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Chapter 3

Autor: Liora Z
By the third day after my medical team was reassigned, the agony of my fading wolf kept me awake all night.

In the past, whenever I was in too much pain to sleep, my father would sit by my bed, reading me bedtime stories in his deep voice, or telling me about his youthful adventures to coax me to sleep.

But since Jessica got sick, he hadn't told me a story in a long time.

I couldn't help but call him.

It rang for a long time before he answered.

Through the phone, I could hear Jessica whining softly, and my father patiently comforting her.

Only after they were done did he remember I was still on the line.

"What is it?"

"Dad, I can't sleep."

He sounded incredibly impatient.

"You're an adult werewolf now. Stop acting like an unweaned pup."

"Jessica needs me here to calm her nerves right now."

I wanted to tell him that I needed him too.

But over the phone, Jessica suddenly called out for him.

My father hung up immediately.

I could only stare at the moonlight outside the window and silently hypnotize myself.

I’m not in pain. It’s okay if no one takes care of me.

The next day, Caleb suddenly pushed open my hospital door.

He tossed a shopping bag onto my bed.

"Did you text Jessica on purpose to throw a fit at her?"

I opened the bag and saw the blue dress inside. The hem was torn, a large hole ripped through the fabric.

"When she found out you wanted it, she insisted on taking it off to give it back to you. She was so out of it she ended up tearing it."

Caleb's tone sounded like he was scolding an unreasonable child.

"She’s about to get the injection. This is a critical time, and she needs to be in a good headspace. Do you really have to make her go into surgery feeling guilty?"

I gazed at him, suddenly feeling so tired.

As long as Jessica shed a tear, I was automatically the one at fault.

I pushed the bag back toward him.

"Take it. I don't want it."

Caleb’s face darkened.

"What kind of tantrum is this now?"

"When she was healthy, she never fought you for anything. Now she's sick too. Can't you just let her have this?"

I couldn't help but laugh.

"My parents, my brother, my medical team, and my chance to live. I gave it all to her."

"Is that not enough?"

Caleb’s face instantly turned livid.

He lowered his voice, warning me. "Don't act like a victim. Like this whole pack owes you."

"If it weren't for Mom, Dad, and me, do you really think you'd have lived to see twenty-four?"

The room went dead silent.

I looked at his familiar face, suddenly remembering when I was seven.

The first time my illness struck, we were the only ones home. He carried me on his back through a blizzard for three miles.

I cried against his back, telling him I would never be a burden to him again.

He scolded me with red eyes, calling me stupid.

He said I was his little sister, and I could never be a burden.

But somewhere along the line, every extra day I lived became a gracious act of charity.

Caleb seemed to realize he had crossed a line.

He looked away, his tone softening a little.

"Once the injection is successful, the family will have the energy to take care of you."

"You've held on for this many years. A few more days won't hurt."

Held on.

Because I had endured the pain countless times, they were convinced I would never actually break.

Because I had crawled back from the brink of death so many times, they thought my dying was just an empty threat.

After he left, I took a lighter and set the torn dress on fire, watching it slowly turn to ash.

The next day, I felt my body breaking down even more.

When the nurse came to draw my blood, she realized it had turned an ominous, murky brown.

Terrified, the healer strongly demanded we contact my family.

I gave them Caleb's number.

The first time, no one answered.

The second time, he hung up immediately.

It wasn't until the sixth time that the call finally connected.

Before the healer could even finish explaining my condition, Caleb cut him off.

"She was perfectly fine a few days ago. How could she suddenly get worse?"

"Jessica is doing her pre-op screening right now. We really can't leave."

The healer was so angry his voice cracked.

"Her inner wolf is on the verge of total collapse! She could die at any moment!"

Caleb was silent for a moment.

"Please just take care of her for now."

"I'll head over as soon as the tests are done."

He kept me waiting until late into the night.

At 1:00 AM, Caleb finally showed up, bringing the chill of the night in with him.

But he wasn't there to visit me.

He walked straight over, pulled open my drawer, and took out an ivory pendant my grandmother had left me. It was my lucky charm. Every time I was pushed into the operating room, I held onto it.

Caleb said Jessica was having nightmares and needed it to soothe her nerves.

I reached out and pressed my hand down on the box.

"Grandma gave this to me."

Caleb paused.

He probably hadn't expected me, who had given up everything else, to say no.

"I'm just borrowing it for a few days."

"No."

"Sansa!"

He suddenly raised his voice. I used every ounce of my fading strength to grip the pendant tight.

But I was too weak. With a cold face, Caleb pried my fingers open one by one and snatched it away.

"She is going into surgery, and you can't even part with a stupid trinket?"

"I'll give it back to you when she's safe."

The moment he ripped the box away, my fingernails split, and drops of blood stained the white bedsheets.

Caleb saw it.

