Chapter 2

When I walked into Felicia's hospital room, Nelson was feeding her.

The moment he saw me, his expression shifted into a scowl. "Victoria, what are you doing here again? Haven't you done enough to hurt Feli?"

Felicia's lips curled into a satisfied smile, but within a heartbeat, she replaced it with her usual innocent expression. "Nelson, don't say that about Victoria. Maybe she was just… confused for a moment. I know she didn't mean to hurt me."

Nelson turned to her, his eyes full of affection and concern. "Feli, why are you still defending her? You know exactly what kind of person she is.

"She's been stealing your things since we were kids—your toys, your clothes, and now your championship title. She's nothing but a thief!"

Nelson's voice grew tense, rising with each word. By the end, he was pointing at me, shouting, "Look at how kind Feli is, and look at you. You're cruel, Victoria. I can't believe someone like you is my sister. I wish Feli were my real sister instead of you."

I pressed my lips together and spoke calmly. "Nelson, I came here today to tell you that I've decided to donate my kidney to Felicia."

He blinked in surprise, clearly not having expected that. "You… You're serious?"

I nodded. "Yes. As long as it helps her get better, I'm willing to do anything."

Nelson stared at me, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "Victoria, I'm glad to hear you say that. Don't worry. If you go through with the surgery, I promise I'll take care of you. You've finally grown up."

I gave him a small, bitter smile but said nothing.

That evening, I returned home. The moment I stepped through the front door, I was hit with the aroma of food.

Rowan was in the kitchen, cooking all of Felicia's favorite dishes. When he noticed me, he paused and turned around. There was a flicker of something unreadable in his expression as he walked toward me.

He said, "Victoria, you know that Feli's biggest dream has always been to wear a wedding dress and have a real wedding.

"Nelson suggested I marry her first—just have a small wedding to fulfill her last wish. After she passes, you and I can get married.

"Don't overthink it. Feli's kidneys are failing—she doesn't have much time left. The doctors say she won't make it past the month."

I stared at him as the last bit of warmth in my chest faded, leaving it cold.

"...Alright," I said quietly.

Rowan was clearly caught off guard. He had brought this up multiple times, and I had always refused. He hadn't expected me to agree so quickly.

"I'll call the bridal shop and have them adjust the wedding dress to Feli's measurements. I'll also have the wedding invitations reprinted with her name."

Just as he pulled out his phone, Nelson walked through the door. He had overheard everything and raised a hand to stop Rowan.

"Tori already agreed to donate her kidney. Feli's going to be fine. You don't have to change anything. The surgery's scheduled for tomorrow. Once she recovers, it won't delay your wedding plans."

Rowan grabbed my hand in excitement. "Tori, you really agreed? This is amazing! I knew you weren't selfish. Don't worry about the surgery. I'll make arrangements for the best surgeon available.

"And I'll get a personal nutritionist to make sure your recovery is fast and smooth. You'll be healthy again in no time. And when you are, you'll be the most beautiful bride anyone's ever seen."

I smiled bitterly and nodded, though neither of them noticed the tears welling in my eyes.

Both Nelson and Rowan let out a sigh of relief. For the first time in a long while, they looked at me with something close to approval.

Just as I opened my mouth to speak, a wave of dizziness hit me. My body gave out, and I collapsed straight to the floor.

When I came to, both Rowan and Nelson were standing in front of me, their faces twisted with irritation rather than concern.

"Victoria, what are you faking this time? Still being dramatic, huh? Haven't you had enough? You passed out during the cheerleading competition, and now you're pulling the same stunt at home? What do you even want from us?" Nelson snapped, kicking over a chair.

Rowan pressed his fingers to his temple, clearly exhausted. "You don't need to pull these little tricks just to get our attention, Victoria. Really, it's not necessary.

"You're the one I love. Yes, maybe there were things in the past that made you doubt that, but my feelings for you have never changed, not for a second. It doesn't matter how many times you test me.

"But every time you pull the same trick—pretending to be sick, passing out—it wears me down. It's putting a strain on our relationship. And honestly, I don't feel the same attachment to this relationship as I used to."

That was when I realized they truly believed I was faking it. They thought this was just another act to gain sympathy.

The painkillers I had taken earlier were strong, and my complexion looked healthy and normal. There were no signs of pallor or swelling—or any of the symptoms that usually indicated someone was actually sick.

I took a shaky breath, pushing myself up despite the dull ache in my head.

I said calmly, "I think it's just because I didn't eat anything, so my blood sugar was too low. I didn't pass out on purpose. I'm sorry if I worried you."

Then I looked at Rowan and asked, "Can you drive me to the hospital? I want to sign the organ donation consent form tonight. We can't risk delaying the surgery tomorrow."

He looked at me with a hint of doubt, as if trying to read something from my expression.

After all, every time they accused me of playing games or faking illness for sympathy, I would always explode, defending myself loudly. I would insist that I wasn't pretending and that I was genuinely sick.

Just like earlier today at the competition, when I shouted to defend myself in front of everyone.

But tonight, I didn't react the same way.

I lowered my head to avoid Rowan's eyes. "I'm fine. Really. Let's just go."

Rowan looked at me, then at Nelson. After a brief pause, he nodded. "Alright, get up. Let's go together."

When we arrived at the hospital, Felicia visibly froze the moment she saw me. "Victoria? What are you doing here?"

I took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes. "Felicia, you mentioned before that being sick set you back with your research and that you wanted to use my thesis as your own. I came to tell you that I agree."

A flicker of surprise flashed across her face, quickly followed by uncontained joy. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

Nelson's gaze shifted to me, his expression filled with approval and quiet relief.

"This is how you should've treated Feli all along. Her academic performance has never been worse than yours. If she hadn't gotten sick and fallen behind, she wouldn't have needed your thesis at all."

I replied, "You're right."

But I knew the truth.

Even if I had refused to hand over my thesis, Felicia would have found a way to take it. She would continue to play the victim, and I would be painted as a heartless, selfish sister.

So rather than getting framed again, I chose to give it to her myself.

The thing was that the thesis wasn't perfect. If Felicia took the time to go through it carefully, she would notice the technical flaws.

But if she didn't and just submitted it as it was, she would be walking straight into a disaster once it got published.