

See? This mission wasn't as hard as it seemed.

But I didn't notice the hatred growing in Lidia's eyes whenever she looked at me.

On an ordinary afternoon, I came home as usual. Instead of my brother's warm smile, I was met with a cold rebuke.

Garrett's voice was like ice as he accused me of bullying Lidia at school.

My mind went completely blank.

I wanted to explain, to say I hadn't done anything, but I was terrible with words and couldn't find the right ones.

As Lidia wept pitifully, I could only watch helplessly as his favorability rating dropped again and again, never to recover.

My eyes burned, my voice muffled.

"And if I had cancer... would you maybe..."

Garrett let out a harsh laugh.

"Don't think you can fake an illness like Lidia. You are not an Omega like Lidia, how can you have cancer easily. It seems Lucas was right all along—you're nothing but a liar."

Lucas, my fiancé and my second target of this mission.

So this was how they saw me.

I closed my eyes, unable to look at him any longer.

"You're right. I have been lying to you both. As you can see, I'm fine now. You can go back and celebrate her birthday."

Garrett's brow furrowed, about to speak, when a timid voice came from the doorway.

"Brother, please don't speak to Nia like that..."

Lidia stood in the entrance, wearing an elegant white party dress, her eyes red-rimmed.

"Nia, is it because both Garrett and Lucas are celebrating with me that you're mad? But no matter how angry you are, you can't hurt yourself to get their attention, please."

Garrett's voice immediately turned cold.

"Nia, how unreasonable you are! Lidia is still thinking of you, and what about you?!"

Following her inside was my fiancé Lucas, his face dark with fury.

Without giving me a chance to defend myself, he strode forward and slapped me hard across the face.

"Nia, listen to me!"

Lucas pointed his finger at me, his eyes filled with disgust.

"Even if you tried to kill yourself a hundred times, the woman I'm going to marry will always be Lidia. Do you understand that?"

He gave a cold, humorless laugh.

"If you're so desperate to die, then why don't you do it properly? Who are you trying to impress with this fake suicide act? Stop playing the victim!"

Listening this cold sentence, I clutched my cheek in the meanwhile my eyes met Lidia's triumphant gaze.

She mouthed the words silently, a triumphant smirk on her face.

"Nia, why aren't you dead yet?"

A low, self-mocking laugh escaped my lips.

In the stunned silence of the room, I suddenly snatched the silver dagger from the nightstand and drove it deep into my own heart.