He froze for a fraction of a second, but then he turned and left with the pendant, not looking back.
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  • They Partied While I Died Alone   Chapter 8

    After the funeral, the packhouse felt like a tomb.The last straw was a bracelet Mom found by accident while cleaning.Jessica had buried it deep at the bottom of her jewelry box. Mom recognized it instantly. It was the exact same bracelet she had torn my hospital room apart looking for—the one Jessica swore she'd lost.Mom held the bracelet like it was burning her skin, her hands shaking uncontrollably. The memory finally hit her—how she had doubted me over this stupid piece of jewelry. How she had even accused me of faking my sickness for attention."Didn't you say... you lost this in Sansa's room?" Mom’s voice was hollow, raspy.Jessica went pale. She lunged to snatch it back, but Caleb grabbed her wrist."I... I just forgot! I didn't mean to..." Jessica burst into tears. Her usual trick."Then what about this?" Caleb pulled out a journal. It was hers. He’d found it by accident. Every page reeked of her hatred for me.The 'lost' bracelet? A setup to make Mom hate me.The torn dre

  • They Partied While I Died Alone   Chapter 7

    The wine glass shattered on the carpet. My mother stared blankly at him. Caleb’s lips trembled. "The hospital... they said no one has claimed her body." My mother froze, then actually let out a dry, disbelieving laugh. "How is that possible?" "She just transferred hospitals. When she was eighteen, it was much worse than this, and she survived just fine, didn't she?" My father turned livid, furious, convinced this was some sick joke. "It has to be a prank call! If something really happened, why would they wait half a month to tell us?" As if suddenly remembering something, Caleb pulled the crumpled critical condition notice from his pocket with shaking hands. My father caught sight of the bright red warning print on the paper, and the words caught in his throat."You had a critical notice? Why didn't you go find the healer?!" Caleb stood frozen in place. "I thought... I thought she'd just pull through like she always did." With those words, absolute silence descended on the

  • They Partied While I Died Alone   Chapter 6

    During the half-month she stayed in the hospital to recover, no one seriously tried to find me. My father had his beta look into it. When he reported that I hadn't been seen at the hospital for a long time, my father immediately assumed I had transferred just to spite them. "She's purposely hiding from us." My father flipped through the rehab schedule, his face cold. "She thinks if she does this, we'll feel guilty for giving up on her." My mother, however, seemed faintly uneasy. "She was being resuscitated when she left. Could she really handle a hospital transfer by herself?" My father didn't answer. Caleb stood by the window, staring silently at our text messages. His last message to me was him demanding to know why I wouldn't just hand over the dress. Jessica quickly grabbed my mother’s hand, her eyes red. "Is she still mad at me?" "If I hadn't taken the serum, she wouldn't be this angry." My mother instantly hid her worry and comforted her gently. "It's not your faul

  • They Partied While I Died Alone   Chapter 5

    Patient's inner wolf is on the verge of total collapse. Multiple organ failure is imminent. Family members must report immediately.Caleb stared dead at the words, spinning around to run toward the ER. But just then, the operating room doors opened. Jessica was wheeled out, barely conscious, but her fingers weakly grabbed the edge of his shirt. "Caleb..." He looked down at her pale face and, in the end, couldn't pull away. My mother noticed the paper in his hand and asked, confused. "What does the paper say?" "By the way, where did she go?" Caleb’s throat tightened. "It's a critical condition notice." "Then you should go check on her," my mother said. But the moment the words left her mouth, Jessica suddenly frowned in pain, letting out a soft, miserable whimper. The family instantly crowded around her again. My father gripped Caleb’s shoulder. "She’s survived worse than this before." "Jessica just went through an incredibly dangerous injection. She needs her brother to c

  • They Partied While I Died Alone   Chapter 4

    It rained heavily on the day of the injection. My parents and Caleb stood outside her room before the sun even came up. My mother brushed her hair, while my father repeatedly confirmed the risks with the healer. Caleb crouched by the bed, placing my ivory pendant around her neck. "Don't be afraid." "We'll all be right outside waiting for you." I stood at the far end of the hallway, watching them quietly. No one noticed I was also in a hospital gown, looking terrifyingly pale. In the early hours of the morning, my wolf had suffered a severe fracture, triggering organ failure. I was rushed into the ER. The healer said the regular ward was no longer suitable and needed my family to sign a critical condition notice. But they couldn't reach them. The nurses had no choice but to let me go look for them myself. I had barely taken a few steps before the tearing agony in my soul made my vision go dark. Every breath felt like a rusty knife slowly twisting inside me. My mother saw m

  • They Partied While I Died Alone   Chapter 3

    By the third day after my medical team was reassigned, the agony of my fading wolf kept me awake all night. In the past, whenever I was in too much pain to sleep, my father would sit by my bed, reading me bedtime stories in his deep voice, or telling me about his youthful adventures to coax me to sleep. But since Jessica got sick, he hadn't told me a story in a long time. I couldn't help but call him. It rang for a long time before he answered. Through the phone, I could hear Jessica whining softly, and my father patiently comforting her. Only after they were done did he remember I was still on the line. "What is it?" "Dad, I can't sleep." He sounded incredibly impatient. "You're an adult werewolf now. Stop acting like an unweaned pup." "Jessica needs me here to calm her nerves right now." I wanted to tell him that I needed him too. But over the phone, Jessica suddenly called out for him. My father hung up immediately. I could only stare at the moonlight outside the wind

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