Chapter 1

"Don't worry, I still love you. I'm only doing this so Elena won't have any regrets when she dies.

After she's gone, we'll get married, alright?"

Ever since Elena was diagnosed with kidney failure, everyone had been waiting for me to donate a kidney to my sister.

What they didn't know… was that I only had one kidney left.

So when I refused, their disappointment was absolute.

My mother threw me out of the house and said, "Your sister is dying. As long as you donate a kidney, she can live—and yet you're going to stand by and watch her die? We don't have a selfish daughter like you. If you won't save your sister, then leave this family."

Even Kael refused to hear my explanation. He insisted on holding a wedding with my sister and granting every last one of her wishes.

Only then did I finally realize—no one truly loved me.

I no longer had any attachment to this world. So I spent a fortune on the black market to buy a painless suffocation drug. Once taken, it would end my life in twenty-four hours—without any pain.

I looked at the pill in my palm, then at Kael's dark expression. Without hesitation, I swallowed it. Then I spoke calmly, "I'll donate a kidney to Elena."

Kael froze for a moment, then looked up at me in surprise and delight.

"Really? That's wonderful, my love. If you're willing, fill in your name on the marriage application as soon as possible. After the surgery, I'll announce to everyone that you are the only one I love. I'll prepare the most sacred ceremony and wedding for you."

The moment he finished speaking, he hurried me off to find Elena.

My mother, having heard the news, rushed over as well. She held my sister tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"Elena, you're saved. You won't have to leave me…

"Elizabeth, you've finally grown up. You know how to care for your sister now. Don't blame us for favoring her—she's suffered so much, that's why her body is so weak. She needs to be cherished."

I fell silent for a moment before saying, "To celebrate my sister's recovery, I'll transfer all the properties and assets under my name to her."

My mother froze, looking at me in astonishment. "Really?"

I smiled faintly. Their surprise—and repeated need for confirmation—wasn't unwarranted.

To make me give everything I had painstakingly built to Elena, my mother had said every kind of thing—harsh and gentle alike—but I had never relented. But now… I was already a dying person. None of it meant anything anymore.

I shook my head, suppressing the bitterness in my chest. "I won't need them in the future."

Seeing how serious I was, my mother finally smiled in relief. She stepped forward and patted my head.

A faint trace of irony stirred in my heart. Only at moments like this would she smile at me.

But it lasted only an instant. Soon, she was back at Elena's side, fussing over her with concern.

And I was left standing alone in the corner—an unnecessary outsider.

Kael spoke again, "Elizabeth, Elena and I have discussed it. We won't legally register a marriage, but we will hold a wedding ceremony. After the surgery, we'll have my wedding with her first. She's still young—consider it a gift for her recovery."

He hesitated slightly. "When everything is over, how about I take you on a trip?"

He was informing me—did he really need my opinion?

In any case, I only had twenty-two hours left.

What they did no longer concerned me.